Deck 4: Socialization and the Construction of Reality

Question 1

People and groups who influence our orientation to life and our self-concept,emotions,attitudes,and behaviors are:

A) significant others.
B) total institutions.
C) agents of socialization.
D) generalized social selves.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

According to research by Annette Lareau (2003),parents of different social classes socialize their children differently.Which of the following statements best describes these differences?

A) Middle-class parents are more likely to structure their children's leisure time with formal activities; working-class parents leave it up to the kids to decide how they want to structure their free time.
B) Middle-class parents give more opportunity for kids to do what they want; working-class parents mandate more structured activities.
C) Middle-class parents value obedience over independent thinking; working-class kids are taught to use logic and reason to support their choices.
D) Working-class parents use time-outs as a form of punishment; middle-class parents use spanking as a form of punishment.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The story of the abused child named Anna teaches lessons about the importance of ________ as an influence on human development.

A) social class
B) social construction
C) human interaction
D) healthy nutrition

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following scenarios involves the use of peer pressure?

A) A girl pushes her friend.
B) Two boys steal another boy's ball because he won't share.
C) Two friends decide to go hiking because they both enjoy it.
D) A student relents and goes to a party after her friends ask her numerous times.

Question 5

Which theorist argued that other people provide us with a social mirror and that our interpretations of this mirror affect how we see ourselves?

A) Erving Goffman
B) Émile Durkheim
C) George Herbert Mead
D) Charles Horton Cooley

Question 6

The final step in George Herbert Mead's theory of socialization is the development of an internalized sense of the total expectations of others.This is known as the ________ other.

A) socialized
B) first-person
C) generalized
D) significant

Question 7

Who developed the theory that uses game playing to understand the development of the self?

A) Charles Horton Cooley
B) George Herbert Mead
C) Robert Merton
D) Erving Goffman

Question 8

George Herbert Mead would probably argue that if your four-year-old daughter picks her nose and keeps pulling up her dress while you are out at a fancy restaurant,it is because she has not:

A) internalized the generalized other.
B) had enough social interaction.
C) developed an I.
D) experienced role strain.

Question 9

Sociologists view socialization as a lifelong process that begins when a child:

A) can distinguish the I from me.
B) is born.
C) is still in the womb.
D) internalizes the norms and values of society.

Question 10

When Max gets dressed,he looks at himself in a mirror and considers how people will see him.He isn't thinking of a specific person's reaction but rather that of people in general.This ability to imagine how society perceives the self is what Mead refers to as X in the diagram.What is X?

A) the eyes of society
B) the projected ego
C) human nature
D) the generalized other

Question 11

Children who have experienced long periods of isolation,such as the example of Anna,illustrate how:

A) biology (nature)is more important than the social environment (nurture).
B) the social environment is more important than biology.
C) "human nature" is the result of a complex relationship between nature and nurture.
D) lack of discipline in early childhood leads to long-term physical and mental problems.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the difference between the I and the me in George Herbert Mead's theory?

A) The I is one's sense of agency; the me is how we believe others see us.
B) The I is empathetic; the me is self-absorbed.
C) The I is how we believe others view us; the me is how we view ourselves.
D) The I wants to please others; the me wants to please the self.

Question 13

In large urban areas,people know how to establish private zones of solitude even in crowds.Erving Goffman analyzes this as an instance of socialization called:

A) Turing testing.
B) civil inattention.
C) total institution.
D) generalized other.

Question 14

According to Charles Horton Cooley,we develop a self-concept by:

A) inheriting genetic characteristics from our parents.
B) learning self-discipline.
C) interpreting our feelings about ourselves.
D) interpreting how others think about us.

Question 15

According to George Herbert Mead's stages of development,children first learn to recognize an other through:

A) playing informally with other people.
B) imitation.
C) playing formal games (like baseball).
D) trial and error.

Question 16

A person sits on a crowded subway,phone in hand and staring blankly at no one in particular.Psychiatrist Fadi Haddad sees behavior such as this and worries that technology is making people less:

A) socially nuanced.
B) inattentive.
C) socialized.
D) civil.

