Chapter 4—Cultural History: Our Antecedents
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. What is sometimes referred to as the first multicultural nation in the world?
a.
the East India Trading Company
b.
the United States
c.
Egypt
d.
Rome
e.
Islam
2. Which of the following was not among the chief values adopted by early settlers in the United States?
a.
individuality
b.
lack of formality
c.
efficient use of time
d.
limited government
e.
C and D
3. What concept applied in the U.S. during the 1800s was used to justify westward expansion into the
“unused land” in North America?
a.
magna carta
b.
Louisiana purchase
c.
manifest destiny
d.
industrial revolution
e.
the Mexican-American War
4. According to the text, which of the following are among the most contentious and divisive social
issues in the U.S.?
a.
right to life vs. freedom of choice
b.
same-sex marriage
c.
prayer in school
d.
A and B
e.
A, B, and C
5. The most prominent aspect of Russia’s history is ____.
a.
geography
b.
political heritage
c.
historical tradition
d.
the arts
e.
militarization
6. Which of the following is not one of the three distinctly Russian traits identified in the text?
a.
patriotism
b.
Russia should play a role in world affairs
c.
collectivism
d.
state-centeredness
e.
C and D
7. The contemporary social issues facing Russia include:
a.
rapidly increasing birthrate
b.
widespread official corruption
c.
growing resentment of ethnic groups
d.
B and C
e.
A, B, and C
8. What did it take for China to remove the influence of foreign powers from inside its borders?
a.
World War I
b.
World War II
c.
the Communist Revolution
d.
A and C
e.
B and C
9. China’s desire for increased military strength and international recognition is, in part, due to:
a.
China’s long history
b.
past victimization by foreign powers
c.
recent turmoil in the global economy
d.
A and B
e.
A, B, and C
10. Which of the following is not one of the contemporary social issues facing modern China?
a.
growing social inequality
b.
stagnant economy
c.
perception of widespread corruption
d.
disproportionate number of young males
e.
A, B, C, and D
11. The Tokugawa era of Japanese history was characterized by:
a.
self-imposed isolation
b.
near constant civil war
c.
conflict with China and Korea
d.
large scale immigration
e.
C and D
12. Group affiliation in Japan was historically inculcated by:
a.
feudal government system
b.
rigid class system
c.
natural geography and topography
d.
A and B
e.
A, B, and C
13. Contemporary social issues facing Japanese society include:
a.
demographic, economic, and religious changes
b.
demographic changes, immigration issues, and risk management
c.
economic changes, immigration issues, and political instability
d.
social and technological change, political instability
e.
widespread corruption, technological change, political instability
14. India became free of British colonial rule in this year.
a.
1947
b.
1885
c.
1904
d.
1989
e.
1843
15. Which of the following is not true about India?
a.
fifth largest economy in the world
b.
25% of the population live in poverty
c.
13% of the population is Hindu
d.
widespread official corruption
e.
lack of primary education in many Indian states
16. Which period of history do Mexicans generally take the most pride in?
a.
modern Mexico
b.
the revolution
c.
independence from Spain
d.
pre-Columbian
e.
the Mexican-American war
17. The Spanish invasion of Mexico began in 1519. Approximately what percentage of the native
population remained by 1650?
a.
50%
b.
25%
c.
10%
d.
less than 3%
e.
the native population was completely eradicated
18. The Hacienda system of Mexico is best characterized by:
a.
landed aristocrats ruling agrarian peasants
b.
the treaty of Guadalupe
c.
competition among the Olmecs, Toltecs, and Mayas
d.
lack of a significant class system
e.
religious tolerance
19. What are the major social issues facing Mexico today?
a.
poverty
b.
illegal immigration
c.
narco-violence
d.
A and B
e.
A, B, and C
20. Between 2006-2010, nearly 35,000 people have been killed as a result of ____ in Mexico.
a.
civil unrest
b.
narco-violence
c.
eco-terrorism
d.
official corruption
e.
illegal migration
21. Muslim’s refer to the pre-Islamic era as Jahiliya, which is roughly translated as:
a.
the age of ignorance
b.
the great humiliation
c.
before the dawn
d.
the great sleep
e.
the period of waiting
22. The division between the beliefs of Sunni and Shiite Muslims is based on:
a.
the pillars of Islam
b.
women’s rights
c.
the line of succession in Islam
d.
interpretations of Sharia law
e.
radicalization of beliefs
23. For contemporary Muslims, the history of Islam is continually reinforced through ____.
a.
language
b.
geography
c.
tribal affiliation
d.
A and B
e.
