Quiz Questions Flashcards
(200 cards)
1
Q
Sociologists have always agreed that the most important goal of sociology is to generate social change.
A
False
2
Q
Sociology places no importance on ethics and values during research.
A
False
3
Q
Emile Durkheim identified the degree of social integration as the primary variable to explain different rates of suicide within different European nations
A
True
4
Q
According to Max Weber, the sign Calvinists looked for as an indication they were saved was their successful investment in capital.
A
True
5
Q
Dependent variables are measurements of concepts that are hypothesized to affect independent variables.
A
False
6
Q
According to Robert Merton, ___ are the intended beneficial consequences of people’s action
A
Manifest functions
7
Q
A hypothesis predicts a relationship between or among ____, factors that vary, or change, from one person or situation to another
A
Variables
8
Q
Which groups of social theorists would focus most on macro-level analysis when examining patterns of society?
A
Conflict theorists and functionalists
9
Q
How does replication improve the validity of sociological research?
A
It can indicate biases in the original work
10
Q
Karl Marx believed that ___ was the central force for social change, while Max Weber believed that ___ was the force most responsible for social change
A
Economics, religion
11
Q
The notion that only the fittest members of society deserve to survive and that social programs to help the poor will ultimately weaken the social order is a doctrine known as ____
A
Social Darwinism
12
Q
The first person to propose that the scientific method could be applied to the study of social life was ____
A
Augusta Comte
13
Q
Karl Marx suggested that the force that drives human history and is at the core of human society is ___
A
Class conflict
14
Q
The titles Karl Marx used to describe the two classes in society were the ___ and the ___
A
bourgeoisie, proletariat
15
Q
The sociologist who developed the concept of the power elite was
A
C. Wright Mills
16
Q
Max Weber referred to the self-denying approach to life characterized by people living frugal lives and saving their money as the
A
Protestant ethic
17
Q
The first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard who spent his lifetime studying race relations in America and was one of the founders of the NAACP, was
A
W.E.B. Du Bois
18
Q
The scientific method requires ___, or repeating a study in order to compare the new research results with the original findings.
A
Replication
19
Q
Functionalists and conflict theorists tend to focus on the ___, or large scale patterns of society, in conducting their analyses
A
macro level
20
Q
Mark views society as a system of interrelated parts, while John views society as composed of groups competing for scarce resources. Mark would be considered an ___ and John would be seen as an ___
A
functionalist; conflict theorist
21
Q
There is nothing “natural” about material or nonmaterial culture.
A
True
22
Q
Belief in equality for all and male superiority is an example of a value contradiction
A
True
23
Q
“Ideal” culture refers to how our culture actually is, whereas ‘real’ culture refers to how we wish it would be.
A
False
24
Q
As technology allows people to produce more surplus food, culture becomes more complex
A
True
25
A group's way of thinking, including its beliefs, values, and other assumptions about the world, is classified as material culture
False
26
Anthropologists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf concluded that ___
Language creates ways of thinking and perceiving.
27
The refusal of Christians to accept Islam as a valid religion is a form of ___, while the sincere effort to understand the practice of having multiple wives in some societies is a form of ___
ethnocentrism; cultural relativism
28
McDonalds sells Quarter Pounders in Tokyo, Moscow, Paris, Berlin, and practically every other major city in the world. Mickey Mouse and Fred Flinstone are among the most popular cartoon figures in Mexico. These are examples of ____
Cultural leveling
29
All of the following statements are accurate regarding language, EXCEPT for which one?
Language is universal in terms of the meaning of particular sounds
30
Sociologists use the concept of norms to describe
expectations or rules of behavior that develop from values
31
Which aspect of symbolic culture is the most central to allowing humans to communicate with one another?
language
32
Language, beliefs, values, norms, behavior, material objects, and technology that are passed from one generation to the next by members of society describe _____
culture
33
Many fundamentalist Christians lobby for laws making same-sex marriage illegal. Gays and Lesbians consider same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage to be basic human rights. Which concept BEST describes the relationship between these fundamentalist Christians and the gay/lesbian community?
Culture war due to conflicting values
34
Sociologists have identified an emerging set of five interrelated values in American society. What are these emerging values?
Leisure, self fulfillment, physical fitness, youthfulness, and environmental concern
35
All of the following statements are accurate in describing gestures, EXCEPT for which one?
Social scientists have identified many common gestures and agree that gestures are universal.
36
If Alice came to class wearing a soiled and torn blouse, she would be violating a ____. But if Alice came to class not wearing a blouse (or any other garment), she would be violating a ___.
