Deck 1: Seeing and Acting Through the Lens of Sociology

Question 1

Postmodern theorists believe that we need to create clearer distinctions between disciplines and additional grand narratives to explain social life.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The conflict and structuralist perspectives are broad enough in their theoretical bases that they can accommodate both macro- and micro-level concepts.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Life chances refers to the opportunities that an individual encounters over the course of his or her lifetime.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The sociological imagination refers to how sociologists investigate topics using scientific methods.

Question 5

Karl Marx developed a theory of social research and thought that predicted the conflict of WW1.

Question 6

Michel Foucault argued that there are many discourses competing for an authoritative position in a society.

Question 7

Postsecondary education in the developed world is generally available to all students who wish to enroll at the learning institution of their choice.

Question 8

Significant others play an important role in our socialization.

Question 9

Gender socialization research concludes that males and females are perceived and treated in an identical fashion in North America.

Question 10

Weber argued that life chances were influenced by factors such as gender.

Question 11

Feminist theory has been able to reverse taken-for-granted assumptions by most people that women have gained absolute equality with men.

Question 12

At the macro level, critical thinking can be detached from social action and kept within the academic and intellectual silos of higher level educational institutions.

Question 13

Karl Marx believed that class conflict is necessary in order to produce social change and a better society.

Question 14

According to Emile Durkheim, anomie is most likely to occur during a period of rapid social change.

Question 15

The discipline of sociology is flexible in what types of corresponding disciplines and social interactions are included in its comprehensive nature.

Question 16

Interpretive theorizing focuses on finding an explanation about how society works.

Question 17

Comte coined the term "sociology" to describe a new science that would use empirical research and theory for the study of society.

Question 18

We are free to become whoever we want, however we want.

Question 19

It takes the action of only one person to affect society at the macro level.

Question 20

The sociological imagination is primarily about how theorists think social forces will influence people's actions.

Question 21

After working at a minimum wage job for three years, Catherine has decided to apply to the local polytechnic school to receive training to be a medical laboratory technician. She checked various job websites across the country and discovered that there was a significant shortage of lab techs and that she would have no trouble finding work. According to structural functionalists, Catherine's choice pertains to what kind of functionality?

A)latent
B)manifest
C) purposeful
D) socialized

Question 22

Feminist theory, like the conflict perspective, draws from both the "darker" and "brighter" sides of society.

Question 23

Your personal choice is made independent of outside influence.

Question 24

Postdisciplinarity refers to research done after the social sciences were divided into disciplines.

Question 25

Despite efforts to integrate our thinking, dualistic thinking implies that we often having opposing viewpoints about topics,
Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Question 26

There is a small group of people in town who seem to have all the money and make all the rules. The rules they make (especially around employment) are intended to ensure they continue to have all the money. Which theoretical perspective would be most effective to analyze the activities in this town?

A)structural functionalism
B)feminist theory
C) conflict theory
D) Anomie

Question 27

A branch of which theoretical framework proposes men and women are inherently similar and that the differences are sociologically constructed?

A)Critical
B)Feminist
C) functional
D) interactionist

Question 28

Suicide rates in some Aboriginal communities are among the highest rates in Canada. While suicide is often characterized as an individual's response to pain, emotional, psychological, and/or other mental health concerns, what term might Durkheim use to describe what appears to be a specific issue within an entire community of people?

A)dysfunctional
B)cultural fatigue
C) anomie
D) shared post-traumatic stress

Question 29

Once significant others are identified, they retain their importance for the individual's entire life.

Question 30

According to the text, various sociological approaches are linked to specific theoretical sociological perspectives. Some of these theoretical perspectives are focused on the individual as the main element of society. Which level of society is featured in this perspective?

A)interpretivist
B)positivist
C) macro level
D) micro level

Question 31

Norms are society's ever-changing expectations for how we are supposed to act, think, and look.

Question 32

In Canadian society, divorce rates are relatively high. According to structural functionalists, what is the term used to describe the family structure when problems result in divorce?

