Culture Concepts Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is culture?

A shared set of beliefs, behaviors, values, and attitudes held by a group of people or a society.

What are culture norms?

A culture's understood rules for expected behavior, values, beliefs, and attitudes.

What are common characteristics of culture?

Culture is learned, shared, and changes over time.

How does culture vary across time and place?

Cultures are shaped by geographic factors like climate and the availability of natural resources. Signup and view all the answers

What is acculturation?

The process of adapting to a new culture by adopting the new culture's beliefs and behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

What is individualism?

Emphasizes the importance of individuality, independence, and personal needs. Signup and view all the answers

What is the independent self-concept?

An individual's perception of self as entirely independent from others. Signup and view all the answers

What kind of country is the US?

Individualistic. Signup and view all the answers

What is collectivism?

Emphasizes the importance of interdependence, group goals, and group needs. Signup and view all the answers

What is the interdependent self-concept?

An individual's perception of self as fundamentally connected to others. Signup and view all the answers

What countries are considered collective?

Asia, Middle East, South Africa. Signup and view all the answers

What is cross cultural psychology?

The study of human thought and behavior across cultures. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by universal?

Found across all cultures. Signup and view all the answers

What is culture bound?

Found only in a particular culture. Signup and view all the answers

What is gender?

The psychological aspects of being male or female. Signup and view all the answers

What is gender identity?

The individual's sense of being male or female. Signup and view all the answers

How are gender roles in collectivist societies?

Are more rigid. Signup and view all the answers

How do women and men differ in cognitive processing?

Women: listen with both hemispheres, are verbal, show feelings, focus on relationships; Men: math, spatial, report current events, listen with the left hemisphere of the brain. Signup and view all the answers

What are gender roles?

A culture's expectations for masculine or feminine behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is gender typing?

The process of acquiring gender role characteristics. Signup and view all the answers

What is gender identity disorder?

A person feels he or she is occupying the body of the wrong sex. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Culture and Its Characteristics

Culture comprises a collective set of beliefs, behaviors, values, and attitudes shared by a group or society.
Cultural norms provide guidelines for expected behaviors and beliefs, helping to differentiate between normal and abnormal actions.
Culture is learned, shared, and evolves over time, influencing individual and group dynamics.

Geographic Influence on Culture

Geographic factors, such as climate and natural resource availability, significantly shape cultural characteristics.
Cultural variations exist across different regions and eras, reflecting the dynamic nature of human societies.

Acculturation and Cultural Adaptation

Acculturation involves adapting to a new culture by integrating its beliefs and behaviors into one's own life.

Individualism vs. Collectivism

Individualism prioritizes personal independence and individual needs, often seen in Western cultures like the United States.
An independent self-concept describes the perception of oneself as separate from others.
Collectivism focuses on group goals and interdependence, common in regions such as Asia, the Middle East, and South Africa.
An interdependent self-concept conveys that individuals see themselves as intrinsically linked to others in their community.

Cross-Cultural Psychology

The field of cross-cultural psychology examines human thoughts and behaviors in varied cultural contexts.
Universal concepts are those that exist across all cultures, while culture-bound concepts are unique to specific cultures.

Gender Concepts

Gender refers to the psychological attributes associated with being male or female.
Gender identity is an individual's personal sense of being male, female, or outside the traditional binary.
In collectivist societies, gender roles tend to be more rigid, adhering closely to cultural expectations for masculine or feminine behavior.
Distinctions in cognitive styles may exist between genders, with women generally being more verbal and relational, while men may excel in math and spatial tasks.

Gender Role Development

Gender roles define cultural expectations surrounding masculinity and femininity.
Gender typing is the process through which individuals acquire traits that are traditionally associated with their assigned gender.
Gender identity disorder occurs when a person feels their gender identity does not match their biological sex.

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Description

This quiz focuses on key concepts related to culture as outlined in Chapter 8. It includes definitions and explanations of culture, cultural norms, and the characteristics of culture. Test your understanding of these essential terms and their implications in society.