A, B, and C
24. Islamists ____.
a.
wish to restore the golden age of Islamic civilization
b.
want to reinstitute strict law, values, and principles
c.
more than 50% of the Arab world electorate support Islamist parties
d.
A and B
e.
A, B, and C
TRUE/FALSE
1. In many cases, the word “culture” can easily be replaced with the word “history.”
2. The values of early settlers in the U.S. were a combination of selected English values as well as new
beliefs, such as individuality and efficient use of time.
3. The early frontier individualism of U.S. setters commonly portrayed in the media is very accurate.
4. The philosophy used to justify aggressive western expansion in the early years of the U.S. was referred
to as eminent domain.
5. Russia’s political traditional has been historically autocratic.
6. The Russian historical tradition is marked by a deep appreciation of and devotion to the arts.
7. Although it has been two decades since the collapse of Communist rule, Russia remains in transition.
8. A distinctly Russian value, according to Putin, is a sense of entitlement born out of historical
victimization.
9. The documented history of China goes back approximately 3500 years, making China the oldest,
continuous civilization.
10. Philosophical diversity in China gave rise to great variation in dialects and customs in China.
11. An example of China’s concern for history is reflected in the request that the Russian President and his
party remove poppy pins lest they invoke images of the ‘opium wars’ between the two nations in the
mid 1800s.
12. By 2025, China is anticipating 350 million people living in cities that do not exist today.
13. Japan’s relative cultural diversity is due to the proportionately large number of immigrants in the past.
14. Japan was forcibly opened to foreigners in the mid nineteenth century by Western powers.
15. During the Tokugawa period, the Japanese formed a culture where in many contexts there was a
single, correct way of doing thing.
16. Because of the mountainous terrain, Japanese cultural values reflect self-reliance and independence.
17. The growing presence of foreigners in Japanese society is often seen as a risk in terms of crime rates
and cultural identity.
18. India’s history reflects relative cultural homogeneity.
19. The Mughal Empire of India established the strongest dynasty in India’s history.
20. The East India Company gained power in India through “cultural seduction” and protected the welfare,
economy, and culture of the indigenous people.
21. The conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir is rooted in the creation of separate, sovereign
states.
22. Muslim and Hindu relations remain a serious problem in modern day India.
23. The proudest period in Mexican history was when independence was won from Spain.
24. Spain’s invasion of Mexico introduced Catholicism and a rigid social class system.
25. Contemporary social issues in Mexico today include poverty, unemployment, and narco-violence.
26. By 2030, it is projected that Muslims will represent more than 25% of the world’s population.
27. Sunni and Shiite Muslims were historically divided on the line of succession after the death of
Muhammed and the last of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.
28. Defeat of the Ottomans at the end of the First World War concluded more than 1300 years of a unified
Islam, replacing it with nation-states.
29. Islamist groups are largely supported in the Arab world.
ESSAY
1. Explain the importance of history to the study of intercultural communication.
2. Discuss how the early settlers of the United States contributed to the cultural values in the U.S. today.
3. What is the doctrine of “manifest destiny” and what was its impact?
4. How has the geography of Russia shaped its history?
5. Describe the major events in Russia’s political history that contributed to Russian values and traits.
6. List and describe the major social issues facing Russia today.
7. How has geography influenced Chinese culture? List at least three examples.
8. How have historical events of the past 200 years affected China’s worldview?
9. What did the authors of the text mean when they wrote, “China is an example of how governments can
use history as a form of communication?”
10. What are the major social issues currently facing China?
11. What impact did geography have on Japanese history and culture?
12. Explain the Tokugawa era of Japan and how it is manifest in Japanese culture today.
13. Why does Japanese culture have a collectivist orientation?
14. Identify and explain the major social issues facing modern Japan.
15. How did British colonialism and the East India Company influence India’s values and worldview?
16. Explain how and why India was partitioned after independence from Britain. What are the modern day
implications of this decision?
17. Explain the tensions between Hindu Nationals and Muslims in India. What other social issues are
faced in modern day India?
18. Discuss three of the six major periods of Mexico’s history.
19. How did Spain’s invasion of Mexico impact the indigenous people and culture?
20. What major change did the Mexican Revolution of 1910 bring?
21. Describe the influence of poverty, unemployment, and narco-terrorism in modern day Mexico.
22. Who was Muhammad and the Rightly Guided Caliphs? How did Islamic civilization change after their
deaths?
23. What is the primary distinction between Sunni and Shiite Muslims?
24. For modern day Muslims, how is the history of Islam reinforced?
25. Explain the major social issues facing Islamic civilizations today.