UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE

FACULTY OF PHILOSOPHY

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
for first-year students of philosophy and sociology
(UNIT 6)

MAJA STEVANOVIĆ
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 Unit 6
Pre-reading questions:

1. How would you define culture?

2. What are the main components of culture?
3. Are you familiar with the term culture shock? Is it possible to experience culture shock in your
own country?

CULTURE

Culture is usually defined in terms of the values, norms and customs which play a crucial role in
our social lives – they shape our social relationships and determine how we make sense of the
world and our place in it. According to sociologists, culture is built on five major components:
symbols, language, values and norms which are part of non-material culture, and material culture.

Symbols. Human beings transform

elements of the world into symbols,
which carry a particular meaning
recognized by people who share a
certain culture. Sports uniforms,
company logos, traffic signs or
engagement rings are all symbols.
Symbolic meanings vary across
different cultures but can also vary
within a single society. A fur coat,
prized by one person as a luxurious
symbol of success, may represent to
another the inhumane treatment of
animals. Symbols can also change over
time. Jeans were created more than a
century ago as inexpensive clothing for
workers. This working-class aura made
jeans popular among affluent students –
many of whom wore them simply to
look ‘different’ or perhaps to identify with working people. A decade later, ‘designer jeans’
emerged as high-priced ‘status symbols’ that conveyed quite a different message. In recent years,
jeans remain as popular as ever; many people choose them as everyday clothing.

Language. Language is a system of symbols. These symbols take the form of spoken and written
words, which are culturally variable and composed of the various alphabets used around the world.
Conventions for writing also differ across cultures: in general, people in western societies write
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from left to right, people in northern Africa and western Asia write from right to left, and people
in eastern Asia write from top to bottom.

Values and norms. Values are the standards people have about what is good and bad. For
example, Americans commonly believe in the American Dream - that anyone who works hard
enough will be successful and wealthy. Underlying this belief is the American value that wealth is
good and important. Norms, on the other hand, are rules and expectations by which a society
guides the behavior of its members. Formal norms are established, written rules. For example, it is
against the law to rob banks or drive after you have been drinking heavily. The list of informal
norms is much longer - “Kiss your Aunt Edna” or “Use your napkin”, for example, illustrate
informal norms.

Material culture. In addition to intangible elements such as values and norms, every culture
encompasses a wide range of tangible human creations that differentiates it from other cultures.
For example, the Chinese eat with chopsticks rather than knives and forks, the Japanese place mats
rather than rugs on the floor, and many women in Islamic cultures prefer burkas (or burqas) to the
tighter clothing common in European countries.

Much cultural diversity is seen to have roots in social class. In fact, in everyday life, we often
reserve the term ‘culture’ for sophisticated art forms such as classical literature, music and
painting. Some people are ‘cultured’ simply because they appreciate the ‘finer things in life’. The
term ‘culture’ itself has the same Latin root as the word ‘cultivate’, suggesting that the ‘cultured’
individual has refined tastes. By contrast, when we speak of ordinary people, we assume that their
everyday cultural preferences are somehow less worthy. In more concrete terms, listening to
Mozart is seen as a ‘more cultured’ preference than listening to hip hop music.

Comprehension questions:

1. Name the five main components of culture.

2. Explain the meaning of each of these components in relation to culture.
3. What is the difference between values and norms?
4. Explain the difference between the tangible and intangible elements of culture.

A. Match the words from the text with their synonyms or explanations:

1. components a. something that is perceptible by touch

2. inhumane b. wealthy
3. to convey c. to vary
4. affluent d. small rugs
5. tangible e. something that is not perceptible by touch
6. intangible f. a symbol that represents companies and their products
7. mats g. a set of letters or symbols in a fixed order which represent
the basic set of speech sounds
8. sophisticated h. very important
9. conventions i. to express something

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 10. designer jeans j. established patterns or ways in which things are usually
done
11. to differ k. refined
12. crucial l. to include
13. alphabet m. elements
14. logo n. traditional ways of behaving or doing things that are
specific to a particular society, place, or time
15. to be composed of something o. cruel
16. customs p. to be made up of something
17. to encompass q. jeans made by a famous fashion designer

