Chapter 4: Practice Quiz Questions

Question 1

The sociological term for any physical or social attribute or sign that devalues a person’s social identity and disqualifies that person from full social acceptance is __________.

Answer 1

stigma

Question 2

Durkheim used the term __________ to refer to the social cohesion of preindustrial societies, in which there is minimal division of labor and people feel united by shared values and common social bonds.

Answer 2

mechanical solidarity

Question 3

People engage in civil inattention in an elevator, regardless of where the elevator is located. This illustrates that meanings shared across situations serve to regulate the form and process of interaction, but not the content. Microsociologists use the term __________ to refer to this.

Answer 3

interaction order

Question 4

The perspective developed by Erving Goffman that compares everyday life to a theatrical presentation is called __________.

Answer 4

dramaturgical analysis

Question 5

__________ occurs when people disengage from social roles that have been central to their self-identity.

Answer 5

Role exit

Question 6

A former business manager is between jobs and takes a job at a local retail store in order to make ends meet. In that position, she frequently talks about her previous work and her plans for the future. She doesn’t want people to view her as a “clerk.” Her behavior is an example of __________.

Answer 6

role distancing

Question 7

Marital inequality, conflict over parenting responsibilities, unclear expectations, and lack of emotional support may contribute to __________ for both men and women.

Answer 7

role strain

Question 8

When Darlene takes a seat at the local diner, the server approaches the table and says, “Hi, I’m Matt. I’ll be taking care of you today.” This is an example of __________.

Answer 8

a social script

Question 9

Sociologist Erving Goffman’s term __________ refers to the ways in which an individual shows awareness that another is present without making this person the object of particular attention.

Answer 9

civil inattention

Question 10

A __________ is a highly structured group formed for the purpose of completing certain tasks or achieving specific goals.

Answer 10

formal organization

Question 11

Media stories that focus on the lack of education or work history among the homeless and not on structural factors such as economic recession or the lack of affordable housing fail to account for the __________ of the situation.

Answer 11

macro view

Question 12

A __________ is a set of organized beliefs and rules that establishes how a society will attempt to meet its basic social needs.

Answer 12

social institution

Question 13

Occupation is an example of a(n) _______ status.

Answer 13

achieved

Question 14

A __________ is a set of behavioral expectations associated with a given status.

Answer 14

role

Question 15

Erving Goffman coined the term ___________ for the strategies we use to rescue our performance when we experience a potentially or actually embarrassing situation.

Answer 15

face-saving behavior

Question 16

Which of these is the best example of a secondary group?

a. a parent and child
b. a group of best friends
c. the people working together in the same department
d. a sociology class

Answer 16

d. a sociology class

Question 17

Which of these would not be considered a form of face-saving behavior?

a. studied nonobservance of the mistakes or flaws of another
b. attributing the success of others to luck
c. finding excuses for one’s poor performance
d. attributing one’s own success to preferential treatment by others

Answer 17

attributing one’s own success to preferential treatment by others

Question 18

Charles has a final exam in the evening at a time when he is supposed to be working. That same evening, Stephanie (his girlfriend) wants him to take her to a movie. To top it off, his mother calls, asking him to fly home because his father is going to have emergency surgery. Sociologists would say that Charles is very likely experiencing __________.

Answer 18

role conflict

Question 19

Carlos is a freshman at the local college. As a student, he is feeling pressure. He wants to party like the rest of his fraternity brothers, but at the same time, he wants to maintain his 4.0 grade point average. Sociologists would say that Carlos is experiencing _________.

Answer 19

role strain

Question 20

__________ theorists maintain that in capitalistic societies, where a few people control the labor of many, the social structure reflects a system of relationships of domination and subordination.

Answer 20

Conflict

Question 21

Some symbolic interaction theorists believe that there is very little shared reality beyond that which is socially created. They refer to this as the __________, which is the process by which our perception of reality is largely shaped by the subjective meaning that we give to an experience.

Answer 21

social construction of reality

Question 22

__________ theorists emphasize that social structure is essential because it creates order and predictability in a society.

Answer 22

Functionalist

Question 23

__________ emphasize the role of social institutions in accomplishing essential tasks for society.

Answer 23

Functionalists

Question 24

__________ theorists do not believe that social institutions work for the common good of everyone in society. They emphasize that social institutions are most likely to meet the needs of those with the greatest amount of power in a society.

Answer 24

Conflict

Question 25

A __________ is a socially defined position in a group or society characterized by certain expectations, rights, and duties, and it exists independently of the specific people occupying the position.

Answer 25

status

Question 26

It is not always clear when the provider–dependent aspect of the parent–child relationship ends. Should it end at age 18 or 21? When a person is no longer in school? This is an example of __________.

Answer 26

role ambiguity

Question 27

Most students behave differently in the classroom than they do in their own room or with friends. For most students, the classroom would be considered __________.

Answer 27

front stage

Question 28

Maintaining eye contact during conversation is_____________________________.

Answer 28

more common for women than for men

Question 29

__________, or cohesion, refers to a group’s ability to maintain itself in the face of obstacles. It exists when social bonds, attractions, or other forces hold members of a group in interaction over a period of time.

Answer 29

Social solidarity

Question 30

One’s occupation is an indicator of level of education and income and may also reflect family background. In the United States, occupation is an important determinant of social position. This makes occupation a likely __________ status.

Answer 30

master

Question 31

Teacher, student, professional athlete, rock musician, and homeless person are all examples of __________.

Answer 31

statuses

Question 32

Which of these questions best describes the interests of ethnomethodologists?

Answer 32

How do we know how to interact in a given situation?

Question 33

Jane defines herself first and foremost as a student. For Jane, being a student is considered her _________ status.

Answer 33

master

Question 34

All of these statements about social structure are true, except______________________.

a. it provides a web of familial support and social relationships
b. it is essential for the survival of society
c. it is not essential for individual well-being
d. it connects individuals to the larger society

Answer 34

c. it is not essential for individual well-being

Question 35

__________ occurs when people disengage from social roles that have been central to their self-identity.

Answer 35

Role exit

Question 36

A __________ is a set of behavioral expectations associated with a given status.

Answer 36

role

Question 37

Which of the following is the best illustration of the characterization of roles as relational?

Answer 37

b. In order for a teacher to perform in that role, there must be at least one student.

Question 38

We act on reality as we see it. Sociologists describe this process as __________, meaning that we analyze a social context in which we find ourselves, determine what is in our best interest, and adjust our attitudes and actions accordingly.

Answer 38

the definition of the situation

Question 39

__________ refers to the conscious fostering of the impression of a lack of commitment or attachment to a particular role. It is clear one merely goes through the motions of role performance.

Answer 39

Role distancing

Question 40

Sociologist Arlie Hochschild suggests that we acquire a set of __________ that shapes the appropriate emotions for a given role or specific situation, including how, where, when, and with whom an emotion should be expressed.

Answer 40

feeling rules