Nacirema is an intriguing culture to
anthropologists. A large part of their day is
spent in ritual activities focused on the
human body. For this purpose each of their
dwellings has one or more shrine rooms in
which the rituals are performed in secret and
in private. The focal point of the shrine is a
box where magic charms and potions are
kept thought to be necessary for life and
health. They keep so many potions that they
often forget their original purpose and,
presumably, keep them in the belief their
continued presence will somehow protect
the family. Every day, every member of the
family enters the shrine, bows his head
before the charm box and mingles different
sorts of holy water to perform rituals. Among
their daily rituals is a disgusting practice of
inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into
their mouth. They have a fascination with the
mouth and seek the wisdom of the holymouth-man regularly. Other cruel practices
exist in which women bake their heads and
males scrape their faces with sharp objects
(Horace Miner, 1956).
Nacirema or the American Culture
• Core Values
• Ideal vs. Real Culture
• Traveling to the
United States
• Individualism or Selfishness?
• Equality or Lack of Respect?
• Time Conscious or Rude?
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/7badd1a1d1/shit-american-say-in-paris
Cultural Diffusion
Cultural Lag
“Human behavior, norms, and values lag behind technological inventions”
http://www.google.com/about/jobs/lifeatgoogle/self-driving-car-test-steve-mahan.html (Self Driving Car)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6zxHX2X8Ow (Flying Drones)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtKBzwKfP8E (Invisibility Cloaking)
(Source: ABC News and Raytheon Corporation)
Group Organization and Dynamics
“A video released by ISIS shows
the beheading of U.S. journalist
James Foley and threatens the
life of another American if
President Barack Obama doesn't
end military operations in Iraq. In
the video posted on YouTube,
Foley is seen kneeling next to a
man dressed in black. Foley reads
a message, presumably scripted
by his captors, that his "real
killer'' is America. ‘I wish I had
more time. I wish I could have
the hope for freedom to see my
family once again,’ he can be
heard saying in the video. He is
then shown being beheaded”
(CNN, 8/20/14).
Gemeinschaft Society
Gesellschaft Society
Gerald wants to study group dynamics. Overall, what will he be
studying?
a. How the individual influences the group and how the group
influences the individual
b. Dysfunctional groups
c. How to be a better team player
d. How a person’s mental state impacts the group
Image Source: Jones and Bartlett Learning
People who temporarily share the same physical space but who do
not share a sense of belonging are known as a(n) ______.
a. aggregate
b. primary group
c. secondary group
d. social group
Image Source: Jones and Bartlett Learning
Which of the following is least likely to be a primary group?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Clients of American National Bank
Three brothers from the same family
Boyfriend and girlfriend
Best friends for ten years
Image Source: Jones and Bartlett Learning
Which of the following is a social institution?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Media
Religion
Education
All of these
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Which leadership style would be best in the following scenario? A
fraternity has been working together on service projects throughout
the year. Members are losing interest in helping. Some interpersonal
conflicts have arisen.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Authoritarian leadership
Expressive leadership
Instrumental leadership
None of these
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Max Weber identified the six characteristics of this type of organization
as specialization, hierarchy of positions, rules and regulations, technical
competence, impersonality, and reliance on formal written
communication.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Groupthink
Structure
Bureaucracy
Laissez faire organization
Image Source: Jones and Bartlett Learning
Debra plans to be a professional musician. She begins to go to the
local symphony orchestra events and befriends some of the members
of the orchestra. For Debra, the members of the orchestra are best
described as her _____.
a.
b.
c.
d.
primary group
reference group
secondary group
aggregate group
Image Source: Jones and Bartlett Learning
Navid is a member of a local gang, the Twentieth Street Regulars.
Their rivals are the Brownstone Fives. Sociologically speaking, to
Navid, the Twentieth Street Regulars are a(n) ______ and the
Brownstone Fives are a(n) ______.
a.
b.
c.
d.
out-group; in-group
in-group; out-group
aggregate; bureaucracy
bureaucracy; aggregate
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During the week, Jordan comes home from work at 4 p.m. and then
attends college in the evening. A couple of times a month she attends
events sponsored by the local wine tasting association. These people that
Jordan interacts with on a regular basis exemplify her:
a.
b.
c.
d.
primary group.
secondary groups.
aggregates.
role sets.