B. Supply the missing words forms and use the appropriate ones in the sentences given below:

VERB NOUN ADJECTIVE

TO VALUE
ADDITION
TO SYMBOLIZE
(IM)PERCEPTIBLE
TO DESCRIBE
(UN)CHANGEABLE

1. Sports uniforms, company logos, traffic signs or engagement rings are all________________.
2. A fur coat has different___________________meanings – it may__________________luxury
or the inhumane treatment of animals.
3. ________________________and norms are part of non-material culture.
4. Can you________________________some of the customs that are specific to our culture?
5. In_____________________to intangible elements, every culture includes a wide variety of
tangible human creations.
6. These monuments are of great cultural______________________.
7. This website offers an interesting______________________of Indian tradition and customs.
8. Each culture has experienced some type of_________________________as a result of
globalization.
9. If you need______________________information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
10. Some people claim that language shapes our__________________________of the world.

C. Match the terms with their definitions and insert them in the sentences below:

WORD DEFINITION
1. material culture a. is a type of culture that sets apart some segment of a society’s
population
2. non-material culture b. includes any cultural products appreciated by large numbers
of ordinary people

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 3. subculture c. is the spread of cultural elements (products) invented in one
culture to other cultures over time
4. counterculture d. comprises the tangible, visible items of a culture that
distinguish it from other, such as art, buildings, hairstyles,
clothing, etc.
5. high culture e. comprises the intangible, invisible parts of a culture, such as
beliefs and values, language, etc.
6. popular culture f. is a type of culture that strongly opposes the widely accepted
norms of a society
7. cultural transmission g. means that the changes in material culture occur at a more
rapid rate than changes in nonmaterial culture
8. culture lag h. the differences in social behaviors that different cultures (or
members of different social classes) exhibit around the world
9. cultural capital i. refers to cultural creations that have a particularly high status
10. cultural variations j. is the existence of different cultural or ethnic groups within a
society
11. cultural diversity k. comprises the social assets of a person (education, intellect,
style of speech, style of dress, etc.)
12. enculturation l. is process in which an individual from one culture adopts the
foreign culture (that is the culture which is not originally his or
her own)
13. acculturation m. is the process through which an individual learns about the
values, norms and behaviors of his own native culture
14. cultural diffusion n. is the process by which one generation passes culture to the
(globalization of culture next generations

1. ____________________includes renaissance art, classical music and opera, etc.

2. _____________________consists of tangible things that are created by humans, e.g. cars,
buildings, sculptures, tools, toys, clothes, etc.
3. Romantic Hollywood comedies, soap operas or reality shows belong to__________________.
4. _____________________is intangible and includes things like language, gestures, norms,
values, sanctions, folkways, etc.
5. Any culture whose values and lifestyles are opposed to those of the established mainstream
culture, is called___________________________, e.g. the Hippies of the 1960s in the United
States who played a role in the "sexual revolution".
6.________________________ strengthens class distinctions – it sets apart those who are
‘cultured’, who have ‘travelled a lot’, who ‘know about good and expensive wines’, etc.
7. The recent advancements in genetic engineering will surely cause many moral and ethical
issues. This example illustrates the phenomenon of_______________________________.
8. Hipsters and bikers are members of different__________________________________.
9. Through ____________________________we learn about our own culture by observing other
members of the society – our parents, friends, teachers, etc. It helps us become functional
members of our society.
10. People who spend much time in a foreign country are likely to adopt that culture through
language, style of clothing, food, values, etc.
This is an example of_____________________________.

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11. The spread of hip hop music and the IPhone are examples of _________________________.
12. Cultural________________________is a common occurrence in countries that have been
accepting immigrants from other nations for many years.
13. The differences between the cultures which include the way people interact, what they wear
and what they eat are examples of cultural____________________________.

D. Use the definitions given in brackets to fill in the missing words in the text. Random letters
are given as hints:

High culture - now and then

(1) _ N _ I K_ (not like) high culture, popular culture is known and (2) _ C C _ S _ I _ L _ (easily
available) to most people. You can share a discussion of favorite football teams with a new (3) _
O _ _ R K _ R (a person who you work with), or comment on “American Idol” when making (4)
S _ A _ L - T _ _ K (conversation about things that are not important, often between people
who do not know each other well) in line at the grocery store. But if you tried to engage in a (5)
_ E _ P (showing or needing serious thought) discussion on the classical Greek play Antigone,
few members of American society today would be (6) F _ M _ L _ A _ (informed about) with it.
Although high culture may be viewed as (6) _ U P _ R _ O _ (better than something else) to
popular culture, ‘high culture’ and ‘popular culture’ vary over time and place. Shakespearean
plays, considered pop culture when they were written, are now (7) _ _ R _ (element) of our
society’s high culture.

