Deck 1: Sociological Perspective

Question 1

Explain how the Enlightenment influenced the development of modern sociology.

Answer 1

The Enlightenment had a significant impact on the development of modern sociology. During this period, there was a shift in thinking towards a more rational and scientific approach to understanding society and human behavior. Enlightenment thinkers such as Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Voltaire challenged traditional beliefs and advocated for the use of reason and empirical evidence in understanding social phenomena.

This emphasis on reason and empirical evidence laid the foundation for the development of modern sociology. Sociologists began to apply scientific methods to study society, seeking to understand social structures, institutions, and interactions in a systematic and objective manner. The Enlightenment also promoted the idea of individual rights and freedoms, which became central themes in sociological analysis.

Furthermore, the Enlightenment's focus on the importance of human agency and the potential for social progress influenced sociological theories on social change and the role of individuals in shaping society. The Enlightenment also sparked debates on social inequality, power dynamics, and the nature of social order, which continue to be central topics in sociology.

In summary, the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason, empirical evidence, individual rights, and social progress laid the groundwork for the development of modern sociology, shaping the way sociologists study and understand society.

Question 2

For functionalist sociologists, society is made up of independent parts.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Which statement about W. E. B. DuBois is true?

A) He was a cofounder of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) .
B) He was adamantly opposed to women being involved in professional life.
C) Because of death threats, he published under a pseudonym.
D) He was so involved in social activism that he did very little writing.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Conflict theorists see the function of inequality as motivating members of society to be more productive.

Question 5

What did Durkheim mean by his concept of social facts? Describe an example of something that is a social fact as well as something that is not a social fact.

Question 6

Symbolic interactionists are solely focused on group interactions within society.

Question 7

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

A) empirical
B) faith-based
C) commonsense
D) rigorous

Question 8

Provide an example of your own personal view regarding a social controversy and then contrast this by explaining how sociologists would view this same controversy using the sociological imagination.

Question 9

Explain what Mills means by "sociological imagination" and how individual experience differs from social structure.

Question 10

The Chicago School is characterized by thinkers who are mainly interested in macrosociology.

Question 11

Explain the difference between manifest functions and latent functions. Provide an example of each.

Question 12

According to the text, how did the sociological approach of the early American sociologists differ from the classical European tradition?

Question 13

What is the major difference between macrosociology and microsociology?

Question 14

Explain the statement, "All human behavior occurs in a social context" using an example from your own life.

Question 15

Define diversity using a sociological framework.

Question 16

Explain how diversity, as a central theme in sociology today, is involved in various social institutions.

Question 17

What did Peter Berger mean when he called the process of sociological investigation "debunking"?

Question 18

All manifest functions in society have positive consequences.

Question 19

Explain what is meant by "empirical science" and provide an example of this in the field of sociology.

Question 20

What does Weber's concept of verstehen mean? Provide an example of how a sociologist might use this concept.

Question 21

Sociologists believe that persistent problems in the United States 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 22

The second wave of feminism

A) was a backlash against the strident feminism of the 1970s.
B) led to women being allowed to vote in elections.
C) led to the development of feminist theory.
D) sought to exclude men from positions of power.

Question 23

According to Marx, class conflict is

A) embedded in the system of capitalism.
B) independent of the capitalist system.
C) rare, given the upward mobility capitalism offers.
D) largely inconsequential since it can never succeed.

Question 24

According to Durkheim, during an economic crisis

A) people will blame marginalized groups, like immigrants, for taking their jobs.
B) inequality among social classes will cause the rich to gain.
C) people will look to themselves, not the system, for failure.
D) open, sometimes violent conflict between classes is inevitable.

Question 25

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

A) extends to the twenty-first century.
B) ended with desegregation.
C) ended at the turn of the twentieth century.
D) never existed.

Question 26

What distinguishes sociology from mere opinion or other forms of social commentary?

A) The focus on universal truths
B) The use of empirical analysis
C) The importance assigned to common sense
D) The search for solutions to social problems

Question 27

The sociological perspective that views power struggles as the source of social change is

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

Question 28

Discuss how the key contributions of feminism help to understand gender interactions in society.

Question 29

When conducting research, sociologists

A) avoid working in their own cultures.
B) actively participate in the events and actions they study.
C) seek to achieve critical distance.
D) prefer laboratory to real-life work.

