Exam 5: Separate and Together: Life in Groups

Sociologists are interested in how social groups have changed over time. Of particular note is the degree to which individuals base their identities on group membership. How has this changed in recent American history?

Many sociologists have worried that the modern economy demands both geographic and occupational mobility, which, in turn, means that bureaucratic organizations have become the norm. What sort of groups might become weaker or strained if people have to move frequently throughout their lives for work?

A twenty-eight-year-old woman is on the verge of a big promotion at work. She didn't finish college until she was twenty-five, and the entry-level job she currently has is unimpressive. She decides to attend her ten-year high school reunion only if she is promoted. What do sociologists say her high school classmates represent if they can have this much influence on her decision to attend the reunion?

A student at a university explains that he doesn't want to join a fraternity because he believes they create negative in-group and out-group dynamics. What perspective best describes his views?

Which of the following is an example of McDonaldization, as George Ritzer used the term?

What does social identity theory suggest about teamwork?

Simon Langlois studied government employment in Quebec, Canada. He found that more than 40% of the people he surveyed found their jobs through personal contacts, even though the government had made efforts to formalize recruitment. The personal contacts were fairly casual acquaintances in the majority of cases, not close friends. What principle is demonstrated here?

Sociologists who study social networks and employment pay attention to the frequency with which a person has been in contact with each member of their social network to

What was the Asch experiment measuring?

The mother of a university student is worried about her son joining a fraternity. She worries that peer pressure and groupthink may lead her son to do things he wouldn't normally do, such as binge drinking. What perspective best describes her views?

Mark just bought a brand-new Subaru hybrid after driving a twenty-year-old car for a long time. He is really impressed with his new car and takes every opportunity to drive his friends around in it. Over the next year, three of his friends buy new Subarus and three others are seriously considering doing so. Which concept best describes what is happening in Mark's network?

Members of a table tennis club in upstate New York seem to have come together as much for connections with others as for the love of the game. This club can be viewed as a counterpoint to the message of Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone because it is an example of

A ________ consists of group members who share information and advice, provide support to one another, and have common interests, but never meet in person.

The Twenty Statements Test asks respondents to make twenty true statements about themselves that begin with the phrase "I am." Why is this test discussed in a chapter about social groups?

In Los Angeles, you may see cars sporting a bumper sticker that reads, "My favorite teams are UCLA and whoever's playing USC." What is this an example of ?

The mother of a university student encourages her son to join a fraternity. She hopes that peer pressure and groupthink may lead her son to do things he hasn't tried before, such as volunteering and attending formal events. What perspective best describes her views?

Imagine that you are in charge of a football team. Several of the players including the quarterback and the running back get most of the glory when the team succeeds. However, other players, such as the linebackers, have to do a lot of hard and highly skilled work in order for the team to win. Use the insights you have gained from Chapter 5 to describe what steps you would take to motivate the linebackers to work hard.

Charismatic authority is unlike either traditional authority or legal-rational authority in that it is rooted in

Why do sociologists not consider fans of the rock musician Bruce Springsteen to be a group?

What type of authority does a king wield, according to Max Weber's typology of power?