Deck 5: Groups,networks,and Organizations

Question 1

The group a person uses to measure their individual social worth is called

A) a social aggregate.
B) a reference group.
C) a peer group.
D) a secondary group.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Society is made up of numerous groups whose members come from diverse backgrounds.Such wide varieties of group types and our memberships in multiple groups reflect

A) our need to follow influential transactional leaders.
B) our desire to come together with others and belong.
C) our decisions to separate ourselves from larger society and live in isolation.
D) our natural tendency to always include everyone.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

People milling around in crowds,waiting for a bus,or strolling on a beach make up a

A) social group.
B) social aggregate.
C) social triad.
D) social category.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Margaret and Lilly got divorced after three years of marriage and both established new relationships.Their divorce shows how fragile dyads are as social groups because

A) they do not require individuals to stay in the relationship.
B) the relationships are too intense.
C) if one person leaves,the group disappears.
D) one member can hurt the other.

Question 5

When a group of people shares a common identity and members regularly interact with one another,sociologists refer to this group as a

A) social category.
B) social aggregate.
C) social group.
D) social network.

Question 6

Which of the following can be considered a social group as defined in your textbook?

A) members of a sorority
B) everyone in your sociology class who has blond hair
C) people waiting at Terminal C for Flight 181
D) passengers on a cruise ship

Question 7

Someone doesn't need to belong to a group to for it to be a reference group for them.Why is this true?

A) Reference groups must consist of at least ten people.
B) People with weak ties are more likely to rely on reference groups.
C) Reference groups provide a standard for judging one's own attitudes or behaviors.
D) Reference groups must remain independent to be valuable to the individual.

Question 8

A new group has recently emerged,calling itself the "True Americans." The group's activities show the members' disdain and prejudicial attitudes toward recent immigrants to the United States."True Americans" members would consider recent immigrants as a(n)

A) dyad.
B) triad.
C) in-group.
D) out-group.

Question 9

During rush week,the brothers of the Alpha Gamma Gamma fraternity always make fun of their rival fraternity,Lambda Lambda Lambda.This teasing increases the bonding and sense of loyalty among Alpha Gamma Gamma members.Such camaraderie suggests they are members of

A) a network.
B) an out-group.
C) an in-group.
D) a social category.

Question 10

A brother and a sister enrolled in a large chemistry class would be considered a(n)

A) triad.
B) social category.
C) primary group.
D) secondary category.

Question 11

Jamison spends most of his time at school and work,which leaves him with little time to socialize with family and friends.Lately,he has been feeling socially isolated because he

A) has friends and family who do not understand his time commitments.
B) is working too hard at school and his job.
C) is interacting mostly with large and impersonal secondary groups.
D) does not like the people at school and work.

Question 12

Most recent advertisements try to associate a product with a specific reference group.For this marketing strategy to be effective,which of the following must be true?

A) The person viewing the advertisement must identify with the person or people in the advertisement.
B) The person viewing the advertisement must have interacted with the person or people in the advertisement.
C) The product must be important to the person viewing the advertisement.
D) The product must have a good price.

Question 13

Which of the following would be considered a social category?

A) a platoon of veterans returning from war
B) a neighborhood committee that hosts annual block parties
C) two high school friends attending the same college
D) members of the Catholic Church

Question 14

Which of the following is more likely to be an in-group?

A) the audience at a concert
B) a sociology class
C) the people in line at a supermarket
D) a family

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of a primary group?

A) three best friends in high school
B) a tutor and her student
C) a bus driver and a passenger
D) two teachers in different parts of the country

Question 16

Every Sunday,Janet,Laney,and Harris get together for lunch,and Janet usually decides which restaurant the group will eat at.However,one Sunday,Laney and Harris told Janet they wanted to try a new restaurant in town.Laney and Harris formed a

A) coalition or alliance.
B) negative relationship.
C) secondary group.
D) network.

Question 17

Which of the following is a social aggregate?

A) your family
B) middle-class Asian American women
C) people waiting at Terminal C for Flight 205
D) members of your Facebook friends list

Question 18

According to sociologists,what is the smallest size that can make up a social group?

