Deck 16: Education

Question 1

Educational institutions are active participants in social reproduction because they:

A) reinforce the cultural advantages of upper- and middle-class families
B) increasingly offer classes on cultural and social capital
C) introduce new technologies and provide opportunities for poor people to learn middle-class values
D) were pioneers in the movement to reduced educational inequality

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Emotional intelligence is defined as:

A) the ability to identify, assess, and control the emotions of oneself or others
B) the phenomenon in which students who are happier tend to score higher on standardized tests
C) middle- and upper-middle-class parents who tend to invest more heavily in their children's cognitive development
D) the tendency to use meditation and anti-anxiety practices to overcome educational barriers

Answer 2

A

Question 3

According to the textbook, the high school graduation rate in the United States is approximately _______________ percent.

A) 83
B) 53
C) 93
D) 63

Answer 3

A

Question 4

When sociologists measure variation between different groups in standardized test scores, grades, graduation rates, and college entrance, they are focusing on:

A) the achievement gap
B) stereotype threat
C) intelligence
D) hidden curriculum

Question 5

The cycle of social reproduction is created within the school because:

A) blue-collar children are often uncomfortable in a formal school environment, so they rebel and are able to seek work based on their individual aptitudes
B) blue-collar children are more accepting of the rules in school than their middle-class peers and are therefore more apt to succeed
C) middle-class children increasingly see the school as not operating in their best interests; therefore, they are eager to get to work and earn money rather than continuing with schooling
D) in many ways, working-class children have a more perceptive attitude toward the organization of the school than do middle-class children, but the latter group sees the school as a vehicle for upward mobility

Question 6

A sociological analysis of education would focus primarily on:

A) individual reasons for attending college
B) the relationship between education and social inequality
C) the reported distribution of national IQ scores
D) biological bases for the educational achievement gap

Question 7

Ronald is very skilled at task completion and problem solving when it comes to getting his own independent work done. However, he is often abrasive at staff meetings and has trouble with team projects. Ronald is likely lacking a certain level of:

A) intelligence
B) social capital
C) emotional intelligence
D) abstract attitudes

Question 8

According to the textbook, U.S. high school graduation rates:

A) are among the highest in the industrialized world
B) are lower than most other wealthy nations
C) are lowest for whites and Latinos
D) are similar to other industrialized nations

Question 9

When sociologists consider the importance of a person's social background for their educational achievement, they are focusing primarily on:

A) the family's nationality
B) the individual's racial-ethnic identity
C) the family's religious affiliation
D) parents' educational and economic resources

Question 10

As a process of assimilation, schooling and its focus on an "official" curriculum-common language and the facts of a common history and geography-:

A) promote a sense of nationalism and an affinity among societal members
B) foster a commonsense way of thinking
C) promote a strong skill set to participate in the workforce
D) promote upward mobility

Question 11

Ranmali is a professor at an elite university. Over the years, she has noticed that many students seem much more concerned with the letter grade they will receive than with the knowledge and skill acquisition the class requires. She also notices that many firms who are hiring graduates of her university are focused on special certificates and GPAs but ask few questions about the content of academic programs. These are both examples of:

A) assimilation
B) credentialism
C) concrete attitudes
D) abstract attitudes

Question 12

To the extent that schools help perpetuate social and economic inequalities across generations, they are part of the process of:

A) social reproduction
B) social transformation
C) tracking
D) hidden curriculum

Question 13

Sharon and Luke, both IT workers, make a point to read to their children every night before putting them to sleep. Sean Reardon's work identifies four explanations for educational achievement gaps by socioeconomic status. Which of these four explanations of the achievement gap does this example best illustrate?

A) Income inequality has increased starkly throughout the late twentieth century.
B) Income is related to a range of social resources that enable parents to support their children's intellectual development.
C) Middle- and upper-middle-class parents tend to invest more heavily in their children's cognitive development.
D) Residential segregation on the grounds of income has increased throughout the late twentieth century.

