Ch. 6 - Culture, Media, and Communication Flashcards
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
culture
something that communicates an idea while being distinct from the idea itself
symbol
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.
value
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.
habitus
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.
tool kit
refers to any comprehensive system of words of symbols representing concepts, and it does not necessarily need to be spoken, as the hundred of.
language
a cultural trait common to all humans and societies
cultural universal
the social, economic, and cultural gap between those with effective access to information technology and those without such access.
digital divide
Language is an example of ________, whereas architecture is an example of ________.
nonmaterial culture; material culture
Because the ritual of cockfighting bestows social status, it can be regarded as a(n) ________.
symbol
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
habitus
What is the meaning of the word “barbarian”?
having no language
_______ is also a system of _______.
Language; symbols
the set of norms and practices that distinguishes one group form another
group style
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.
mainstream culture
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.
subculture
a group whose ideas, attitudes, and behaviors are in direct conflict with mainstream culture
counterculture
the set of shared cultural practices and beliefs of people sharing living within a nation-state
national culture
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.
nationalism
widely shared beliefs about what is right or wrong that legitimize and empower a society’s elites
hegemony
disagreements about the proper role of family and religious values in society
culture wars
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
multiculturalism
the inability to understand, accept, or reference patterns of behaviors or belief different from one’s own
ethnocentrism
the idea that cultural meanings and practices must be evaluated in their own social contexts
cultural relativism
the set of shared cultural practices and beliefs of people living within a nation-state
national culture
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
nationalism
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 _______.
mainstream culture
What do the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street movement have in common?
They are both countercultures
Unless they practice _____)_, sociologists’ work will be flawed.
cultural relativism
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?
culture wars
National cultures exist because a group of people identify with the same customs, government, and ideals. In other words, they are _______ communities.
imagined
a person’s cultural preferences
taste
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
cultural capital
a cultural elite that demonstrates high status through a broad range of cultural consumption and knowledge, including low-status culture
cultural omnivore
the processes that cause class boundaries and distinctions to be maintained over time
class reproduction
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 _______.
cultural capital
Which concept is better understood by sociologists from studying how childrearing practices vary by social class?
class reproduction
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 ________.
class is reproduced not only through the money you have but the culture you practice
A child raised by the method of concerted cultivation is probably _______.
middle class
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 _______.
cultural omnivores; a pervasive mass culture
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
public sphere
alternative public organizations created by disadvantaged social groups
counterpublics
an online public sphere
networked public
the production for profit of popular music, movies, books, television, social media, and other types of mass-culture products by capitalist enterprises
culture industry
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?
the public sphere and the networked public
Because the ideal of equal participation cannot be achieved, subordinated social groups have frequently constituted their own ________.
counterpublics
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?
This is an example of the problems with the culture industry.
Cultural democracy is a(n) ________ view of modern culture.
positive
How has the transition from the age of typography to the age of television affected cultural production in the United States?
Television has replaced reading and writing as the primary tool in the production of culture
the production and dissemination of information about contemporary affairs of general importance
journalism
Which of these correctly contrasts two opinions about media influence?
The media strongly influence public opinion. The media set the context for making events in the world intelligible.
“It is common knowledge that the news media can manipulate public political opinion.” What is wrong with this statement?
It is difficult to prove.
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?
hypercommercialism
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 ________.
media conglomeration
________ 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.”
Thomas Jefferson
Which of the following is the best example of a cultural symbol?
a green traffic light
Which of the following is a part of the cultural tool kit of Western Culture?
shaking hands as a greeting
One way of explaining the digital divide is that ________.
all people do not have equal access to online mass communication
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 ________.
a subculture
Which of the following is the opposite of cultural relativism?
ethnocentrism
The education, attitudes, and preferences by which others judge you are, collectively, your ________.
cultural capital
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 _______.
a cultural omnivore
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 ________.
concerted cultivation
The coffee shop is one example of a place where one could observe _________ and the _________ in action.
the public sphere; networked public
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 _________.
cultural democracy
What are these two examples - the Arab Spring and a blog no one reads - contrasting?
the ideal function of the Internet and the reality of how the internet functions
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?
the “progressive” and “orthodox” positions
With no other clue than behavior, how might you differentiate between the middle-class child and a working-class child?
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).
The huge upturn in movie product placement illustrates _________.
hypercommercialism
In today’s world it is almost a taken for granted assumption that an individual will identify with ________.
a nation
