Deck 1: The Sociological Perspective

Question 1

Emile Durkheim's work is the foundation for which major theoretical perspective?

A) Conflict theory
B) Symbolic interactionism
C) Functionalism
D) Feminism

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Robert Park

A) was interested in urban problems.
B) focused on immigrant workers.
C) emphasized qualitative research.
D) was interested in rural issues.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following social theorists coined the term sui generis?

A) Marx
B) Weber
C) Durkheim
D) Comte

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Durkheim, Marx, and Weber have which of the following in common?

A) They were all macrosociological theorists
B) They were all German researchers.
C) They all followed the Chicago School.
D) They were all functionalists.

Question 5

Weber defined verstehen as _.

A) the multidimensionality of society
B) understanding social behavior from the point of view of those engaged in it
C) a constantly evolving organism
D) a hands-off approach to understanding society

Question 6

Which ofthefollowing sociologists was a leader in the settlement house movement?

A) Max Weber
B) Jane Addams
C) Ida B. Wells
D) Karl Marx

Question 7

Jane Addams was the only practicing sociologist to have won a _.

A) Pulitzer Prize
B) Preston Award
C) Nobel Peace Prize
D) Fulbright Fellowship

Question 8

Georg Simmel explained the concept of "critical distance," which refers to being _.

A) physically separate from one's research subjects
B) able to detach from the situation at hand to view things critically
C) a stranger in social groups
D) able to not participate in one's own research

Question 9

Sociology is defined as the study of .

A) past societies
B) individuals and their personalities
C) past cultures
D) human behavior in society

Question 10

According to The Sociological Imagination, the current high numbers of college graduates moving back in with their families reflect:

A) individual choices.
B) social forces impacting private lives.
C) failed socialization.
D) faith-based choices.

Question 11

Which of the following is not a basic dimension of society, according to Max Weber?

A) Political
B) Economic
C) Cultural
D) Social

Question 12

Auguste Comte is known for:

A) developing the first sociology program.
B) writing the first sociology textbook.
C) conducting the first sociological research.
D) coining the term "sociology."

Question 13

W.E.B. DuBois was most interested in which of the following?

A) Social justice
B) Empiricism
C) Discovering the laws of society
D) Social stability

Question 14

Sociology is a(n) discipline, meaning conclusions are based on systematic observations.

A) empirical
B) faith-based
C) common sense
D) rigorous

Question 15

Which of the following is nota criticism of functionalism?

A) Functionalism is inherently conservative, given its emphasis on stability.
B) Functionalism understates the roles of power and conflict in society.
C) Functionalism states that inequality is necessary for the equitable distribution of societal resources.
D) Functionalism overstates the role of individual behavior in social change.

Question 16

According to Karl Marx, capitalism

A) is built on the exploitation of workers.
B) is negotiated by cultural values.
C) involves racist oppression.
D) includes the domination of men over women.

Question 17

Robert Merton suggested that human behavior has _.

A) functions and dysfunctions
B) qualitative and quantitative components
C) elements of conformity and individualism
D) manifest functions and latent functions

Question 18

Auguste Comte believed sociology could:

A) not solve social problems.
B) discover the laws of the natural world.
C) discover the laws of human nature.
D) help solve social problems.

Question 19

W.E.B. Du Bois wrote in 1901

A) "he who discriminates shatters the world."
B) "the line between rich and poor is Black."
C) "the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line."
D) "education is only available to those that can afford it."

Question 20

According to , scientific observation is viewed as the highest form of knowledge.

A) theology
B) positivism
C) functionalism
D) sui generis

Question 21

To study human behavior, sociologists use _.

A) debunked myths
B) empirical analysis
C) media
D) common sense

Question 22

Sociology differs from media programs that feature human problems in that

A) the media are interested in individuals-sociologists are not.
B) sociologists use research techniques and theories that the media may not use to explain social issues.
C) sociologists do not study the types of problems that appear on television programs.
D) the media focuses on problem behavior, sociology does not.

Question 23

"Individuals are subordinated to society." This statement best represents which theoretical perspective?

A) Conflict theory
B) Feminism
C) Functionalism
D) Symbolic interactionism

Question 24

The text includes a discussion of the practice of footbinding in China in order to demonstrate all of the following, except

A) it is easier to debunk knowledge of another's culture than of one's own.
B) behavior that is taken for granted in one society may be viewed as bizarre from the perspective of another society.
C) sociological debunking may question practices that are otherwise taken for granted.
D) sociologists rely on anecdotal evidence to support conclusions.

