All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is the difference between material culture and symbolic culture?
Answer: Material: physical objects; symbolic: ideas, language, meanings. Material is tangible; symbolic is conceptual and meaningful.
Flashcard 2: What is ethnocentrism?
Answer: Judging other cultures by one’s own culture as the standard. Belief that one's own culture is superior to others.
Flashcard 3: What is cultural relativism?
Answer: Evaluating a culture’s practices within that culture’s context. Avoids bias by understanding practices in their own framework.
Flashcard 4: What is the difference between the "I" and the "me" in Mead’s theory?
Answer: "I" is spontaneous self; "me" is internalized social expectations. Mead distinguished impulsive self from socialized self.
Flashcard 5: What is marginalization in acculturation theory regarding cultural identity?
Answer: Rejecting both heritage culture and host culture. Results in cultural isolation from both origin and host groups.
Flashcard 6: What is reference group theory in relation to identity and self-evaluation?
Answer: People compare themselves to groups that set norms for evaluation. Groups provide standards for self-assessment and behavior.
Flashcard 7: Identify the term: A person changes behavior to match group norms to fit in.
Answer: Conformity. Changing behavior to align with group expectations.
Flashcard 8: Identify the term: A person adopts a belief because they think the group is correct.
Answer: Internalization. True acceptance occurs when group seems credible.
Flashcard 9: What is social identity theory in the context of identity formation?
Answer: Identity partly derives from group memberships and in-group favoritism. People derive self-worth from their group affiliations and favor their own groups.
Flashcard 10: What is the definition of role-taking in identity development?
Answer: Adopting another person’s perspective to guide the self. Understanding situations by imagining oneself in another's position.
Flashcard 11: Which option best describes stereotype threat: performance changes due to what factor?
Answer: Anxiety about confirming a negative stereotype about one’s group. Fear of fulfilling stereotypes can impair performance.
Flashcard 12: What is the looking-glass self, and how does it influence identity?
Answer: Self-concept formed from perceived judgments of others. Cooley's theory: we see ourselves through others' eyes.
Flashcard 13: What is the difference between mores and folkways?
Answer: Mores are morally significant norms; folkways are everyday customs. Mores carry moral weight; folkways are routine conventions.
Flashcard 14: What is the distinction between ascribed status and achieved status?
Answer: Ascribed is assigned at birth; achieved is earned later. Birth determines ascribed status; effort determines achieved status.
Flashcard 15: What is the definition of a master status?
Answer: Status that dominates a person’s social identity in context. One status can overshadow all others in defining identity.
Flashcard 16: What is the definition of intersectionality in identity research?
Answer: Overlapping identities create unique patterns of advantage/disadvantage. Multiple identities interact to shape experiences.
Flashcard 17: Identify the concept: a person changes behavior to match group norms to be accepted.
Answer: Normative social influence. Conforming to gain social approval, not information.
Flashcard 18: What is the definition of a social identity?
Answer: Self-concept derived from membership in social groups. Group memberships shape how individuals define themselves.
Flashcard 19: What is the generalized other in Mead’s social development theory?
Answer: Internalized societal norms used to guide one’s behavior. Represents society's collective expectations within us.
Flashcard 20: Identify the term: A person publicly agrees with a group but privately disagrees.
Answer: Compliance. Outward agreement without genuine belief change.
Flashcard 21: What is assimilation as a process of cultural change?
Answer: Adopting the dominant culture, often reducing distinct heritage traits. Full cultural replacement, unlike partial acculturation.
Flashcard 22: What is multiculturalism (pluralism) in the context of identity and society?
Answer: Coexistence of distinct cultures with equal social value. Promotes diversity rather than cultural homogenization.
Flashcard 23: What is acculturation, and how does it differ from assimilation?
Answer: Adopting some host traits while retaining original culture. Acculturation blends cultures; assimilation replaces one.
Flashcard 24: What is culture in sociology and psychology as used on the MCAT?
Answer: Shared beliefs, norms, values, practices, and symbols of a group. Culture encompasses all learned aspects that define a social group.
Flashcard 25: What is socialization, and what is its primary role in identity formation?
Answer: Learning norms/roles; it shapes behavior and self-concept. Process of internalizing society's expectations throughout life.
Flashcard 26: What is the difference between norms and values?
Answer: Norms are rules for behavior; values are ideals about what matters. Norms guide actions; values guide judgments of importance.
Flashcard 27: What is a taboo in cultural sociology?
Answer: A strongly prohibited behavior that evokes disgust or moral outrage. Violating taboos triggers strong social condemnation.
Flashcard 28: What is a sanction, and what are the two main types?
Answer: Response to behavior; positive (reward) or negative (punishment). Society enforces norms through rewards and punishments.
Flashcard 29: Identify the concept: A student alters behavior to fit a new workplace culture over time.
Answer: Socialization. The student is adapting to new cultural norms through learning.
Flashcard 30: Identify the concept: A person is both a manager and a friend, and the expectations clash.
Answer: Role conflict. Manager and friend roles have incompatible expectations.