State the definitions for culture shock, ethnocentrism, and cultural relativism, and explain the relationship between these three concepts
What will be an ideal response?
Culture shock is the disorientation that people feel when they encounter cultures radically different from their own and believe they cannot depend on their own taken-for-granted assumptions about life. When observing people from other cultures, many of us use our own culture as the yardstick by which we judge their behavior. Sociologists refer to this approach as ethnocentrism—the practice of judging all other cultures by one's own culture. It is based on the assumption that one's own way of life is superior to all others. Ethnocentrism can be positive (most schoolchildren are taught that their own school and country are the best). Ethnocentrism can also be negative (such as derogatory stereotypes that ridicule recent immigrants). An alternative to ethnocentrism is cultural relativism—the belief that the behaviors and customs of any culture must be viewed and analyzed by the culture's own standards. An example of cultural relativism could be trying to understand the Hindu taboo against killing cattle.
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Which of the following is influenced by the level of female mortality?
a) The child-woman ratio b) The TFR c) The GRR d) The NRR
Schools are responsible for identifying the most qualified people to fill available positions in society. As a result, students are channeled into programs based on individual ability and academic achievement. This illustrates which manifest function of education?
a. change and innovation b. transmission of culture c. social control d. social placement
According to symbolic interactionists, the significance of social interaction in children's developing self-concepts suggests a. the importance of maintaining the traditional family form
b. society should accept nontraditional family forms. c. equal parenting roles will confuse and frustrate the child. d. acceptance of a stepparent will weaken the child's development of an independent identity.
In this essay, elaborate on the ethics that guide research in sociology by providing three main ethical guidelines that researchers must follow. For one of these guidelines, provide an example of a study that violated this rule, and explain the concrete details of the study and how it violated ethics.
What will be an ideal response?