Deck 1: How Sociologists View Social Problems: The Abortion Dilemma

Question 1

The sociological imagination is also called __________.

A) reinforcement theory
B) scientific sociology
C) historical and biographical analysis
D) the sociological perspective

Answer 1

the sociological perspective

Question 2

When researchers focus on historical and current events such as war and peace, economic booms and busts, and depression and prosperity, they are examining a(n) __________.

A) broad social context
B) narrow social context
C) intimate social context
D) close social context

Answer 2

broad social context

Question 3

Professor Fuentes encourages her students to consider how laws, education, religion, and the media influence how people think, feel, and act. As such, she wants her students to use __________.

A) the sociological imagination
B) reinforcement theory
C) common sense
D) historical and biographical analysis

Answer 3

the sociological imagination

Question 4

When Michael considers how his race, age, marital status, and income compare to that of other Americans, he is considering his __________.

A) personal troubles
B) common sense
C) social problems
D) social location

Question 5

What is the ability to get one's way despite resistance called?

A) Values
B) Social problem
C) Power
D) Subjective concern

Question 6

A shared belief about whether something is good or bad is a __________.

A) value
B) document
C) social problem
D) personal trouble

Question 7

What are the aspects of society that can be measured or experienced?

A) Objective conditions
B) Social problems
C) Personal problems
D) Subjective concerns

Question 8

Which of the following Supreme Court rulings legalized abortion in the United States?

A) Webster v. Reproductive Services
B) Roe v. Wade
C) Casey v. Planned Parenthood
D) Brown v. the Board of Education

Question 9

The teenagers who participate in a weekly bible study class believe that abortion is bad. Their shared belief is an example of a(n) __________.

A) value
B) social problem
C) personal trouble
D) experiment

Question 10

A significant number of people worry about the conditions of public schools in urban areas. Such unease illustrates the __________ associated with a social problem.

A) subjective concerns
B) objective conditions
C) moral decay
D) value neutrality

Question 11

Whether or not marijuana is legal, who obtains it and under what circumstances it is obtained are examples of the __________ associated with a social problem.

A) objective conditions
B) subjective concerns
C) social solutions
D) moral dilemmas

Question 12

When Rhonda arrived at the abortion clinic, she was surprised to find dozens of protestors blocking her way. Rhonda pushed her way through the crowd and was able to see a physician at the clinic. Rhonda was able to get what she wanted, despite resistance. This is an example of Rhonda's __________.

A) values
B) power
C) sociological imagination
D) subjective concern

Question 13

How many stages are there in the natural history of social problems?

A) Two
B) Three
C) Four
D) Five

Question 14

Crafting an official response occurs during which stage in the natural history of social problems?

A) First
B) Second
C) Third
D) Fourth

Question 15

The emergence of leaders occurs during which stage in the natural history of social problems?

A) First
B) Second
C) Third
D) Fourth

Question 16

Antiabortionists who forward e-mails to their friends, run newspaper ads, and post blogs are known as __________.

A) radicals
B) feminists
C) conservatives
D) moderates

Question 17

Connie believes that a fetus is a human being. Connie is __________.

A) a proabortionist
B) an antiabortionist
C) value free
D) generalized

Question 18

A key effort of the proabortionists is to __________.

A) eliminate the antiabortionists
B) show that the fetus is a human being
C) protect Roe v. Wade
D) mandate abortions

Question 19

In Webster v. Reproductive Services, the Supreme Court ruled that __________.

A) individual states have no obligation to finance abortion
B) a woman under the age of 18 must have parental consent for an abortion
C) picketers and other demonstrators must remain 300 feet away from the entrances to abortion clinics
D) women should have the right to vote

Question 20

If passed, the Freedom of Choice Law would __________.

A) mean that individual states have no obligation to finance abortion
B) remove all state and federal restrictions on abortion
C) mandate that all picketers and other demonstrators remain 300 feet away from the entrances to abortion clinics
D) require all clinics to stay open at least 6 days per week

Question 21

The development of alternative strategies occurs during which stage in the natural history of social problems?

A) First
B) Second
C) Third
D) Fourth

Question 22

Rosita works as a counselor at a crisis pregnancy center. Her job is to __________.

A) urge pregnant women to have abortions
B) provide pregnant women with abortion services
C) encourage pregnant women to give birth
D) be a political activist for her cause

Question 23

In an effort to express their opposition to abortion, members of a group burned and bombed abortion clinics around their state. These members are __________.

A) moderates
B) radicals
C) alternatives
D) crazy

Question 24

Monica believes that a fetus has the potential to become a human being. Monica is __________.

A) a proabortionist
B) an antiabortionist
C) value free
D) generalized

Question 25

In the United States, who/what hold(s) the power to decide whether abortion is legal?

A) Women
B) The Supreme Court
C) The president
D) Physicians

Question 26

When Hawaii decided to support the repeal of the abortion law, this reflected which stage of the natural development of social problems?