Folkway; more
37
Americans glorify academic progress and material success. However, most students do not graduate with honors and most citizens are not wealthy. This condition characterizes the difference between ___ and ____.
Ideal culture, Real culture
38
The spread of cultural characteristics from one group to another refers to ____.
Cultural diffusion
39
What is a primary reason why there are so few true countercultures in the United States?
Countercultures are difficult to maintain since people are so reliant on mainstream culture.
40
What term best describes one's feelings when one first arrives in a completely different culture?
Culture Shock
41
Children who are raised by animals are no less human than children raised by their parents
False
42
Re-socialization may happen to us several times during our lives
True
43
The research sociologist Melvin Kohn and others demonstrates that the differences in the supervision of children are a matter of the race and ethnicity of the parents more than any other factor.
False
44
Feral children are often raised by animals
True
45
Parents are typically the first significant others to show children the gender map
True
46
In psychoanalytic theory, the "culture within us" is represented by the ___.
Superego
47
Why is entering into school significant from a sociological perspective?
It marks the transfer of allegiance from family to peer groups
48
According to Mead's theory of development, individuals who have a profound influence on the lives of another person, such as parents or siblings are referred to as ____
significant others
49
People and groups that influence our orientation to life-- our self-concept, emotions, attitudes, and behaviors- are called ___.
agents of socialization
50
How, for the most part, does the mass media influence gender roles in contemporary American society?
It reinforces gender roles considered appropriate for one's sex
51
Professor Zale bases her self-concept as a professor on the interactions she has with students and the reactions she receives from them during class. In view of this, which process is Professor Zale utilizing?
Cooley's looking-glass self
52
According to Freud, which aspect of the individual's personality must control his or her behavior?
the ego
53
Mead describes the active, reative, and spontaneous part of the self as
I
54
In Freud's theory, what part of the personality represents the pleasure-seeking aspect, demanding immediate fulfillment of basic needs such as attention, food, safety, and sex?
The id
55
What term applies to the stages that people pass through from birth to death, beginning with "childhood" and concluding with "the older years"?
The life course
56
In the "nature versus nurture" argument regarding socializiation, the "nurture" component refers to ___.
The social environment
57
Our image of how others see us is called the
self
58
When young people enter college as resident students, they must learn new norms, values, attitudes, and behaviors. This is an example of ____.
resocialization
59
Based on studies of isolated and institutionalized children, what is the key variable in acquiring the basic "human" traits we take for granted?
Intimate early social interaciton
60
Which one of the following is probably the most influential agent of socialization?
Family
61
Mechanical solidarity and Gemeinschaft both describe the most intimate societies that are personal and have close kinship connections
True
62
As societies are able to produce bigger and bigger surpluses, inequality tends to increase.
True
63
Achieved statuses are always something to which we should feel great pride.
False
64
The difference between role and status is that we occupy a status and play a role.
True
65
Only very self-conscious people use status symbols.
False
66
Which of the following represents an achieved status?
being a high school dropout.
67
Mechanical solidarity is to Gemeinschaft as ___ solidarity is to Gesellschaft
organic
68
What must be true for division of labor to develop?
Basic survival needs must be met
69
Which of the following societies has the LEAST social inequality?
Hunting and Gathering
70
Because of his incredibly accelerated study program, Professor Zuchov has the unique privilege of being a seventeen-year old university professor. Sociologically,this is an example of ____
status inconsistency.
71
The organized, usual, or standard ways by which society meets its basic needs are referred to as___
social institutions
72
Which sociological perspective is most closely linked to microsociology?
symbolic interactionism
73
Bumper stickers such as "Proud Parent of an Honor Student" and "Warning: This Driver Convicted of DUI" are best described as being
Status symbols
74
What term does Durkheim use to describe the degree to which members of a society are united by shared values and other social bonds?
social integration
75
The difference between status and role is that ___
We occupy a status that is a social position, but we play a role that is a social expectation
76
The social institution that is most recognized for allocating power, determining authority, and preventing chaos is ____
politics
77
Jane is a forty-nine year-old woman of Irish-German descent. What do these characteristics have in common?
These are examples of her ascribed statuses
78
Expectations that define appropriate or inappropriate behavior for the occupant of a status are called ____
roles
79
Believing that all football players are academically challenged, that all African Americans are great athletes, and that all women can cook well are examples of ___
stereotyping
80
Which of the following topics would most likely be approached based on a macrosciological analysis?
a study of the impact of terrorism on the travel plans of business people
81
A ___ leadership style has the tendency to encourage either aggressive or apathetic behavior among group members with aggressive members growing increasingly hostile toward their leader.
