Deck 1: Understanding Sociology

Question 1

Émile Durkheim's study of suicide related suicide rates to

A) personal depression.
B) personal stress.
C) the extent to which people were integrated into the group life of a society.
D) climatic conditions such as oppressive heat, heavy rain, and cold winters.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

An attempt to explain problems, actions, or behavior in a comprehensive manner is called a(n)

A) science.
B) typology.
C) theory.
D) ideal type.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following was the main concern of Kelsey Timmerman in his book Where Am I Wearing?

A) why people wear different styles in different locales
B) differences in fashion across cultures
C) the living conditions of the people who make our clothing
D) pirating in the fashion industry

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Sociologists argue that, unlike scientific knowledge, common sense conclusions are

A) not published.
B) not reliable.
C) not politically correct.
D) easily disseminated.

Question 5

A social scientist would be likely to study the

A) composition of a meteorite discovered in a remote area of Siberia.
B) reasons for the decreasing divorce rate in the U.S.
C) newest procedure in heart transplant surgery.
D) possibility of life on Mars.

Question 6

Which aspect of an individual divorce of a middle-income couple living in the suburbs would most likely be of interest to sociologists using the sociological imagination?

A) the relation between the divorce and the common demographics of divorce in the couple's community
B) the effect of the divorce on the woman's performance at work
C) the mental health of the children of the divorce
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 7

A) is a serious personal problem for numerous men and women.
B) is not just an individual's personal problem but a societal concern.
C) Wright Mills advocated the use of the sociological imagination to view divorce in the United States because divorce
C) may create emotional scars for divorcees.
D) has been a serious problem throughout history.

Question 8

A natural scientist would be likely to study

A) the clothing patterns of a group of people during a hundred-year period.
B) food preparation among a tribal group in New Guinea.
C) rock formations and composition in the Grand Canyon.
D) the interaction between men and women on a college campus.

Question 9

Which social science would be interested in the actions taken by elected officials both during and in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti?

A) history
B) economics
C) sociology
D) political science

Question 10

A key element in the sociological imagination is the ability to view one's own society

A) from the perspective of personal experience.
B) from the perspective of cultural biases.
C) as an outsider.
D) as an insider.

Question 11

Which of the following subject areas is an example of a natural science?

A) philosophy
B) anthropology
C) psychology
D) astronomy

Question 12

Pure sociology is also known as

A) basic sociology.
B) applied sociology.
C) microsociology.
D) macrosociology.

Question 13

The body of knowledge obtained using methods based upon systematic observation is called a(n)

A) theory.
B) verstehen.
C) science.
D) ideal type.

Question 14

Sociology is considered a science because sociologists

A) teach at respected universities.
B) engage in organized and systematic study of phenomena to enhance understanding.
C) receive government funding for research projects.
D) construct middle-range theories to explain social behavior.

Question 15

The awareness that allows people to comprehend the link between their immediate, personal social settings and the remote, impersonal social world is called

A) the sociological imagination.
B) anthropology.
C) a theory.
D) verstehen.

Question 16

Sociology, anthropology, economics, and history study various aspects of human society and are therefore considered

A) natural sciences.
B) social sciences.
C) typologies.
D) psychological categories.

Question 17

Which of the following academic disciplines emphasizes the influence that society has on people's attitudes and behavior and the ways in which people shape society?

A) anthropology
B) economics
C) sociology
D) physics

Question 18

________ is most closely associated with the concept of the sociological imagination.

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Max Weber
C) Karl Marx
C) Wright Mills
D)

Question 19

The scientific study of social behavior and human groups is known as

A) psychology.
B) political science.
C) anthropology.
D) sociology.

Question 20

The use of the discipline of sociology with the specific intent of altering social relationships or restructuring social institutions is called

A) basic sociology.
B) clinical sociology.
C) applied sociology.
D) macrosociology.

Question 21

What concept did DuBois develop to describe the experience of being Black in White America-a division of an individual's identity into two or more social realities?

A) double consciousness
B) racial fetishism
C) double rejection
D) bipolar racism

Question 22

Early female sociologists such as Jane Addams were often active in poor urban areas as leaders of community centers known as

A) settlement houses.
B) communes.
C) collective homes.
D) utopian communities.

Question 23

Émile Durkheim is known for his classic sociological study of

A) suicide.
B) abortion.
C) soccer.
D) crowd control.

Question 24

A sociologist interviews high-salaried corporate chief executive officers (CEOs) to discover whether they feel stress in their everyday lives as a result of the pressure to produce at an unrealistic level. This sociologist is employing

A) alienation.
B) anomie.
C) verstehen.
D) globalization techniques.

Question 25

The word that Max Weber used to stress the need for sociologists to take into account people's emotions, thoughts, beliefs, understandings, and attitudes was

A) verstehen.
B) Gemeinschaft.
C) anomie.
D) Gesellschaft.

Question 26

Which sociologist made an important contribution to the discipline by successfully combining theory and research?