Question 17

Expected conformity,especially among teenage friends,is known as:

A) peer pressure.
B) adolescent angst.
C) reference group influence.
D) role conflict.

Question 18

A man "streaked" (ran around nude)at Harvard's graduation ceremony.How would George Herbert Mead's theory interpret streaking? The streaker:

A) has not been socialized properly by his family and has a poorly developed generalized other.
B) has a keen awareness of the generalized other and simply enjoys soliciting people's reactions.
C) has failed to separate the I from the me.
D) has betrayed his reference group.

Question 19

The process by which a person internalizes the values,beliefs,and norms required to become a functioning member of a given society is known as:

A) education.
B) socialization.
C) dramaturgy.
D) social construction.

Question 20

According to Charles Cooley's looking glass theory,which of the following statements is true?

A) We should never concern ourselves with what others think of us.
B) Everything is socially constructed except for a person's true,inner self.
C) Our interpretations of how others see us are more important than the reality of how others see us.
D) The "I" internalizes other people's views; the "me" sees the self accurately.

Question 21

Which of the following would be the best example of a total institution?

A) a Boy Scout troop
B) a political party
C) a sports team
D) a convent

Question 22

Joaquin is a child diagnosed with ADHD.His school counselor says it is genetic; thus,Joaquin must be medicated.Psychiatrist Fadi Haddad might see social factors also at play,such as:

A) schools require conformity,and a child's individuality might fall outside those norms.
B) children internalize the generalized others at various paces.
C) society has become too centered on adults and would rather medicate away childhood.
D) parents of different social classes socialize their children in different ways.

Question 23

A single mother who is experiencing incompatibility within her status,such as not having enough time to both get adequate sleep and spend quality time with her children,may be experiencing which of the following?

A) peer pressure
B) resocialization
C) role conflict
D) role strain

Question 24

Janet has a paper due in her English class,a test in her psychology class,and field notes due in her anthropology class this week.On top of it all,she needs to meet with her advisor to plan out classes for next semester.Janet feels pressured.She is experiencing:

A) role conflict.
B) resocialization.
C) role strain.
D) status pressure.

Question 25

Venus Williams is one of the top women's tennis players in the world.Because this status overrides all her other statuses,it is known as her:

A) ascribed status.
B) achieved status.
C) status set.
D) master status.

Question 26

Studies have shown that people interact with babies differently based on whether the babies are boys or girls.Using role theory,we could argue that:

A) sex is an achieved status.
B) sex is a master status in our society.
C) boys and girls are simply different.
D) gender roles vary by social class.

Question 27

An ascribed status is one that:

A) stands out within a status set.
B) a person has little or no control over.
C) is written in an official record.
D) a person works to accomplish.

Question 28

Expectations that define appropriate or inappropriate behavior for the occupants of a particular status are called:

A) roles.
B) folkways.
C) identities.
D) simple norms.

Question 29

Which of the following is the best example of an achieved status?

A) Hispanic boy
B) woman born with cerebral palsy
C) minister in a Pentecostal church
D) baby baptized into the Roman Catholic Church

Question 30

Who developed role theory as a way to examine social interaction?

A) Karl Marx
B) Erving Goffman
C) Robert Merton
D) Charles Horton Cooley

Question 31

The sociological significance of roles is that they:

A) dictate the reality of a situation.
B) lay out what is expected of people.
C) are found in most human societies,but not all.
D) are almost always identical from one setting to the next.

Question 32

A recognizable social position that an individual occupies,such as student or professor,is known as a:

A) status.
B) role.
C) pattern.
D) place.

Question 33

Because military boot camps and prisons are places that control all of the basics of people's day-to-day lives,they are known as:

A) bureaucracies.
B) front stages.
C) total institutions.
D) ascribed statuses.

Question 34

Most people occupy many statuses at a particular point in time (e.g.,student,son or daughter,employee,citizen).This list of statuses is known as the:

A) total institution.
B) master status
C) status set.
D) set of others.