E. Match the terms with their definitions and insert them in the sentences below:

WORD DEFINITION
1. values a. is a norm so strong that it brings a sense of disgust or loathing if it
is violated
2. norms b. are norms that are the customary and reflect tradition
2a. folkways c. is an expression of disapproval for breaking a norm, ranging from a
mild, informal reaction such as a frown to a formal prison sentence as
a form of punishment
2b. mores d. are the standards by which people define what is desirable or
undesirable, good or bad, beautiful or ugly
2c. taboo e. is the violation of norms that exceed the level of tolerance of the
community and often results in negative sanctions
3. negative sanction f. is a reward given for following norms, ranging from a smile to a
prize
4. positive sanction g. are formal standards of conduct (which may or may not be norms)
prescribed by the law
5. laws h. are norms associated with fairly strong ideas of right or wrong; they
carry a moral connotation
6. deviance i.is normlessness or a state of no moral or social principles in
a person or in society

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 7. anomie j. are shared beliefs that specify how people should think and act
(also spelled anomy)

1. In most cultures, plagiarism and marital affairs violate________________________, i.e. the

norms that embody the moral views and principles of a group or society.
2. ____________________, which have less moral significance than mores, include notions
about proper dress, appropriate greetings, etc. They draw a line between right and rude – e.g.
wearing a T-shirt and sandals instead of a suit and a tie at someone’s wedding.
3. ____________________are usually recognized as formal or informal ‘rules’ which govern our
behavior. Consider, for example the requirements for taking the university entrance exam or “no
running” or “no jumping” signs at swimming pools.
4. One of the_____________________that Americans often emphasize is the freedom of speech.
5. Cannibalism, no doubt, is the number one_______________________for human beings and
this would be the last thing on earth that most human beings will do in order to survive.
6. A boy who helps an elderly woman board a bus may receive a smile and a “thank you”. This is
an example of___________________________.
7. A boy who shoves an elderly woman aside to board the bus first may receive frowns or even a
scolding from other passengers. This is an example of____________________________.
8. The________________________of this country are very strict with regard to robbery and
murder.
9. Heavy alcohol use by teenagers, wearing a skirt if you are a man and carrying a gun (if you are
a civilian) are all examples of_______________________________.
10. _______________________is a condition of instability resulting from a breakdown of
standards and values or from a lack of personal purpose or ideals.

F. Match the formal words with their appropriate informal counterparts and use the formal
counterparts to complete the sentences below:

FORMAL WORD INFORMAL WORD

1. conduct a. to control
2. informal b. to ban
3. to violate c. behavior
4. to prohibit d. to disobey
5. to regulate e. unofficial

1. Norms are the visible and invisible rules of______________________through which societies
are structured.
2. Every society and culture recognizes a family structure that____________________sexual
reproduction.
3. What happens when a person_________________________a social norm? A driver caught
speeding can receive a speeding ticket. A student who wears a bathrobe to class gets a warning
from a professor.
4. An example of a double standard in some cultures is when norms_______________________
premarital sexual intercourse for women but allow it for men. Due to this double standard, a
woman is likely to have fewer sexual partners in her lifetime than a man.

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5. _____________________norms dictate appropriate behaviors without the need of written
rules. In fast food restaurants, for example, customers line up to order their food and leave when
they are done. They don’t sit down at a table with strangers, sing loudly or fall asleep after their
meal.

G. Insert the appropriate negative prefix and use the words in the sentences below:

____APPROPRIATE ___FORMAL ____BIASED ___SIGNIFICANT

_____INTERPRETATION ___TANGIBLE ____INTENDED ___ACCEPTABLE
_____- MATERIAL ___FAMILIAR ___DESIRABLE ___AVOIDABLE

1. In Canada, polygamy is considered by most to be socially__________________________.

2. Symbols, language, values and norms are part of_____________________________culture.
3. High school students should obey the conventional dress code and not come to school wearing
___________________________clothes.
4. Through____________________education we learn about cultural values, norms and
expected behaviors.
5. Culture shock happens when people are confronted with an_______________________culture
and way of life.
6. Something that is not planned or meant to be is_____________________________.
7. Too small or unimportant to be worth consideration is________________________.
8. If you show no prejudice against someone or something you are _____________________.
9. The act of interpreting something wrongly is______________________________.
10. The word inevitable is synonymous with the word____________________________.