A) First
B) Second
C) Third
D) Fourth

Question 27

When Joan Hayes argued that the abortion issue was about the right of pregnant women to choose whether or not to have a baby, this represented which stage of the natural development of social problems?

A) First
B) Second
C) Third
D) Fourth

Question 28

When proabortion groups started to promote the development of abortion clinics around the country, this reflected which stage of the natural development of social problems?

A) First
B) Second
C) Third
D) Fourth

Question 29

The systematic and objective study of human society is known as __________.

A) sociology
B) sociological imagination
C) research methods
D) case study

Question 30

A team of sociologists at Florida State University is gathering information on the number of homeless people in the southern region of the United States. These researchers are __________.

A) measuring objective conditions
B) measuring subjective concerns
C) using common sense
D) engaging in case studies

Question 31

A team of sociologists at Iowa State University is gathering information on student attitudes toward homelessness. These researchers are __________.

A) measuring objective conditions
B) measuring subjective concerns
C) using common sense
D) engaging in case studies

Question 32

Ibrahim, like many people in our society, believes that as people age, they become less interested in sexual activity. This idea that is held by a large percentage of the population is an example of __________.

A) a value
B) power
C) personal troubles
D) common sense

Question 33

In an experiment, who are those people not exposed to a particular experience?

A) Control group
B) Experimental group
C) Field study
D) Random sample

Question 34

The ways of doing research are known as __________.

A) documents
B) methods
C) values
D) personal troubles

Question 35

What method requires researchers to go into a setting that they want to learn more about?

A) Experiments
B) Surveys
C) Field studies
D) Case studies

Question 36

Jamaal is interested in learning more about the victims of violent crime. To gather information, Jamaal asks people questions about their experiences with violent crime. Jamaal is using __________.

A) interviews
B) experiments
C) documents
D) observation

Question 37

Thomasina is conducting a study on date rape. She asks women who have been raped to answer written questions. Which method is Thomasina using to gather information?

A) Structured interviews
B) Unstructured interviews
C) Paper/pencil questionnaires
D) Observation

Question 38

Phoebe is conducting a study on youth violence that occurs in suburban playgrounds. She watches and listens to what is taking place and records the actions and statements that the youth make. This is an example of __________.

A) observation
B) interviews
C) questionnaires
D) documents

Question 39

Lou is a researcher who wants to understand the physical abuse of prisoners at a local jail. Lou gets a job at the jail as a security guard. He secretly records his observations without revealing that he is a researcher. His observations are __________.

A) overt
B) covert
C) structured
D) unstructured

Question 40

Mayda wants to learn more about battered women who live in shelters with their children. After Mayda obtained permission to conduct her research at the local shelter, she began to make observations. This is an example of a(n) __________.

A) experiment
B) survey
C) field study
D) case studies

Question 41

Ricardo wants to generalize his findings on wife battering to a larger population. Ricardo should use __________.

A) surveys
B) experiments
C) case studies
D) field studies

Question 42

Yoshimi wants to know how watching a video on racial relations impacts attitudes toward Asian Americans. She takes a group of students who have expressed prejudice toward Asian Americans and divides them into two groups. She shows Group A the video on racial relations, while Group B does not view the video. Afterward, she measures each group's level of prejudice toward Asian Americans. The group that viewed the video on racial relations is called the __________.

A) sample
B) population
C) experimental group
D) control group

Question 43

Yoshimi wants to know how watching a video on racial relations impacts attitudes toward Asian Americans. She takes a group of students who have expressed prejudice toward Asian Americans and divides them into two groups. She shows Group A the video on racial relations, while Group B does not view the video. Afterward, she measures each group's levels of prejudice toward Asian Americans. The group that did not view the video on racial relations is called the __________.

A) sample
B) population
C) experimental group
D) control group

Question 44

Vanessa wants to know about the safe-sex practices of the 4,000 students enrolled at her small, liberal arts college. She obtains a complete list of the names and contact information of the 4,000 students from the campus Registration Office and selects 500 people from the list to participate in her study. Because every student at the college has an equal chance of being selected for this study, Vanessa has a(n) __________.

A) experimental group
B) random sample
C) population
D) field study

Question 45

Outline the four stages in the natural history of a social problem. Apply these stages to one social problem in particular and provide examples.

Question 46

Discuss the five ways in which sociology can contribute to an understanding of a social problem. Which do you see as the most important aspect of the five ways that can help to understand the varying sides of the abortion issue?

Question 47

Compare and contrast common sense and sociological approaches to understanding social problems. What is wrong with common sense when it comes to setting social policy?

Question 48

Explain the four basic types of research design and four main techniques used to gather data by sociologists. Demonstrate your understanding by briefly outlining how you could use each to study some social problem other than abortion.

Question 49

Although sociology does not necessarily entail taking sides on social issues, sometimes it is inescapable for us as human beings. What social issue would cause you to take a side and how would you apply what you have learned in this chapter to help you in a study?