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100
Without sanctions, how would material and non-material culture be affected?
Sanctions preserve norms. Without them we would have no structure to daily interactions. Behavior would have no standard, and our society would be without values, norms, or laws.
100
Define what is meant by values in a culture. Provide examples of personal values and group values.
Values are the ideas that people have about what is desirable in life. They set the standard for what is good or bad, desired or rejected, beautiful or ugly.
100
According to Shively, why do Native Americans identify with the cowboys in Western movies, not their own people?
Cowboy movies represent the fantasy of being free and independent, a quality embraced by Native Americans.
100
What is a moral holiday.
A moral holiday is when, at a certain time, and in a certain place, people are allowed or encourage to break norms.
100
What is the difference between real and ideal culture?
Real culture describes the values, norms, and goals that a society actually uses in their daily life. Ideal culture describes the values, norms, and goals that a society publicly endorse and pursue.
200
Why is non-material culture also called symbolic culture?
A symbol can be anything that conveys meaning and is used by people to communicate.
200
Can Edgerton's ideas about evaluating culture based on the "quality of life" they provide help us to avoid cultural relativism and ethnocentrism when comparing other societies with our own?
No: The term "quality of life" has different meanings in different cultures, so imposing our definition of the term would be ethnocentric. Also, accepting the definition within a culture without criticism would constitute cultural relativism.
200
Why is culture often taken for granted and considered as being "natural" for the people of the society in which it is practiced?
Culture is the lens through which we perceive and evaluate what is going on around us. It appears natural because the material and non-material aspects of a respective culture are all that we experienced since birth.
200
What is natural selection?
Certain genetic traits are passed onto some members, making it easier for the to survive, and pass these traits on to their offspring.
200
What is the main difference between traditional technology and new technology?
The difference is the amount impact that each has on social life.
300
Define ethnocentrism. Discuss positive and negative examples.
Ethnocentrism is the tendency to use our own culture as a measuring stick for judging others. Positives: group loyalty, social solidarity, and patriotism. Negatives: creating prejudice, discrimination, racism.
300
Define cultural lag and its relationship to new technology. Provide an example to illustrate how new technology can produce cultural lag.
Cultural lag occurs when the non-material items of a culture do not change at the same time that new technologies are introduced. Example: The US school year calendar was first created to accommodate farmers and their planting/harvesting. While we no longer have an agricultural society, our school calendars remain the same.
300
What is a culture war, and is it beneficial to society?
Culture wars are when two or more groups in the same society have very different views on interpreting the world based on their beliefs, values, and mores. They are so different that the situation may lead to violent actions. While the violence created damages society, they also can be a vehicle for social change.
300
What is language?
A set of symbols combined in an infinite number of ways to communicate abstract thought.
300
What makes a counterculture different from a subculture?
A counterculture works against the values of society, and therefore create serious conflict.
400
Describe cultural diffusion and how it leads to cultural leveling.
Cultural diffusion refers to the process in which a social group adopts some part of another group's culture when they make contact. The group which adopts new forms of culture will alter them in order to fit their needs.
400
What are the 5 interrelated core values now emerging in the US?
Leisure, self-fulfillment, physical fitness, youthfulness, and concern for the environment.
400
Discuss the importance of gestures for communicating with others. Provide examples of negative and positive gestures and their meanings.
Gestures are important because words cannot always be used, or are not enough to express our communication. Positive: Smiling, hugs, peace sign, thumbs up. Negative: Raising eyebrow, hard stare, middle finger.
400
What term is used to describe a set of values that are usually linked together to describe a larger whole, such as hard work, education, and efficiency.
This term is known as a value cluster.
400
Why can gestures lead to misunderstandings and embarrassment?
Gestures are not universally understood, so a particular gesture may be okay in one society, and offensive in another.
500
Explain how value contradictions can lead to social change. Provide an example.
As societies change, some values become changed or modified. As the contradiction become evident, one or both sets of values needs to be adjusted to fix the contradiction. Example: Equality v. Group Superiority-In America, equality for African-Americans was granted, but group superiority in the form of white racists caused friction. The civil rights movement eventually reverses discriminatory laws.
500
What term is used to describe values, norms, and other cultural traits found in all societies.
The term is known as cultural universals.
500
Discuss why sociologists would disagree with the ideas proposed by Edward Wilson and his belief in sociobiology.
While biology certainly impacts human behavior, it is insufficient. Humans use rational thought, not instincts, to guide their actions and develop their purposes and goals. These abilities take place beyond genetics and human instinct.
500
What is cultural relativism, and why is it difficult for some people to practice this belief?
Cultural relativism is the attempt to understand an unfamiliar culture on its own terms. This is difficult because our own culture appears to be natural and right. A new and different culture can be very different and create confusion and disorientation. This inhibits our ability to accept or objectively evaluate a different culture.
500
What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?
This hypothesis claims that society's language influences the way its members look are the world and define reality.
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