Deck 1: The Study of Minorities

Question 1

Natives usually perceive strangers __________.

A) objectively
B) hospitably
C) categorically
D) indifferently

Answer 1

categorically

Question 2

In a new social setting, strangers __________.

A) experience very few situations as potentially problematic
B) lack the natives' knowledge of shared realities
C) are not aware of things unnoticed by the natives
D) are typically treated as equals with natives

Answer 2

lack the natives' knowledge of shared realities

Question 3

The __________ describes Parrillo's idea of the adjustment from stranger to neighbor.

A) concept of a continuum with friction
B) idea that assimilation is not inevitable
C) centrality of shared religious beliefs leading to social cohesion
D) fact that economic conditions are of paramount importance

Answer 3

concept of a continuum with friction

Question 4

Social distance studies have found __________.

A) an erratic pattern, depending on world or economic situations
B) a fairly consistent pattern over the decades
C) greater distance only between racial groups
D) elimination of social distance between groups after two generations

Question 5

Social distance studies capture social acceptance of groups __________.

A) over a period of ten years
B) at a given moment in time
C) only in the bottom rankings
D) as they immigrate into the United States

Question 6

A 2001 study of social distance found __________.

A) increased diversity in society
B) decreasing levels of acceptance of diverse groups among college students
C) that social distance continues to rise
D) an increased acceptance of diversity for all groups except whites

Question 7

Despite the removal of more assimilated groups and the addition of less assimilated groups to the list in 2001, __________.

A) the upward trend in social distance continued
B) no significant differences were found
C) there was an increased level of diversity
D) the downward trend in social distance continued

Question 8

When a visiting Korean asks for pizza rather than sushi, the host may conclude that all Koreans like pizza. This is an example of __________.

A) prejudice
B) categoric knowing
C) discrimination
D) intersubjective understanding

Question 9

The adjustment from stranger to neighbor is __________.

A) a process
B) instantaneous
C) impossible
D) rare

Question 10

As acculturation takes place, __________.

A) strangers' consciousness increases as the freshness of their perception is lost
B) the natives' abstract typification about the strangers become more concrete through social interaction
C) the stranger begins questioning daily activities
D) there is more conflict between the natives and the strangers

Question 11

When Americans say "hello" or "how are you?" this is an example of __________.

A) prejudice
B) categoric knowing
C) discrimination
D) intersubjective understanding

Question 12

Jose, who is Mexican, moves to San Antonio from Mexico City. This is an example of __________.

A) emigration
B) immigration
C) naturalization
D) nationalization

Question 13

Aristotle said we like "those like ourselves … of our own race or country or age or family, and generally those who are on our own level." Which of the following concepts best represents Aristotle's statement?

A) Similarity and attraction
B) Identical preferences
C) Opposites attract
D) Group identification preference

Question 14

A minority group __________.

A) is determined by a group's numerical representation
B) is determined by a group's relative power in society
C) is not tied to social status at all
D) can never achieve power in society

Question 15

A minority group __________.

A) can still be treated equally in society
B) is characterized by a feeling of group identity
C) is not often easily identifiable
D) usually practices exogamy

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of an ascribed status?

A) Writer
B) Mormon convert
C) Female
D) New immigrant

Question 17

An __________ is a person who is a member of both dominant and minority groups.

A) American white woman who is a Buddhist
B) African American man born in Texas who lives in New York City
C) American citizen who visited Tanzania
D) African American woman with disabilities

Question 18

Jessica is a woman who lives in the United States where females outnumber males. She is __________.

A) a member of a majority group
B) a member of a minority group
C) a stranger
D) a neighbor

Question 19

Variation in physical differences such as body build, hair texture, and skin color is due in part to __________.

A) biological race
B) racial discrimination
C) natural selection
D) evolutionary physical adaptation

Question 20

According to Parrillo, a category of people who share visible biological characteristics and are regarded as a single group is a(n) __________.

A) race
B) ethnic group
C) social deviant
D) status

Question 21

Ethnicity is __________.

A) another term for "race"
B) a false and arbitrary classification of people
C) a term used to refer to European peoples
D) a set of learned or acquired cultural traits shared by a people

Question 22

Racism __________.