Question 35

According to Annette Lareau (2003),working-class and poor parents focus on the "accomplishment of natural growth," while middle-class parents are more likely to engage in "concerted cultivation." In the "accomplishment of natural growth," children experience:

A) instruction in how to interact with adult authority figures and how to manage schedules.
B) organized activities that are established and controlled by their mothers and fathers.
C) long stretches of leisure time and child-initiated play.
D) assistance,monitoring,and intervention from parents in their schoolwork.

Question 36

Annette Lareau,author of Unequal Childhoods (2003),makes a compelling case for the existence of differences between working-class and middle-class families.Which of the following statements best summarizes what she found?

A) Because schools are the "great equalizer," parents play only a small role in shaping students' life chances.
B) Class-based parenting differences have minimal effects on children's life chances as they head into adulthood.
C) Children's life chances are primarily related to aspirations,talents,and hard work on the part of individuals,not parents' social class.
D) Class differences,played out in the daily routines of parenting,have a powerful impact on children's life chances.

Question 37

Rodrigo's boss asked him to work this weekend,but Rodrigo feels obligated to attend a family reunion and has to study for an exam.He is having trouble deciding which activity to let go.Rodrigo is experiencing:

A) role conflict.
B) status inconsistency.
C) role strain.
D) status incompatibility.

Question 38

The expectations that girls play with Barbie dolls and boys play with G.I.Joe dolls are examples of:

A) biological differences between genders.
B) gender roles.
C) gendered role conflicts.
D) gendered reference groups.

Question 39

Which of the following represents an ascribed status?

A) an American of Japanese descent
B) a lawyer
C) a high-school dropout
D) a sociology major

Question 40

The popular television show Sesame Street was created with the explicit purpose of providing educational opportunities for low-income children.Sesame Street has been very successful,showing that:

A) the media serve as a powerful socializing agent.
B) low-income children now have the same opportunities as their wealthier peers.
C) children are not affected by what they see on television.
D) the media have the power to erase the reproduction of inequality in society.

Question 41

Which of the following scenarios provides an example of front-stage behavior?

A) Sally discovers her mother-in-law is dropping by shortly,so Sally rushes to tidy up the house.
B) Sam is angry at his little brother for embarrassing him in front of his girlfriend,so he refuses to take him to get ice cream.
C) The actress playing Cinderella smokes a cigarette in the employee break room before going to sign autographs at the castle.
D) While eating at Denny's last night,Debbie saw a little boy pocket some money from one of the tables.The boy was not aware anyone saw him.

Question 42

Today's assumption that childhood represents a distinct phase in the life course stands in sharp contrast to the notion of children as little adults that was popular in preindustrial times.This example highlights how:

A) children have redefined their status over the years.
B) children today are increasingly put to work.
C) our notions of childhood are socially constructed.
D) children's views of the world remain the same.

Question 43

Most sociologists (and biologists)argue that race is a human invention,or is socially constructed.Which of the following statements highlights how race is socially constructed?

A) Race is biologically real,but society should choose to be "color-blind."
B) Race stems from genetic differences and occurs in other mammals as well.
C) Racial categories have always been fixed and remain the same in different cultures.
D) Racial categories on census forms have continued to change over time.

Question 44

According to Erving Goffman,we all try to make good impressions on others and we actively work to ensure that others believe they are doing the same.He calls this:

A) resocialization.
B) the generalized other.
C) impression management.
D) controlling one's environment.

Question 45

Front-stage mistakes,such as your sociology professor accidentally tripping as she walks into class one day,are known as:

A) breaches.
B) deviant openings.
C) role failures.
D) theatrical breakdowns.

Question 46

According to Erving Goffman,the main goal of impression management is to:

A) create an alter ego.
B) save "face."
C) share "face" with others.
D) control our self.

Question 47

What does it mean to say that the self is socially constructed? In your answer,summarize Charles Horton Cooley's looking glass self theory.How does this theory explain the development of an individual's self-concept?

Question 48

Saying "hello" when answering the telephone signals the start of an encounter in the first bracket and is known to dramaturgists as:

A) act one.
B) the monologue.
C) the opening.
D) the preshow.