Question 14

When educators and psychologists consider someone's intelligence quotient (IQ), they can see if someone is "above average," "average," or "below average." The score they would use to determine average intelligence is:

A) 100
B) 150
C) 90
D) 125

Question 15

According to Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis, the hierarchical authority relationships within schools parallel those of:

A) families
B) prisons
C) workplaces
D) democratic systems

Question 16

Much of what is learned in school has nothing to do with the formal content of the lessons. The teaching of values, attitudes, and habits constitutes:

A) a tracking system
B) the hidden curriculum
C) credentialism
D) the official curriculum

Question 17

The credentialism approach to understanding education notes that the:

A) content of education is its most important component
B) credential implies having training and skills necessary to do a job and is equal in importance to the content
C) credential is valid only if it stems from quality content and a common cultural environment in the classroom
D) content is much less important than the diploma or credential itself

Question 18

Formal systems of education developed in modern societies because:

A) mass education promoted internationalism, helping citizens from different regions and backgrounds to share knowledge and experiences
B) schools promoted the development of personality traits such as self-discipline and obedience, which employers needed in their employees
C) schools provided the credentials needed for a job and credentialism helped to erode the class structure in a society
D) people became less individualistic with industrialization

Question 19

According to your textbook, intelligence is actually very difficult to define because:

A) language barriers make administering intelligence tests very difficult
B) there are select people who are more likely to refuse to take intelligence tests
C) different intelligence tests are used depending on the discipline
D) intelligence covers qualities that may be unrelated to each other

Question 20

Consider a family in which the parents are very concerned with their children's educational success but who struggle to provide enough books, activities, and outings that can enhance their children's development. Sean Reardon's work identifies four explanations for educational achievement gaps by socioeconomic status. Which of these four explanations of the achievement gap does this example best illustrate?

A) Income inequality has increased starkly throughout the late twentieth century.
B) Income is related to a range of social resources that enable parents to support their children's intellectual development.
C) Middle- and upper-middle-class parents tend to invest more heavily in their children's cognitive development.
D) Residential segregation on the grounds of income has increased throughout the late twentieth century.

Question 21

A major legacy of colonialism in the developing world is the high level of:

A) literacy
B) illiteracy
C) primary education
D) income

Question 22

Which of the following groups benefits from student tracking according to abilities?

A) low-achieving students because they can receive more individualized attention
B) high-achieving students because teachers do not have to spend time working with slow learners
C) all students because it allows teachers to help each group according to its abilities
D) average students because in mixed classes they are usually ignored as teachers concentrate on slow learners and high achievers

Question 23

What is one possible reason for the reversal of the gender gap in education?

A) the introduction of gender-neutral learning materials
B) the encouragement of boys to study "female" subjects
C) that there are more stay-at-home father role models
D) a rise in traditionally male jobs in the economy

Question 24

An unintended consequence of school busing is that:

A) tracking in schools became more problematical as school diversity increased
B) literacy rates increased in urban areas as poor students worked to keep up with wealthier ones
C) racial divisions were erased, particularly in center-city urban communities in the United States
D) white families fled from the city into suburban areas, leaving the center cities to decay

Question 25

Jonathan Kozol's (1991) study of American schools found that:

A) high levels of segregation within schools and great inequalities between them exist
B) schools around the country spend the same amount per pupil as a result of government funding
C) tracking is a successful practice, especially for less advantaged students
D) schools have no long-term effect on a person's economic success

Question 26

New information technologies and the growth of the knowledge economy will affect education by:

A) undermining and ultimately destroying education as a formal institution
B) shifting the emphasis toward active, lifelong learning in diverse settings
C) further confining teaching and learning to traditional schools and colleges where the technology is located
D) transferring educational activities entirely to cyberspace

Question 27

Within developed countries:

A) access to computers is unevenly distributed
B) computer use and skills are nearly universal
C) most sociologists think that information technology is responsible for increasing social equality
D) men and women often have similar levels of education

Question 28

George, who is African American, gets nervous when taking tests in his college class because he assumes that his professors will think he cheats on his tests because he is African American. This is an example of:

A) a stereotype threat
B) test anxiety
C) an abstract attitude
D) a concrete attitude

Question 29

Which of the following is part of the hidden curriculum in schools?

A) offering business courses that are not publicized to all students
B) credentialing only certain students
C) teaching students to respect authority
D) tracking students into different classes without informing them

Question 30

Schools originally arose:

A) to meet the popular demand for education
B) to help recently freed enslaved people integrate into society
C) largely as a result of the development of printing and the ensuing need for broader literacy
D) to prepare women for the war effort, in which they would have to take men's jobs

Question 31

Maria's high school requires students to take Latin or Greek, classical art and music appreciation, English literature, and public speaking. The school believes that these courses instill particular values and tastes that students need for a successful future, which constitute:

A) the hidden curriculum
B) hyperreality
C) the culture industry
D) cultural capital

Question 32

A stereotype threat occurs:

A) within groups that suffer from negative stereotypes
B) within groups that benefit from positive stereotypes
C) when people believe they are being judged not as individuals but as members of a group
D) when the media project negative images of a particular group of people

Question 33

John is from an upper-middle-class home and has the benefit of extracurricular activities and the latest technology. He is a good student but does not have an exemplary record. Clorista is a bright and energetic student who loves math and science. Her grades are strong, but they would be better if she had more time and resources. She has limited access to a computer and often has to care for her younger siblings while her mother is at work. John and Clorista both applied for positions on the yearbook committee. John was appointed, and Clorista was offered membership in the "Day of the Dead" committee, which is headed by the Spanish teacher. She is unable to accept because of her commitments at home. Sociologically speaking, in comparison to Clorista, John possesses more:

A) gender socialization
B) generational equity
C) cultural capital
D) cultural dependency

Question 34

Claude Steele's influential work on differential outcomes for African Americans in educational settings deals with:

A) genetic influences
B) hidden curriculum
C) the generalized other
D) stereotype threat

Question 35

A sociologist studying education in middle schools observes three schools over the course of the academic year. She observes subtle differences in how teachers engage girls and boys, such that teachers tend to step in to help girls solve problems more quickly than they do with boys. She notes that this gives girls the message that they are less able to complete tasks on their own relative to boys. This would be an example of:

A) the hidden curriculum
B) the achievement gap
C) cultural capital
D) emotional intelligence

Question 36

Active, curious social actors who can derive insights from multiple sources, not merely institutional settings, are known as:

A) literate
B) learners
C) students
D) adults

Question 37

The "place" formed by the global network of computers where Internet interaction occurs is called:

A) Facebook
B) the cloud
C) http
D) cyberspace

Question 38

In 1990, Jeannie Oakes found that students placed in the "low-achieving" group-mostly African American, Latino, and poor students-as a result received an education that was _____ their "high-achieving" peers.

A) somewhat better than
B) equal to
C) poorer than
D) much better than

Question 39

Partly as a result of the legacy of colonial education, which was not directed toward the majority of the population, the educational system in many developing countries is top-heavy. What does this mean?

A) Higher education is disproportionately developed relative to primary and secondary education.
B) Schools focus primarily on science and math, which are integral to economic development.
C) People at the top of the socioeconomic ladder have more education than those at the bottom.
D) College standards inform the curricula for the lower levels of education.

Question 40

The Coleman (1966) studies and the Jencks (1972) research indicate which of the following two important points concerning education in our society?

A) Educational and occupational attainment is governed by family background. On their own, educational reforms can produce only minor effects on social inequality.
B) Cultural capital and family background play a role in social settings at school, but grades ultimately affect the school experience.
C) Tracking does not play a significant role in student success. Neighborhood aesthetics matter in how students feel about their schools.
D) Education serves as an equalizer, although small schools tend to be more successful.

Question 41

Access to the Internet will soon define the demarcation line between the rich and the poor.

Question 42

The benefit of the exchange of international students is that it:

A) plays a vital role in globalization
B) enhances intranational understandings
C) increases xenophobic and isolationist attitudes
D) improves IQ scores

Question 43

Some consider the internationalization of education to be problematic because:

A) foreign students could deprive Americans of slots in competitive programs
B) some foreign students receive financial aid and scholarships, taking money that might otherwise go to Americans
C) foreign students are likely to stay in the United States and contribute to U.S. society
D) foreign students will not be able to keep up with their American counterparts

Question 44

In The Bell Curve, Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray argue that the significant differences in IQ between various races and ethnic groups are explained by:

A) unequal opportunities
B) oppressive social conditions
C) genetic inheritance
D) poor-quality schools

Question 45

Which of the following is the best example of information poverty, as discussed in the textbook?

A) People with fewer socioeconomic resources acquire less academic knowledge than those with more resources.
B) People with fewer socioeconomic resources acquire less cultural capital than those with more resources.
C) People with fewer socioeconomic resources have less access to technology than those with more resources.
D) People with fewer socioeconomic resources are less likely to have information about college than those with more resources.

Question 46

Scientists have agreed on a simple measure of intelligence: the ability to solve abstract mathematical puzzles.

Question 47

Sociological research has found that tracking in all instances has entirely negative effects.

