Ch. 6 - Culture, Media, and Communication

Question 1

systems of belief and knowledge shared by members of a group or society that shape individual and group behavior and attitudes. A society’s culture includes its language, customs, symbols, rituals, and other forms of meaning that are widely shared

Answer 1

culture

Question 2

something that communicates an idea while being distinct from the idea itself

Answer 2

symbol

Question 3

a judgement about what is intrinsically important or meaningful. When it comes to research, values held by sociologists shape their views of and perspectives on the questions they ask.

Answer 3

value

Question 4

a concept introduced by sociologist Pierre Bourdieu to refer to the diverse ways in which individuals develop intuitive understandings and engrained habits reflecting their class background and upbringing.

Answer 4

habitus

Question 5

in the sociology of culture, the view that culture is a set of symbolic skills, devices, or strategies that people learn throughout their lives, and can deploy strategically in different situations. The tool kit also supplies a set of ideas to justify a course of action retrospectively.

Answer 5

tool kit

Question 6

refers to any comprehensive system of words of symbols representing concepts, and it does not necessarily need to be spoken, as the hundred of.

Answer 6

language

Question 7

a cultural trait common to all humans and societies

Answer 7

cultural universal

Question 8

the social, economic, and cultural gap between those with effective access to information technology and those without such access.

Answer 8

digital divide

Question 9

Language is an example of ________, whereas architecture is an example of ________.

Answer 9

nonmaterial culture; material culture

Question 10

Because the ritual of cockfighting bestows social status, it can be regarded as a(n) ________.

Answer 10

symbol

Question 11

A young Asian woman is used to asking people how old they are because social interaction differs depending on differences in age in her culture. She asks her middle-aged American hostess how old she is, and there is shocked silence. This is misunderstanding based on

Answer 11

habitus

Question 12

What is the meaning of the word “barbarian”?

Answer 12

having no language

Question 13

_______ is also a system of _______.

Answer 13

Language; symbols

Question 14

the set of norms and practices that distinguishes one group form another

Answer 14

group style

Question 15

the most widely shared systems of meaning in a society. Mainstream culture includes the most widely consumed cultural products, foods, and ways of speaking and widely shared ideas about normal appropriate behavior.

Answer 15

mainstream culture

Question 16

a relatively small group of people whose affiliation is based on shared beliefs, preferences, and practices that distinguish them from their mainstream or larger social group to which they also belong.

Answer 16

subculture

Question 17

a group whose ideas, attitudes, and behaviors are in direct conflict with mainstream culture

Answer 17

counterculture

Question 18

the set of shared cultural practices and beliefs of people sharing living within a nation-state

Answer 18

national culture

Question 19

a set of beliefs about the virtues of one’s country. in the sociology of race and ethnicity, nationalism includes the assumption that people are inherently members of a specific nation, and that their identities are in large part defined by their national membership.

Answer 19

nationalism

Question 20

widely shared beliefs about what is right or wrong that legitimize and empower a society’s elites

Answer 20

hegemony

Question 21

disagreements about the proper role of family and religious values in society

Answer 21

culture wars

Question 22

beliefs or policies promoting the equal accommodation of different ethnic or cultural groups within a society. It is sometimes also used to refer to the benefits of dialogue and interaction between different groups

Answer 22

multiculturalism

Question 23

the inability to understand, accept, or reference patterns of behaviors or belief different from one’s own

Answer 23

ethnocentrism

Question 24

the idea that cultural meanings and practices must be evaluated in their own social contexts

Answer 24

cultural relativism

Question 25

the set of shared cultural practices and beliefs of people living within a nation-state

Answer 25

national culture

Question 26

a set of beliefs about the virtues of one’s country. In the sociology of race and ethnicity, nationalism includes the assumption that people are inherently members of a specific nation, and that their identities are in large part defined by their national membership

Answer 26

nationalism

Question 27

Victor is a naturalized citizen of the United States. He wants to get an education, vote, do his best at a corporate job, marry, and have children. Victor wants to participate in _______.

Answer 27

mainstream culture

Question 28

What do the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street movement have in common?

Answer 28

They are both countercultures

Question 29

Unless they practice _____)_, sociologists’ work will be flawed.

Answer 29

cultural relativism

Question 30

The social and political tensions in the United States that exist over issues such as abortion and gay rights could be considered a demonstration of which of the following concepts?

Answer 30

culture wars

Question 31

National cultures exist because a group of people identify with the same customs, government, and ideals. In other words, they are _______ communities.

Answer 31

imagined

Question 32

a person’s cultural preferences

Answer 32

taste

Question 33

the type and level of education and cultural knowledge possessed by an individual. Having a high level of cultural capital signifies one’s high status in the eyes of others

Answer 33

cultural capital

Question 34

a cultural elite that demonstrates high status through a broad range of cultural consumption and knowledge, including low-status culture

Answer 34

cultural omnivore

Question 35

the processes that cause class boundaries and distinctions to be maintained over time

Answer 35

class reproduction

Question 36

Barbara is very attractive, makes a good living as a teacher, and likes country-western music, action movies, and philosophy. Barbara will probably be successful socially because of her _______.

