Deck 5: Becoming and Being Religious

Question 1

In Kanter's theory, the sacrifice mechanism is one component of which type of commitment?

A)Instrumental.
B)Affective.
C)Moral.
D)Situational.
E)Authoritarian.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What concept was developed to explain the unclear and delayed passage to adulthood experienced by American youth today?

A)Adolescence
B)Emerging Adulthood
C)Delayed Adulthood
D)Young Adulthood

Answer 2

B

Question 3

When some sociologists argue that religion is largely socialized-learned from family and groups the family channels children into-they are saying that religion is

A)largely ascribed.
B)highly individualistic.
C)increasingly achieved.
D)mostly evangelical and conservative.
E)increasingly diverse in the United States.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What is the most likely consequence of increasing rates of religious intermarriage and marital dissolution (divorce, separation) on the intergenerational transmission of religion?

A)It will not have an effect one way or the other.
B)Children will increasingly stay home from religious services while their parents attend
C)Children will increasingly attend religious services while their parents stay home
D)Children and parents will increasingly stay home from religious services

Question 5

In order to belong to a religious group, a person must give up his previous friends and family and focus all friendship on the group.In Kanter's theory, this is an example of which mechanism of commitment?

A)Transcendence.
B)Instrumental.
C)Mortification.
D)Investment.
E)Renunciation.

Question 6

The author of your textbook notes, "liberal churches may have lower levels of commitment because they emphasize individuality and personal self-esteem." Unlike conservative churches, liberal communities de-emphasize which commitment mechanism?

A)Sacrifice
B)Communion
C)Transcendence d Mortification

Question 7

Mortification can help extremely close-knit groups function more harmoniously and smoothly because

A)when members do not have large egos, they are less likely to argue with others and assert their own opinions.
B)it improves self-esteem of members.
C)it decreases commitment to the organization.
D)it increases affective commitment.
E)it increases the likelihood that members will challenge the leaders when those leaders make a poor decision.

Question 8

Research indicates that religion has

A)never been a very important identity factor for people in North America.
B)has never been as focused on denominational loyalty as it has become in the twenty-first century.
C)changed to that the proportion of the American population identifying as Christian has increased with the evangelical movement and the successes of the "religious right."
D)not changed much at all, as an identity factor or as preference, for more than two hundred years.
E)become more of a preference-like a menu choice at a restaurant-rather than a core identify issue.

Question 9

Which commitment mechanism results in individuals deciding that leaving the group is too costly?

A)Mortification
B)Renunciation
C)Sacrifice
D)Transcendence

Question 10

Sociologists suggest that most people continue in the religious traditions of their parents and grandparents because

A)they are incapable of thinking for themselves.
B)the faith is true and eternal, so no change is warranted.
C)childhood socialization into the religion is powerful.
D)many religions use brainwashing techniques and manipulate their children.

Question 11

_________ refer to the fluctuations in religiosity we see as people move through the life course, and ________ refer to the fluctuations in religiosity we see in an entire population living through a specific time in history.

A)Cohort effects; period effects
B)Generational effects; cohort effects
C)Age effects; cohort effects
D)Age effects; period effects

Question 12

In Kanter's theory, which of the following would strengthen instrumental commitment?

A)Transcendence.
B)Renunciation.
C)Mortification.
D)Investment.
E)Communion

Question 13

A young recruit to a religious group is constantly asked to focus on her inadequacies and to confess all behaviors, thoughts, and feelings which might violate the norms of the group.Leaders frequently point out her faults and weaknesses as a way of "helping her grow in the spirit." According to Kanter's commitment theory, which type of commitment mechanism does this represent?

A)Renunciation.
B)Mortification.
C)Investment.
D)Sacrifice.
E)Transcendence.

Question 14

The authors of your textbook argue that religion in the United States has been changing in recent decades by becoming

A)more ascribed.
B)more loyal to denominational "brand."
C)less subject to change over the life course.
D)more achieved rather than ascribed, and more individualistic.
E)more resistant to the influence of popular culture messages.

Question 15

Consider the following two statements in relation to the course material: (A) Family religiousness is the most powerful predictor of adulthood religiousness; and (B) Parent-child transmission of religiousness is not inevitable.Which of the following is correct?

A)Only A is an accurate statement
B)Only B is an accurate statement
C)Both A and B are accurate statements
D)Neither A nor B are accurate statements

Question 16

Kanter's research on religious communities has shown that when members make big sacrifices for the group,

A)they become resentful toward the group.
B)their commitment to the group, and especially the organization itself, increases.
C)they demand higher prestige in the group.
D)they begin to oppose communal living and equal sharing among members.
E)they become disaffected and are likely to leave the group soon afterwards.

Question 17

The three phases of the "disestablishment of religion" in America identified by Philip Hammond are

A)separation of religion from government (the state), reduction of Protestantism as having a monopoly on Americanism and the American elite, and separation of religious identity from predominantly denominational and organizational expressions of faith and loyalty.
B)separation of religion from government (the state), reduction of Protestantism as simultaneous with Americanism, and separation of children from the influence of their parents.
C)Reduction of Protestantism as having a monopoly on Americanism and being part of the American elite, increase in religious influence on government and social policy, and separation of adolescent youth from religious influence by their parents
D)Separation of people from denominational loyalty, separation of adolescence from the religious influence of their parents, separation of religious influence from everyday decisions about morality and life choices.

Question 18

In Kanter's theory, which of the following would strengthen moral commitment?

A)Transcendence.
B)Instrumental.
C)Renunciation.
D)Investment.
E)None of the above.

Question 19

The importance of reference groups in religious commitment reflects the concept of __________, in which members cut ties with outsiders and define them as evil or insignificant.

A)Moral commitment
B)Brainwashing
C)Rational Choice Theory
D)Renunciation
E)Role Theory

Question 20

According to the authors of your textbook, the typical sequence in the process of becoming religiously committed is to be committed to

A)the organization, then to the beliefs, and finally to the members themselves.
B)the beliefs, then to the members, and finally to the organization.
C)the beliefs, then to the organization, and finally to the members themselves.
D)the members as friends, then to the organization, and finally to the belief system.
E)none of the above; cult members are usually recruited through brainwashing.

Question 21

Consider the following two statements in relation to the course material: (A) In terms of identity, Americans have very little discretion in how they self-identify; and (B) The religious identity of most Americans is unconventional.Which of the following is correct?

A)Only A is an accurate statement
B)Only B is an accurate statement
C)Both A and B are accurate statements
D)Neither A nor B are accurate statements

Question 22

If religious changes occur over time because different groups have experienced different life events and then events shaped their meaning system and religious loyalties, this is called

A)a folk-religion effect.
B)a transcendence effect.
C)a mortification effect.
D)an aging effect.
E)a cohort effect.