Deck 4: Societies and Nations

Question 1

The social organization of bees differs from that of human beings in that:

A) each individual's place is genetically determined
B) it is less efficient
C) no interaction is taking place
D) roles are not as clearly defined as in human society

Answer 1

it is less efficient

Question 2

A population that is organized in a cooperative manner to carry out the major functions of life is a:

A) clan
B) social aggregate
C) social structure
D) society

Answer 2

society

Question 3

A society differs from a population in that:

A) it can never become self-sufficient
B) it is a result of genetic programming
C) it is much smaller
D) its members are organized into regular social relationships

Answer 3

its members are organized into regular social relationships

Question 4

The term "social structure" refers to the fact that social relationships:

A) are characterized by recurring patterns of behavior
B) are made up of any set of individuals
C) are narrowly defined and rigidly enforced
D) require constant monitoring for compliance

Question 5

All of the following are examples of social structures EXCEPT:

A) the National Football League
B) National Education Association
C) people waiting for a bus
D) the Democratic Party

Question 6

The "building blocks" of societies are:

A) groups
B) roles
C) social classes
D) statuses

Question 7

All of the following are social groups EXCEPT:

A) a football team
B) golfers
C) the cast of a Broadway play
D) a family

Question 8

Any collection of people who interact on the basis of shared expectations regarding one another's behavior is a:

A) group
B) role
C) social structure
D) status

Question 9

People attending a football game would not constitute a group because:

A) there are too many people
B) there is no common identity to bring them together
C) they are not interested in becoming a group
D) they do not interact with one another in a regular fashion

Question 10

Orderly, practical nurse, registered nurse, resident, physician etc. are all socially defined positions in a hospital. These are examples of a(n)

A) group.
B) status.
C) role.
D) institution.

Question 11

Society designates that a doctor diagnoses and treats the illnesses of patients in the hospital. This definition of how he/she is to behave in a particular status is referred to as:

A) a group.
B) a status.
C) a role.
D) an institution.

Question 12

A major league center fielder is expected to have a batting average over .300, drive in more than 75 runs, and cover the field with a minimum of errors. These notions reflect

A) group behavior.
B) role expectations.
C) institutionalized behavior.
D) social structure.

Question 13

The primary job of the military is to provide defense for the nation. This more or less stable Structure of statuses and roles devoted to meeting the basic needs of people in society are

A) statuses.
B) groups.
C) roles.
D) institutions.

Question 14

The recurring patterns of behavior that create relationships among individuals and groups within a society are termed:

A) role expectations
B) social institutions
C) social structures
D) statuses

Question 15

A socially defined position in a group is a:

A) social boundary
B) social marker
C) status
D) structural location

Question 16

Which of the following statements concerning social statuses is FALSE?

A) There are an infinite number of statuses in human society.
B) They are genetically determined.
C) They are the most basic unit of social structure.
D) They make behavior orderly and predictable.

Question 17

The way in which society defines how an individual is to behave in a particular status is a:

A) normative obligation
B) role
C) sanction
D) status set

Question 18

Shared ideas about how a role should be performed are termed role:

A) attributes
B) expectations
C) performances
D) sets

Question 19

An attorney who is also a mother feels harried by the pressures of her job, her family responsibilities, the need to spend time with her husband and the demands of her children as well as her aging parents who need her care. She is experiencing:

A) overload
B) role conflict
C) role obligations
D) role strain

Question 20

In explaining behavior, sociologists look first at:

A) individual personality differences
B) the complexity of the social belief system
C) the influence of an individual's statuses and roles
D) the size of the society

Question 21

A major source of confusion in role expectations and performance can be found in the:

A) fact that social structure is always changing and adapting
B) lack of social rewards for role performance
C) level of loyalty and motivation of the individual occupying a particular status
D) rigidity inherent in role definitions

Question 22

A larger social structure created by interconnected groups is called:

A) a cooperative
B) an institution
C) an organization
D) a population

Question 23

In a single parent family, older children take on some of the parental roles while the parent works two jobs to make ends meet. This is a situation in which the family members are all experiencing:

A) role frustration.
B) role conflict.
C) role strain.
D) role confusion.

Question 24

A visual depiction (tree diagram) of the hierarchy in a typical army combat brigade shows

A) formal organization.
B) informal organization.
C) disorganization.
D) group network.

Question 25

Which of the following statements about social institutions is NOT true?

A) Each social institution has a specific set of norms to govern the behavior of people within it.
B) Human societies are characterized by the emergence of new institutions.
C) Social institutions tend to become more complex over time as society changes.
D) The sociological meaning of the term "institution" is the same as its everyday conversational meaning.

Question 26

Talcott Parsons referred to the continual creation by societies of new social institutions as:

A) differentiation
B) expansion
C) fragmentation
D) proliferation

Question 27

-Referring to Figure 4.2 (World Population Growth from 8000 BC to 2000 AD), which of the following statements with regard to human population growth is TRUE?

A) According to the most reliable figures, human population growth began to level off during the 1980s.
B) Human populations experienced a significant growth spurt at the start of the Roman Empire, during the early Christian era.
C) Human population growth has been explosive since about 1650.
D) Human populations have maintained a slow but steady growth throughout history and prehistory.

