Exam 5: Separate and Together: Life in Groups

Explain the criticism of Robert Putnam's concern about the decline of participation in bowling leagues and what that means for U.S.society,using the example of virtual communities.

Robert Merton pointed out that we remember Abraham Lincoln,one of America's great heroes,as being frugal,thrifty,and sparing,yet some people might describe these same traits differently when a member of some other racial or ethnic group possesses them.for example,Merton suggested that some white Americans who would describe Lincoln this way might describe an Asian American who has these same qualities as being stingy,miserly,and penny pinching.What explains this double standard?

Groups that we use as standards to evaluate ourselves-either positively,in terms of the qualities we aspire to achieve,or negatively,in terms of the qualities we wish to avoid-are called:

Members of which of the following think of themselves as belonging together while also interacting with each other?

The definition of what constitutes a group is being transformed as a result of new technology and the Digital Revolution.Which of the following is evidence of this?

If a sociologist measured group cohesion within a neighborhood and found a high level of group cohesion,which response would you LEAST expect to find on the survey?

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

In 2009 the Detroit Pistons fired head coach Michael Curry.Most sources agreed that Curry lost his job because of squabbles with players,as well as tensions between team members and the coaching staff.This was especially upsetting because Curry's main strength was supposed to be his ability to communicate well with players and command their respect.What type of leadership was Curry lacking?

What kind of leadership style is typically expected of women in contemporary society?

The Solomon Asch experiment,in which groups of participants were asked to compare the lengths of lines,demonstrated that:

Why would sociologists who study social networks and employment pay attention to the frequency with which a person has been in contact with each member of his social network?

Which of the following is a factor that can lead to increased group cohesion?

People today are more likely to identify themselves through personal characteristics than through group membership or affiliation.Why is this cause for concern to some sociologists?

Although individuals always feel loyalty toward their in-group,under what circumstances would this loyalty be particularly strong?

What term did the sociologist George Ritzer use to describe the spread of rationalization and bureaucratic ways of operating into everyday life?

In 1978 Jim Jones,the leader of the People's Temple cult,forced more than 900 of his followers to commit suicide at gunpoint by drinking poisoned flavor Aid.In the run-up to this event,Jones had strictly enforced discipline,mocking and ridiculing anyone who expressed doubts,at times even having doubters sedated.This extreme effort to enforce conformity is an example of:

Explain how reference groups work.Give an example of a reference group in your own life.

Which of the following is best suited to preventing groupthink?

A producer for a cable news show is feeling insecure.She complains to her boss that she isn't very smart and that she only does well because she's scared of being yelled at.Her boss tells her to stop whining and not worry about it.He says,"I'm a results-based guy.I don't care why it works,as long as it works!" What leadership style do you think her boss has?

Unlike either traditional authority or legal-rational authority,charismatic authority is rooted in: