Deck 12: Education and Religion

Question 1

"Between school effects" refers to:

A)the kinds of activities that kids engage in during summer breaks
B)the effects of nighttime activities on learning
C)a comparison of wealthy and poor children and their educational opportunities
D)that crucial summer between high school and college
E)a comparison of how schools differ from one another

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Martita thinks that public schools in poorer areas in the United States suffer from a lack of resources compared to those in wealthy areas and that this has a major impact on learning and educational achievement.Her views most closely mirror which of the following studies?

A)the Stanford prison experiment
B)Jonathan Kozol's Savage Inequalities
C)James Coleman's studies on "between school effects"
D)Randall Collins's studies of credentialism
E)sociological studies of tracking and "within school effects"

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Why are sociologists often critical of the idea of universal education as it exists as a "great equalizer" that creates a more free and equal society?

A)because schooling and education-particularly literacy-create elitists who wave their educations around as signs of being better than others
B)because work carries with it more practical knowledge than schools can teach
C)because contemporary schools often carry within them a "hidden curriculum" that reproduces social inequality
D)because sociologists, by and large, want to abolish schools
E)because schools reinforce critical thinking skills that make it difficult for social scientists to educate people without them questioning their authority

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The term school has its origins in a Greek word meaning:

A)"leisure" or "recreation"
B)"mastery"
C)"craftmanship and hard work"
D)"accounting"
E)"public service"

Question 5

Until the first few decades of the nineteenth century,most of the world's population had no schooling whatsoever.According to the text,why did universal education develop?

A)The Church, then a powerful political institution, demanded public education as a means to transmit religious values.
B)As the industrial economy rapidly expanded, there was a great demand for specialized schooling that could produce an educated, capable workforce.
C)The demands of the peasantry for education could no longer be ignored as they challenged the hegemony of the nobility over education.
D)Enlightenment values dictated that the populace at large must be educated.
E)As the state grew as an institution, it needed to provide education as a service to the people in order to instill loyalty.

Question 6

The practice of "tracking" can be described as:

A)dividing students into groups that receive different instruction on the basis of assumed similarities in ability or attainment
B)keeping tabs on students who have had run-ins with the law
C)the practice of cataloging where children are from and their immigration status
D)keeping a running account of the differences between boys and girls in core subjects such as math and English
E)when teachers maintain strict classroom discipline

Question 7

Rather than going to public,or even private,schools,Pedro was taught by his parents.This is an example of:

A)regionalism
B)complimentary holism
C)home schooling
D)the Marxist method
E)feminist pedagogy

Question 8

Compulsory schooling was established in Europe and the United States:

A)in the sixteenth century
B)in the seventeenth century
C)in the eighteenth century
D)in the nineteenth century
E)in the twentieth century

Question 9

Today around __________ of the population fifteen years and older of developing countries is illiterate.

A)2 percent
B)20 percent
C)40 percent
D)70 percent
E)90 percent

Question 10

Why are many sociologists opposed to tracking in schools?

A)because studies have generally found that tracking reinforces previously existing inequalities for average or poor students
B)because tracking is usually done inefficiently by contemporary schools
C)because tracking creates hierarchies, which sociologists pretty uniformly reject
D)because tracking reinforces the specialized role of students-as-consumers
E)because tracking overly emphasizes testable knowledge while de-emphasizing critical thinking and creativity

Question 11

Proponents of __________ in education advocate for competition,for-profit schooling,and performance-based pay for teachers.

A)socialization
B)New Age techniques
C)strong unions
D)privatization
E)social democracy

Question 12

In his research of public schools,the journalist Jonathan Kozol found that in the United States:

A)we have public school systems that ensure an equal access to educational opportunities
B)there are the best mathematics programs in the world
C)we overemphasize philosophy at the expense of more useful disciplines
D)we have incredibly unequal conditions in our schools, with some children not even having access to basic resources for learning
E)we have overpaid teachers, whose unions make it impossible for the school systems to fire them when they are incompetent

Question 13

"Hidden curriculum" refers to:

A)secret lessons picked up on by especially bright students
B)a learning game invented in Berkeley
C)the fact that much of what is learned in school has nothing directly to do with the formal content of lessons
D)how difficult it is for students to find proper training in philosophy
E)a computer module for teaching physics

Question 14

Chang thinks that students in school largely learn to become obedient and diligent workers despite any formal lessons they might be taught.Sociologists call this the:

A)three Rs
B)formal subsumption
C)critical thinking lessons
D)hidden curriculum
E)school of hard knocks

Question 15

As a practice to address racial inequalities in schools in the past,__________ provoked a great deal of opposition,particularly from parents and children in white areas.

A)competitive sports
B)busing
C)school vouchers
D)privatization
E)sociological research

Question 16

The term home schooling refers to when:

A)a child is moved into a home in a different country and immersed in the culture
B)adults, who are too old for public schools, learn on their own from home
C)a child is taught by his or her parents, guardians, or a team of adults who oversee the child's educational development
D)children move into their public schools and make their homes there
E)runaways attend group-home schools

Question 17

Xheng asserts that if a child is put in a higher level grouping for instruction in school,the child is likely to receive better teaching and treatment.Her view most closely resembles which of the following studies?

A)the Stanford prison experiment
B)Jonathan Kozol's Savage Inequalities
C)James Coleman's studies on "between school effects"
D)Randall Collins's studies of credentialism
E)sociological studies of tracking and "within school effects"

Question 18

Kumar thinks that a child's background and environment influence educational attainment more than the physical resources a school has at its disposal.His view most closely resembles the conclusions of which of the following studies?

A)the Stanford prison experiment
B)Jonathan Kozol's Savage Inequalities
C)James Coleman's studies on "between school effects"
D)Randall Collins's studies of credentialism
E)sociological studies of tracking and "within school effects"

Question 19

According to the text,why was education so rapidly expanded with the development of capitalism in the opinion of Marxist sociologists?

A)because working people fought for universal education in order to improve their condition
B)because employers needed certain personality characteristics in their workers-self-discipline, dependability, punctuality, obedience, and the like-and these are all taught in schools
C)because the state came to compete with the Church as the agent of education
D)because capitalism's expansion required state-aided work projects and the building of schools provided employment
E)because Enlightenment values demanded an equal access to a good and stable education

Question 20

Why have sociologists,at times,been critical of Jonathan Kozol's findings on public schools in his work Savage Inequalities?

A)because schools are not integral to the functioning of society and are, therefore, not worthy of empirical study
B)because young students cannot be trusted as respondents for sociological studies
C)because poor students are likely to lie about their educational experiences in order to fit into normative constructions of what it means to be educated
D)because he had no systematic way in which he chose the schools he studied, which allowed for selection bias
E)because Kozol's study focused too much on wealth disparity in education

Question 21

Indeet's family has a pot of incense that they use to give gifts of scent to their dead ancestors in rituals.It is seen as a special object,apart from everyday life,for ritual that is to be treated with special respect.Émile Durkheim would refer to this object as:

A)religious economy
B)sacred
C)nonfunctional
D)pre-literate
E)profane

Question 22

Theism can be described as:

A)the philosophy that "might makes right"
B)a belief in one or more supernatural deities
C)repackaged neoliberalism
D)the idea that schools should have equal access to resources
E)a complete rejection of religion of any kind

Question 23

Sociologists define religion as:

A)a cultural system of commonly shared beliefs and rituals that provides a sense of meaning and purpose by creating an idea of reality that is sacred, all-encompassing, and supernatural
B)a social system in which the state interacts with a clergy and creates a merger between superstition and law
C)an institution defined by a common mythology and an expectation of penance, often in the form of money
D)a modern effect of the division of civil society and our home lives
E)a deeply ingrained connection with the Divine

Question 24

Why did Émile Durkheim believe that religion was useful for human societies?