Authoritarian
82
____ are the social ties that radiate outward from the self and link people together like a spider's web.
Social networks
83
Kody is a member of the L.A. Crips. The other gangs in his territory are the Bloods and Satan's Slaves. Kody feels very antagonistic towards the Bloods and the Slaves. For Kody, these two rival gangs would be considered ______
out groups
84
How does the structure and function of groups change as they grow in size?
Groups tend to develop a more formal social structure
85
Samantha works for an organization that is hierarchical and has a division of labor, written rules, communications, and records. This organiation's administration treats workers impersonally. Based on these characteristics, we can conclude that Samantha works for a ____
bureaucracy
86
The McDonaldization of society refers to ____.
The standardization of everyday life.
87
Which sociologist is given credit for coining the concept of the "McDonaldization of Society"?
George Ritzer
88
If a secondary group does not satisfy one's need for intimate association, which of the following is most likely to occur?
The secondary group will break down into primary groups
89
In group decision making, a form of tunnel vision that develops in which there is only one right viewpoint and suggested alternatives are perceived as signs of disloyalty is called ____
groupthink
90
A group characterized by intimate, long-term, face-to-face association and cooperation is referred to as a ___
primary group
91
With respect to group dynamics, what is the defining characteristic of a small group?
All members of the group can interact directly with one another.
92
A leader of a group whose responsibility would be to keep the group moving towards its goal is classified as a ____ leader.
instrumental
93
For many college professors, their own teachers served as role models. Kody Scott looked up to older gang members as his idols. In both cases, former teachers and older gang members qualify as being ____
reference groups
94
In any group of three members, two of the three may have a tendency to alienate the third member and dominate the decision making for the group the trio represents. When this occurs, what term BEST applies to the two unified members?
coalition
95
When the former Soviet Union collapsed, NATO forces were no longer needed to protect Europe from a communist invasion. Rather than disband NATO, it was turned into a "rapid response force" to fight terrorism. Sociologists would call this shift in focus an example of ____
goal displacement
96
The US postal service is an example of a bureaucracy.
True
97
As group size increases, so does the intimacy of relations among members
False
98
Reference groups are reserved for members of professional networks and are utilized almost exclusively by people with career aspirations.
False
99
Instrumental leaders tend to look out for group members whereas expressive leaders focus on getting a job done.
False
100
Although larger than primary groups, secondary groups are as informal, personal, and intimate as primary groups.
False
101
Differential association theory argues that we learn deviance by being around other people who practice it.
True
102
The purpose of "upsetting experiments" is to see how people react when social norms are violated.
True
103
Crime "in the suites" (white-collar crime) actually costs the American taxpayer more in terms of dollars lost than "crime in the streets"
True
104
According to structural strain theory, deviance results from a mismatch between socially acceptable goals and the opportunity to achieve those goals
True
105
Sociologist Erving Goffman used the term stigma to refer to characteristics that discredit people, including violations of norms of ability and violations of norms of appearance
True
106
Which type of sociologists would consider deviance to be a natural part of society?
Functionalists
107
John desires the best things in life- a fast car, designer clothes, and membership in exclusive clubs. But rather than work his way through the system, he has discovered he can have all these things by selling cocaine in the inner city. How would Merton classify John?
An innovator
108
According to the social-conflict approach, what a society labels as deviant is based mostly on
Patterns of inequality and who has more power.
109
___ is any behavior, belief, or condition that violates significant social norms in the society or group in which it occurs.
Deviance
110
The concept of the relativity of deviance is BEST illustrated by which of the following statements?
It is not the act itself, but the reaction of others to the act that makes it deviant
111
The ___ theory developed by Robert Merton is based on the idea that most people want to attain cultural goals, but not everyone has the legitimate means of achieving them.
Structural strain
112
All of the following acts qualify as white-collar crime except ___
a bank teller robbing the first National bank
113
What is the relationship between one's social class and one's chances of being a victim of crime?
inverse
114
The early sociologist who argued that deviance might be functional for society was ___
Emile Durkheim
115
The significance of names or reputations given to people when they engage in certain types of behavior is the focus of ___ theory
labeling
116
According to control theory, when are inner controls MOST effective in deterring deviant behavior?
In the presence of strong attachments, commitments, and involvement with other members of society
117
The theory of behavior in which people who associate with some groups learn an "excess of definitions" of deviance, increasing the likelihood that they will become deviant is ____
differential association theory
118
Based on Merton's typologies, what do drug addicts, the homeless, nuns living in a convent, and monks living in a monastery have in common?
