Deck 4: Experts As Claimsmakers

Question 1

Experts are among the most influential claimsmakers because they

A)have political connections that help them gain attention for their claims.
B)are thought to have special knowledge that qualifies them to interpret problems.
C)are favored by the media due to their ability to present claims in an interesting way.
D)know how to effectively organize social movements.
E)all of the above

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Scientific progress is notoriously

A)controversial.
D)medicalized.
B)slow.
E)b and c only
C)newsworthy.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Think tanks are

A)specialized programs within universities that focus on researching specific social issues.
B)groups of scientists who work together to solve a particular problem.
C)organizations created to provide expertise that will influence others.
D)organizations created to offer objective scientific research to policymakers.
E)a and b only
F)none of the above

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Biomedicalization focuses on the

A)large number of human problems caused by infectious disease.
B)potential to trace to genetics many problem behaviors.
C)negative impact of medicalization on our ability to solve social problems.
D)importance of studying biological disorders.

Question 5

It is suggested in your text that officials working in government agencies often work to expand their turf

A)because they believe the work they do is important.
B)in hopes of expanding their budget.
C)to increase their agency's power.
D)all of the above
E)b and c only

Question 6

Experts make good claimsmakers because

A)their use of research methods gives their claims credibility.
B)people believe their special skills allow experts to understand things the rest of us do not.
C)they offer claims based on objective facts.
D)they are better at presenting their ideas to others.
E)all of the above
F)a and b only

Question 7

Government agencies are typically responsible for

A)compiling information.
D)funding research.
B)disseminating information.
E)all of the above
C)administering regulations.
F)a and b only

Question 8

It is difficult to design an experiment that assesses risk because of

A)time constraints.
D)all of the above
B)high costs.
E)a and b only
C)ethical issues.

Question 9

Scientific disagreement on an issue

A)can mean that the findings are still preliminary.
B)is present at some point with regard to nearly every issue.
C)can be used by claimsmakers to sway public opinion.
D)can be frustrating and confusing for the public, the media, and politicians.
E)all of the above
F)a and d only

Question 10

Saying that science is dependent on the generation of falsifiable theories means that

A)science can never completely prove anything.
B)the claims being made can be tested and rejected if proven false.
C)making a claim and then rejecting it is what keeps media attention on science.d.scientific evidence is infallible.e.none of the above

Question 11

It is argued in your text that in colonial times people often relied on priests as experts and thus looked at problems in religious or moral terms, while in modern society we often look to __________ as experts and think about problems in __________ terms.

A)professors; academic
C)doctors; medical
B)politicians; political
D)the media; sensationalized

Question 12

Lack of understanding about how risks are assessed and calculated often leads to

A)excessive focus on issues whose risks have been assessed.
B)public confusion about what is actually risky.
C)lack of focus on risky activities that have not been studied.d.all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 13

Our societal focus on assessing risk began with claims that

A)smoking was detrimental to one's health.
B)pesticides were placing our environment at risk.
C)automobiles were unsafe.d.all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 14

Pediatricians found that they had to engage in domain expansion as

A)infant feeding became safer.
D)all of the above
B)some childhood diseases were cured.e.a and b only
C)birthrates declined.

Question 15

Research questions and answers are typically the most clear-cut in the

A)physical sciences.
C)social sciences.
B)biological sciences.
D)health sciences.

Question 16

The term sociological imagination refers to the emphasis sociologists place on

A)how culture and social structure shape human experience.
B)the social construction of reality.
C)the need for order in society.
D)the struggles between groups and individuals for power and authority.
E)all of the above

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of medicalization?

A)doctors receiving higher pay than priests
B)redefining drug use as a psychological issue rather than as a moral one
C)arguing that cancer is caused by cigarettes rather than by radiation
D)doctors developing political connections

Question 18

By taking ownership of battered child syndrome, pediatric radiologists

A)created a debate over whether spanking was an effective means of discipline.
B)improved the prestige of their profession.
C)helped abused children.
D)all of the above
E)b and c only

Question 19

The U.S. government defining alcohol and drug addiction as illnesses and requiring some insurance companies to cover treatment is an example of

A)a professional ex- (e.g., ex-addict, ex-prisoner, ex-abuser).
B)a master frame.
C)institutionalization of ownership.
D)biomedicalization.

Question 20

It is argued in your text that an audience's willingness to grant authority to scientists often depends on

A)the relevance of the scientists' expertise.
B)the extent of media coverage of the particular claim.
C)the credentials of the scientists.
D)whether the scientists work in the physical or social sciences.
E)c and d only

Question 21

It is argued in your text that during the claimsmaking process, activists and experts typically

A)compete for resources.
B)provide different and complementary skills.
C)disagree about who should own the problem.
D)all of the above
E)a and c only

Question 22

Describe at least three important ways in which medicalization changes how we think and talk about social problems.

Question 23

What are the problems with conducting and interpreting research on risk?

Question 24

Discuss the ways in which scientific knowledge can and cannot help us in understanding global warming.

Question 25

Discuss the extent to which we can rely on experts to be objective or impartial sources of information.

Question 26

How does the treatment for alcoholism prescribed by Alcoholics Anonymous merge medicalization with older approaches to dealing with excessive drinking?

Question 27

Describe and discuss the social class and sex issues involved in the medicalization of drinking while pregnant.

Question 28

How are historical trends in the development of the practice of medicine linked to the medicalization of social problems?

Question 29

The public sometimes does not respond well to expert claims because

A)the language used by experts can be difficult to understand.
B)people are aware that experts are often not objective.
C)people's expectations are so high that experts cannot meet them.
D)the public now trusts religion more than science.e.a and c only
F)b and d only