Deck 1: The Sociological Perspective

Question 1

Max Weber emphasized that sociology should be value­free-research should be conducted in a scientific manner and should exclude the researcher's personal values and economic interests.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Sociology is a systematic study because sociologists apply both theoretical perspectives and research methods to examinations of social behavior.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Anomie defines a condition in which social control becomes ineffective as a result of the loss of shared values and a sense of purpose in society.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The conflict and functionalist perspectives focus primarily on microlevel (focusing on small groups)analysis,whereas the symbolic interactionist approaches are based on a macrolevel (examining whole societies,large-scale social structures,and social systems)analysis.

Question 5

In the Marxian framework,the working class,or bourgeoisie,is composed of those who must sell their labor because they have no other means to earn a livelihood.

Question 6

Social thought began to change rapidly in the seventeenth century with the scientific revolution.

Question 7

According to Robert K.Merton,a manifest function of education is the transmission of knowledge and skills from one generation to the next;a latent function is the establishment of social relations and networks.

Question 8

C.Wright Mills believed that the most important decisions in the United States are made largely behind the scenes by the power elite-a small clique composed of the top corporate,political,and military officials.

Question 9

One of Max Weber's most useful concepts is decentralization-the process by which the modern world has come to be increasingly dominated by structures devoted to efficiency,calculability,predictability,and technological control.

Question 10

A society is a large social grouping that shares the same geographical territory and is subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations.

Question 11

Urbanization is the process by which societies are transformed from dependence on agriculture and handmade products to an emphasis on manufacturing and related industries.

Question 12

French philosopher Auguste Comte coined the term sociology to describe a new science that would engage in the study of society.

Question 13

The 2,400 pairs of shoes owned by Imelda Marcos,wife of the late President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines,is an example of conspicuous consumption.

Question 14

Max Weber believed that societies developed through a process of "struggle" (for existence)and "fitness" (for survival),which he referred to as the "survival of the fittest."

Question 15

The awareness that helps us understand that there is a connection between losing our job and the high unemployment rate in the region in which we live is an example of the sociological imagination.

Question 16

Sociologist Emile Durkheim observed that rapid social change and a more specialized division of labor produce strains in society.These strains lead to a breakdown in traditional organization,values,and authority and to a dramatic increase in anomie.

Question 17

According to the conflict perspective,society is a stable,orderly system.This system is characterized by societal consensus.

Question 18

According to Veblen,random consumption is the continuous public display of one's wealth and status through purchases such as expensive houses,clothing,motor vehicles,and other consumer goods.

Question 19

The sociological imagination helps us place personal troubles,such as losing one's job or overspending on credit cards,into a larger social context,where we can distinguish whether and how personal troubles may be related to public issues.

Question 20

According to the functionalist perspective,societies develop social structures (institutions)that persist because they play a part in helping society survive.These institutions include the family,education,government,religion,and the economy.

Question 21

The example of a college student using credit cards to finance vacations and eat out is an illustration of what type of society?

A)conflict society
B)class society
C)consumer society
D)international society

Question 22

George Herbert Mead explored how individual personalities are developed from social experience and concluded that we would not have an identity,a "self",without communication with other people.

Question 23

The ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and the larger society is referred to as:

A)conflict perception
B)the sociological imagination
C)reality perception
D)the symbolic interaction approach

Question 24

The world's______________countries are nations with industrializing economies,particularly in urban areas,and moderate levels of national and personal income.

A)high-income
B)middle-income
C)low-income
D)subordinate-income

Question 25

A______________is a large social grouping that shares the same geographical territory and is subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations.

A)culture
B)society
C)nation
D)country

Question 26

The world's______________countries are nations with highly industrialized economies;technologically advanced industrial,administrative,and service occupations;and relatively high levels of national and personal income.

A)high-income
B)middle-income
C)low-income
D)subordinate-income

Question 27

Symbols are instrumental in helping people derive meanings from social situations.In social encounters,each person's interpretation or definition of a given situation becomes a subjective reality from that person's viewpoint.

Question 28

A political scientist interested in studying consumerism in the United States might examine how the political process-such as the efforts of lobbyists and interests groups to influence governmental policies-affects credit card interest rates and consumer spending in this country.

Question 29

The awareness that helps us understand that there is a connection between losing our job and the high unemployment rate in the region in which we live is an example of:

A)common sense
B)a myth
C)false consciousness
D)the sociological imagination

Question 30

One person being addicted,unemployed,or running up a high credit card debt could be identified as a:

A)non-public issue
B)societal issue
C)personal trouble
D)public issue

Question 31

Many of the nations of Africa and Asia,particularly India and the People's Republic of China where people typically work the land,are examples of______________countries.

A)subordinate-income
B)low-income
C)middle-income
D)high-income

Question 32

The nations of Eastern Europe and many Latin American countries are examples of____________________________countries.