A) an ego and an alter ego
B) a dyad
C) a triad
D) a family

Question 19

The chapter opens with a discussion of Robert Champion's hazing and death at the hands of his bandmates at Florida A&M University.What sociological or psychological research or experiment best exemplifies this type of experience?

A) Max Weber's research on bureaucracies
B) Milgram's electric shock experiment
C) Asch's line length experiment
D) George Ritzer's research on "the McDonaldization" of society

Question 20

Which of the following would be an example of why a person would want to be part of a secondary group?

A) to form close bonds and ties with everyone in the group
B) to accomplish a specific goal,such as learning sociology
C) to associate with people who care about the person and his or her future
D) to have a sense of closeness and camaraderie

Question 21

Stanley Milgram's research showed that people are often willing to obey authority

A) only when they feel that the authority figure is part of their primary group.
B) when the authority figure is part of their reference group.
C) even if they might inflict pain on others.
D) if the orders do not have negative consequences for other people.

Question 22

Which of the following is true regarding large groups?

A) They tend to be more inclusive.
B) They tend to be informal.
C) They tend to be more stable.
D) Relationships in the group are more intense.

Question 23

The Internet helps users start new relationships that are,oftentimes,free of the emotional and social baggage of face-to-face encounters because online relationships

A) are often built on common interests rather than social characteristics.
B) are lasting and enduring.
C) are usually misleading and lead to hurt feelings.
D) are based on being members of the same social category.

Question 24

Jacob and Amara both graduated from college with high GPAs and good resumes in the field of accounting.A year after graduation,Jacob was working as a waiter,while Amara was working at an accounting firm headed by her father's best friend.Amara likely got this job because

A) she had a better resume than Jacob.
B) she had an advantage due to her father's social networks.
C) her father's best friend thought she was pretty.
D) Jacob was lazy and didn't put enough effort into looking for a job in accounting.

Question 25

The research performed by Solomon Asch where he asked groups of participants to identify which lines were of equal length illustrated that

A) people always stammer and fidget before speaking out against group consensus.
B) even if it makes them feel uncomfortable,many people are willing to discount their own perceptions rather than go against group consensus.
C) people can easily be bullied into changing their minds.
D) the last person to answer did not feel the need to conform or bow to group pressure.

Question 26

In general,nonwhites tend to have _______ social and professional networks than whites.

A) less familial
B) more familial
C) less advantageous
D) more advantageous

Question 27

Which of the following is the best example of a transformational leader?

A) a student government president who made sure the treasurer accounted for all the money spent by the student government at her college
B) a student government president who motivated the students at her college to turn their campus into a green campus
C) a student government president who single-handedly expanded the campus recycling program to include paper as well as metal
D) a student government president whom most students really liked

Question 28

According to Georg Simmel,an important aspect of groups is

A) as a group's size decreases,its intensity and exclusivity decreases.
B) as a group' size increases,its stability and intensity increases.
C) a group's size has little impact on stability over time;what matters is the common goal of the group.
D) as a group's size increases,its intensity decreases,but its stability and exclusivity increases.

Question 29

How can Stanley Milgram's experiment help us better understand modern atrocities such as the Holocaust?

A) People who commit atrocious acts view themselves as "just following orders."
B) Everyday people are regularly subject to groupthink.
C) Bureaucracy makes it difficult for people to dissent.
D) Transformative leaders encourage atrocities to occur.

Question 30

Which of the following best defines the concept of the digital divide,as outlined in your book?

A) society's increasing dependence on personal technology driving us apart from one another
B) the gap between those who have Internet access and those who do not
C) differences in how young and old individuals use the Internet
D) a technical term for how paywalls function to divide users between those who have paid for access and those who have not

Question 31

Tanya has recently been appointed CEO of a corporation that specializes in computer software.The corporation has made a substantial profit since she joined due to her emphasizing the importance of deadlines and sales goals to her software design team.Tanya is best described as what type of leader?

A) network
B) inspirational
C) transformational
D) transactional

Question 32

Solomon Asch's and Stanley Milgram's experiments outlined in the book illustrate that

A) people get nervous around authority figures and large groups.
B) conformity and authority have little influence on people when they are under pressure.
C) it is easy to persuade people to inflict pain on others.
D) conformity and authority are powerful factors affecting people's actions.