Question 25

What role do sociologists play while conducting their research on society?

A) Sociologists are usually strangers to the practices they study.
B) Sociologists must avoid studying aspects of society that they have a personal interest in.
C) Sociologists achieve critical distance through their willingness to question the forces that shape behavior.
D) Most sociologists are primarily academics and typically study only areas within the academy.

Question 26

Contemporary feminist scholarship has produced which of the following?

A) Gender conflict between men and women
B) Vital knowledge about women
C) Conflict between workers and employers
D) All of the above

Question 27

According to Marx, class conflict is:

A) embedded in the system of capitalism.
B) irrelevant to capitalism.
C) caused by the working class.
D) caused by the capitalist class.

Question 28

Which of the following is not true about the global perspective in sociology?

A) Sociologists consider comparing and contrasting societies across cultures valuable.
B) The global perspective is essential to the study of change in society.
C) Although societies are interconnected, their social and economic systems remain very separated.
D) A global perspective goes beyond simple comparisons of cultures.

Question 29

Sociologists believe that persistent problems in the U.S. are

A) largely the result of individual behavior.
B) caused by people with psychological problems.
C) embedded in society.
D) the consequence of free will.

Question 30

According to feminist theory, prior to , women were largely absent from sociological research.

A) the Industrial Revolution
B) the Civil War
C) the second-wave of feminism
D) World War II

Question 31

Which of the following was not a condition that led to the development of sociology?

A) Rapid growth of capitalism
B) The disappearance of traditional sources of authority
C) Contact between societies was increasing
D) The increasingly important role of religion

Question 32

According to Durkheim, during an economic crisis:

A) people will blame others for taking their jobs.
B) inequality will cause the rich to gain.
C) people will blame individuals, not the system, for failure.
D) none of the above.

Question 33

The sociological perspective focused on the positive role of social change is _.

A) functionalism
B) conflict theory
C) symbolic interactionism
D) none of the above

Question 34

Sociological research on education has debunked many common assumptions. It has found that

A) the education system is primarily a way to learn and to get ahead.
B) poor children rarely have the same resources in schools that middle-class and elite students have.
C) today, girls are achieving more rapidly than boys in the areas of math and science.
D) social cliques do not form until adulthood.

Question 35

"Inequality is inevitable and purposeful for society." This statement best represents which theoretical perspective?

A) Conflict theory
B) Feminism
C) Functionalism
D) Symbolic interactionism

Question 36

Which of these do sociologists not consider part of the concept of diversity?

A) Studying group differences in opportunities within society
B) The process of social change
C) The formation of group identity
D) The allocation of resources

Question 37

Using a sociological perspective, C. Wright Mills points out that unemployment is _.

A) a product of the situation
B) related to the structure of society and social institutions
C) only an individual problem
D) none of the above

Question 38

Elaine Bell Kaplan's research on black teenage motherhood concluded that

A) the black community condones teen pregnancy.
B) the black teens felt embarrassed and stigmatized by being pregnant.
C) black women don't value success as much as white women do.
D) the black teens always developed complete sexual identities.

Question 39

According to the text, the problem of the color line described by W.E.B. DuBois:

A) extends to the 21st century.
B) ended with desegregation.
C) ended at the turn of the 20th century.
D) never existed.

Question 40

Peter Berger's concept of debunking refers to

A) the ability to use common sense.
B) the "unmasking" tendency of sociology.
C) taking people's actions for granted.
D) using empirical evidence to support common sense.

Question 41

Marx used the term _____ for those people in society who are discarded by the capitalist system and for those in the working class.

A) proletariat; bourgeoisie
B) lumpenproletariat; proletariat
C) bourgeoisie; petty bourgeoisie
D) petty bourgeoisie; lumpenproletariat

Question 42

was the first Black person in any field to earn a Ph.D from Harvard.

A) W.E.B. Du Bois
B) Ida B. Wells-Barnett
C) Jane Addams
D) Robert Park

Question 43

The fundamental principle or lesson of sociology is that

A) it is not possible to truly understand human behavior.
B) the social context shapes what people do and think.
C) it is easiest to study the most extreme and unusual behavior.
D) sociology just restates the obvious in empirical ways.

