Deck 2: Paradigms, Theory, and Social Research

Question 1

Which of the following scenarios best outlines the concept of interest convergence?

A)Lobbyists advocate for positions that help their constituency.
B)Lobbyists lobby for causes that they think is a good idea.
C)Lobbyists advocate for causes that their constituency supports the most.
D)Lobbyists lobby for causes that they dislike for the sake of their constituency.
E)Lobbyists advocate for causes that their constituents support, but benefit them personally.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

A sociologist with a symbolic interactionist orientation would be MOST likely to do research on which of the following questions?

A)Is conflict inevitable in the sibling relationship?
B)What function does marriage serve for society?
C)What is the effect of economic conditions on the crime rate?
D)Which unstated norms govern the interactions between family members?
E)What is the effect of the environment on the poverty rate?

Answer 2

D

Question 3

While doing research on crime, Professor Middler notes that crime creates jobs in law enforcement and related careers. He also notices that crime reinforces community norms when criminals are caught and punished. Professor Middler has probably adopted the _______ approach to the study of crime.

A)conflict theory
B)social Darwinism
C)structural functionalism
D)ethnomethodology
E)symbolic interactionism

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Social scientists generally believe that the succession from one paradigm to another represents progress from a false view to a true one.

Question 5

Walking with an open umbrella on a beautiful day or going home on semester break and calling your mom or dad Mr. or Mrs. (with their surname)are techniques used by _____ to understand social norms or rules.

A)structural functionalists
B)conflict theorists
C)feminists
D)ethnomethodologists
E)critical race theorists

Question 6

In deduction we start from observed data and develop a generalization that explains the relationship between the observed concepts.

Question 7

Which of the following statements about paradigms is TRUE?

A)Paradigms are either true or false.
B)Paradigms are more or less useful.
C)Paradigms that are true are clearly more useful than those that are false.
D)Paradigms are false.
E)Only one paradigm can be used for a research study.

Question 8

The idea that knowledge is based on observation made through one of the five senses rather than on belief alone is termed:

A)conflict theory.
B)social systems theory.
C)structural functionalism.
D)positivism.
E)critical race theory.

Question 9

Which of the following would be studied using a microtheory, rather than a macrotheory?

A)Dating behaviors among college students
B)The ways in which the courts and the police departments interact within states
C)The effect of changes in welfare laws on urban poverty
D)Trends of minority representation within the military
E)Violent crime trends over a 30-year period

Question 10

Sally was introduced to Robert and Robert immediately worries about what Sally thinks of him. Upon shaking her hand in greeting, Robert notices that he grasps her hand more firmly than usual and quickly releases his grasp. He then finds himself chuckling at comments that he does not find amusing because he wants Sally to feel comfortable. A useful paradigm for analyzing Robert's behavior is:

A)critical race theory.
B)structural functionalism.
C)conflict theory.
D)ethnomethodology.
E)symbolic interactionism.

Question 11

What is the difference between applied sociology and pure sociology?

A)There is no difference.
B)Applied sociology research doesn't use social theory.
C)Pure sociology research doesn't use social theory.
D)Pure sociology research aims to reform society.
E)Applied sociology research aims to reform society.

Question 12

Steve had a hunch that female students were more punctual than males in the classes that he taught. So, he began to keep track for a week in each class of how many male and female students came in after the class was scheduled to begin. His results supported his hypothesis. Steve is using

A)inductive reasoning.
B)qualitative analysis.
C)deductive reasoning.
D)ordinary human inquiry.
E)statistical analysis.

Question 13

A(n)_____ is a testable statement about a relationship between two variables.

A)theory
B)paradigm
C)relationship
D)empirical correlation
E)hypothesis

Question 14

Studying the discrepancy in police response for burglary cases when compared to corporate embezzlement would likely be coming from a(n)_____ paradigm.

A)conflict
B)symbolic interactionist
C)feminist
D)ethnomethodologist
E)structural functionalist

Question 15

Scientific inquiry is a process involving an alternation between deduction and induction.

Question 16

Which of the following outlines the steps in the traditional science model?

A)Empirical observations, theoretical understanding, operationalization of concepts, a testable hypothesis
B)Theoretical understanding, a testable hypothesis, operationalization of concepts, empirical observations
C)Theoretical understanding, operationalization of concepts, a testable hypothesis, empirical observations
D)Operationalization of concepts, a testable hypothesis, empirical observations, theoretical understanding
E)A testable hypothesis, operationalization of concepts, empirical testing, theoretical understanding

Question 17

Many cultures view the United States as a society committed to capitalism, an economic arrangement that they believe inevitably creates inequality. These views and feelings represent:

A)an objective fact of nature.
B)a law of nature.
C)a paradigm.
D)a theory.
E)a research question.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a function of theory for research?