Answer 36

cultural capital

Question 37

Which concept is better understood by sociologists from studying how childrearing practices vary by social class?

Answer 37

class reproduction

Question 38

Imagine a situation where a man is born poor, works hard, and becomes wealthy. However, he seldom associates with wealthy people because he cannot catch on to their manners. This illustrates that ________.

Answer 38

class is reproduced not only through the money you have but the culture you practice

Question 39

A child raised by the method of concerted cultivation is probably _______.

Answer 39

middle class

Question 40

The American social elite who have pride in wide tastes rather than in upper-class preferences are referred to as _______. This is because the United States has _______.

Answer 40

cultural omnivores; a pervasive mass culture

Question 41

a social space—physical, virtual, or theoretical—where private citizens can come together as a public body to discuss and express opinions about matters of general interest

Answer 41

public sphere

Question 42

alternative public organizations created by disadvantaged social groups

Answer 42

counterpublics

Question 43

an online public sphere

Answer 43

networked public

Question 44

the production for profit of popular music, movies, books, television, social media, and other types of mass-culture products by capitalist enterprises

Answer 44

culture industry

Question 45

In a study of social life, one sociologist compares a group of people discussing their opinions about general social issues to a group of people exploring similar interests online. What is being compared here?

Answer 45

the public sphere and the networked public

Question 46

Because the ideal of equal participation cannot be achieved, subordinated social groups have frequently constituted their own ________.

Answer 46

counterpublics

Question 47

Ken is sitting in front of the televised evening news passively consuming information about social issues. He has no response to them nor any desire to actively participate in the issues being discussed. What would German sociologist and philosopher Theodor Adorno most likely say about this scenario?

Answer 47

This is an example of the problems with the culture industry.

Question 48

Cultural democracy is a(n) ________ view of modern culture.

Answer 48

positive

Question 49

How has the transition from the age of typography to the age of television affected cultural production in the United States?

Answer 49

Television has replaced reading and writing as the primary tool in the production of culture

Question 50

the production and dissemination of information about contemporary affairs of general importance

Answer 50

journalism

Question 51

Which of these correctly contrasts two opinions about media influence?

Answer 51

The media strongly influence public opinion. The media set the context for making events in the world intelligible.

Question 52

“It is common knowledge that the news media can manipulate public political opinion.” What is wrong with this statement?

Answer 52

It is difficult to prove.

Question 53

Last Saturday night you went to the movies with your friends to see the latest blockbuster. In the opening scene of the film you notice that the main character is driving a Camaro and using and using an iPhone 6. This is an example of what trend in the media landscape?

Answer 53

hypercommercialism

Question 54

A big corporation owns a cable company, a number of radio stations, and numerous websites. When it added a group of channels to its cable stations, all the media outlets advertised, mentioned, and discussed it. This is an example of ________.

Answer 54

media conglomeration

Question 55

________ said, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

Answer 55

Thomas Jefferson

Question 56

Which of the following is the best example of a cultural symbol?

Answer 56

a green traffic light

Question 57

Which of the following is a part of the cultural tool kit of Western Culture?

Answer 57

shaking hands as a greeting

Question 58

One way of explaining the digital divide is that ________.

Answer 58

all people do not have equal access to online mass communication

Question 59

A particular group of young people always dresses in black. The women wear heavy, pale makeup, and the men have multiple piercings. They are devoted to discussing and creating art and music about death. This group is ________.

Answer 59

a subculture

Question 60

Which of the following is the opposite of cultural relativism?

Answer 60

ethnocentrism

Question 61

The education, attitudes, and preferences by which others judge you are, collectively, your ________.

Answer 61

cultural capital

Question 62

Last night Jenny went out to enjoy pretzels, beer, and a martial arts movie with her boyfriend. Tonight she is going to try out a new French restaurant and see a foreign film with her girlfriends. Jenny is an example of _______.

Answer 62

a cultural omnivore

Question 63

Rita has always wanted to be a child psychologist. With this goal in mind, she has worked very hard in school and at low-level jobs. Now she is opening her own child psychology clinic. Rita was probably raised with ________.

Answer 63

concerted cultivation

Question 64

The coffee shop is one example of a place where one could observe _________ and the _________ in action.

Answer 64

the public sphere; networked public

Question 65

Beth and some of her college friends disagreed with a certain campus policy. They made a video pointing out the flaws in this policy and posted it on YouTube and Facebook. This is an example of _________.

Answer 65

cultural democracy

Question 66

What are these two examples - the Arab Spring and a blog no one reads - contrasting?

Answer 66

the ideal function of the Internet and the reality of how the internet functions

Question 67

One point of view says that mainstream culture should be fought and undermined at every turn. The other says that some kind of shared culture is necessary for stability. What is being compared here?

Answer 67

the “progressive” and “orthodox” positions

Question 68

With no other clue than behavior, how might you differentiate between the middle-class child and a working-class child?

Answer 68

the middle class child would probably work hard at the tasks she was given, whereas the working class child would have to be constrained (compelled by force).

Question 69

The huge upturn in movie product placement illustrates _________.

Answer 69

hypercommercialism

Question 70

In today’s world it is almost a taken for granted assumption that an individual will identify with ________.

Answer 70

a nation