A)subordinate-income
B)high-income
C)middle-income
D)low-income

Question 33

Who referred to consumption as the "see-want-borrow-buy" process?

A)Max Weber
B)Juliet Schor
C)C.Wright Mills
D)Jane Addams

Question 34

The United States,Canada,Australia,New Zealand,Japan,and the countries of Western Europe are examples of______________countries.

A)middle-income
B)subordinate-income
C)low-income
D)high-income

Question 35

Widespread unemployment and massive,nationwide consumer debt are examples of:

A)personal troubles
B)public issues
C)non-public issues
D)psychological difficulties

Question 36

Sociology is defined as:

A)the systematic study of human society and social interaction
B)the methodological analysis of groups and individuals
C)the scientific analysis of premodern people
D)the academic discipline that examines individual human behavior

Question 37

A psychologist interested in studying why some individuals have excessive credit card debt might identify the specific thought processes that a person has when purchasing expensive items that are well beyond his or her budget.

Question 38

Personal troubles are solved at the individual level and within one's own immediate social settings. Which of the following would be an example of an individual solution to student credit card debt?

A)legislation to regulate credit card companies
B)national forums on student debt
C)second job to pay down debt
D)required educational courses on finance

Question 39

Simmel theorized that there is no significant difference between dyad groups and triad groups.

Question 40

The world's______________countries are primarily agrarian nations with little industrialization and low levels of national and personal income.

A)high-income
B)middle-income
C)subordinate-income
D)low-income

Question 41

In describing the law of the three stages,Auguste Comte believed that knowledge would reach the ,where explanations were based on systematic observation,experimentation,comparison,and historical analysis;and industry became the prominent structural unit in society.

A)metaphysical stage
B)scientific stage
C)theological stage
D)biological stage

Question 42

According to______________Theory of General Evolution,society,like a biological organism,has various interdependent parts (such as the family,the economy,and the government)that work to ensure the stability and survival of the entire society.

A)Auguste Comte's
B)Emile Durkheim's
C)Charles Darwin's
D)Herbert Spencer's

Question 43

In Society in America,______________examined religion,politics,child rearing,slavery,and immigration to the United States,paying special attention to social distinctions based on class,race,and gender.

A)Jane Addams
B)Auguste Comte
C)Herbert Spencer
D)Harriet Martineau

Question 44

According to British social theorist______________,societies developed through a process of "struggle" (for existence)and "fitness" (for survival),which he referred to as the "survival of the fittest."

A)Talcott Parsons
B)Auguste Comte
C)Herbert Spencer
D)Emile Durkheim

Question 45

______________ is the belief that those species of animals,including human beings,best adapted to their environment survive and prosper,whereas those poorly adapted die out.

A)Social Darwinism
B)Social eugenics
C)Social statics
D)Social facts

Question 46

Although the women of that day were categorically excluded from much of public life in France,some women strongly influenced the philosophes and their thinking through their participation in the______________-an open house held to stimulate discussion and intellectual debate.

A)forum
B)town meeting
C)salon
D)gallery

Question 47

In describing the law of the three stages,Auguste Comte believed that knowledge began in the ,where explanations were based on religion and the supernatural,and kinship was the most prominent unit of society.

A)theological stage
B)metaphysical stage
C)scientific stage
D)positive stage

Question 48

______________ refers to the biological and anatomical differences between females and males.

A)Sex
B)Gender
C)Biology
D)Sociobiology

Question 49

This is a term used by many people to specify groups of people distinguished by physical characteristics.

A)race
B)creed
C)ethnicity
D)heritage

Question 50

Emphasis on the individual's possession of critical reasoning and experience is associated with the origins of sociological thinking and with______________.

A)the Age of Enlightenment
B)Industrial Revolution
C)the end of the Dark Ages
D)the liberal arts

Question 51

In describing the law of the three stages,Auguste Comte believed that knowledge moved to the ,where explanations were based on abstract philosophical speculations,and the state becomes the prominent social unit.

A)positive stage
B)theological stage
C)metaphysical stage
D)scientific stage

Question 52

This term refers to the cultural heritage or identity of a group and is based on factors such as language or country of origin.

A)race
B)religion
C)ethnicity
D)creed

Question 53

The "founder of sociology" is:

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

Question 54

______________ is the relative location of a person or group within the larger society,based on wealth,power,prestige,or other valued resources.

A)Caste
B)Class
C)Economic position
D)Social location

Question 55

According to Auguste Comte,societies contain______________,which are forces for social order and stability.

A)social statics
B)social dynamics
C)social choices
D)social functions

Question 56

French philosopher______________is credited with having coined the term sociology to describe a new science that would engage in the study of society.

A)Max Weber
B)Herbert Spencer
C)Emile Durkheim
D)Auguste Comte

Question 57

According to Auguste Comte,societies contain______________,which are forces for conflict and change.

A)social statics
B)social functions
C)social dynamics
D)social choices

Question 58

______________ is the process by which an increasing proportion of a population lives in cities rather than in rural areas.