Question 30

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

A) They were all macrosociological theorists.
B) They were all focused on economic inequities.
C) They all followed the Chicago School.
D) They were all functionalists.

Question 31

Compare and contrast functionalism and conflict theory. Describe the distinctive features of each as well as common criticisms of each paradigm.

Question 32

The text uses a discussion of the Chinese practice of footbinding to demonstrate that

A) it is easier to debunk knowledge of another's culture than of one's own.
B) there are universal social norms for the treatment of individuals.
C) sociological analysis rarely has practical implications.
D) sociologists rely on anecdotal evidence to support conclusions.

Question 33

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) Equality between men and women

Question 34

Explain the concept of debunking within sociology. Provide an example. How is sociological objectivity important when debunking commonsense explanations of social life?

Question 35

The #MeToo movement has led to loss of jobs, loss of reputation, and sometimes criminal charges against individuals who have been credibly accused of sexual harassment. A sociologist would most likely understand this as

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

Question 36

Which condition was associated with the development of sociology?

A) The rapid growth of capitalism
B) The increasing importance of traditional sources of authority
C) The reemergence of national isolationism
D) The increasingly important role of religion

Question 37

When young adults return to living with their families after graduating from college because they cannot find jobs that pay enough to both pay back their student loans and live independently, the young adults

A) have simply made bad choices.
B) are feeling the effects of social forces.
C) have failed important psychosocial tasks.
D) are probably just lazy.

Question 38

Sociological research on education has found that

A) little learning that is significant to real life occurs in schools.
B) more than learning takes place in schools; other social processes are at work.
C) schools are no longer significant in the socialization of children.
D) schools in poor neighborhoods get proportionately more resources, but children still underperform.

Question 39

Explain how symbolic interactionism differs from functionalism and conflict theory. How are symbols important for shared understanding within interactions between individuals?

Question 40

According to Karl Marx, capitalism

A) is built on the exploitation of workers.
B) is negotiated by cultural values.
C) facilitates upward social mobility.
D) is a strong force in ensuring world peace.

Question 41

Peter Berger used the term _____ to refer to questioning actions and ideas that are usually taken for granted.

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

Question 42

Unlike conflict theory and functionalism, symbolic interaction

A) focuses on the importance of abstract institutions.
B) is a macrosociological theory.
C) emphasizes immediate social interaction as the place where "society" exists.
D) views meaning as inherent in actions rather than created by people.

Question 43

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 44

Auguste Comte believed sociology could

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

Question 45

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 controlled mostly by capitalist values.

Question 46

In the early twentieth century, American sociologists believed that sociology

A) had limited applicability in an increasingly diverse society.
B) would inevitably lead to conflict as the population understood the inherent unfairness of capitalism.
C) could use an understanding of the causes of problems to alleviate those problems.
D) was in dire need of systematic approaches to theory building.

Question 47

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 48

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 49

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 50

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) two-thirds of women in prison are mothers.
D) age at marriage has increased.

Question 51

Marx is to _____ as Martineau is to _____.

A) social facts; sui generis
B) class analysis; participant observation
C) racism; sexism
D) ideas-applied research; theory building

Question 52

Recently, certain politicians have used attacks on groups such as immigrants, people of color, reporters, and political opponents as a way to galvanize their base and create a shared sense of identity. Which theorist observed a similar phenomenon with anti-Semitism in France?

A) Karl Marx
B) Max Weber
C) Emile Durkheim
D) Harriet Martineau

Question 53

Sociological imagination refers to the ability to

A) create meaningful sociological theories and test those theories.
B) develop methods to modify society and thus improve the lives of individuals.
C) see the societal patterns that influence the individual as well as groups of individuals.
D) identify societal needs and develop ways to address those needs.

Question 54

Among other notable accomplishments, _____ was the first Black person in any field to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard.

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

Question 55

How do functionalists view disorganization within society?

A) They believe it must result in change to reestablish 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 56

The Enlightenment was characterized by

A) the belief that a return to fundamentalist religious beliefs would solve society's problems.
B) wide social upheaval associated with the idea that people should do whatever served their own needs.
C) the belief that natural laws could be discovered and used for human good.
D) violent suppression of artistic and intellectual life.

Question 57

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 humanity and nature.
D) effect of verstehen on our conception of reality.

Question 58

Which statement about feminist theory is true?