A)split
B)bidivisional
C) dysfunctional
D) latent

Question 33

What might Tanis learn if she is "thinking critically" as she reads a text?

A)The author may have a biased view.
B)The author may have made a mistake.
C) The author may be rude.
D) The author is a woman.

Question 34

Once Ruth got married, she quit her job, had two children, and stayed at home to raise them. Although Ruth had wanted to be a doctor, raising her children was what her family and friends expected her to do. Her decision to follow "the expected path" can be seen as what kind of influence on her actions?

A)a micro-level influence
B)a macro-level influence
C) a global influence
D) a normative influence

Question 35

Behaviours, appearances, and thoughts that are readily accepted by a society are given which of the following sociological labels?

A)popular
B)normative
C) acceptable
D) proper

Question 36

George Herbert Mead and Herbert Blumer are credited with pioneering work for which sociological perspective?

A)Critical
B)Feminist
C) Functionalist
D) interactionist

Question 37

C. Wright Mills suggested that the sociological imagination should be used by instructors and students in the examination of sociological concepts.

Question 38

Harriet Martineau publicly disagreed with most of Auguste Comte's ideas.

Question 39

Dorothy Smith proposes that since men and women experience different positions in society, they form different life perspectives.

Question 40

According to Marx, the proletariat comprises those who own and control the means of production.

Question 41

Rachel is a tenured faculty member of the economics department at the local university. Anita is an associate professor in sociology, and Harley is tenured in the department of family medicine. As a research group, they have been awarded funds from a major national funding agency to study the accumulated long term sociocultural and sociomedical effects of low income on the health of immigrant groups in a midsized city in Western Canada. What is this is an example of?

A)postdisciplinarity
B)aggregated disciplinarity
C) omni disciplinarity
D) interdisciplinarity

Question 42

The difference between disciplines such as sociology and anthropology is less apparent in the 21st century. According to the text, what is this phenomenon called?

A)dual disciplinarity
B)interdisciplinarity
C) multidisciplinarity
D) postdisciplinarity

Question 43

Batool did not want to wear a sari to the mall because she was afraid of what shoppers at the mall would say about her. How would George Herbert Mead refer to the shoppers Batool was concerned about?

A)as significant others
B)as generalized others
C) as significant shoppers
D) as generalized shoppers

Question 44

Dorothy Smith, a Canadian sociologist, contends that women's positions have been overlooked or ridiculed. She suggests that feminist theory and practice is predicated upon listening to women as they describe their life experiences. By what name is her feminist theory known?

A)stand-alone theory
B)standpoint theory
C) relational feminist theory
D) feminist socialist theory

Question 45

According to the text, which sociological framework believes that social change has created inescapable chaos and meaninglessness?

A)conflict framework
B)interactionist framework
C) skeptical postmodern framework
D) affirmative postmodern framework

Question 46

According to the text, which sociological framework views society as comprising a small group of powerful people at the top of society, and a large group of powerless people at the bottom?

A)conflict framework
B)interactionist framework
C) feminist framework
D) postmodern framework

Question 47

Jim wanted to be a nurse because he had seen how his mother helped people through their illnesses. However, the dominant social norm of "female nurse; male doctor" was still strong in his community. Jim's decision to enter nursing school was based on what kind of influence?

A)a micro-level influence
B)a macro-level influence
C) a global influence
D) a normative influence

Question 48

Sasha watched an interview in which Disney executives explained how Disney characters are important socialization tools, ensuring boys and girls learn proper behaviour. Sasha believed the executives had their own agenda so he questioned the validity of the information and rejected their statement about Disney's contribution. According to the text, what process did Sasha apply to come to his conclusion?

A)framework reasoning
B)thinking critically
C) judgmental deduction
D) conversation analysis

Question 49

What name is given to a way of understanding a particular subject or social phenomenon?

