Multicultural Midterm Exam Questions With 100% Verified Correct Answers.

1. Multicultural communication: - correct answers a. Intercultural communication occurs when a member of one culture produces a message for consumption by a member of another culture. More precisely, intercultural communication involves interaction between people whose cultural perceptions and symbol systems are distinct enough to alter the communication event. 2. Elements of culture: - correct answersa. History- We need to understand our present. All cultures believe in the idea that history is a diagram that offers direction about how to live in the present. Like most of the important elements of culture, it is transmitted from generation to generation and helps perpetuate a culture's worldview. History highlights the culture's origins, "tells" its members what is deemed important, and identifies the accomplishments of the culture of which they can be proud. b. Religion- Worldview. All cultures possess "a dominant, organized religion within which salient beliefs and activities (rites, rituals, taboos, and ceremonies) can be given meaning and legitimacy." The influence of religion can be seen in the entire fabric of a culture since it serves so many basic functions. These functions include social control, conflict resolution, reinforcement of group solidarity, explanations of the unexplainable, and emotional support. c. Values- Guidelines on what is beauty, desirable, goodness, etc. Critical to the maintenance of culture as a whole because they represent the qualities that people believe are essential to continuing their way of life. d. Social Organizations- Schools, government, sports, jobs, family. Help the members of the culture organize their lives. These social systems establish communication networks and regulate norms of personal, familial, and social conduct. e. Language- Saturated in ideology. Language allow the members of a culture to share ideas, feelings, and information, but it is also one of the chief methods for the transmission of culture. Without our capacity for complex language, human culture as we know it could not exist. 3. Functions of culture: - correct answersa. Culture serves a basic need by laying out a predictable world in which each of you is firmly grounded. It thus enables you to make sense of your surroundings. "It makes all things easy". In humans, it is culture that sets the limits on behavior and guides it along predictable paths. b. Culture serves three main needs for human beings: basic, derived, integrative 4. Characteristics of communication - correct answersa. Communication is a dynamic process- is an ongoing activity and an unending process; it is not static. And conveys the idea that sending and receiving messages involves a host of variables, all in operation at the same time. b. Communication is symbolic- Symbols bear no inherent relation to what they are intended to represent and are, therefore, arbitrary. They are only sounds, marks on paper, movements, etc. that you employ in your attempt to share your reality with other people. This symbol-making ability allows for everyday interaction. c. Communication is contextual- It occurs in particular situations or systems that influence what and how we communicate and what meanings we attach to messages. Communication does not occur in isolation or in a vacuum, but rather is part of a larger system composed of many ingredients, all of which must be considered. d. Communication is self-reflective- Humans have the ability to think about themselves, their communication partners, their messages, and the potential results of those messages, all at the same time. Allows you to monitor your actions and, when necessary or desirable, make certain adjustments. e. We learn to communicate- Human beings are equipped with the necessary anatomy, physiology, and chemistry to learn new information through their entire lives, there is no upper limit to how much you can learn. "Open-ended system". f. Communication has consequences- The act of sending and receiving symbols influences all the involved parties. Put in slightly different terms, "All of our messages, to one degree or another, do something to someone else (as well as to us). 5. Social construction of reality: - correct answersa. Constructed is malleable, different cultures hold completely different beliefs about what is "real" and "obviously true". Socially constructed, realities are created and maintained and are the product not of isolated individuals but of relationships, communities, groups and whole cultures. b. Self is socially constructed through various relational and linguistic processes, arises out of interactions with other people and is based on language. "Common sense". 6. Five features of reality: - correct answersa. Fragile- Socially constructed and easily disrupted. "Breaching experiments" Incorrigible propositions of social knowledge are not adequate for present circumstance. EX- Mistaking customer for staff or grocery shopping. b. Coherent body of knowledge- There is an order and structure of reality. EX- Pharmacists and addicts c. Reflexive- We suffer from incorrigible propositions; things we fundamentally believe to be true. Provides absolute faith in the validity of our knowledge. EX- Hallucinations. d. Interactional- Behavior is interactional, compare our lives to others to define ourselves. I know who I am through my interactions with other people. You see yourself as others see you, entire perception of reality is based on interactions. Reality and its signs are "mutually determinative", alone, neither expresses sense. EX- Psych patients' behavior in accordance to labels. e. Permeable- Fluctuate between different realities. EX- Soldiers at war and home 7. Dominant and non-dominant groups - correct answersa. Dominant- Greatly influences perceptions, communication patterns, beliefs, and values is a characteristic of all cultures. Certain people within every culture have a disproportionate amount of influence, and that influence is translated into how other members of the culture behave. Have more economical and cultural power. b. Non-dominant- Have less economic and cultural power. 