A)Theory helps to prevent our being taken in by flukes.
B)Theory helps to gloss over any shortcomings in research findings.
C)Theory helps us to make sense out of observed patterns.
D)Theory shapes and directs research efforts.
E)Theory helps us to explain occurrences.

Question 19

Which of the following statements BEST exemplifies a null hypothesis?

A)There is no relationship between gender and jury verdict.
B)Men are more likely than women to vote to convict on juries.
C)Women are more likely than men to vote to acquit on juries.
D)Men are more likely to hang a jury (create a jury that cannot arrive at a verdict)than are women.
E)Women are more likely than men to get out of jury duty.

Question 20

The Minamata disease, a disease which produced severe nervous disorders and birth defects, was traced to the fact that the Chisso chemical company dumped mercury into a bay where Japanese villagers fished. The villagers of Minamata, where the company was located, refused to sue the chemical company. However, the residents of Niigata, a fishing village forty miles up the river from the factory, sued the chemical company. Which of the following explanations flows from the conflict paradigm?

A)The Minamata victims were less likely to be tied socially, economically, and physically to the company than were the Niigato victims.
B)The Japanese culture frowns on lawsuits.
C)The chemical company controlled more of the village resources in Minamata than in Niigato.
D)People in Niigato aren't as nice as people in Minamata.
E)There were fewer victims in Minamata than in Niigato.

Question 21

Select a topic (e.g., gun control, domestic violence, terrorism)and describe how a researcher might approach that topic using two of the following paradigms: conflict, symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, structural functionalism, feminist paradigms, and/or critical race theory.

Question 22

A model or scheme for helping us organize and interpret the world is referred to as a:

A)paradigm.
B)theory.
C)hypothesis.
D)law.
E)concept.

Question 23

In a study of women the following notation was used: Y = f(X)where Y represented fertility plans and X represented occupational plans. This states:

A)that fertility plans are a function of (or are affected by)occupational plans.
B)that occupational plans are a function of (or are affected by)fertility plans.
C)that occupational plans are not a function of fertility plans.
D)that fertility plans are a function of (or are affected by)occupational plans and is a hypothesis.
E)that occupational plans are a function of (or are affected by)fertility plans and is a hypothesis.

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT TRUE of paradigms?

A)Paradigms shape the kinds of observations we are likely to make.
B)Paradigms determine the kinds of facts we will discover.
C)Paradigms shape the conclusions that we draw from facts.
D)Paradigms determine whether we look at micro or macro concerns.
E)Paradigms are selected by a researcher to achieve desired results.

Question 25

How can social theory help researchers better understand practical problems? Give an example of an applied problem where an understanding of social theory would be useful.

Question 26

In the traditional scientific method, the first step is developing a theory.

Question 27

What effects does theory have on research methods? Please give at least two examples.

Question 28

Chen is beginning a research study in which he has an idea of what he's looking to find, but is letting his own observations shape the specifics of his theory. What approach is he taking to conduct his research?

A)Deductive theory
B)Grounded theory
C)Conflict theory
D)Ethnomethodology
E)Structural functionalism

Question 29

Theory is directly relevant to "why" questions.

Question 30

Maureen is performing a study in which she interviews disabled military veterans about how they are adapting to being back home. She is focusing on questions about what it means to be perceived by others as both "disabled" and a "veteran." What paradigm is Maureen's work most likely shaped by?

A)Ethnomethodology
B)Critical race
C)Symbolic interactionism
D)Structural functionalism
E)Conflict

Question 31

Which of the following illustrates the use of the inductive method?

A)Hypothesis, observations, accept or reject hypothesis
B)Observations, pattern finding, and generalizations
C)Theory, hypothesis, observations, and generalizations
D)Theory, observations, and generalizations
E)Generalizations, theory, and observations

Question 32

You must always have a fully developed theory before beginning observations.

Question 33

How does the researcher's choice of social theory to use in a research project affect the outcomes of the research? What kinds of ethical concerns should a researcher be aware of before choosing a theoretical perspective?

Question 34

The best example of a researcher who developed widely accepted theories based upon inductive reasoning is:

A)Erving Goffman.
B)Emile Durkheim.
C)Karl Marx.
D)Max Weber.
E)Guillermina Jasso.

Question 35

Contrast the inductive model of theory construction with the deductive model. Give examples of research that use each of these models.

Question 36

Feminist paradigms focus only on how inequities hurt women.

Question 37

All quality social science research is tightly intertwined with social theory.

Question 38

The traditional model of science uses inductive logic.

Question 39

Deliberately choosing a specific research paradigm in order to get specific results is totally acceptable.

Question 40

Which of the following topics would a macrotheory be more likely to explain than a microtheory?

A)The effect of the judge's instructions on jury deliberations
B)The relationships between government, family, and the economy
C)The grandparent-grandchild relationship
D)Student-faculty interactions
E)Dating behaviors