A)social statement
B)postmodern topic
C) Discourse
D) Interaction

Question 50

After learning about racism in his sociology class, Claudio became very aware of statements being used by his friends and he began to challenge them about their word choices, which reinforced certain racist ideas. What kind of sociology was Claudio practising?

A)feminist sociology
B)critical sociology
C) policy sociology
D) private sociology

Question 51

According to C. Wright Mills, what do sociologists try to do?

A)They try to relate individual troubles to higher divorce rates.
B)They try to understand individual troubles as unconnected to each other.
C) They try to relate individual troubles to higher rates of suicide.
D) They try to understand individual troubles in a broader historical perspective.

Question 52

Why is sociology the most comprehensive of the social sciences?

A)because sociology examines the interconnectedness between some of society's parts
B)because sociology examines the interconnectedness between all of society's parts
C) because sociology examines the interconnectedness between two of society's main parts
D) because sociology examines the history of society as well as contemporary society

Question 53

The interactionist perspective pertains to what area of social activity?

A)communication
B)Conflict
C) resource management
D) Marriage

Question 54

Daniel doesn't need a university degree because he will work at his father's store after university. He primarily went to university to have fun before settling into his expected role. According to structural functionalists, Daniel's focus at university pertains to what kind of functionality?

A)Latent
B)Manifest
C) Useful
D) Frivolous

Question 55

According to the text, which sociological framework views society as comprising individuals who are engaged in various forms of communication, which come to mean particular things based on common shared understandings that develop between specific people?

A)conflict framework
B)interactionist framework
C) feminist framework
D) postmodern framework

Question 56

Bill can't get a job, even though he has a strong resume. He is unemployed because of the recession, not because he is lazy or unskilled. C. Wright Mills would say this explanation was made by a person who has a certain theoretical understanding-which one?

A)sociological functionality
B)sociological imagination
C) functional deviance
D) scientific revolution

Question 57

"Beauty is skin deep," while a common and seemingly innocent expression, is a notion that underlines the billion-dollar beauty and fashion industry. It has profound and prolonged effects upon girls' and women's self-image. According to Foucault, the wide acceptance of this expression has become part of what social phenomenon?

A)an elite corporate discourse
B)an unpopular discourse
C) an elite discourse
D) a popular topic of debate

Question 58

Jocelyn has been turned down for five jobs in the last two months. She believes the interviewers do not consider her because of the colour of her skin. What theoretical approach would be most effective when analyzing her experiences?

A)Interpretive
B)Critical
C) positive
D) negative

Question 59

Which of the following intellectuals is noted as the first academic to recognize the significance of combining empirical research and theory as a productive method of studying the social world?

A)Auguste Comte
B)Karl Marx
C) Max Weber
D) Emile Durkheim

Question 60

What is the term used to label the group of people who are most important to us and who have a significant major influence in our socialization?

A)significant others
B)specialized others
C) significant individuals
D) socialized others

Question 61

The girls' hockey league in town is primarily a result of what changes in society?

A)feminist influence at the micro level
B)feminist influence at the macro level
C) feminist influence in schools
D) feminist influence in the family

Question 62

According to the text, which theorizing explores the role that power plays in social processes, and emphasizes the importance of knowledge being tied to emancipation?

A)interpretivist theorizing
B)critical theorizing
C) positivist theorizing
D) feminist theorizing

Question 63

Which theoretical framework deconstructs what is perceived as "knowledge" and asks questions of that knowledge?

A)functional postmodernism
B)critical postmodernism
C) skeptical postmodernism
D) affirmative postmodernism

Question 64

Jonathon is a gay man from a particular religious community. He is fearful to reveal his sexuality as the community's religious beliefs and values specifically deny the rights of gay men to live their sexuality with openness and confidence. Further, while his workplace is supposed to be a safe environment, he knows from firsthand experience many of his work colleagues are homophobic. What label would Weber use to describe this type of inequality?

A)gendered inequality
B)religious inequality
C) conflicted inequality
D) ideological inequality

Question 65

João grew up in the countryside, but moved to the city to find work when he turned 18. He felt very lost because he was unsure of social norms that were followed in his new urban surroundings. According to Durkheim, what consequence might follow from this experience?