H. Match the terms with their definitions and insert them in the sentences below:

WORD DEFINTION
1. cultural relativism a. happens when one returns to one's home culture after
becoming accustomed to a foreign culture
2. ethnocentrism b. is the disorientation that people experience when they come in
contact with a fundamentally different culture and can no longer
depend on their taken-for-granted assumptions about life
3. culture shock c. is the use of one's own culture for judging the ways of other
individuals or societies, generally leading to a negative
evaluation of their values, norms, and behaviors
4. reverse culture shock d. are values, norms or other cultural traits that are found in
every culture
5. cultural universals e. promotes understanding of cultural practices that are not
typically part of one's own culture - it is the idea that a person's
beliefs, values, and practices should be understood based on that
person's own culture and not be judged against the criteria of
our own culture

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1. ___________________________include concepts which are found in every culture, e.g.
jokes, music, sports, birth and death, etc.
2. The alternative approach to________________________is called_______________________
which requires us to understand and appreciate the values and norms of other cultures.
3. What you think is gross may be considered a delicacy in other countries. A rat (not a dirty city
rat but a wild field rat) on a stick is eaten in some countries like Thailand and Africa. What
a__________________________in terms of food!
4. A retired man who has spent 30 years in Germany cannot accept the fact that some tenants in
his apartment building in Serbia simply refuse to pay the maintenance fee. In the apartment
building in Germany where he had lived prior to returning to Serbia, all tenants had to pay the fee
without exception. This is an example of____________________________________.

I. Insert the appropriate preposition:

Ethnocentrism

Self-identity usually depends (1)_____culture (2)_____such a great extent that immersion

(3)____a very different culture - with which a person does not share common ways of life or beliefs
- can cause a feeling of confusion and disorientation.
Anthropologists refer (4)_____this phenomenon as
culture shock. In multicultural societies - societies
such as the United States (5) ______which people
come (6)______different cultures - unshared forms
of culture can also lead (7)______tension.
Members of a society who share culture often also
share some feelings of ethnocentrism, the notion
that one’s culture is superior (8)_____that of other
societies. (9)____its worst, ethnocentrism has led
people to commit ethnocide, the destruction of
cultures, and genocide, the destruction of entire populations. This happened, for example,
(10)_____Jews living in Nazi Germany in the 1940s who were the victims of Holocaust.

J. Insert the appropriate word from the box in the text below:

Individualistic and collectivist cultures

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  BRITAIN
Broadly speaking, one of the most (1)______________differences
 THE USA between various societies pertains to the division between the
 MENTALITY societies with an individualist and those with a collectivist
 MODEST (2)_________________. The individualistic countries (such as
 CONTRIBUTIONS (3)_________________or (4)________________) tend to put
 OVERESTIMATE rights and privacy first. People in these societies
 UNDERESTIMATE (5)__________________their own (6)_________________and
 ANCIENT GREECE (7)__________________their own importance to any group effort.
 TRIBAL People in collectivists societies (such as (8)_____________
 CHINA or (9)_________________) tend to value harmony and duty. They
 SKILLS tend to (10)_________________their own skills and are more
 JAPAN (11)______________when describing their (12)______________
 STRIKING to group efforts.
 OVERVALUE
 CERTAIN Researchers do not have an answer as to why (13)____________
cultures have become more individualistic than others. Some say
Western cultures draw their values from (14)__________________, with its emphasis on
individual heroism, while other cultures draw on more (15)_______________philosophies.

Now insert the missing prepositions:

ON TO WITH

1. Individualism is a social pattern that places the highest value________the interests of the
individual.
2. Independence and competitiveness are traits that are common_______individualistic cultures.
3. When personal goals conflict_______group goals, individualists tend to give priority______
personal goals.
4. Collectivism is a social pattern that focuses_______the interests of the group.
5. Interdependence and cooperation are specific_______collectivist cultures.
6. Members of the collectivist cultures tend to conform_______group norms which are thought to
be superior_______their personal goals.