A)
B) Jane Addams
C) Harriet Martineau
C) Wright Mills
D) Robert Merton

Question 27

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels said, "the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. . . . The ________ have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!"

A) bourgeoisie
B) proletarians
C) vulcans
D) middle classes

Question 28

A sociology instructor asks students to make lists of the characteristics of the best and worst possible instructors. These lists, which would be used to evaluate all instructors, are an example of a(n)

A) typology.
B) ideal type.
C) verstehen.
D) hypothesis.

Question 29

Anomie refers to a

A) model that serves as a measuring rod against which actual cases can be evaluated.
B) loss of direction that is felt in a society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective.
C) classification scheme containing two or more categories.
D) type of suicide that is based on depression.

Question 30

Marx viewed the relationship between the capitalists and the exploited workers in systemic terms; that is, he believed that a system of ________ relationships maintained the power and dominance of the owners over the workers.

A) economic
B) social
C) political
D) economic, social, and political

Question 31

In Karl Marx's analysis, society was fundamentally divided between

A) separate genders that clash in pursuit of their own interests.
B) economic classes that clash in pursuit of their own class interests.
C) different races that clash in pursuit of their own interests.
D) the religious and the nonreligious who clash in pursuit of their own interests.

Question 32

Although some of the early sociologists saw themselves as social reformers, by the middle of the 20^th century the focus of the discipline of sociology had shifted to

A) theorizing and gathering information.
B) a de-emphasis on the scientific method.
C) applied sociology.
D) advocacy of civil rights for minorities.

Question 33

Which early sociologist applied the concept of evolution to societies in order to explain how they change or evolve over time?

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Charles Darwin
C) Harriet Martineau
D) Herbert Spencer

Question 34

The discipline of sociology was given its name by the French theorist

A) Émile Durkheim.
B) Auguste Comte.
C) Harriet Martineau.
D) Marcel Marceau.

Question 35

An ideal type is a(n)

A) body of knowledge obtained by methods based on systematic observation.
B) construct or model that serves as a measuring rod against which actual cases can be evaluated.
C) detailed plan or method for obtaining data scientifically.
D) initiator of people's attitudes or behavior.

Question 36

Émile Durkheim's explanation of suicide was scientific because he

A) developed conclusions based on systematic examination of data.
B) carefully studied the personalities of hundreds of suicide victims.
C) worked in a university setting.
D) divided suicide into four distinctive categories.

Question 37

Which sociologist translated the works of Auguste Comte into English and emphasized the impact the economy, laws, trade, and population could have on contemporary social problems?

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Jane Addams
C) Harriet Martineau
D) Talcott Parsons

Question 38

In The Communist Manifesto, Marx argued that the working class must

A) ally with capitalists to build a better world.
B) try to work toward a return to feudalism.
C) overthrow the existing class system of capitalist societies.
D) ignore all aspects of class divisions.

Question 39

The concept of anomie was introduced into sociology by

A) Auguste Comte.
B) Émile Durkheim.
C) Max Weber.
C) Wright Mills.
D)

Question 40

Which of the following was a central focus for Charles Horton Cooley?

A) class issues
B) divorce
C) intimate face-to-face groups
D) suicide

Question 41

Which sociological perspective would view society as a living organism in which each part of the organism contributes to its survival and stability?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 42

Which sociological perspective sees the social world as being in continual struggle?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) global perspective

Question 43

According to the functionalist perspective, an aspect of social life would be passed on from one generation to the next if it

A) can be used by one group to subjugate another group.
B) enhances impression management.
C) promotes value consensus among members of a society.
D) is dysfunctional.

Question 44

Which sociological perspective would be most likely to argue that the existence of big-city political machines suggests that these political organizations satisfy certain basic social needs?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) global perspective

Question 45

Which sociological approach focuses on the macro level and would tend to view inequality in gender as central to behavior and organization?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 46

Theorist Eve Sedgwick (1990) argues that any analysis of society is incomplete if it does not include

A) both macro- and micro-level views of the subject of study.
B) a consideration of the patriarchal nature of government and business management systems.
C) the spectrum of sexual identities that people embrace.
D) comprehensive data on the common symbology that said society has adopted.

Question 47

Critics of television often suggest that executives of major television networks and movie corporations are wealthy White males who decide which programs or movies will be produced and which directors and actors will obtain jobs in the industry. This analysis reflects the

A) functionalist perspective.
B) conflict perspective.
C) interactionist perspective.
D) global perspective.

Question 48

Sociological studies that focus on large-scale phenomena or entire civilizations are known as

A) microsociology.
B) interactionism.
C) macrosociology.
D) dramaturgy.

Question 49

Which of the following would be an example of cultural capital?

A) the reciprocal trust inherent in social networks
B) knowledge of great American authors
C) a close network of extended relatives
D) knowledge of Laotian cuisine

Question 50

A study of divorce rates among the populations of Canada, England, the U.S., and France is an example of

A) alienation.
B) anomie.
C) microsociology.
D) macrosociology.

