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Verbal·Information and Ideas·Central Ideas and Details
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Several sociologists have observed that the word “culture,” though commonly used in academic literature, is an ultimately hazy concept—for example, Lynette Spillman has noted that “culture is notoriously difficult to define.” Does the idea of culture encompass beliefs, or laws, or both these things and others? For casual usage, such haziness is permissible—we know culture when we see it—but for researchers, a standardization of the term is critical if sociology is truly to progress.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A
Beliefs and laws are key components of what nonspecialists refer to as “culture.”
B
There is no widely agreed-upon definition of the word “culture,” though the field of sociology would benefit if there were.
C
Nonspecialists and specialists have different ideas of what the word “culture” means.
D
In her research, Spillman presented reasons why sociologists disagree on how to analyze “culture.”