K. Rewrite the following sentences using IMPERSONAL PASSIVE which is represented by the
appropriate passive + infinitive construction:

1. They say that globalization has changed the way we live.

Globalization__________________________________________________________________.
2. People think that children adapt to a foreign culture faster than their parents.
Children______________________________________________________________________.
3. People think that Germans are disciplined and punctual.
Germans______________________________________________________________________.
4. They think that many Syrian refugees are trying to emigrate to Germany.
Many Syrian refugees ___________________________________________________________.
5. They claim that the refugees were trying to reach Greek islands.

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The refugees___________________________________________________________________.
6. They know that many Syrian and Afghan refugees tried to reach the EU countries illegally.
Many Syrian and Afghan refugees_________________________________________________.
7. People think that he was very influential in the past.
He___________________________________________________________________________.
8. They think that he was trying to conceal his real identity.
He___________________________________________________________________________.
9. People say that globalization reflects the domination of American culture over all other
cultures.
Globalization__________________________________________________________________.
10. They say that the United States of America (USA) is the most culturally diverse country in
the world.
The USA_____________________________________________________________________.

L. Match the following excerpts about culture with the theoretical perspective which best
describes it:

(structural) functionalism (social) conflict theory symbolic interactionism

Theoretical perspectives on culture

1. _______________________________treats culture as the underlying basis of interaction. It

emphasizes how culture shapes us rather than how culture itself is shaped. This approach
concentrates on illustrating how norms, values, and language guide our behavior.

2. ________________________________investigates how culture can strengthen power

divisions within society. Cultural capital - the upper-class attitudes and knowledge – can bring
power and status to individuals in the same way that financial capital (that is, money) does. If you
never learned to play golf, select an expensive red wine, appreciate opera, or eat a five-course meal
with five different forks, your cultural deficiencies will be apparent to others at upper-class events.
You lack some of the cultural capital needed to marry into or work in these social circles and may
be ridiculed by others if you try to do so. In this way, culture serves as a symbolic boundary that
keeps the social classes apart.

3. __________________________________focuses on how people interpret and use what they

see in the media. They explore the meanings people derive from culture and cultural products, and
how those meanings result from social interaction. For example, research in this tradition has
documented how single women often identify themselves with the female characters from a
popular TV show Sex and the City, how the rise of Viagra has changed the meaning of male
sexuality and what “ethnic” foods (e.g. Chinese noodles or Italian pastas) mean both to those who
belong to those ethnic groups and to outsiders.

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Find the words/phrases in the three paragraphs given above which mean the following:
1. _______________________________comprises a person’s education, style of speech, style of
dress, etc. that characterize that person as a member of an upper social class.
2. _________________________is measured in numbers. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft,
was worth $79.7 billion dollars in May of 2015, topping a list of the world's billionaires.
3. People who do not belong to a particular organization, group, culture, etc. are
called___________________________.
4. ______________________________represent a lack of appropriate education, general
knowledge, skills or manners that characterize the upper social classes.
5. A group of people with whom you are socially connected is called represent your
____________________________.
6.________________________________include literature and painting, arts and craft, dance
and music, movies and TV shows, institutions, distinct cultural artifacts, hairstyles, the way
people dress, etc.

M. Fill in the blanks using the appropriate words given below:

WHITE POLITE PRIVATE BOW

TWICE SPECIES NUMBER 4 BAD LUCK
REPULSIVE NUMBER 13 ARBITRARY UGLY

Cultural differences

Even though we are members of a single biological (1)___________________, we display

remarkable differences. Some differences may be (2)____________________matters of
convention – the Chinese, for example, wear (3)____________________at funerals while people
in European countries prefer black. Similarly, Chinese people associate the
(4)_____________________with (5)_______________________, in much the same way that
people in England think of the (6)_________________. Or take the practice of kissing: most
people in Europe kiss in public, most Chinese kiss only in (7)______________________; the
French kiss publicly (8)________________________(once on each cheek); Belgians kiss three
times (starting on either cheek); and most Nigerians don’t kiss at all. At weddings, North American
couples kiss, Koreans (9)______________________, and a Cambodian groom touches his nose to
the bride’s cheek! In short, although we are all one biological species, human beings have
developed strikingly different ideas about what is pleasant and (10)___________________,
(11)___________________and rude, beautiful and (12)__________________, right and wrong.