A)João might turn to crime.
B)João might go home.
C) João might call home.
D) João might experience macro consequences.

Question 66

Which of the following people described the ability to perceive the interconnections between individual experiences and larger sociocultural forces as the "sociological imagination"?

A)Peter Berger
B)Talcott Parsons
C) Emile Durkheim
D) C. Wright Mills

Question 67

Samantha recently graduated from postsecondary education with a degree in commerce and business. She has tattoos that cover both of her arms. During an employment interview, she learned that the firm's policy regarding body art stipulated that she cover her tattoos when dealing with clients. Which of the choices below best reflects the connections between personal experiences and larger sociocultural forces?

A)society and gender norms
B)society and body image
C) society and risk taking
D) society and workplace norms

Question 68

According to the text, the feminist framework assumes society is structured on the basis of gender. What is the result of this assumption?

A)Men and women are treated as equals.
B)Men have different expectations.
C) Women's experiences are based on men's experiences.
D) Experiences are also structured on the basis of gender.

Question 69

If you consider the implications and consequences of information you are given, you are participating in what important sociological practice?

A)verifying information
B)accepting information
C) critiquing information
D) rejecting information

Question 70

Suicide rates are high in some Aboriginal communities in Canada. If the sociological imagination is used in an effort to understand this issue, which of the following is being demonstrated?

A)suicide as a personal trouble
B)suicide as a public issue
C) a historical explanation of suicide
D) suicide as a random act among individuals

Question 71

Who is considered the first female sociologist?

A)Beatrice Potter Webb
B)Jane Addams
C) Harriet Martineau
D) Marianne Weber

Question 72

What does "thinking critically" mean?

A)It means to criticize what is written.
B)It means Marxist theory is applied.
C) It means It means to summarize, evaluate, and respond to information.
D) It means something written is wrong.

Question 73

What is the name given to the level of broad social forces?

A)micro level
B)macro level
C) sociological level
D) public level

Question 74

"You need a university education to succeed in today's world." This statement is part of an agreement about the importance of education, constructed by people with an education. As more and more people agree with this statement, it becomes widely accepted as true. According to Michel Foucault, this acceptance means that the statement has become part of what social phenomenon?

A)an elite interaction
B)an elite discourse
C) a popular discourse
D) a popular interaction

Question 75

Irene has been convicted of several instances of petty theft. She is one of a group of women who works as a group that targeted crowds at large events. Irene and three others of the group agreed to participate in a study that would attempt to reveal to the women themselves, and by extension to others like them, sociological understanding as to why they continued to commit these crimes despite the high likelihood of further convictions. Which sociological approach grounds this type of study?

A)relational
B)positivist
C) interpretive
D) critical

Question 76

Large-scale social movements are often informed by a conflict theory framework. What is the term coined by Karl Marx that describes the connection between scholarship and action by some groups aimed to end their subordination?

A)reactiveness
B)praxis
C) academic intervention
D) autonomy

Question 77

Critical theory focuses on what factor influencing social processes?

A)Negativity
B)Problems
C) self-interpretation
D) Power

Question 78

Factors such as social stratification, inequality, race, ethnicity, and gender affect opportunities available to a person. What label did Max Weber give to these factors?

A)life chances
B)life opportunities
C) individual opportunities
D) individual chances

Question 79

In a large metropolitan centre, authorities suspected that break-and-enter and other theft crimes were increasing due to massive layoffs during a global recession and the subsequent loss of income. By systematically studying the income levels of populations within the metropolitan area, the most vulnerable areas were identified and strategies for addressing the immediate needs of the people in those areas were initiated. Which sociological approach is useful for this type of objective study of this nature?

A)critical
B)positivist
C) negativist
D) reductionist

Question 80

According to the text, theoretical and empirical research is considered what kind of sociology?

A)academic sociology
B)policy sociology
C) public sociology
D) private sociology