A) is a human invention
B) supports the superiority of the human race
C) forces the majority group to experience prejudice and discrimination
D) prevails when people believe that a small group of races is superior in some aspects to others

Question 23

__________ are an ethnic group.

A) Native Americans
B) Asian Americans
C) Black Americans
D) Bulgarian Americans

Question 24

Melissa has been referring to the Japanese as a race because they stand out as an identifiable group to her. She is __________.

A) using the term "race" incorrectly
B) applying a more modern usage of the term "race"
C) using the term "race" correctly
D) applying a more traditional usage of the term "race"

Question 25

Underrepresenting non-European material in textbooks and classes exemplifies __________.

A) Afrocentrism
B) Eurocentrism
C) categoric knowing
D) reciprocal typification

Question 26

Social identity theory helps explain __________.

A) upward mobility
B) ethnic antagonism
C) ingroup favoritism
D) immigration quotas

Question 27

Social identity theory explains that __________.

A) the assumption that "we" are better than "they" does not often result in ridicule, contempt, or hatred toward the outgroup
B) the ingroup almost automatically views the outgroup as inferior
C) groups rarely retain their values and standards while recognizing the superiority of another group
D) countless people reject their own ingroup by becoming voluntary exiles, expatriates, and so on

Question 28

Pluralist advocates criticize __________.

A) Afrocentrism
B) social identity theory
C) Marxism
D) cultural relativism

Question 29

Studying race and ethnic relations is __________.

A) easier than most other subjects because of our familiarity with minority problems
B) easier because most people are sensitive to the problems and needs of others
C) difficult because our values, attitudes, and experiences make our objectivity almost impossible
D) difficult because the subject defies a logical or scientific explanation

Question 30

__________ is a historical example of ethnocentrism.

A) Manifest Destiny in China
B) The "white man's burden" in England
C) the Vienna Conventions on diplomatic relations in Austria
D) the African Crusaders of the thirteenth century

Question 31

Arguing Western civilization derives from the black African influence on Egyptian civilization is a bolder form of __________.

A) Afrocentrism
B) categoric knowing
C) false consciousness
D) interactionist theory

Question 32

In American culture, such things as freedom, individualism and equal opportunity are deemed to be highly desirable. In sociological terms these concepts are __________.

A) mores
B) desires
C) norms
D) values

Question 33

Susan, a Texas cattle rancher, thinks the Japanese custom of eating raw fish is disgusting. This is an example of __________.

A) ethnicity
B) ethnocentrism
C) poor taste
D) cultural relativism

Question 34

Juan believes that Hispanic families are superior to white families. This belief is an example of which theory?

A) social-referent group theory
B) ethnic preference theory
C) social identity theory
D) outgroup discrimination theory

Question 35

An ethnic group held up as a role model for a newly arrived group was probably __________.

A) an object of scorn and condemnation itself at one time
B) the beneficiary of governmental assistance
C) a political force from the time they first immigrated
D) quick to learn English and assimilate

Question 36

__________ illustrates the Dillingham Flaw.

A) An emphasis on preserving one's culture
B) A distrust of political solutions to end discrimination
C) Criticism of a new immigrant group, compared to an earlier one
D) The assumption that a minority group is lazy or immoral

Question 37

Mills states that an issue is a public matter when it is __________.

A) not relevant to group behavior study in sociology
B) less important than the welfare of the group
C) only important to sociologists after thorough study of the group
D) intricately connected to the larger historical context of society

Question 38

Seeing the connection between one person's story of being bought and sold into modern slavery and recognizing the patterns of increasing human trafficking worldwide requires use of a(n) __________.

A) ethnocentric viewpoint
B) modern understanding of an ethnic group
C) psychological perspective
D) sociological imagination

Question 39

Functionalist theory emphasizes __________.

A) social equilibrium
B) the importance of social class
C) imbalance of power
D) the power of symbols in constructing social life

Question 40

Karl Marx believed that the elite exploited the masses and that this exploitation created tensions and disagreements. Marx's theory is best known as __________.

A) conflict perspective
B) functionalist perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) unfair perspective

Question 41

A __________ perspective focuses on who benefits from a particular situation.

A) functionalist
B) conflict
C) interactionist
D) societist

Question 42

When marrying, members of a minority group usually practice __________.

A) endogamy
B) exogamy
C) polyandry
D) polygamy

Question 43

A sociologist who investigates how people interpret the situations they are in is probably a(n) __________.

A) functionalist
B) conflict theorist
C) interactionist
D) societist

Question 44

Conflict theorists believe that the North Korean communist regime __________.