Question 33

A large group of people who engage in collective action to achieve a common purpose is called

A) an oligarchy.
B) a peer group.
C) a primary group.
D) an organization.

Question 34

In the United States,young adults use the Internet at ______ rates than older Americans.

A) higher
B) similar
C) lower
D) indistinguishable

Question 35

Which statement best describes the character of the Internet in its earliest years?

A) Only an elite few individuals with special skills and resources had access.
B) Initially,the Internet had an unsavory reputation and was avoided by people in prestigious professions.
C) From the very start,the Internet was a highly egalitarian environment.
D) At first,the Internet appealed to only the socioeconomic middle class.

Question 36

Triads are usually more stable than dyads because

A) the third person makes the relationship more intense.
B) the third person can get jealous.
C) three is always better than two.
D) the third person relieves some of the pressures on the other two.

Question 37

The members of the drama club at Suzie's high school had a disagreement over who should play the leads in the upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet.Five of the members quit the club as a result of the disagreement.However,this had little impact on the stability of the drama club.According to the textbook,the remaining twenty-five members of the club were able to go forward with the production because

A) the loss of members from larger groups usually has little impact on the survival of the group.
B) larger groups are less exclusive,and it was easy to get new members.
C) the five members who left were bad actors.
D) the drama club had a good leader who was able to address the instability in the group.

Question 38

A ______ is a person who is able to influence the behavior of other group members.

A) dominant member
B) influential observer
C) leader
D) majority influencer

Question 39

Groupthink takes place when

A) group members work together to carefully weigh all the options presented to them.
B) group members discuss strategies to increase group harmony.
C) group members are all in agreement.
D) group members ignore the actions,plans,or ideas that go against group consensus.

Question 40

Why do sociologists think it is important to understand why people tend to conform to group pressure?

A) Conformity can lead to destructive behavior.
B) Conformity explains why different cultures have common features.
C) Conformity gives rise to formal organizations.
D) Conformity breeds social isolation.

Question 41

Robert Michels's concept of the "iron law of oligarchy" demonstrates

A) that societies dominated by large-scale organizations will turn us all into machines.
B) that power is concentrated at the bottom in large-scale organizations.
C) that in large-scale organizations,power is inevitably concentrated at the top.
D) that large-scale organizations will become more concentrated until there are only a few organizations.

Question 42

Which of the following best characterizes the gendered nature of bureaucratic organizations according to feminist scholars?

A) Most women are in key decision-making roles.
B) Women largely play supporting roles and perform routine tasks.
C) Due to strict antidiscrimination rules and regulations,women and men are in equal positions.
D) Women are encouraged to climb the corporate ladder.

Question 43

Until the late twentieth century,organizational studies largely ignored

A) dysfunctions of bureaucracy.
B) organizational size.
C) gender relations.
D) the physical setting of organizations.

Question 44

People in modern societies depend on organizations to

A) educate and employ them,but little else.
B) take care of nearly all aspects of social life.
C) make them feel connected to others.
D) tell them how to act and behave.

Question 45

Max Weber believed the more an organization approaches the ideal type of bureaucracy,the more effective it will be in pursuing the objectives for which it was established.However,he also recognized that bureaucracies can create some negatives,such as

A) increasing employee salary costs.
B) organizational tension between authority figures and subordinates over dissolving the organization.
C) inefficiency because of the strict adherence to rules and regulations that makes it difficult to respond to new issues.
D) numerous unofficial ways of doing things because of the lack of flexibility in completing tasks in a bureaucracy.

Question 46

Every Friday,Google,Inc. ,encourages all of its employees to attend a speaker series in which authors,athletes,and other famous and inspiring people speak.This weekly corporate event geared toward building rituals and traditions unique to that company is an example of the development of

A) socialism.
B) human resources management.
C) employee perks.
D) corporate culture.

Question 47

Members of organizations claim they follow the formal rules and procedures of their organization,despite acting at odds with such rules and procedures during their daily work lives.This contradictory use of rules in bureaucracy leads Meyer and Rowan to refer to them as

A) false realities.
B) undocumented processes.
C) myths.
D) shortcuts.