N. Match the words from the VARY lexical group to their corresponding definitions and use
them in the sentences below:

TO VARY (v.) VARIETY(n.) VARIATION (n.)

VARIOUS (adj.) VARIED (adj.) VARIABLE (adj.)

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 DEFINITION WORD
1. [verb]
a. to be different in size, amount, degree or nature from
something else of the same general class
b. to change depending on the situation
2. [noun]
a. a number or range of things of the same general class that are
distinct in character or quality (esp. in a phrase a variety of
something)
b. a thing that differs in some way from others of the same
general class or sort (a variety of something → a type of
something)
3. [noun]
a. a difference between similar things
b. a difference or change in the normal amount or appearance of
something
4. [adj.]
a. not consistent or having a fixed pattern, likely to change often
b. able to be changed or adapted
5. [adj.]
different from one another in a category of things (e.g. various
reasons/ colors/ways/ shapes and sizes, etc.)
6. [adj.]
consisting of or including many different kinds of things

1. Non-verbal communication (e.g. body language)___________________________across

cultures.
2. Marriage and family, as the basic institutions of society, reflect both universal aspects and cross-
cultural_________________________.
3. American English and British English represent two_____________________of English
language.
4. There are________________________reasons why people experience culture shock.
5. If you have a___________________________career you have done lots of different jobs.
6. Cultural____________________________is a term which is used to denote within-group
similarities and between-group differences.
7. A_________________________of subcultures and countercultures can develop within a
society.
8. Culture is______________________and changeable. It_____________________and changes
from society to society.
9. Values and norms_____________________in their importance both to individuals and to
society.
10. Philosophy can be divided into ____________________sub-disciplines, e.g. philosophy of
education, philosophy of religion, etc.
11. Sociologists study phenomena that are very____________________ - for example, culture,
family, education, crime, poverty, etc.

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12. People may violate social norms in a_______________________of ways.
13. Despite all the cross-cultural_______________________s, there are many cultural universals
that are shared between cultures.
14. Symbolic meanings____________________both across different cultures and within a single
society.

O. Insert the words from the box below into the appropriate gaps in the text:

reflect accessible portrayed change

depictions unmarried hero movies
exposure roles acceptance music

The impact of mass media on culture

The mass media are an example of popular culture –

culture that is widely (1)________________and
broadly shared, especially among ordinary folks. The
mass media include (2)_________________such as
romances, mysteries, or science fiction; and popular
(3)_______________styles like country or hip-hop.
An important question for researchers is whether the
mass media simply (4)__________________existing
cultural values or whether the media can
(5)__________________values. The answer is that
media probably do both. For example, for much of the
twentieth century, movies and television usually
(6)___________________ African Americans as lazy
or foolish and (7)____________________women as
evil or unhappy. These (8)____________________ reflected American cultural beliefs of the time.
Yet these days, Denzel Washington can play a romantic guy, an action (9)___________________,
or a smart lawyer in movies. Social change in American culture allowed the actor to get these
(10)______________________, but seeing him in such roles also created more cultural change,
suggesting to white Americans that African Americans can be attractive, ethical, smart, and
professional. White Americans’ (11)______________________of Denzel Washington as a movie
hero may thus have helped Barack Obama win the elections as president. As this suggests,
(12)______________________ to mass media can be a source of cultural change.

P. Put the verbs in brackets into the appropriate tense (Present Simple Tense, Present
Continuous Tense or the Present Perfect Simple Tense):

1. As the world____________________________(BECOME) increasingly interconnected

through globalization, numerous changes_____________________________(TAKE) place.
2. Changes____________________________(ENTER) our lives through technology, consumer
products, new thoughts, lifestyles and visions of others.

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3. As people____________________________(SHARE) their experiences through the global
networks, a greater cultural understanding________________________(DEVELOP).
4. The globalization of information_______________________________(ENABLE) more
ideas and news to be exchanged between people than at any time in human history.
5. The use of the Internet________________________________(RESULT) in a shift away
from geographic isolation towards the connection between individuals globally.
6. One negative aspect of information globalization_____________________________(BE) the
domination of one culture, specifically the US culture, over all other cultures.

