Deck 14: Education and Health Care

Question 1

What is the relationship between formal education and occupational status?

A) There is none; many people are "self-taught" and work their way up the corporate ladder.
B) The higher a person's occupational status, the more formal education he or she is likely to have received.
C) Many years of formal education virtually guarantees one will have a high-prestige job.
D) Many high-prestige jobs require little formal education.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is a criticism regarding standardized tests given in the text?

A) The tests tend to measure only limited ranges of abilities.
B) The tests possess at least some degree of cultural and gender bias and a strong social class bias.
C) SATs actually do not predict school performance very well for any groups.
D) All of the these are criticisms.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which statement about homeschooling is accurate?

A) Homeschooling is more common in families with one or two children than in families with three or more.
B) Children who are homeschooled are at a disadvantage when it comes to getting into college.
C) Homeschooling now educates about 3 percent of school-aged children.
D) Homeschoolers are most often impoverished families who want to keep their children safe from school violence.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

According to the text, the United States currently spends about _____ of its gross domestic product on health care.

A) 5 percent
B) 10 percent
C) 18 percent
D) 24 percent

Question 5

Which of the following is true regarding standardized tests such as the SAT?

A) They are somewhat capable of predicting future school performance for White males.
B) They are less accurate in forecasting success for minorities.
C) They predict school performance less accurately for females than males.
D) All of these are true.

Question 6

High school completion rates are not the same for all racial-ethnic groups. In fact, as of 2016,

A) Blacks have lower completion rates than Whites and Hispanics.
B) Hispanics have lower completion rates than Whites and Blacks.
C) Hispanics have completion rates that are equal to those of Whites.
D) Blacks have completion rates that are equal to those of Whites.

Question 7

The _____ perspective focuses on the process of how expectations are created as students and teachers interrelate.

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

Question 8

When the SAT was first introduced, it was supposed to be an objective predictor of academic ability. What have evaluations of the SAT shown?

A) Grade school grades are much better at predicting future performance than results of the SAT.
B) The SAT has proved to be a good predictor of future academic achievement.
C) Results of the SAT are a better reflection of class and social environment than academic ability.
D) The SAT, while not perfect, is much more accurate and objective than grade school grades as a predictor of future achievement.

Question 9

The types of education in the United States include which of the following?

A) public education
B) homeschooling
C) private education
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 10

Which statement about the SAT is true?

A) There is a smooth and dramatic increase in average (mean) SAT score as family income increases.
B) SAT preparation courses are mostly scams and generally do nothing to improve SAT scores.
C) Statistics about SAT scores indicate that White and Black students typically have similar scores in critical reading, mathematics, and writing.
D) The SAT and other college entrance exams have little effect on the stratification of access to higher education.

Question 11

Which statement about inequality in the U.S. education system is correct?

A) Equalizing opportunities has failed to remedy inequalities in performance.
B) American schools are now more racially segregated by race and by class than was the case in the 1980s.
C) Segregation is no longer associated with inequality.
D) Funding is relatively unimportant when trying to reduce inequality in schools.

Question 12

T he occurrence of breast cancer is _____ among African American women than White women, and the mortality rate (death rate) for breast cancer in African American women is considerably _____ than it is for White women.

A) lower; lower
B) lower; higher
C) higher; lower
D) higher; higher

Question 13

According to functionalists, education accomplishes all of the following except

A) socialization.
B) occupational training.
C) social control.
D) teacher expectancy

Question 14

If a teacher believes that Latinos are particularly skilled at math, then interactions that the teacher has with Latino students may subtly convey to them that they are more capable, and the teacher may unconsciously devote extra effort to ensuring their success. This phenomenon is called

A) sorting.
B) a latent function.
C) the expectancy effect.
D) tracking.

Question 15

According to functionalist theory, schools provide _____ along with learning skills.

A) stratification
B) social control
C) labeling
D) equality

Question 16

The stratification function of schools includes

A) drawing on existing stratification.
B) sorting people into categories based on ability.
C) sorting people into existing social categories.
D) All of these choices are correct.

Question 17

What is the relationship between educational test scores (e.g., SAT and ACT) and social class?

A) There is no relationship between educational test scores and income.
B) As average family income goes up, so do SAT scores.
C) SAT scores are unpredictable, regardless of parents' social class and income.
D) Social class does not have much effect on SAT and ACT scores.

Question 18

Jared's teachers at Clay Elementary School labeled him as a poor student, and his grades were, indeed, poor. When Jared's family moved and he started attending North Fork Elementary, the teachers did not label him as a poor student, and his grades were, indeed, average or above average. This example is most consistent with

A) the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy.
B) teachers disliking Jared at his previous school.
C) the extent to which his family was supportive.
D) chance-children's grades often vary considerably.