Question 48

Max Weber was the first to develop a systematic interpretation of

A) primary groups
B) secondary groups.
C) modern organizations.
D) conformity.

Question 49

After being hired by Digi-Corp,each employee received a manual outlining the rules about how employees and managers should work together and interact.These rules are referred to as the _______ between employee and manager.

A) informal relations
B) primary groups
C) surveillance
D) formal relations

Question 50

One advantage that modern large organizations have over traditional formal bureaucracies is that

A) modern organizations today are more flexible and decentralized.
B) increased technology allows workers in modern organizations to work fewer hours.
C) due to increasing use of technology,modern organizations are more hierarchical.
D) their incorporation of information technology allows them to hire more workers.

Question 51

At the Symantec Corporation,the CEO,the president,and the vice president make a majority of company decisions.As such,little decision-making power is given to upper-level managers or other employees.This type of concentration of power among a few people in an organization is called

A) oligarchy.
B) capitalism.
C) corporate concentration.
D) anarchy.

Question 52

The New York Times recently noted that a number of contemporary organizations-such as Google-are discarding traditional bureaucratic organizations for ones that are looser and less hierarchical.Compared to the traditional forms,what is one benefit a looser system is likely to achieve?

A) increased compliance to industry standards
B) declined rationality in company policy
C) increased response to market changes
D) decline in weak ties

Question 53

One criticism of formal organizations is that they

A) take away our sense of control by putting officials or experts in charge.
B) have risen to prominence in modern societies largely because we do not spend much time with our families anymore.
C) are often flexible in the application of their rules,regulations,and procedures due to their size.
D) are organized in ways that allow power to be evenly distributed within them.

Question 54

Max Weber argued that ______ is necessary in modern societies.

A) emotion
B) tradition
C) surveillance
D) bureaucracy

Question 55

Rosabeth Moss Kanter's work on the imbalance of gender roles within modern organizations suggests that

A) men are better at following written rules and procedures.
B) the difficulties facing female workers have convinced women to stay home.
C) corporations have increased their profits by supporting universal family leave.
D) organizations have developed in an unequal,gendered way.

Question 56

John Meyer and Brian Rowan's research outlining the informal networks that exist in all bureaucracies adds to Weber's ideal type of bureaucracy by showing that informal relations

A) are limited only to government agencies.
B) are the "unofficial ways" that bureaucracies are run.
C) allow bureaucratic officials to ignore standard operating procedures without the risk of punishment.
D) are more important than the formal rules governing the organization.

Question 57

According to Max Weber's ideal type of bureaucracy

A) ownership is in the hands of the workers.
B) each job has a salary that is negotiable.
C) there is a lot of room for innovation.
D) a set of rules governs the conduct of officials at all levels.

Question 58

The proportion of female CEOs in corporate America has been increasing.What is one explanation for this change?

A) Studies have shown that women are more likely to be transformational leaders than men.
B) As more women move up into higher-level occupational positions,the resulting networks can foster further advancement for other women.
C) Women have more social capital than men,making it easier for them to enter positions of leadership.
D) Sexual harassment has substantially declined in recent years,allowing women to better climb the corporate ladder.

Question 59

John Meyer and Brian Rowan argue that in organizations officially governed by formal rules and procedures,much of the work is usually done with minimal regard to the rules.What,then,is the role of rules in organizations,according to Meyer and Rowan?

A) The rules provide the basis for rewards and reprimands.
B) The rules describe the ideal processes that workers should seek to follow.
C) The rules describe the ultimate goals of the organization.
D) The rules serve to legitimize the work being done.

Question 60

The "human resource management" type management theory regards a company's workforce as

A) expensive compared to machines.
B) easily replaced by cheaper labor abroad.
C) naturally unmotivated without company rewards and events.
D) vital to its economic competitiveness.

Question 61

In three to five sentences,explain how the Internet can affect social relationships and social networks.How can Internet access have both positive and negative impacts in our lives?

Question 62

Identify which of the following examples illustrates bonding social capital.

A) a neighborhood association
B) the YMCA
C) Habitat for Humanity
D) a local Humane Society

Question 63

In a couple of sentences,please list and explain the characteristics of the "ideal type of bureaucracy" that Max Weber described.How are those characteristics evident or not evident in your college or university?