A)Suburbanization
B)Urbanization
C)Industrialization
D)Future shock

Question 59

______________ is the process by which societies are transformed from dependence on agriculture and handmade products to an emphasis on manufacturing and related industries.

A)Horticultural revolution
B)Technological revolution
C)Urbanization
D)Industrialization

Question 60

This concept refers to the meanings,beliefs,and practices associated with the sex differences,which are referred to as femininity and masculinity.

A)sex
B)gender
C)biology
D)sociobiology

Question 61

______________ defines a condition in which social control becomes ineffective as a result of the loss of shared values and a sense of purpose in society.

A)Social disorganization
B)Social dysfunctionalism
C)Cultural breakdown
D)Anomie

Question 62

German social scientist______________emphasized that sociology should be value-free,i.e. ,research should be conducted in a scientific manner and should exclude the researcher's personal values and economic interests.

A)Emile Durkheim
B)Max Weber
C)Karl Marx
D)Herbert Spencer

Question 63

According to Karl Marx's ideas,he believed that class conflict is necessary in order to produce social change and a better society.Specifically,which of the following social forces was most important to create social change?

A)religious
B)familial
C)political
D)economic

Question 64

The theory that history is a continuous clash between conflicting ideas and forces was developed by:

A)Frederick Schmidt
B)Karl Marx
C)Emile Durkheim
D)Max Weber

Question 65

The______________are the tools,land,factories,and money for investment that form the economic basis of a society.

A)means of production
B)instruments of capitalism
C)trappings of the bourgeoisie
D)factory system

Question 66

Karl Marx coined the phrase the "fetishism of commodities" to describe the situation wherein:

A)workers recognize that their labor give the commodity its value
B)workers recognize that they control the production of the commodity
C)workers fail to recognize the value of the owner's cost of producing a commodity
D)workers fail to recognize that their labor gives the commodity its value

Question 67

A community that comes together to build a barn for one of its members after it has been destroyed by fire would be characteristic of a preindustrial society.Durkheim would conclude their members have:

A)anomie
B)social disorganization
C)shared moral beliefs and values
D)cultural conflict

Question 68

In the Marxian framework,the______________comprise(s)those who own and control the means of production.

A)bourgeoisie
B)working class
C)proletariat
D)bureaucrats

Question 69

According to Max Weber,______________is the process by which the modern world has come to be increasingly dominated by structures devoted to efficiency,calculability,predictability,and technological control.

A)industrialization
B)urbanization
C)rationalization
D)social revolution

Question 70

Max Weber stressed that sociologists should employ______________(understanding or insight)to gain the ability to see the world as others see it.

A)verstehen
B)positivism
C)social facts
D)social dynamics

Question 71

According to the text,one reason why more people are not actively protesting our current economic plight may be their feeling of______________-an individual's feeling of powerlessness and estrangement.

A)class conflict
B)alienation
C)future shock
D)the bourgeoisie syndrome

Question 72

______________ is regarded as the founder of the symbolic interaction perspective.

A)Robert Park
B)Ernest Burgess
C)George Herbert Mead
D)Charles Horton Cooley

Question 73

This sociologist is described as the founding figure of the functionalist theoretical tradition.

A)Herbert Spencer
B)Emile Durkheim
C)Karl Marx
D)Max Weber

Question 74

The first department of sociology in the United States was established at______________,where the faculty was instrumental in starting the American Sociological Society (now known as the American Sociological Association).

A)Harvard University
B)the University of California at Berkeley
C)the University of Chicago
D)Yale University

Question 75

From Marx's viewpoint,the______________is composed of those who must sell their labor because they have no other means to earn a livelihood.

A)bourgeoisie
B)lower class
C)proletariat
D)none of the above

Question 76

______________ are patterned ways of acting,thinking,and feeling that exist outside any one individual but that exert social control over each person.

A)Social networks
B)Social gatherings
C)Social bondings
D)Social facts

Question 77

A note left at the scene of a suicide expressed the victim's concern that he felt little sense of moral guidance.He indicated that he was uncertain about what was right or wrong in today's world.Using Emile Durkheim's theory,sociologists might conclude that the suicide victim was feeling:

A)anomie
B)alienation
C)altruism
D)assimilation

Question 78

______________ is demonstrated by scorecards that allow lenders to score potential borrowers based on prior statistics of other people's performance in paying their bills.

A)Efficiency
B)Technical alienation
C)Calculability
D)Predictability

Question 79

Robert works on the assembly line at the local automobile factory and trades his labor for wages.Robert is a______________because he does not own the factory.

A)capitalist
B)zeitgeist
C)bourgeoisie
D)proletariat

Question 80

The______________of credit cards means that if the cardholder is current on paying bills and the merchant accepts that kind of card,the cardholder will not be turned down on a purchase.

A)efficiency
B)technical alienation
C)calculability
D)predictability