Question 44

When one part of society is not working, it affects the rest of society and causes social problems. This statement reflects the approach.

A) conflict
B) symbolic interactionist
C) functionalist
D) microsociological

Question 45

The organic metaphor refers to

A) seeing a particular society as untarnished by the influence of others.
B) sociologists working in the community, not being strictly academic.
C) seeing society as a system of interrelated functions and parts.
D) understanding behavior from the perspective of those engaged in it.

Question 46

In Durkheim's view of society, people come to believe what society expects them to believe because

A) they internalize the existence of society in their minds.
B) they are subject to coercion and exploitation.
C) they do not believe that they have free will.
D) the bourgeoisie force values on the proletariat.

Question 47

Applying the sociological means that one has the ability to see the societal patterns that influence individual and group life.

A) perspective
B) ideal
C) faith
D) consensus

Question 48

How do functionalists view disorganization within society?

A) They believe it must result in change to re-establish equilibrium in society.
B) They view disorganization as normal for society.
C) They believe that disorganization in one part of society will affect only those directly involved.
D) They believe that change is for the worse, stemming from instability.

Question 49

The early American sociologists are characterized by their

A) extremely theoretical approach to problems.
B) adherence to the conflict perspective primarily.
C) belief that sociology could alleviate the negative consequences of society.
D) lack of interest in research.

Question 50

The text emphasizes that is most responsible for a person's chance in life.

A) human biology
B) inherited traits
C) social location
D) individual personality

Question 51

Social Darwinists believed that

A) social evolution did not work in the same way as biological evolution.
B) over time complexity would revert to simplicity and societies would become more primitive.
C) social reforms should not be implemented because they interfered with the natural progression of society.
D) humans could shape the evolution of society.

Question 52

According to Durkheim, public rituals, including punishment, are important because they

A) make people afraid of authority and less likely to commit crime.
B) create a bond among the members of society.
C) give members of society an opportunity to meet the key figures of authority.
D) create sui generis.

Question 53

What do Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber all have in common?

A) They are largely discredited sociologists.
B) They are classical thinkers whose ideas continue to influence the social sciences.
C) They were all German economists.
D) They were all political rebels who were imprisoned for their ideas.

Question 54

Which of the following social thinkers is associated with the concept of the sociological imagination?

A) Max Weber
B) Emile Durkheim
C) Wright Mills
D) Charles Murray

Question 55

In what way does symbolic interaction theory differ from conflict theory and functionalism?

A) Conflict theory and functionalism are theoretical frameworks and symbolic interactionism is not.
B) Conflict theory and functionalism focus on immediate social interaction and symbolic interactionism does not.
C) Symbolic interactionism does not examine society in terms of its abstract institutions, and conflict and functionalist theory do.
D) Symbolic interactionism is a macro-level approach; conflict theory and functionalism are not.

Question 56

A fundamental concept for using one's sociological imagination is the distinction that Mills made between

A) mechanical and organic solidarity.
B) troubles and issues.
C) the gemeinschaft and the gesellschaft.
D) social status and social dynamics.

Question 57

Alexis de Tocqueville referred to the ability of the majority in a democracy to impose its will on everyone else as
_____

A) the "tyranny of democracy."
B) "unenlightened despotism."
C) "manifest destiny."
D) the "tyranny of the majority."

Question 58

According to the text, Durkheim's major contribution to the discipline of sociology was the understanding of the

A) effects of capitalism on society.
B) social basis of human behavior.
C) relationship that exists between man and nature.
D) effect of verstehen on our conception of reality.

Question 59

Feminist theory is a type of contemporary theory that does not

A) analyze the status of men and women in society.
B) have the goal of improving women's lives.
C) provide new ways of seeing the world.
D) see women as more powerful than men.

Question 60

Which of the following is an observation that Alexis de Tocqueville made in his study of American society?

A) Americans had little independence of mind, despite their emphasis on individualism.
B) Individual freedom was widespread despite the principle of majority rule.
C) Democratic values had little impact on American social institutions.
D) Americans were mostly controlled by capitalist values.

Question 61

Georg Simmel was particularly interested in the role of "strangers" in social groups. According to Simmel, strangers have a unique perspective because while they are part of the group they also have _.

A) their own emotional responses
B) debunking
C) critical distance
D) functionalism

Question 62

What is the sociological approach to diversity in society?