Question 64

Today more of our social relationships are dominated by secondary groups instead of primary groups.Charles Horton Cooley worried about the loss of intimacy as secondary groups became more prominent and pervasive.Émile Durkheim and Georg Simmel saw some benefits of the development of more secondary groups.In three to five sentences,please explain what you think about the trend toward more secondary-group relationships in modern society,including its pros and cons.

Question 65

Give an example of a dyad,a triad,and a larger group.In which groups are the relationships more intense? In which are they more stable? Please explain your examples and reasoning in three to five sentences.

Question 66

According to the textbook,the use of information and communications technology in corporations has reduced the rigid hierarchical structure of corporations,but at the same time it has created

A) a three-strata employment system of powerful managers,autonomous technology experts,and less autonomous clerical workers.
B) telecommuters who are totally disconnected from the corporate culture.
C) a two-strata employment system of technology experts and less autonomous clerical workers.
D) unhappiness and incompetence among employees who are telecommuters.

Question 67

In three to five sentences,please describe one organization that provides you with bridging social capital and explain why it does.In another couple of sentences,describe another organization that provides you with bonding social capital and explain why it does.

Question 68

A latte from Starbucks will taste the same whether one purchases it in New York City or Albuquerque,New Mexico.Which aspect of George Ritzer's theory of McDonaldization does this demonstrate?

A) uniformity
B) calculability
C) control
D) efficiency

Question 69

In three to five sentences,compare transformational leadership and transactional leadership.Give an example of each from your own experience or from your knowledge of history.

Question 70

Please answer the following questions in three to five sentences.According to Irving Janis,what is groupthink? How and why can groupthink lead to bad decisions by otherwise smart and strong-willed individuals?

Question 71

Social networks are beneficial to people,but those benefits are not equally available to everyone.In a couple of sentences,explain how existing levels of inequalities for marginalized groups (such as women,lower socioeconomic classes,and racial/ethnic minorities)are reproduced by a member's social network.As part of your answer,provide an example of how such unequal situations are maintained.

Question 72

What may be one advantage of telecommuting for workers?

A) It eliminates the time spent commuting to and from work.
B) Less time is spent wasted on the casual interactions that occur around water coolers.
C) Workers can cheat more easily on their time cards and say they worked more hours than they really did.
D) It creates a two-strata employment system of technology experts and less autonomous clerical workers.

Question 73

Weber developed his theories on bureaucracy and the ideal type during the industrial revolution.As such,his analysis and predictions were dependent on the economy that existed during that time.Since then,the economies of the United States and other nations have changed significantly,and scholars have sought to explain how we interact with these new systems.One of these updates is found in Ritzer's theory of McDonaldization.In a few sentences,identify and summarize one of the guiding principles of McDonaldization and provide an example of the principle in practice.Why do we like that principle?

Question 74

Every day after school Maria goes to the local teen center,where she is a member of a student group organizing a multicultural festival for the community.This activity is likely to produce

A) reference groups.
B) community banks.
C) bridging social capital.
D) bonding social capital.

Question 75

Which of the following technological developments has allowed for the increased popularity of telecommuting?

A) the interstate highway system
B) information technology
C) public-owned mass transit systems
D) office supplies made from recycled materials

Question 76

The "McDonaldization" of society refers to

A) the obesity epidemic in American society.
B) the increased uniformity and rationality of society.
C) the taking over of key authority positions by baby boomers.
D) the phenomenal success of franchise restaurants as models for other companies.

Question 77

The widespread participation of people from various backgrounds in the Black Lives Matter movement might challenge which idea of Robert Putnam's discussion of the decline of social capital?

A) Violence is increasing.
B) Voter turnout is increasing.
C) Attention span among young people is declining.
D) Civic participation is declining.

Question 78

In three to five sentences,explain how the studies performed by Solomon Asch,Stanley Milgram,or Irving Janis help us understand conformity.How do you think you would have responded as a subject in the study?

Question 79

______ is an example of how large organizations have become more decentralized.

A) An increased emphasis on standard operating procedures
B) The "iron law of oligarchy"
C) Telecommuting
D) The rise of multinational corporations