Question 49

According to dramaturgical theory,the primary goal of every social interaction is to:

A) be front (and center)stage.
B) make a good impression.
C) reduce backstage critique.
D) conform to the script.

Question 50

Which of the following is an example of a given-off gesture?

A) consciously stifling a laugh when someone walks into the class with toilet paper on his or her shoe
B) waving instead of greeting someone verbally
C) glancing at your watch when a friend starts another story at a party in an attempt to hint that you should both leave
D) staring at the ceiling while your professor is talking

Question 51

Your professor drank too much over the weekend and tripped and sprained his ankle.When asked about his injury in class the next day,the professor replied,"I sprained my ankle playing soccer with the kids." This is an example of:

A) role strain.
B) saving face.
C) a breach of common roles.
D) backstage performance.

Question 52

According to impression management,the backstage arena would include:

A) occasions when we are in public,but the spotlight is on someone else.
B) occasions when we create and maintain particular impressions of ourselves.
C) social settings where less than ten people are present.
D) times of solitude and personal reflection.

Question 53

Sharon avoids talking on the phone because ending a conversation is so awkward.How would dramaturgical theory explain why it is more difficult to end a conversation (closing)when on the phone than in person?

A) Backstage critique becomes so strong that it is difficult to choose what to say.
B) People cannot see our nonverbal closing gestures.
C) By the end of a phone conversation,too many breaches have occurred.
D) We are in the backstage when on the phone but in the front stage when in person.

Question 54

Harold Garfinkel developed an approach to studying human interaction that focused on how people produce and maintain a mutually shared social order.This method was called:

A) dramaturgy.
B) ethnomethodology.
C) social constructionism.
D) symbolic interactionism.

Question 55

According to George Herbert Mead,the final step in the socialization process is when a person has developed the concept of the generalized other.Explain this concept in your own words.List and explain two examples of how your perception of the generalized other affects your day-to-day behavior.

Question 56

Summarize the case of Anna.What does this case tell us about the importance of socialization? In what ways does this case show the limits of socialization?

Question 57

According to Erving Goffman,when there is a breach (mistake)in an established script,people generally do which of the following?

A) point out the mistake so they can make others look bad
B) point out the mistake so they can feel superior
C) work hard to repair the mistake so everyone can move forward
D) work hard to repair the mistake only if they know the person really well

Question 58

Two young men are on an elevator together.After briefly acknowledging each other's presence,they politely ignore each other for the remainder of the ride.Erving Goffman would refer to this behavior as an example of:

A) backstage behavior.
B) civil inattention.
C) an opening signal.
D) a given-off gesture.

Question 59

If your professor asked you to do a breaching experiment,you might do which of the following?

A) spend a day alone
B) ask a stranger to tie your shoes
C) tell your parents you are going over to a friend's house to study
D) tell your best friend that there is something in his or her teeth

Question 60

Which of the following theories argues that people's feelings and choices about how to act are based on shared meanings,orientations,and assumptions?

A) symbolic interactionism
B) dramaturgical theory
C) functionalism
D) role theory

Question 61

Choose one social status that you currently occupy.Analyze that status using the key ideas of Erving Goffman's dramaturgy theory.Your answer should include at least three of the following terms: impression management,stage,front stage,backstage,breach.

Question 62

Consider this image of Marines training at Parris Island.How is Marine boot camp an example of a total institution? What do you see in the photograph that supports your analysis? Offer an example of a total institution other than the military.What are two things that all total institutions have in common?

Question 63

Summarize what sociologists mean by the social construction of reality and give one example.

Question 64

Compare and contrast role conflict and role strain.Your answer should offer at least two points of similarity (comparison)and at least two points of difference (contrast).Offer an example of role conflict and an example of role strain.

Question 65

Describe a status that is,at the same time,both ascribed and achieved.Which qualities of this status fit with the ascribed category,and why? Which qualities of this status fit with the achieved category,and why?

Question 66

Parents of different social classes socialize their children differently.Middle-class parents are more likely to stress independence and self-direction,whereas working-class parents prioritize obedience to authority.Using this example,explain how these different socialization experiences could perpetuate (reproduce)social inequality.