Chapter 2

Question 1

culture

Answer 1

the totality of learned, shared symbols, and language. values, and norms that distinguish one group of people from another

Question 2

society

Answer 2

group of people who share the same culture

Question 3

co-culture

Answer 3

group of people who share values, customs, and norms related to mutual interests or characteristics besides their national citizenship

Question 4

nationality

Answer 4

a person’s status as a citizen of a particular country

Question 5

ethnicity

Answer 5

a person’s perception of his/her ancestry and heritage

Question 6

race

Answer 6

differences in sets of physical characteristics - such as bone structure and the colour of skin, hair, and eyes - that have often been presumed to have a biological or genetic basis

Question 7

socioeconomic status

Answer 7

a measure of a person’s financial and social position relative to that of others

Question 8

sex

Answer 8

a genetic variable that determines whether someone is born male, female, of another sex, or of an indeterminate sex

Question 9

gender

Answer 9

a social and psychological variable that characterizes a person’s identity as feminine, masculine, or androgynous

Question 10

individualistic culture

Answer 10

a culture in which people their primary responsibility is to themselves

Question 11

collectivistic culture

Answer 11

a culture in which people are taught that their primary responsibility is to their families, their communities, and their employers

Question 12

low-context culture

Answer 12

a culture in which people are expected to be direct, to say what they mean, and to use language that is specific and concrete

Question 13

high-context culture

Answer 13

a culture in which people are taught to speak in an indirect way, and that maintaining harmony and avoiding offense are more important than expressing their true feelings

Question 14

low-power-distance culture

Answer 14

a culture in which people believe that all individuals are equal and that no one person or group should have excessive power

Question 15

high-power-distance culture

Answer 15

a culture in which people believe that certain individuals or groups deserve more power than others, and that respecting power and privilege is more important that promoting equality

Question 16

uncertainty avoidance

Answer 16

the extent to which we try to avoid situations that are unstructured, unclear, or unpredictable

Question 17

masculine culture

Answer 17

a culture in which people tend to cherish stereotypically masculine values, such as ambition, achievement, and the acquisition of material goods

Question 18

feminine culture

Answer 18

a culture in which people tend to value nurturing behavior, quality of life, and service to others, all stereotypically feminine qualities

Question 19

high-contact culture

Answer 19

a culture in which people usually stand or sit fairly close to one another and touch one another frequently

Question 20

low-contact culture

Answer 20

a culture in which people keep great amounts of personal space between themselves and touch one another less frequently

Question 21

intimate distance

Answer 21

the zone people willingly occupy with only their closest and most intimate friends, family members, and romantic partners; ranges from 0-1 1/2 feet

Question 22

personal distance

Answer 22

the distance people typically maintain with their friends and relatives; extends from 1 1/2 - 4 feet

Question 23

social distance

Answer 23

the distance used with customers, casual acquaintances, and others to convey more formal, impersonal interaction; ranges from 4-12 feet

Question 24

public distance

Answer 24

the distance that applies when someone is giving a speech or performing in front of a large audience. the purpose is to keep the presenter far enough away from the group that he/she is comfortable and visible to everyone; usually 12-25 feet

Question 25

monochronic

Answer 25

concept of time as a commodity

Question 26

polychronic

Answer 26

concept of time as more holistic and fluid and less structured

Question 27

sterotype

Answer 27

a generalization about a group or category of people that can have a powerful influence on the way we perceive others and their communication behavior

Question 28

cultural centrism

Answer 28

the belief that our own culture is superior and the correct lens from which we judge other cultures

Question 29

projected cognitive similarity

Answer 29

the tendency to assume others shares our cultural norms and values

Question 30

outgroup homogeneity effect

Answer 30

the tendency to think members of other groups are all the same