A)Durkheim felt that religions allowed our desires to be expressed in totems and repressed our baser instincts.
B)Durkheim believed that religion, as mythology, provided a social place for science.
C)Durkheim held that religion ties communities together through a common belief in Divine judgment.
D)Durkheim argued that religion has the function of cohering a society by ensuring that people meet regularly to affirm common beliefs and values.
E)Religion, according to Durkheim, allows the strong to assert ideological power over the weak, which leads to societal advancement and evolution.

Question 25

Why are sociologists so concerned with the social organization of religion?

A)Religion is the primary source of the development of the economy, which sociologists consider the most important building block of any society.
B)Religion is among the most important institutions in society and is a primary source of the deepest-seated norms and values.
C)Sociologists center all of their studies on human culture, and religion is one of culture's primary offspring.
D)Religion is the institution that determines our basic understandings of ourselves, such as gender, race, nationality, and other markers of identity.
E)Sociologists view religion as a repressive force, and sociologists value open societies.

Question 26

Clara notices in her historical research that the ancient Greeks tended to ascribe the creation of their ethical values to gods and goddesses.Clara is noting the process of:

A)globalization
B)value subsumption
C)alienation
D)communization
E)periodization

Question 27

Kitchen utensils,in David's family,are just routine everyday parts of life.Émile Durkheim would refer to these objects as:

A)religious economy
B)sacred
C)nonfunctional
D)pre-literate
E)profane

Question 28

Allison thinks that the Chicago school system would better equip students if it were turned over to for-profit institutions instead of the state.This view is often referred to as:

A)Marxian method
B)socialization
C)statism
D)curricula controls
E)privatization

Question 29

Émile Durkheim's theory of religion is a good example of the __________ tradition in sociology.

A)conflict theory
B)anarchist
C)interactionist
D)functionalist
E)feminist

Question 30

Sociologists consider religion to be all of the following EXCEPT:

A)the primary source of ethnic and racial hatred
B)a source of roles
C)a source of society's norms
D)something that provides meaning for believers
E)a source for society's values

Question 31

Adhira thinks that religion serves a function in society by cohering social groups under some common ideas and morals.Her views most closely resemble those of:

A)Émile Durkheim
B)Samuel Conklin
C)Karl Marx
D)Max Weber
E)Elizabeth Smith

Question 32

Alienation can be described as:

A)the ways that humans relate to foreign and alien ideas
B)the patterns of behaviors that societies use to distinguish themselves from outsiders
C)the sense that our own abilities as human beings are taken over by other entities
D)a sense of ownership
E)a profound degree of mastery and knowledge

Question 33

Émile Durkheim defined religion in terms of a distinction between the __________ and the __________ .

A)clean; unclean
B)clean; profane
C)sacred; profane
D)prayerful; silent
E)lord; citizen

Question 34

James thinks that religion,by getting people focused on rewards in an "afterlife," distracts them from changing things now.His views most closely resemble those of:

A)Émile Durkheim
B)Samuel Conklin
C)Karl Marx
D)Max Weber
E)Elizabeth Smith

Question 35

Jezebel thinks that religions are typified by their tendency to treat some objects as supernatural,mystical,and awe-inspiring and others as just part of everyday life.The supernatural objects are then treated with ritual and veneration.Her view most closely resembles that of:

A)Émile Durkheim
B)Samuel Conklin
C)Karl Marx
D)Max Weber
E)Elizabeth Smith

Question 36

__________ is one of the oldest human institutions.

A)School
B)The nation-state
C)Large-scale private property
D)Taxation
E)Religion

Question 37

According to the text,when it comes to religion,sociologists are NOT concerned about:

A)the effects of religion on the economy
B)the ways religion is used to legitimate authority
C)whether religious beliefs are true or false
D)whether religions provide ethical frameworks for understanding society
E)how religion gives humans a sense of meaning

Question 38

Fran thinks that religion provides justifications for people who occupy positions of wealth and power in our society.Her view most closely resembles that of:

A)Émile Durkheim
B)Samuel Conklin
C)Karl Marx
D)Max Weber
E)Elizabeth Smith

Question 39

Karl Marx declared that religion was:

A)a force for human liberation
B)the primary means of organizing revolution
C)the "answer to the social question"
D)a contradictory incubator for new ideas
E)the "opium of the people"

Question 40

Why was Karl Marx critical of religion?