A) was created by shared expectations among individuals
B) maintains North Korean political harmony
C) has only temporary dysfunctions
D) was created to act against false consciousness

Question 45

Even though women make up a statistical majority, they do not have equal representation in government and face significant economic inequalities. This illustrates the idea that minority groups __________.

A) receive unequal treatment as a group
B) are easily identifiable because of distinguishing physical or cultural characteristics that are held in high esteem
C) are biologically similar
D) are rare in modern societies

Question 46

A 2001 study showed that more than 50 percent of newlyweds met their spouses in the workplace. Sociologically, meeting a spouse at work would be considered a __________.

A) latent function of workplaces
B) manifest function of workplaces
C) latent dysfunction of workplaces
D) a manifest dysfunction of workplaces

Question 47

Matt believes that the frustrations and struggles between social groups and classes are what structure and determine society. He is a __________.

A) conflict theorist
B) functionalist
C) symbolic interactionist
D) racist

Question 48

Bill believes that assimilation is the key to understanding racial and ethnic differences and that economic equality will follow. His views are in line with __________ theory.

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

Question 49

Within any society, groupings of people by race, religion, tribe, culture, or lifestyle can generate a sense of familiarity and belonging.

Question 50

Social distance refers to how far away your relatives and friends live.

Question 51

There are very few studies that examine the how much people like those who are similar in appearance to them.

Question 52

Many people still call the United States a great melting pot where people of all races, religions, and nationalities come to be free and to improve their lives.

Question 53

Since strangers experience a "lack of historicity," they often observe things that go unnoticed by the natives, such as natives' customs, social institutions, appearances, and lifestyle.

Question 54

The adjustment from stranger to neighbor moves along a continuum without friction.

Question 55

Cross-racial friendships on college campuses are increasingly rare.

Question 56

Sociologists use historical documents, reports, surveys, ethnographies, and direct observation to systematically gather empirical evidence about intergroup relations.

Question 57

Functionalists believe that society is a stable, cooperative social system in which everything has a function and provides the basis of a harmonious society.

Question 58

Manifest functions are better than latent functions.

Question 59

To understand intergroup relations, we must recognize that differences among various peoples cause each group to view other groups as __________.

Question 60

Compared to migration, __________ is a narrower term that refers to the movement of people out of a country to settle in another.

Question 61

__________ refers to the movement of people into a new country to become permanent residents.

Question 62

Ranking __________ is an excellent technique for evaluating how perceptions of similarity attract closer interaction patterns.

Question 63

By __________, Alfred Schutz meant that people from the same social world mutually "know" the language, customs, beliefs, symbols, and everyday behavior patterns that the stranger usually does not.

Question 64

The development of racism includes philosophers such as Immanuel Kant offering biological distinctions of the races of mankind and 19th-century social Darwinists seeing human society as a __________ in which the naturally superior will win out.

Question 65

Sociologists define a(n) __________ as a group to which individuals belong and feel loyal. A(n) __________ consists of all people to whom an individual does not have a sense of belonging and loyalty.

Question 66

__________ is a variation of ethnocentrism in which the content and emphasis in history, literature, and other humanities primarily concern Western culture. One counterforce to this is __________, a viewpoint emphasizing African culture and its influence on Western civilization and the behavior of American blacks.

Question 67

Strict new laws enacted in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the U.S. in the 1990's resulted in a marked increase in __________.

Question 68

__________ functions refer to obvious and intended results, while __________ functions refer to hidden and unexpected results.

Question 69

Explain the "lack of historicity" that strangers often experience.

Question 70

Using specific examples, explain the difference between ethnocentrism and cultural relativism.

Question 71

Give an example of an outgroup becoming a positive reference group.

Question 72

Using examples, explain the major difference between macrosocial theories and microsocial theories.

Question 73

Explain why conflict theorists view that racism is an ideology.

Question 74

Explain the primary changes in social distance results from 2001 to 2012. Why did these changes occur?

Question 75

Strangers and natives have different perceptions of each other. Why is this? How do these perceptions help to structure social life between the two? Use concrete examples in your response.

Question 76

Compare and contrast Simmel and Schutz's view of the role of a stranger. Which one do you find the most compelling? Why?

Question 77

Discuss ethnocentrism as a universal human condition.

Question 78

Compare and contrast the three major sociological perspectives in studying minorities. What is the value in having all three theories? Use examples to show the power of each.