– Chapter Two –
Test Items
Multiple-Choice
1. What are norms?
2. A ________ views identity as something that emerges when messages are exchanged between
persons.
3. The process of attributing an identity to an individual is known as ________.
4. Which option below can be the basis of a cultural group?
5. From a Western perspective, the self is characterized as____________.
6. Which of the following religious traditions denies the existence of a self?
7. In Confucianism, the self is ________.
8. In Taoism, the self is ________.
9. Which question below is more likely to be asked of Native Americans than of other ethnic groups?
10. Being Indian includes appropriately enacting the communicative behaviors of ________.
11. Tribal identity is based on an adherence to and acceptance of the ________.
12. Stereotypes of Native American Indians include all of the following EXCEPT______________.
13. Race is best seen as a ________ category.
14. A(n) ________ cultural group is one that is specific and not normative, such as Irish American or
Amish.
15. White people in America are not usually asked to speak for all white people, can be confident that if
they’re nice, most people will be nice back to them, and can do well in a challenging situation
without people considering them a credit to their race. These facts are due to which phenomenon?
16. What led white Americans and African Americans to view the O.J. Simpson trial with such very
different attitudes?
17. Which label has been successfully appropriated by a marginalized group?
18. What is the LAST stage in white identity development?
19. Which stage in the development of white identity involves creating a new meaning for whiteness in
nonracist terms?
20. Which stage in the development of white identity involves holding subtly racist views—without
seeing oneself as racist—and either avoiding racial issues altogether or adopting a patronizing stance
towards people of color?
21. Which term does Sauceda prefer to use in reference to Americans of Mexican descent?
22. According to Isajiw’s research, which option below is one of the five conditions that ethnic
membership requires?
25. Sauceda argues that Chicano/a membership is based on ________.
26. Who are “cultural transients”?
27. Why were both the U-curve and the W-curve rejected in favor of cyclical curves?
28. Which type of cultural transient is a citizen of both cultures and stays in a location for more than 6
months?
29. A seasonal migrant agricultural laborer is a good example of which type of cultural transient?
30. Military personnel on an overseas tour of duty are a good example of which type of cultural
transient?
1. How does the psychological perspective on identity differ from the communication perspective on
2. What do avowal and ascription mean in the context of cultural identity?
3. Explain what core symbols, norms, and labels are and discuss their importance to cultural identity.
4. How does whether a label has been created by in-group members or an outside group affect the
5. Explain the differences between individual, relational, and communal forms of identity, providing an
6. What does it mean to have intercultural competence?
7. How does the Taoist view of the self differ from Western notions of the self?
8. Describe what is meant by “egoless selfhood.”
9. Why does Chen argue for a Taoist understanding of the self rather than a Buddhist or Confucian
10. Explain the unique challenge that Native Americans face in regards to understanding their own
11. How does Indian-ness differ from tribal identity? Provide specific examples to illustrate your points.
12. What are the prevalent stereotypes of Native Americans today? How do these stereotypes differ from
13. What are some of the potential problems associated with conducting research on Indian-ness? How
14. Why is race considered a social construction rather than a biological category?
15. Explain what scholars mean when they say that whiteness is a location of structural privilege.
16. Explain the difference between passive acceptance and active acceptance of white cultural identity.
17. Explain why Sauceda rejects each of the five conditions of ethnic membership identified by Isajiw in
18. What are the two mechanisms that Sauceda argues define Chicano/a ethnic membership?
19. Describe the four types of cultural transients identified by Onwumechili, Nwosu, and Jackson and
20. Compare and contrast the three different types of cultural contracts.