Exam 3: Culture

Material culture consists of the physical or tangible creations that members of a society make,use,and share.Through technology,these raw materials are transformed into usable items (ranging from books and computers to guns and tanks).

As illustrated in the opening story of Chapter 3,it is possible for food to serve as a symbolic representation of culture.

Language,beliefs,values,rules of behavior,family patterns,and political systems are examples of material culture.

America is often referred to as a nation of immigrants,but immigrant groups are not evenly distributed.______________For example,African Americans are heavily concentrated in the

Verbal (spoken)language and______________help us describe reality by sharing our experiences,feelings,and knowledge with others.

The view that language is a source of power and social control and that it perpetuates inequalities between people and between groups because words are used to "keep people in their place" is representative of what theoretical perspective?

Define subculture and counterculture.Provide modern examples of each.

Because they may have less invested in the existing culture,______________people are most likely to join subcultural groups.

______________ refers to the wide range of cultural differences found between and within nations.It may be the result of natural circumstances (such as climate and geography)or social circumstances (such as level of technology and composition of the population).

The Old Order Amish are considered a subculture because:

Discuss how cultural diversity influences society and individuals.

______________ perspectives are based on the assumption that social life is a continuous struggle in which members of powerful groups seek to control scarce resources.

______________ consist(s)of the abstract or intangible human creations of society that influence people's behavior.

Anthropologist Marvin Harris points out that,from an ethnocentric viewpoint,people in the United States are likely to conclude that cow worship in India is a primary cause of hunger and poverty in that country.At the same time,Harris demonstrates that the Hindu taboo against killing cattle is very important to the economic system in India.His approach illustrates:

Summarize how societies continually experience cultural change at both material and nonmaterial levels.

The Sapir-Whorf theory has suggested that language expresses our thoughts and perceptions but has little influence on our perception of reality.

Discuss how language may create and reinforce our perceptions about race and ethnicity by transmitting preconceived ideas about the superiority of one category of people over another.

In the United States,______________include using underarm deodorant,brushing our teeth,and wearing appropriate clothing for a specific occasion.

______________ theorists believe that much of what has been written about culture in the Western world is Eurocentric-based on the uncritical assumption that European culture is the true,universal culture in which all of the world's people ought to believe.

______________ state what behavior is inappropriate or unacceptable.Laws that prohibit us from driving over the speed limit and "good manners" that preclude you from reading a newspaper during class are examples.