They are all retreatists
119
The violations of norms and rules that are written into law are officially called ___
crimes
120
Inner and outer controls that work against our tendencies to deviate is known as what theory?
control theory
121
According to Davis and Moore, people do not earn what they deserve.
False
122
Class systems have social mobility, whereas caste systems do not.
True
123
Fortunately, slavery is a thing of the past.
False
124
According to Melvin Tumin, Davis, and Moore were wrong when they argued that stratification of income by occupation was fair and just.
True
125
In a caste system, social stratification is based on ascribed status
True
126
Some nations have traditionally been in poverty from one generation to the next, relying on tradition rather than experimenting with new technology that might improve their standard of living. This explanation for global stratification is called ____
Culture of poverty
127
Great Britain was one of the first nations in which industrial capitalism developed. According to world system theory, Great Britain would be a ___ nation.
Core
128
A system in which groups of people are divided into layers according to their relative power, property, and prestige is referred to as ___
social stratification
129
Of the following technologies, which does the government have the greatest difficulty controlling?
Internet communications and emails
130
Which concept explains the rise of global stratification as including core nations, semiperiphery nations, periphery nations, and external areas?
World system theory
131
Social mobility refers to
Changing class
132
Based on the global stratification model, nations of the former Soviet Union and its former satellites in Eastern Europe are classified as
The Industrializing Nations
133
Which two theorists concluded that the universality of stratification can be explained by the necessity to motivate the most qualified people to fill the most important and demanding positions in a society?
Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore
134
What was the purpose of colonialism as it was practiced by the major European powers during eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries?
To exploit the annexed nation's people and resources
135
What term would Karl Marx use for today's workers who mistakenly identify with the capitalists simply because they own a few shares of stock or work as managers of large corporations?
False class consciousness
136
What is the significan difference between the class system and the systems of slavery and caste?
the class system has fluid boundaries
137
The sociologist who believed that social class is made up of 3 components-- property, power, and prestige-- was ___
Max Weber
138
One of the effective methods of control employed during the rule of monarchies was the divine right of kings. This was a method of maintaining stratification that falls under the general category of ___
controlling ideas
139
In every society, from the hunting and gathering society to the postindustrial society, the MOST common basis for social stratification has been ____
Gender
140
If a person was living during Karl Marx's lifetime and worked at the Smittertown ironworks, Marx would consider that person a member of the
Proletariat
141
Changes in society that cause large numbers of people to move up or down the class ladder, which causes one class to increase while others decrease, are called ___ mobility
Structural
142
What was the term C. Wright Mills used to refer to those who make the big decisions in American society?
The power elite
143
What did the research by Kohn suggest as being the primary influence upon parents that emphasized how they reared their children?
The parents' occupations
144
What is the upward or downward movement in social class by family members from one generation to the next?
Intergenerational mobility
145
Phil, a janitor for an expensive apartment-house complex in Chicago, is a union janitor who makes quite a bit more money than many of the tenants in the building he maintains. Lenski would note that Phil's high income but low occupational prestige demonstrates a condition of ___
Status inconsistency
146
Which of the following individuals would have the narrowest field of "elligible" marriage partners based on background expectations?
Christian, the son of a CEO of a major corporation
147
What is the relationship between one;s social class and one;s chances of being a victim of crime?
Inverse
148
To determine the poverty line, the US government calculates a low-cost food budget for a family of a specific size, then subjects that number to which modification?
It multiplies the food budget by three
149
Which of the following statements is MOST accurate with respect to determining social prestige in modern society?
One's occupational title is the greatest influence in determining social prestige
150
What are the three variables Max Weber identified as defining social class?
Property, power, prestige
151
Numerically, what is the race of the majority of the poor in the United States?
White
152
When used by sociologists, the term "wealth" refers to ___
The value of a person's property minus that person's debt
153
John worked at a steel mill for 25 years. A recessionary economy and competition with foreign steelmakers forced the closing of the mill. At the age of 45 John is unable to find work in his town, lives in poverty, and must go on welfare. What is the MOST likely cause of John's poverty?
Changes in the social structure are the most likely cause
154
Theorists who suggest that the purpose of the welfare system is to maintain a "reserve labor force" is MOST aligned with the ___ perspective.
Conflict
155
Status inconsistency is common for winners of multimillion-dollar lotteries, especially when the status of their new wealth exceeds the status of their education and occupation
True
156
Wealth and income are interchangeable terms, each meaning the same in reference to social class
False
157
Status inconsistency occurs when people occupy two statuses are not expected to go together
True
158
The more years of schooling you complete, the longer you can expect to live.
True
159
What political party are members of the upper class more likely to belong?