Question 51

Which sociologist saw society as a vast network of connected parts, each of which helps to maintain the system as a whole?

A) Karl Marx
B) Erving Goffman
C) Max Weber
D) Talcott Parsons

Question 52

________ stresses the study of small groups and often uses experimental study in laboratories.

A) Microsociology
B) Macrosociology
C) Middle-range sociology
D) Conflict theory

Question 53

A sociologist studies drug-use patterns among small groups of college students in a Midwestern college. This would be an example of

A) conflict theory.
B) functionalism.
C) macrosociology.
D) microsociology.

Question 54

Which of the following would be an example of social capital?

A) an expert-level knowledge of fine wines
B) the pleasure derived from participating in social events
C) a thorough understanding of global politics
D) powerful family political connections

Question 55

Which sociological perspective would suggest that if an aspect of social life does not contribute to a society's stability, then it does not serve a useful function?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 56

Contemporary conflict theorists are concerned with the conflict between

A) women and men.
B) cities and suburbs.
C) Blacks and Whites.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 57

Children who experience divorce in their family are more likely to experience divorce themselves when they are adults. This could be considered an example of a

A) dysfunction of families.
B) latent function of families.
C) manifest function of families.
D) proactive function of families.

Question 58

Which of the following could be a manifest function of colleges?

A) They are a place to meet future husbands or wives.
B) They sometimes fail to teach students how to read or write effectively.
C) They help to maintain the economic status quo in the U.S.
D) They prepare students for post-college careers.

Question 59

A sociologist who studies the unequal economic reality between men and women would probably be following which of the following perspectives?

A) functionalism
B) interactionism
C) conflict
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 60

An element or a process of society that may actually disrupt a social system or lead to a decrease in stability is known as a

A) latent function.
B) manifest function.
C) dysfunction.
D) conflict function.

Question 61

Which sociological perspective holds the view that people create their social worlds through interaction and manipulation of symbols?

A) functionalist
B) conflict
C) interactionist
D) global

Question 62

Using sociology with the specific intent of yielding practical applications for human behavior and organizations is referred to as

A) pure science.
B) clinical sociology.
C) applied sociology.
D) basic sociology.

Question 63

Which sociological perspective would view sports as serving as a safety valve for both participants and spectators, allowing them to shed tension and aggressive energy in a socially acceptable way?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 64

The state of Ohio has a dwindling population. In an effort to increase the birthrate in the state, it offers a 5000.00 bonus to all families giving birth in the state for the next three years. Which of the following is the latent function?

A) an increase in the birth rate for the state of Ohio
B) an increase in the population in the state of Ohio
C) an increase in the need for teachers as a result of more children in the Ohio educational system
D) All of these are latent functions.

Question 65

Which perspective would state that people are formed through the way in which they interact with and react to their social world?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 66

Inequality, capitalism, and stratification are key concepts of which theoretical perspective?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 67

Which sociological perspective would suggest that sports participants may work together harmoniously and abandon previously held stereotypes and prejudices despite class, racial, and religious differences?

A) functionalist perspective
B) queer theory
C) interactionist perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 68

The view that sports serve as an "opiate" for social injustices and distract people from focusing on the reality of personal problems and social issues would most likely be held by

A) functionalists.
B) conflict theorists.
C) interactionists.
D) global sociologists.

Question 69

Which sociological approach would view sports as an agent for defining people's social positions as players, coaches, and referees as a result of their performances and reputations?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 70

Which sociological perspective is most concerned with macro-level analysis?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) both the functionalist and conflict perspectives

Question 71

The view that laws are set up to assist those who are in positions of power is most consistent with the

A) functionalist perspective.
B) conflict perspective.
C) interactionist perspective.
D) feminist perspective.

Question 72

Which sociological perspective would view sports as a form of big business in which profits are more important than the health and safety of athletes?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 73

In examining any aspect of society, which sociological perspective emphasizes the contribution that aspect makes to overall social stability?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 74

Which sociological perspective would most likely suggest that sports help to maintain people's physical well-being?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 75

George Herbert Mead served on committees dealing with Chicago's labor problems and public education. These activities are examples of

A) social inequality.
B) applied sociology.
C) basic sociology.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 76

Which sociologist explored what it meant to be female and Black living in the U.S.?

A) Jane Addams
B) Ida Wells-Barnett
C) Harriet Martineau
D) Meda Chesney-Lind

Question 77

Which sociological perspective would highlight the reluctance among professional athletes to display any sexual identity other than heterosexuality in public?

A) interactionist perspective
B) queer theory
C) feminist perspective
D) functionalist perspective

Question 78

Which sociologist is widely regarded as the founder of the interactionist perspective?

A)
B) George Herbert Mead
C) Charles Horton Cooley
C) Wright Mills
D) Erving Goffman

Question 79

Which sociological perspective generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction in order to understand society as a whole?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 80

Which sociological perspective would most likely argue that the social order is based on coercion and exploitation?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) global perspective