Image Source: Jones and Bartlett Learning
Raquel and Joshua have a disagreement. Consequently, Joshua leaves
because there is no resolution. This interaction demonstrates that
dyads:
a.
b.
c.
d.
are unstable.
stabilize over time.
exert pressure.
are not groups.
Which of the following is true of the triad?
a. It has nine possible interactions.
b. Because it allows for preference in interactions, it can also result in
exclusions in interactions.
c. It has the same dynamics as the dyad.
d. All of these are true of the triad.
What did Solomon Asch discover when he conducted his straight lines
experiments?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Participants were surprisingly likely to go against the group.
Participants immediately went against the group.
Many participants eventually gave answers they knew to be wrong.
Many participants walked out of the experiment.
http://youtu.be/sno1TpCLj6A and
http://youtu.be/KE5YwN4NW5o
If you were a typical participant in Milgram's original study of
obedience, what are the chances you would comply with the
experimenter's demand to administer the maximum shock?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Less than 10%
About 25%
About 40%
About 66%
http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/video?id=2769000
When rallying a nation into war against another nation, leaders may
display characteristics associated with:
A.
B.
C.
D.
expressive leaders.
groupthink.
group heterogeneity.
instrumental leaders.
Which of the following terms did Emile Durkheim use to refer to
societies based on strong moral values and a deep sense of
community among members?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Gemeinschaft
Mechanical solidarity
Organic solidarity
Gesellschaft
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Lauren is a talkative 25-year-old white woman. She has a bachelor's
degree in marketing. Which of the following is her ascribed status?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Her bachelor's degree
Her level of talkativeness
Her race
None of these
Image Source: Jones and Bartlett Learning
Which of the following is the sets of behaviors expected of a person
who occupies a certain status?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Acts
Roles
Sign vehicles
Face-saving behavior
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Joan is an excellent artist but she cannot find enough time to devote
to her family. She feels guilty and stressed about this. A sociologist
would say that Joan is experiencing ______.
a.
b.
c.
d.
role strain
role conflict
role ambiguity
role exit
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Jeffrey has a bachelor's degree, earns $85,000 per year as an
accountant, and is respected by his clients. Jeffrey's education,
income, and occupational prestige determine his:
A.
B.
C.
D.
leadership style.
net worth.
social class.
cultural values.
Image Source: Jones and Bartlett Learning
Donald is thinking about dropping out of college because he is getting
overwhelmed with his classes. Sociologists would refer to Donald’s
circumstances as:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Role conflict
Role strain
Achieved Status
Diffusion of Responsibility
Image Source: Jones and Bartlett Learning
Scoring Guide
1-2 incorrect answers = A
3-4 incorrect answers = B
5-6 incorrect answers = C
Image Source: Jones and Bartlett Learning
Culture: Getting Along with Americans
• Americans prefer to talk about the weather, sports, jobs, people they both know, or past
experiences they have in common. They do not to discuss politics or religion, because
these are considered controversial topics.
• Americans are generally uncomfortable with silence. In a typical conversation, no one talks
for very long at a time. They alternate between looking briefly into the listener’s eyes and
looking slightly away. They tend to distrust people who do not look into their eyes when
talking to them. People often point with their index finger and wave it around in the air as
they make important points in conversation.
• American men rarely touch each other except when shaking hands.
• Americans have been taught that the natural smells of their body and breath are
unpleasant.
• Americans compartmentalize their friendships, having their work friends or school friends
and so on. The result of these attitudes and behaviors is sometimes viewed by foreigners
as an “inability to be friends.”
• Being on time is important. Americans are likely to become annoyed if forced to wait more
than 10 minutes beyond the scheduled time for a meeting or appointment.
(Source: Muskingum University, International Student Department)