Question 19

Sociological research on the effect of education on occupation and income has found that

A) for all groups, getting an education makes it possible for one to move into the upper classes.
B) public education has ensured that people from all social classes have an equal chance of achieving higher incomes.
C) for middle-class Whites, education improves one's chance of getting a middle-class job, but entering the upper class is unlikely.
D) scholarships have enabled working-class students to attend elite schools in large numbers, significantly improving their chances of securing elite positions.

Question 20

Which statement about health disparities in the United States is accurate?

A) About 12 percent of White children have no usual health care provider compared to 6 percent of Black and Latino children.
B) White men are more likely to have hypertension than are African American men and Mexican-origin men
C) African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans receive medical attention earlier in the course of a disease than do Whites.
D) Hispanics have a longer life expectancy than do other groups, and on many measures their health is better than that of White, non-Hispanics.

Question 21

Which of the following is a criticism of the U.S. health care system provided by the text?

A) These is unequal access, and affordability is problematic for many.
B) Alternative medical services are rarely paid for by insurance.
C) There is a lack of emphasis on prevention.
D) All of these criticisms are made.

Question 22

A latent function of education in the United States is that it supervises young people and keeps them from getting into trouble.

Question 23

Which of the following is not a criticism of using standardized testing to measure cognitive ability?

A) The tests measure ability in too many different areas, such as creativity and musical ability.
B) The tests have at least some degree of cultural and gender bias.
C) The SATs do not predict school performance very well.
D) Only a limited range of abilities is measured by the tests.

Question 24

Research on tracking has found all of the following except

A) students in the lower tracks learn less because they are taught less.
B) even students with the same test scores are put into different tracks according to their race and social class.
C) less is expected of lower-track students, so their academic performance is lower.
D) tracking has no real impact on student performance after elementary school.

Question 25

According to the _____ perspective, persistent problems within the health care system contribute to disharmony in society, creating a destabilizing effect.

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

Question 26

Social conditions have a significant effect on health. In fact,

A) male occupational roles put them at greater risk than women of infectious disease.
B) perceived discrimination can harm both psychological and physical health.
C) LGBTQ youth are at an increased risk for suicide and may be more likely to smoke and drink as responses to stress.
D) All of these choices are true.

Question 27

Critics of tracking argue that

A) students in the higher tracks do not learn as much as others.
B) the tracks are not properly divided; there should be different categories used.
C) the lower-track students get most of the teacher's attention.
D) the students in the lower tracks learn less because they are taught less.

Question 28

According to the _____ perspective, structural inequalities. such as unequal access associated with race or social class, are a major source of problems within the health care system.

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

Question 29

Research on gender and health finds that women are more likely to

A) experience depression and anxiety.
B) smoke.
C) engage in risk behavior.
D) drink alcohol.

Question 30

From the _____ perspective, the inequality inherent in our society is responsible for the unequal access to medical care.

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

Question 31

Fred is renowned in his family for always playing the sick role. When at family gatherings, he insists on special food because his stomach is so sensitive. He manipulates family members into helping him by claiming he is just too sick and weak to do things for himself. This use of the sick role is most consistent with which theoretical perspective?

A) Functionalism
B) Conflict theory
C) Symbolic interaction theory
D) Social exchange theory

Question 32

According to the text, which of these groups is least likely to utilize health services?

A) Whites
B) African Americans
C) Hispanics
D) Native Americans

Question 33

According to the text, which of the following can actually have more power to determine patient care than an individual physician?

A) Pharmaceutical companies
B) Hospital conglomerates
C) Insurance companies
D) All of these may have more power.

Question 34

In The Bell Curve, Herrnstein and Murray argued that

A) there are multiple types of intelligence, and they are genetically inherited.
B) there are multiple types of intelligence that are molded largely by environment and experience.
C) there is one type of intelligence, and it is molded largely by environment and experience.
D) there is one type of intelligence, and it is genetically inherited.

Question 35

Blacks have a lower rate of high school completion than Hispanics.

Question 36

According to the _____ perspective, excessive bureaucratization of the health care system and privatization has led to excessive cost.

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

Question 37

_____ emphasizes the way in which government, science, and health care are all interrelated and contribute to the stable nature of society.

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

Question 38

Recently data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that about ____ of U.S. adults and ____ percent of children can be classified as obese.

A) one-quarter; 5
B) one-third; 17
C) one-half; 27
D) two-thirds; 52

Question 39

How is access to health care in the United States distributed throughout the population?

A) Health care is more available in urban and suburban areas than in rural areas.
B) Native American reservations have better access to health care than most other areas of the country.
C) Women are seen as needing more help and receive far more attention than men.
D) Health care is one thing that members of minority groups and Whites have fairly equal access to.

