Exam 3: Culture

The tendency to define ourselves in terms of the goods we purchase is not just a simple reflection of personal choice.Why is this tendency also important for the economy?

During a school trip to Russia with other British Columbia students, Michelle is surprised to hear Justin Bieber's latest song being played at the McDonald's in Saint Petersburg.She is further surprised when a group of local teens begins to sing along to the song.What is Michelle witnessing?

A child looks at a writing instrument that has a sharp tip, a graphite core, and an eraser on the end.She calls it a "pencil." What process has occurred?

Liam and Michael are about to get married.What does their wedding exemplify?

Cooperation is necessary for creation of culture.

How do sociobiologists understand the relationship between biology and culture?

What do we call a set of distinctive values, norms, and practices within a larger culture that sets members apart from the dominant culture?

Language is a key component of the survival of any culture.Discuss this idea with regard to the impact of residential schools for First Nations children in Canada.

In recent decades, values of Canadians and Americans have diverged except in one domain.Which domain is this?

What connects cultural capital to privilege?

What do sociologists call the belief that all cultures and all cultural practices have equal value?

Marvin Harris argues that ethnocentrism misleads many Western observers' understanding of cow worship in rural India.When examining cow worship from the point of view of the functions it fulfills in Indian society, how can cow worship be understood?

How do people in society gain cultural capital and how do they use it? Illustrate your answer with examples.

The postmodern condition makes consensus building in the democratic process increasingly difficult.

The popularity of foolish father characters in mass media and the declining trust in government exemplify the same feature of postmodernity.Which feature is this?

Marilyn goes to the mall to buy a few things because she is feeling depressed and she knows that purchasing a few nice things will make her feel better.What is Marilyn engaged in?

Discuss how consumerism affects you.Is its influence mostly liberating or mostly constraining? Give arguments for your position.

The regulation of our lives by the clock came into use approximately 700 years ago.

What form of culture involves an eclectic mixing of elements from different times and places, the erosion of authority, and the decline of consensus around core values?

If you were going to oppose consumerism in your personal life, how would you do it? How would you explain your position to others? How successful do you believe you would be?