A) Feminist theory has added little to understanding the roles of men.
B) Feminist theory is so focused on abstract concepts that it has no practical importance,
C) Feminist theory has had limited success in aiding understanding and thus has limited influence.
D) Feminist theory provides new ways of seeing the world and contributes to a more complete view of society.

Question 59

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 opportunities for rebellion to emerge.

Question 60

How do troubles and issues differ?

A) Troubles can be worsened by societal forces; issues are independent of societal forces.
B) Troubles are privately felt problems that spring from events or feelings in a person's life; issues affect large numbers of people and have their origins in the institutional arrangements and history of a society.
C) Troubles affect large numbers of people and have their origins in the institutional arrangements and history of a society; issues are privately felt problems that spring from events or feelings in a person's life.
D) Troubles are independent of societal forces; issues can be worsened by societal forces.

Question 61

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 62

According to the text, a significant difference between the early American sociologists and their European counterparts was that the American sociologists were

A) focused on developing sound theories.
B) more interested in applying their research to the real world.
C) seeking ways to support the establishment.
D) indifferent to the idea of societal change.

Question 63

Sociology first emerged as a discipline in

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

Question 64

Weber theorized that value-free sociology could not exist since values would always influence what sociologists considered worthy of study. Because they could not be completely value free, Weber believed that sociologists should

A) not worry about whether or not their research is biased.
B) use their research to promote particular political perspectives.
C) acknowledge the influence of values and try to be as objective as possible.
D) avoid research and stick to theoretical writing.

Question 65

The type of applied sociological thinking that focused on how society shaped the mind and identity of people was called

A) the Chicago School.
B) the Enlightenment School.
C) classical European theory.
D) the social interactionist.

Question 66

While Marx saw economics as the organizing influence on society, Weber focused on

A) three dimensions: political, economic, and cultural.
B) primarily the political system.
C) problems of cultural diversity.
D) two dimensions: the personal and the political.

Question 67

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 68

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 69

According to Georg Simmel, strangers are particularly suited to the task of debunking because, while they are members of groups, they also have _____ without necessarily sharing the group's assumptions and points of view.

A) their own emotional responses
B) extensive knowledge of alternatives
C) critical distance
D) functional autonomy

Question 70

An important concept in Weber's sociology is verstehen, which refers to

A) approaching the study of society from a value-free perspective.
B) a focus on the political systems of society.
C) viewing social behavior from the perspective of those engaged in it.
D) social action.

Question 71

Comte's conceptualization of the nature and utility of _____ corresponds to the Enlightenment's conceptualization of the nature and utility of _____.

A) laws of human social behavior; laws of nature
B) laws of nature; divine laws
C) laws of nature; laws of human social behavior
D) divine laws; laws of nature.

Question 72

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 73

Positivism regards _____ as the highest form of knowledge.

A) religious dogma
B) scientific observation
C) introspection
D) general consensus

Question 74

Marx's perspective of society argued that

A) capitalists do not own the actual system by which goods are produced and distributed.
B) workers receive a fair share of the profits that they help create.
C) profit is produced through the exploitation of the working class.
D) while capitalists control the production of goods, they do not control the production of ideas.

Question 75

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) coauthored manuscript involving Auguste Comte.

Question 76

Which of the following statements about Marx is true?

A) Marx focused more on individuals than social structure in his analysis of society.
B) Marx considered all of society to be shaped by economic forces.
C) A limitation of Marx's work was his failure to recognize the effects of class on social behavior.
D) Marx's evolutionary concept of societal development and change is almost identical to that of Durkheim's.

Question 77

Durkheim conceptualized social facts as

A) One's personal drives and motivations.
B) social patterns that are external to individuals.
C) society as the sum of its parts.
D) the direct outgrowth of our biological drives.

Question 78

What did Alexis de Tocqueville think of the United States?

A) Despite the emphasis on individualism, Americans evidenced little independence of thought.
B) There was no evidence to support the idea that belief in equality had influenced American social institutions.
C) Americans were so fixated on the rights of minorities that minorities effectively ruled the majority.
D) Americans were generous, compassionate people who were indifferent to their own social class.

Question 79

Which theorist is regarded as having coined the term "sociology"?

A) Alexis de Tocqueville
B) Harriet Martineau
C) Emile Durkheim
D) Auguste Comte

Question 80

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.