Question 40

Which statement about compulsory school attendance in the United States is the most accurate? 

A) Compulsory attendance laws have failed to reduce societal inequalities.
B) Because they differentially impact students and family based on race and social class, compulsory attendance laws have increased inequalities.
C) Historically, compulsory attendance laws were enforced for Whites but not other groups.
D) Compulsory attendance laws have eliminated inequalities in high school completion rates.

Question 41

There are racial disparities in rates of mortality, in the early onset of disease, and in the severity and consequences of disease.

Question 42

The United States tops the list of all countries in per person expenditures for health care.

Question 43

In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Brown v. Board of Education that

A) separate but equal was unconstitutional.
B) segregation within schools was legal.
C) racial segregation was legal, but segregation by social class was illegal.
D) resegregation was constitutional.

Question 44

Obesity is caused by a lack of self-control, not by social factors such as access to healthy food or opportunities to safely exercise.

Question 45

The lower the social class status of the person is, the less access he or she has to adequate health care.

Question 46

Research suggests that standardized ability tests are somewhat capable of predicting future school performance for White men but do less well in predicting school performance for other groups.

Question 47

Gender has a powerful influence on the relationship between income and education.

Question 48

In the past, alcoholism was considered a moral failing, but many now consider it to be a disease. This demonstrates that definitions of illness vary across time periods.

Question 49

Research demonstrates that tracking is beneficial to all students, regardless of the track in which they are placed.

Question 50

Family income is a strong predictor of SAT scores.

Question 51

Although educational attainment has expanded dramatically over the years, great inequalities still remain, especially for racial-ethnic minorities, in the educational experience.

Question 52

Conflict theory emphasizes inequality within the education system.

Question 53

An individual's social class of origin is more important than education in determining a person's occupation and income.

Question 54

Generally speaking, the citizens of the United States are quite healthy in relation to the rest of the world.

Question 55

From the perspective of symbolic interactionism, two important determinants of educational outcomes are the expectations that teachers have for students and the way students and teachers interact.

Question 56

Education has traditionally been viewed as the main determinant of upward social mobility in the United States.

Question 57

Which of the following countries spends the highest proportion of its gross domestic product on health care?

A) Canada
B) Greece
C) Italy
D) the United States

Question 58

SAT scores are only modestly accurate predictors of college grades even for White students

Question 59

Obesity is an individual-level problem resulting from poor personal choices.

Question 60

Symbolic interaction theory holds that illness is partly socially constructed.

Question 61

Discuss the effects of education on occupation, income, and social mobility. Provide examples.

Question 62

Explain how standardized tests, such as the SAT, promote inequality within society.

Question 63

Discuss the symbolic interactionist approach to education; incorporate these terms: teacher expectancy effect, self-fulfilling prophecy, and stereotype threat.

Question 64

As originally passed, the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2010 did all of the following except

A) expand the availability of health insurance.
B) prohibit insurers from rejecting customers based on preexisting conditions.
C) provide free health coverage for all children under the age of eighteen.
D) require that preventive care be covered without deductibles or co-pays.

Question 65

Discuss the logic behind tracking and detracking in the U.S. educational system. How has tracking perpetuated race- and class-based inequalities?

Question 66

Define high-stakes testing and discuss its role in accountability. What are the benefits of using standardized tests for accountability? What are the drawbacks?

Question 67

Identify the problems inherent in the U.S. health care crisis and develop a proposal to solve these problems.

Question 68

Provide examples of the positive and negative functions of the health care system in the United States.

Question 69

The health care crisis in the United States is largely a question of

A) cost.
B) quality.
C) education.
D) discrimination.

Question 70

Compare the functionalist and conflict perspectives' approaches to health care and health care delivery.

Question 71

Outline the three kinds of education in the United States.

Question 72

How do gender and race affect access to health care in the United States? What are the implications of these disparities for individuals?

Question 73

Discuss the main causes and demographic features of the obesity epidemic.

Question 74

Compare and contrast the functionalist and conflict views of education.

Question 75

Inequality within the U.S. education system explains most of the decline in the standing of the United States in global education rankings.

Question 76

Discuss the key social causes of the obesity epidemic in the United States. How do the major sociological perspectives view these causes?

Question 77

List and briefly discuss at least three functions of education in the United States; be sure to include at least one latent function.

Question 78

The current epidemic of opioid abuse and overdoses is regarded much in the same way as heroin use was.

Question 79

Discuss how health and access to health care are influenced by social factors, in particular the influences of race, social class, and gender.

Question 80

What is the disease model of health care? What are its limitations?