Q. Insert the appropriate preposition from the box below to complete the sentences:

OF IN WITHIN BETWEEN TO FROM

1. Culture is composed_______ many different subcultures. So, a single subculture is a small

segment ______the larger culture.
2. Subcultures can exist __________ mainstream culture and are united by common interests and
experience.
3. A counterculture, on the other hand, is defined by its opposition _______ the dominant
culture.
4. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior deviates ________ the
societal norm.
5. A subculture differs slightly _______ the dominant culture in a society.
6. People conform _______ norms in anticipation or expectation of positive sanctions: good
grades, for instance, may mean praise ______ parents and teachers.
7. Cultural universals are patterns or traits that are globally common ______ all societies.
8. Despite how much humans have ______ common, cultural differences are far more prevalent
than cultural universals.
9. Cultural relativism requires an open mind and a willingness to adapt ______ new values and
norms.
10. What is the difference _________ material and non-material culture?

R. Circle the correct answer:

Culture quiz

1. The American flag is a material object that denotes the United States of America; however,
there are certain connotations that many associate with the flag, like bravery and freedom. In this
example, what are bravery and freedom?

a. symbols b. material culture c. nonmaterial culture

2. The belief that one’s culture is superior to another culture is called:

a. ethnocentrism b. nationalism c. imperialism

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3. Nobu is a Japanese student visiting his friend in Italy. When he is introduced to his friend’s
brother, he kisses Nobu on both cheeks. Nobu pulls back in surprise. Where he is from, unless they
are romantically involved, men do not kiss one another. This is an example of:

a. culture shock b. imperialism c. ethnocentrism

4. Most cultures have been found to identify laughter as a sign of humor, joy, or pleasure.
Likewise, most cultures recognize music in some form. Music and laughter are examples of:

a. relativism b. collectivism c. universalism

5. A nation’s flag is:

a. a culture b. a symbol c. folkway

6. The biggest difference between mores and folkways is that:

a. mores are linked to b. mores are absolute, d. mores are explicit, folkways
morality, while folkways are folkways are temporary are implicit
not

7. An example of high culture is __________, whereas an example of popular culture would be

____________.

a. opera; a reality show b. country music; pop music c. opera; ballet

8. The Ku Klux Klan is an example of what part of culture?

a. counterculture b. subculture c. multiculturalism

9. Modern-day hipsters are an example of:

a. counterculture b. subculture c. high culture

10. Within which sociological theory is the relation between the cultural capital and the
financial capital most commonly explored?

a. functionalism b. conflict theory c. ethnocentrism

11. If Alice came to class wearing a see - through blouse she would be violating
__________________, but if she came to class not wearing a blouse (or any other garment), she
would be violating ______________________.

a. folkways; norms b. mores; folkways c. norms; folkways

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12. When a group has a distinctive way of looking at life, but at the same time their values and
norms reflect the dominant culture of their society, the group would be considered a:

a. subculture b. counterculture c. pop culture

13. That McDonald’s is found in almost every country around the world is an example of:

a. globalization b. ethnocentrism c. diffusion

14. The ‘American Dream’ - the notion that anybody can be successful and rich if they work
hard enough – also implies that the wealthy deserve all their privileges. This statement is
commonly associated with which sociological theory?

a. functionalism b. conflict theory c. interactionism

15. The belief that one’s culture is inferior to another culture is called:

a. nationalism b. ethnocentrism c. xenocentrism

16. Jewelry, art, hairstyles, and clothing each represent examples of:

a. material culture b. non-material culture c. high culture

Focus on: cross-cultural non-verbal communication

Non-verbal communication across cultures

Cultural differences between

people may include their language,
beliefs, and traditions. Each culture
has basic standards for social
interaction such as personal space
distance, eye contact, or the
amount of body language
displayed in public. Body language
or non-verbal communication
refers to the conveying of
messages through body
movements and gestures. Although
there are cross-cultural similarities
in body language, substantial
differences also exist both in the
extent to which body language is