A) Sociologists believe that people are shaped by the social context around them.
B) Sociologists like to study the unusual.
C) According to sociologists, diversity seems to be disappearing.
D) Sociologists study mostly racial diversity.

Question 63

Positivism refers to

A) thinking very optimistically about society.
B) being very certain of one's research methods.
C) a belief system first suggested by Emile Durkheim.
D) scientific observation and description as the highest forms of knowledge.

Question 64

Harriet Martineau's book, How to Observe Morals and Manners, was the first

A) to discuss observing behavior while participating in the situation.
B) field study of folkways and mores.
C) in-depth analysis of democratic culture.
D) co-authored manuscript involving Auguste Comte.

Question 65

According to Emile Durkheim,

A) deviance has no place in a "healthy" society.
B) people in society are held together by belief systems.
C) the best theoretical approach to the study of society is social conflict theory.
D) the economic system has the most important influence on human thought and behavior.

Question 66

When group differences are created by the social structure of society, sociologists refer to this as _.

A) social institutions
B) critical distance
C) diversity
D) in-groups and out-groups

Question 67

Alexis de Tocqueville and Harriet Martineau were alike in that both were

A) abolitionists who feared that slavery would tear a society apart.
B) feminists who were concerned about the subordination of women.
C) interested in studying the newly emerging culture in America.
D) symbolic interactionists.

Question 68

According to Mills, the specific task of sociology is to

A) expose the exploitation of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie.
B) help individuals solve their problems.
C) comprehend human society and its influence on the lives of human beings.
D) promote the use of "verstehen" to understand social behavior from the point of view of those who engage
In it.

Question 69

According to Marx, capitalism is based on

A) social solidarity and cohesion.
B) profit and private property.
C) a communal political system.
D) a rejection of industrialization.

Question 70

Sociologists refer to the organized patterns of social relationships and social institutions that make up society as the _____.

A) social viewpoint
B) sociological perspective
C) social structure
D) interactionist perspective

Question 71

The Enlightenment had an enormous influence on the development of modern sociology because it was characterized by

A) the spread of socialism.
B) the influence of religion as a system of authority and law.
C) faith in the ability of human reason to solve society's problems.
D) an emphasis on the supernatural.

Question 72

The Enlightenment had an enormous influence on the development of modern sociology. The Enlightenment

A) occurred in Europe during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.
B) is also known as the Age of Reason.
C) refers to the period of renewed faith in God and religion.
D) occurred first among the lower and working classes.

Question 73

Within sociology, the concept of diversity

A) applies only to different cultural orientations.
B) encompasses a global perspective.
C) is focused exclusively on different groups within the U.S.
D) is not considered one of the most important concepts for study.

Question 74

Using the sociological perspective to debunk the assumptions of the education system reveals that schools

A) are primarily a way for students to learn and get ahead.
B) provide opportunity for all students.
C) teach some children their place within society.
D) give girls much more attention than boys.

Question 75

Sociology first emerged as a discipline in _.

A) the United States
B) western Europe
C) South America
D) eastern Europe

Question 76

Marx's work was devoted to explaining

A) the social basis of human behavior.
B) the social laws that governed human behavior.
C) how capitalism shaped society.
D) how to observe social behavior while participating in it.

Question 77

Peter Berger called the process whereby sociologists question actions and ideas that are usually taken for granted _____

A) "unveiling."
B) "verstehen."
C) "objectification."
D) "debunking."

Question 78

Durkheim conceptualized social facts as

A) one's personal drives and motivations.
B) social patterns that are external to individuals.
C) the embodiment of sui generis.
D) the direct outgrowth of our biological drives.

Question 79

Harriet Martineau was an early sociologist and a British citizen. Her book, Society in America

A) was overlooked for many years.
B) quickly became a classic in sociological study.
C) has never really been evaluated by sociologists.
D) made no real contribution to the field of sociology.

Question 80

The goal of sociologists is to study controversial topics with an open mind, even if this results in the discovery of "inconvenient" or disturbing information. An example of an inconvenient fact presented in the text is that

A) same-sex couples are more likely to be interracial than heterosexual couples.
B) the number of rapes and attempted rapes has decreased in recent decades.
C) a majority of women in prison are mothers.
D) all of these are inconvenient facts presented in the text