Republican
160
The working poor have a high probability of being upwardly mobile
False
161
The systemic annihilation or attempted annihilation of a people based on their presumed race or ethnicity is called
Genocide
162
In society which group has the greatest power, privileges, and social status?
The dominant group
163
As described in the text, what are two myths of race?
One race is superior to another, pure races exist
164
Which statement is most accurate regarding the meaning of race?
Race varies, depending upon the society in which its meaning is constructed
165
The massacre of Native Americans in the 1800s, the extermination of the Jews in Nazi Germany, and the slaughter of the Tutsis in Rwanda are all examples of ___
genocide
166
To understand the comparative conditions of Latinos, one must look at people's ___
Countries of origin
167
The relocation of Native Americans to reservations and the transfer of Americans of Japanese descent to internment camps during WWII are examples of
Direct transfer
168
How did the 2010 US Census instruct Americans to classify themselves in relation to race?
Respondents can choose one or more races that they consider themselves to be.
169
What is the term used to describe an attitude that exaggerates the virtues of a group, such as all Asian Americans being brilliant or all African Americans being great athletes?
Positive prejudice
170
According to Adorno, a __ is a person who is prejudiced, has deep respect for authority, and is submissive to authority figures.
Authoritarian personality
171
Of all ethnic groups, in which group are children most likely to grow up with two parents and least likely to be born to a single mother?
Asian American
172
Switzerland is made up of four separate ethnic groups that have kept their own languages but are peacefully united politically and economically. This pattern of intergroup relations is an example of ___
multiculturalism
173
Pedro, a legal immigrant from Mexico, and George, a white male whose family has been in America for several generations, have each applied for a car loan at the local bank. Pedro's loan was turned down while George was granted a loan. In comparing their credit history, both men had good credit and their debt and income were comparable. This is an example of ___ against Pedro.
Institutional discrimination
174
What is the largest minority group in the United States today?
Latino American
175
What term did Louis Wirth use to define groups of people who are singled out for unequal treatment and who regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination
minority group
176
Race is important primarily because of the physical differences between the races
False
177
Minority groups are smaller in number than dominant groups
False
178
Prejudice is an action, discrimination is an attitude.
False
179
The way in which race is determined is a universal cultural constant
False
180
Because the term "Latino" refers to an ethnic group, Latinos may identify themselves as being black, white, or Native American
True
181
What does it mean when sociologists say that age is "socially constructed"?
Age is based on cultural attitudes that are rooted in a society.
182
Which sociological perspective is MOST closely aligned with the explanation that Social Security benefits came about as the result of a struggle between competing interest groups?
The conflict perspective
183
Sociologically, why is gender especially significant?
It is a master status cutting across all aspects of life.
184
In what society were women and men often considered social equals?
hunting and gathering
185
How have television advertisements and other forms of cultural media typically portrayed the elderly?
As unimportant and stereotyped
186
While the notion of gender refers to sociological characteristics, the concept of sex refers to ___ characteristics
biological
187
What classification or terminology do sociologists apply to women that describe their inability to gain equal access to power, property, and prestige?
minority group
188
What sociological perspective stresses that age has no inherent meaning and that each culture shapes the way that its citizens perceive the elderly?
symbolic interactionism
189
Why do sociologists classify females as a minority group?
There is not a single society known where women-as-a-group have decision making power over men
190
When many students graduate from college, they are able to earn an extra $1465 a month between the ages of 25 and 65. These students manage to earn this bonus by ___
being born male
191
Which statement is LEAST accurate regarding sex and gender?
The terms sex and gender are sociologically and biologically interchangeable.
192
In Pakistan, Jordan, and Kurdistan, a woman who has brought disgrace to her family is killed by a male relative, usually her brother or husband. This practice is called ____
honor killing
193
Agatha has worked for ten years in the public relations department of a large firm. She has been promoted to several higher paying managerial positions, but never to an executive position, even though she has directed several successful projects for the firm. Her lack of promotion MOST likely illustrates
The glass ceiling
194
What is the term for gender discrimination against women who miss the work experience while they care for children at home
The child penalty
195
Because the first of the baby boom generation has now turned sixty, we are likely to see a shift to more positive images of the elderly. What is the major reason for this?
Their vast numbers translate into economic clout and political power
196
Sex means how we are socialized whereas gender means how we differ physically.
false
197
The number of members in an age cohort determines the size of a baby boom or a baby bust.
True
198
In hunting and gathering as well as horticultural societies, women contributed the majority of the food supply to their groups
True
199
The major theories on the origin of patriarchy point to the social consequences of human reproduction
True
200
Patriarchy is becoming a thing of the past
False
