Final Exam

Question 1

discourse

Answer 1

refers to a distinct area of social knowledge and the linguistic practices associated with it

• defines rules about speech or writing
• who is permitted to speak with authority

Question 2

fact vs. representation

Answer 2

fact: direct statement that reflects reality, unproblematic in truth
representation: subjective construction, a version of realty, changes over time

Question 3

identity

Answer 3

refers to an individuals unique personality or self, arose in late 18th century

• linked to liberal individualism
• affects personal experiences
• framed by membership

Question 4

subjectivity

Answer 4

refers to how a person’s perspectives, experiences, and values shae their perception of reality

Question 5

social construction theory

Answer 5

the idea that what we understand as reality is constructed by culture

• challenges the idea that identity is fixed or unchanging
• power is central in understanding how identities are formed

Question 6

semiotics

Answer 6

the study of sign systems

• reveals the relationship between 2 parts of a sign
• arbitrary and determined by social convention

Question 7

gender binary

Answer 7

the idea that gender exists at 2 opposite poles

-strictly male or female

Question 8

essentialist theories

Answer 8

idea that identity has a fundamental unchanging core of meaning that precedes and transcends culture and politics
-evaluate relations of power

Question 9

feminist theories

Answer 9

sex, gender and sexuality are historically produced

-combines psychoanalysis and Marxism to analyze how gender is shaped by patriarchy

Question 10

patriarchy

Answer 10

“rule of the father”

-refers to the power system organized by male authority and privilege

Question 11

the history of homosexuality:

Answer 11

“homosexual” category emerged in 18th century to draw a distinction between normal and deviant sexual preferences
-until 1974, homosexuality was considered a mental illness

Question 12

disability studies

Answer 12

critical disability theorists challenge conventional ideas about what constitutes “normal” and “abnormal” bodies
-examines the power of science and medicine with regard to those with disabilities

Question 13

nation

Answer 13

an imagined community of people who believe to be similar or connected by a common identity (usually religious, ethnic, or racial)

• share a common past and future
• beliefs are usually nurtured by a common language and sense of otherness from other groups

Question 14

nation-state

Answer 14

refers to a political system in which state power rests on a bed of national identity

Question 15

state

Answer 15

the political and bureaucratic institutions, practices and policies that govern a national territory and population

Question 16

civilizing mission

Answer 16

the cultural rationale for colonization

-the claim that colonialism’s goal was to turn primitive and uncivilized societies into progressive ones

Question 17

post colonialism

Answer 17

indicates establishment of independent states by formally colonized nations

Question 18

orientalism

Answer 18

“the Orient” is an imagined region described by European colonial historians

• comprised of the middle east and Asia
• the west defines itself to be superior

Question 19

sub cultures

Answer 19

has its own beliefs, norms and values but can exist in mainstream culture

• united by common interests and experiences
• mostly underground
• “fads”, may or may not be political
  ex) goths

Question 20

counter culture

Answer 20

goes against pop culture

• create change, large movements, specific political aims
• views the majority as unjust, discriminatory, limiting
• draws on sub cultures
  ex) hippies, feminists

Question 21

maquiladoras

Answer 21

spanish term for factories located along the US-Mexico border as a result of NAFTA
-provides cheap labour for TNCs

Question 22

neo-liberalism

Answer 22

modern and advanced form of economic liberalism is modern western society

• the dominant ideology of globalization
• intensify capitalism by removing all Gov influence in economic matters through privatization
• increase inequality and poverty, places greater importance on free markets than public well-being

Question 23

cultural sovereignty

Answer 23

refers to the possession of legal control and governance over cultural processes and products
-Canada attempts to d this through CRTC to protect Canadian content

Question 24

multinational corporation

Answer 24

any firm that extends itself outside of national boundaries and works simultaneously in many countries

Question 25

transnational corporation

Answer 25

a firm that operates on a global scale and works, to a greater or lesser extent, outside of national jurisdiction

Question 26

3 theories of identity:

Answer 26

Essentialist
Social construction
Feminist