8. Diversity vs plurality - correct answersa. Diversity- b. Plurality- Members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, or social groups maintain an autonomous participation in and development of their traditional culture or special interest, within the confines of a common civilization. 9. Basic, derived, and integrative needs - correct answersa. Culture evolved where they are people primary means of satisfying these three needs. b. Basic- Transcends all cultures. Food, shelter, protection. c. Derived- Cultures clash. Organization of work, distribution of food, defense, social control. d. Integrative- Working together. Psychological security, harmony, purpose. 10. Dominant American cultural patterns - correct answersa. Individualism- Americans believe that all persons have a separate identity, which should be recognized and reinforced. b. Equal opportunity- "All men are created equal". Better than other countries. c. Material acquisition- "Americans consider it almost a right to be materially well off and physically comfortable". Wait in line for iPhone, black Friday. d. Science and Technology- "Modern civilization depends on science". President speech on how much money will go to NASA and medical research. e. Progress and change- "Change, newness, and progress are all highly valued". f. Work and play- The value associated with work is so important in the United States that people who meet each other for the fi rst time frequently ask each other, "What do you do?" Embedded in this simple query is the belief that working (doing something) is important. A major reward for this hard work, and an important American value, is leisure. For Americans, leisure time is something they have earned. It is relief from the regularity of work; it is in play that we find real joy. 9-5 work days and paid vacation. g. Competitive nature- "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing". Parents on the sidelines 11. Characteristics of culture: - correct answersa. Learned, transmitted from generation to generation, based on symbols, subject to change and is an integrated system. b. Individualism and collectivism- i. Individualism- The individual is the single most important unit in any social setting. Second, independence rather than interdependence is stressed. Third, individual achievement is rewarded. Lastly, the uniqueness of each individual is of paramount value. ii. Collectivism- A defining character of people in collectivist cultures is their notable concern with relationships."72 These relationships form a rigid social framework that distinguishes between in-groups and out-groups. People rely on their in-groups (e.g., relatives, clans, tribes, and organizations) to look after them, and in exchange they believe they owe loyalty to the group. c. Uncertainty avoidance: i. High-uncertainty avoidance- try to avoid uncertainty and ambiguity by providing stability for their members through established, formal social protocols, intolerance of deviant ideas and behaviors, emphasizing consensus, and resistance to change. ii. Low-uncertainty- They more easily accept the uncertainty inherent in life, tend to be tolerant of the unusual, and are not as threatened by different ideas and people. They prize initiative, dislike the structure associated with hierarchy, are willing to take risks, are flexible, think that there should be as few rules as possible, and depend not so much on experts as on themselves. As a whole, members of low-uncertainty avoidance cultures are less constrained by social protocol. d. Power distance: i. High-power distance- "Individuals from high-power distance cultures accept power as part of society. As such, superiors consider their subordinates to be different from themselves and vice versa". ii. Low-power- Hold that inequality in society should be mini 12. Socialization - correct answersa. Process of receiving messages from multiple sources about what being a "girl" means. Experiences establish norms and expectations and learn how to function as a respected and accepted member of culture. Both conscious and unconscious, develop a sense of self. 13. Mechanistic vs. Non-mechanistic worldview: - correct answersa. Mechanistic- "motors" every part of the world is intertwined, must work together, karma, intimately connected, might affect you in your next life. b. Non-mechanistic- Individualize isolated accts, blaming the individual, addicts are their own fault. 14. Characteristics common to all religions - correct answersa. Scared scriptures, central authority, traditional rituals, speculations (the mysteries of life), ethics, security and sacred time. 15. Cultural/Social role of religion - correct answersa. Fulfils psychological and social needs b. Reduces anxiety by explaining the unknown c. Provides comfort by telling us that supernatural aid is available d. Guides us on right and wrong e. Sets precedents for acceptable behavior f. Promotes social solidarity 16. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis - correct answersa. "Linguistic relativity" The idea that language and thought are so intertwined that one's language determines that category of thought open to the speakers. Language is a way of defining experience, it determines the way we perceive and remember. EX- words for promiscuous male and female, marital rape and sexual harassment. 17. Functions of language - correct answersa. Conversations, emotive expression, thinking, control of reality, keeping history, enculturation and expression of identity. Preserve culture and transmit culture. 18. Alternative languages - correct answers 19. Slang: - correct answersa. Derived from argot but not used the same universally; used informally. 20. Argot: - correct answersa. Private vocabulary, particular to a co-culture. (jargon)