Question 48

The sociologists who reexamined the data in Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray's The Bell Curve reiterated that race and intelligence are best understood:

A) using an interactionist approach that involves both biology and social forces
B) in terms of IQ tests, which should be standardized so that scientists can make claims about groups
C) in terms of social causes as opposed to biological causes
D) in terms of genetics, which explains approximately 80 percent of IQ test results

Question 49

Supporters of international education suggest that more should be done to encourage foreign students to come to the United States because:

A) they often develop a sympathetic attitude toward the United States
B) most are supported by financial aid, not by their parents
C) they put very little money into the U.S. economy
D) they help close the racial achievement gap

Question 50

In a counterargument to the claims made in The Bell Curve, a team of sociologists from the University of California at Berkeley asserted that the factor that is more important than intelligence in determining how well people do in life is:

A) one's parents' socioeconomic status
B) the number of students per classroom
C) cultural capital
D) one's SAT score

Question 51

According to the "Globalization by the Numbers" infographic, which country leads in terms of mean years of schooling? [img]

A) Japan
B) Norway
C) India
D) United States

Question 52

Evidence that social advantage results in higher IQ scores Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray's view on intelligence.

A) supports
B) refutes
C) proves
D) neither supports nor refutes

Question 53

According to the leading research findings on academic achievement, which of the following has the greatest influence on a student's success in school?

A) parents' socioeconomic status
B) quality of teachers
C) number of students in a class
D) number of extracurricular activities available to students

Question 54

Currently more than 42 percent of the world's population is illiterate.

Question 55

In the book The Bell Curve, Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray present their findings regarding the relationship between IQ and other social factors. Their conclusions were controversial because the authors:

A) drew conclusions about the intelligence of all North Americans on their findings from studying the intelligence of Native Americans and Native Canadians
B) contended that blacks in the United States have higher intelligence than whites, which would be apparent if the IQ tests were changed to accurately measure intelligence
C) focused strictly on the sociological factors that influence IQ and ignored the biological or hereditary factors
D) proclaimed that black Americans had an inferior intelligence because of genetic differences between black and white Americans

Question 56

According to the "Globalization by the Numbers" infographic, which country leads in terms of proportion of persons enrolled in secondary education? [img]

A) Japan
B) Norway
C) India
D) United States

Question 57

Scores on IQ tests correlate highly with:

A) age
B) economic differences
C) gender
D) athletic ability

Question 58

Given the social structure in which computer technology is developing, which of the following will likely reinforce material deprivation that already exists in some areas?

A) the information superhighway
B) information poverty
C) the classroom without walls
D) the hidden curriculum

Question 59

The Berkeley team of sociologists who critically analyzed The Bell Curve found that:

A) racial differences in intelligence are biologically determined
B) racial differences in intelligence are socially caused
C) inequities in intelligence cannot be removed by implementing good social policies
D) men have genetic advantages over women when it comes to intelligence

Question 60

Which country has the largest number of foreign students attending its colleges and universities? [img]

A) the United States
B) the United Kingdom
C) China
D) Germany

Question 61

Discuss the concept of intelligence and some of the attempts to measure it. Summarize the debate over the idea that IQ is genetically determined.

Question 62

What was one of the lessons of Jonathan Kozol's best-selling book Savage Inequalities?

Question 63

Roy, a Korean American student, did better on his SATs than he anticipated, and he suspects part of the reason is that another student mentioned that Korean Americans have statistically higher scores than white students. Name and explain the phenomenon that sociologists might use to explain this situation.

Question 64

Name and explain at least one source of the educational achievement gap in the United States.

Question 65

Briefly explain how the gender gap in education has changed in the past 20 years.

Question 66

What is one of the goals of providing universal access to education?

Question 67

How have sociologists used the example of the burakumin to explain the society source of IQ scores?

Question 68

Discuss why you agree or disagree with the common cultural tenet in the United States that "education is the great equalizer." Please use relevant findings from the textbook and class to support your answer.

Question 69

Please give one to two examples of how emotional intelligence might be important to professional and personal success.

Question 70

What does Roslyn Mickelson mean when she says African American students have both abstract and concrete attitudes toward education?

Question 71

Design a social program that would attempt to eliminate the so-called digital divide. What are two concrete goals that your program would attempt to achieve, and how would it accomplish them?

Question 72

Lisa can read at a sixth-grade level. Does that mean she is functionally literate? Why or why not?

Question 73

Assess the idea of education as a formal institution being replaced by the notion of lifelong learning. How does this fit with the traditional humanistic ideals of education? How will you personally be affected by these developments?

Question 74

Name and explain one way in which socioeconomic status might determine how well you will do in life.

Question 75

Discuss how Pierre Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital and habitus explain middle-class and upper-middle-class students' success in a school setting.