A)He believed that religion defers happiness and rewards to the afterlife and teaches the resigned acceptance of existing conditions in the earthly life.
B)Marx felt that religions explained existence but provided no explanations for societal advancement.
C)He believed that the world's economies were mere reflections of their respective religions.
D)Marx thought that religion influenced humans to think more in terms of philosophy instead of hard science.
E)Because religion, according to Marx, only provided a road map to God without any explanation as to how to experience the Divine.

Question 41

According to the text,__________ are the most loosely knit and transient of all religious organizations.

A)churches
B)congregations
C)denominations
D)choirs
E)cults

Question 42

Kristine believes that as a Christian,she belongs to a group of people who are destined to bring the United States under God's rule as a Christian country.Her ideas are a form of:

A)secularism
B)humanism
C)religious nationalism
D)Marxism
E)Christian anarchism

Question 43

The term religious economy refers to:

A)the global political economy of the Catholic Church
B)a theoretical framework within the sociology of religion that argues that religions can be fruitfully understood as organizations in competition with one another for followers
C)a set of sociological theories focusing on the role that economics plays in the development of world religions
D)the ways that religious institutions collect money, often through charity and tithes
E)Western religions that create multimillion-dollar mega-churches

Question 44

Bachiko belongs to a small transient religious grouping that rejects the values of her sprawling city.Sociologists would likely refer to this as a:

A)church
B)sect
C)denomination
D)cult
E)SubGenius devival

Question 45

Grant belongs to a small and less organized group of worshippers set up in protest of the larger Christian congregation in his city.Sociologists would likely refer to this group as a:

A)church
B)sect
C)denomination
D)cult
E)SubGenius devival

Question 46

Gilbert thinks that the salvation-oriented religions of the West have a particularly progressive character because of their focus on the struggle against sin.His views most closely resemble those of:

A)Émile Durkheim
B)Samuel Conklin
C)Karl Marx
D)Max Weber
E)Elizabeth Smith

Question 47

Why did Max Weber largely disagree with Karl Marx's ideas on religion?

A)Weber felt that Marx was wrong that religion was a force that could be used for liberation.
B)Weber held that religion, rather than being the "opium of the people," actually had a much more sinister effect of teaching the populace basic lessons about the repression of desire.
C)Weber thought that Marx looked too much at society's structures when it came to religion and failed to account for daily life.
D)Weber knew that religion was embedded in human culture and that it could not be reduced to the workings of the state.
E)Weber argued that religion was not necessarily a conservative force; rather, religiously inspired movements have often produced dramatic social transformations.

Question 48

Why are some sociologists critical of the "religious economy" approach to looking at religious involvement?

A)Sociologists think that economics is not a useful field to draw from.
B)The approach assumes that people are largely forced into their religious beliefs rather than accounting for human choice and diversity.
C)It overestimates the extent to which people rationally pick and choose among different religions, as if they were shopping for a new car or a pair of shoes.
D)The religious economy approach mirrors orthodox Marxism's critique of political economy too much to be applied to religion.
E)Most sociologists think that economists should focus on hard economic data instead of human social behaviors.

Question 49

Sally belongs to a large,bureaucratic religious body with a hierarchy of officials.It is one of the larger,recognized,and legitimated faces of religion in her country.Sociologists would refer to this as a:

A)church
B)sect
C)denomination
D)cult
E)SubGenius devival

Question 50

Aiko thinks that the rise in science,technology,and rational thought leads to a kind of thinking that might mean a decline in religion for human communities.Some sociologists refer to this as:

A)religiosity
B)secular thinking
C)stoicism
D)mystic traditions
E)theological thinking

Question 51

Why do religious economists believe that competition among secular viewpoints and many different religions leads to increased participation in religion in modern societies?