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used and in the interpretations given to particular instances of body language. Here are some brief
examples concerning body language variations in different cultures.
Do you think that the following statements related to cross-cultural non-verbal communication are
TRUE or FALSE?
1. People in/from parts of India shake their head from side to side as a sign of agreement and active
listening.
2. While both right and left hands have equal status in the West, the right hand has special
significance and the left hand is 'dirty' in the Middle Eastern and some Asian countries. It is best
to accept or offer cards or gifts with the right hand or both.
3. In India - as in much of Asia - it is the feet that are considered unclean. Do your utmost to avoid
touching any part of someone else’s body with your foot or shoes, and if you do so, apologize
straight away.
4. In Western culture, meeting somebody's gaze is commonly considered to be a negative sign,
indicating deceit, lying, lack of attention, lack of confidence, etc.
5. In Japan the male bow is still commonly used; the depth of the bow increases with the amount
of respect shown.
6. While good eye contact is praised and expected in the West, it is seen as a sign of disrespect in
Asian and African cultures. The less eye contact these groups have with an individual, the more
respect they show.
7. In Asian cultures, particularly China, the concept of personal space is very important.
8. In America, the concept of personal space is virtually non-existent.
9. In China, Japan and Thailand listening to someone with your eyes closed means “I’m listening
and concentrating”.
10. Steady eye contact is not allowed between men and women in Arabic countries for religious
reasons. The gesture is considered as "adultery of the eyes".
Topics for discussion:

1. Can you name some other examples concerning body language variations in different
cultures?
2. Name some DOs and DON’Ts (rules about how people should or should not behave) in
different countries. When in Germany, for example, do not be late to meetings, do not ask for tap
water in restaurants (as you may be considered stingy) and do not jaywalk (as this would set a
bad example for kids).

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 IMPERSONAL PASSIVE (PASSIVE + INFINITIVE CONSTRUCTIONS)

A. Rewrite the following sentences using the appropriate passive + infinitive construction.
Use passive forms of the infinitives if necessary:

1. They say that Pythagoras lived in a cave.

Pythagoras_____________________________________________________________________
2. People say that he was very famous in his time.
He ___________________________________________________________________________
3. We believe that the Sophists were traveling from one place to another in order to teach young
men how to speak and debate.
The Sophists___________________________________________________________________
4. People think that he is trying to hide his real identity.
He ___________________________________________________________________________
5. They claim that his research yielded significant results.
His research ___________________________________________________________________
6. People think that neither side wanted war.
Neither side ___________________________________________________________________
7. They claim that Socrates annoyed Athenians with his constant questioning of the social norms.
Socrates______________________________________________________________________
8. They don’t think that this is the original document.
This__________________________________________________________________________
9. People say that Auguste Comte is the father of sociology.
Auguste Comte_________________________________________________________________
10. Some people think that Aristotle’s ideas are even greater than Plato’s.
Aristotle’s ideas________________________________________________________________
11. People think that his beliefs were controversial.
His beliefs_____________________________________________________________________
12. Philosophers say that Diogenes was walking with a lantern in search for an honest man.
Diogenes______________________________________________________________________
13. People think that Thales of Miletus was one of the most important pre-Socratic philosophers.
Thales of Miletus_______________________________________________________________
14. They think that Barack Obama’s presidency opened a new chapter in the US history in terms
of racial equality.
Barack Obama’s presidency_______________________________________________________
15. People believe that the most famous speech on equality was made by Martin Luther King in
1963.
The most famous speech on equality _______________________________________________
16. They don’t think that this is the only cause of social inequality.
This__________________________________________________________________________
17. They think that Socrates influenced Plato in many ways.
Socrates_______________________________________________________________________
  

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B. Insert the appropriate infinitive form (simple, continuous, perfect simple or perfect
continuous) to complete the sentences below. Use passive forms of the infinitives if
necessary:

1. The Apology is believed _____________________________(BE) the most authentic account

of Socrates' defense of himself.
2. Aristotle’s Lyceum is thought_______________________________(FOUND) in 335 BC.
3. These stories are believed______________________(BE) part legend and part historical fact.
4. The Republic is thought____________________________(WRITE) around 380 BC.
5. He is thought_________________________________(TRY) to drag this country into another
war now.
6. The Hippies are said__________________________(CONTRIBUTE) a lot to the sexual
revolution.
7. The birth of philosophy is said________________________________(MARK) by a ‘shift’ in
thinking and reasoning.
8. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is believed_________________________(BE) the richest
man in the world.
9. President Clinton (49) was thought____________________________(HAVE) an affair with
Monica Lewinsky (22) who was an intern at the White House at that time.
10. The affair with Lewinsky scandal is thought_____________________________(DAMAGE)
Clinton’s reputation both as a president and as a family man.

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