A)because competition makes each religious group try harder to win followers and the presence of numerous religions means that there is likely to be something for just about everyone
B)because competition against secularism has shown that religious viewpoints have better explanatory power for life's basic problems
C)because religions also must evolve through survival of the fittest until humanity has perfected its religious sensibilities
D)because modern societies need multiple religions competing in order for the economy to function, providing nontaxed incentives for belief
E)because religions that see themselves as in competition with one another are more likely to evolve into secular-style beliefs

Question 52

The religious grouping that Juana belongs to was primarily a smaller protest group of another larger religious organization,but now it has become institutionalized and no longer functions as a protest group.Sociologists would likely refer to this as a:

A)church
B)sect
C)denomination
D)cult
E)SubGenius devival

Question 53

Cantong notes in his research that often religion serves as a progressive force for social change.His views most closely resemble those of:

A)Émile Durkheim
B)Samuel Conklin
C)Karl Marx
D)Max Weber
E)Elizabeth Smith

Question 54

Luis believes that it is the responsibility of Christians and the Catholic Church to be activists and advocates for the poor.This idea is referred to as:

A)Christian fundamentalism
B)secularism
C)humanism
D)religious nationalism
E)liberation theology

Question 55

The linking of strongly held religious convictions with beliefs about a people's social and political destiny is called:

A)a Fatwa
B)religious nationalism
C)fundamentalism
D)ecumenicism
E)alterity

Question 56

Lorna's research shows a steady decline in participation in religious life in her small community in Texas and,thus,a decline in the social and political power of religious institutions there.Sociologists refer to this process as:

A)secularization
B)fundamentalism
C)socialization
D)role strain
E)religious economy

Question 57

Why did Max Weber believe Christianity contained possibilities for social change that Eastern religions did not?

A)Weber thought that the Eastern religions were too focused on sin and salvation instead of experiencing the Divine.
B)Weber thought that Christianity represented the top of the religious evolutionary chain and beat other religions because of its usefulness to human progress.
C)Weber believed that the religions of the East cultivate an attitude of passivity or acceptance within the believer while Christianity demands a constant struggle against sin and so can stimulate revolt against the existing order.
D)Weber thought that Christianity, with its focus on inner development, love, and acceptance of everyone, was suited for multicultural development.
E)Weber thought that Eastern religions were warped by the corrupting influence of Taoism, which stresses emancipation and, therefore, disobedience.

Question 58

Contrary to Karl Marx,Max Weber believed that __________ was the source of the capitalistic outlook found in the modern West.

A)Buddhism
B)the theory of Pythagoras
C)sun worship
D)polytheism
E)Protestantism

Question 59

Donal thinks that religions are best studied as being in competition with one another for followers.Sociologists call this view:

A)dialectical materialism
B)idealism
C)religious economy
D)followers theory
E)sectarianism

Question 60

__________ describes an activist Catholic religious movement that combines Catholic beliefs with a passion for social justice for the poor.

A)Liberation theology
B)Monasticism
C)Agnosticism
D)Asceticism
E)Opus Dei

Question 61

What are some arguments for privatization of the educational system?

Question 62

What is religious nationalism?

Question 63

What is the theory of religious economy?

Question 64

What are some of the reasons why Americans are so religiously affiliated,according to the text?

Question 65

How do religious groupings in the United States vary by region and socioeconomic status,according to the text?

Question 66

What are some of the competing solutions offered for the problem of illiteracy in the United States?

Question 67

Describe the four types of religious organizations outlined in the text.

Question 68

How do religion and education act as socializing agents?

Question 69

Briefly explain Karl Marx,Émile Durkheim,and Max Weber's theories of religion.

Question 70

Why is education considered a social institution?

Question 71

What are some theories for why schooling has developed as it has in modern society?

Question 72

What are the connections between education and employment?

Question 73

How is religion connected to both violence and social change?

Question 74

What are some of the reasons there are many illiterate people in the developing world?

Question 75

How is the educational system complicit in the reproduction of inequality?