Question 28

The rapid increase in the world's population from 1000 A.D. to 2000 A.D. can be attributed primarily to

A) agricultural revolution.
B) industrial revolution.
C) sexual revolution.
D) American revolution.

Question 29

The first million years of human evolution was a time when populations remained small. This can be attributed to the fact that

A) there was a simple social structure.
B) food supply was easily used up
C) there was agricultural innovation.
D) democratic rule was present.

Question 30

Which of the following types of society was the first to emerge in human history?

A) agrarian
B) horticultural
C) hunter-gatherer
D) industrial

Question 31

Which of the following is the correct sequence in societal evolution?

A) horticultural, hunter-gatherer, pastoral, agrarian, industrial
B) hunter-gatherer, horticultural, agrarian, industrial
C) industrial, horticultural, hunter-gatherer, agrarian, post-industrial
D) post-industrial, industrial, agrarian, horticultural, hunter-gatherer

Question 32

Which of the following is only a limited characteristic of hunting and gathering societies?

A) individual survival was subordinate to that of the group.
B) food supplies were limited by availability.
C) warfare was frequent.
D) there was some development of permanent settlements.

Question 33

A society in which the form of organization is based on a nomadic and herding lifestyle is best described as

A) horticultural society
B) pastoral
C) industrial
D) hunting and gathering

Question 34

The explosive growth in population after 1650 can be directly attributed to:

A) decreases in the incidence of war
B) decreases in the incidence of large-scale disease
C) improved prenatal and postnatal care
D) the impact of the Industrial Revolution beginning in the 18th century

Question 35

The changes that were made in the first million years of human evolution can be attributed to:

A) the development of upright posture
B) enforcement of the incest taboo
C) establishment of hunter-gatherer bands
D) all of these

Question 36

All of the following have been seen as major physical changes resulting from the process of evolution EXCEPT:

A) social control of sexuality through the development of the family
B) the development of an upright posture and an enlarged cerebral cortex
C) the establishment of hunter-gatherer bands as the basic territorial unit of human society
D) the production of large agricultural surplus

Question 37

Which of the following had NOT occurred by the end of the Ice Age?

A) Everyday life was plagued by constant warfare and violence.
B) Language was fully developed.
C) Social structure was based on family ties.
D) The most common form of social organization was hunter-gatherer bands.

Question 38

For the first million years of human evolution, human populations sustained themselves by means of:

A) agriculture
B) domestication of animals
C) hunting and gathering
D) industrial production

Question 39

The Eskimo custom of abandoning old people to die existed because:

A) their culture held the elderly in low esteem
B) they didn't have the same regard for human life that we do
C) they were genetically programmed to do so
D) this practice was seen as necessary for the survival of the group

Question 40

The transition from hunter-gatherer bands to agrarian societies was largely the result of:

A) innovations in the growing and harvesting of grains
B) the changes in the kinship patterns
C) the introduction of the steam engine
D) the mechanism of warfare

Question 41

Societies characterized by bands of people following flocks of animals are called:

A) agrarian societies
B) horticultural societies
C) hunter-gatherer societies
D) pastoral societies

Question 42

The agrarian epoch covers the time period:

A) from 3000 BC to 1600 AD
B) 8000 BC to 4000 BC
C) 1650 AD to 1850 AD
D) none of these

Question 43

Class and ethnic conflict first occurred:

A) between 3000 B.C. and 1600 A.D. in the agrarian epoch
B) in the twentieth century
C) over 10,000 years ago with the emergence of hunter-gatherer bands
D) with the emergence of the Industrial Revolution in the seventeenth century

Question 44

The KEY factor associated with the shift from agrarian to industrial societies is:

A) greater emphasis on individualism
B) political democracies
C) the emergence of capitalism
D) the rise of centralized governments

Question 45

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of the transition from an agrarian to an industrial society?

A) Agricultural workers become more productive.
B) Scientific innovations make possible greater wealth.
C) The rate of social change increases dramatically.
D) There is a decrease in the degree of societal interdependence.

Question 46

An idea that proposes that industrial societies have been transformed into a "new" kind of society is called the theory of:

A) interdependent society
B) non-industrial society
C) post-industrial society
D) transnational society

Question 47

All of the following are associated with the emergence of modern society EXCEPT:

A) ascribed statuses
B) gesellschaft
C) role conflict
D) secondary groups

Question 48

In a postindustrial society which of the following will increase in importance?

A) interdependence among world's societies
B) economic stagnation
C) demand for highly educated people
D) demand for service employees

Question 49

According to Tonnies, a society that is characterized by impersonal relationships is known as:

A) a closed society
B) a gemeinschaft society
C) a gesellschaft society
D) an open society

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT associated with the Industrial Revolution?

A) increase in people living on the land
B) innovations in energy production
C) the shift from agriculture to trade and industry
D) the rise of capitalism

Question 51

With the emergence of agrarian societies, new classes arise because:

A) capitalist institutions replace feudal ones
B) kinship as an institution becomes less important
C) surpluses are produced that can support new classes of non-food producers
D) there is a greater sense of equality

Question 52

Which of the following is associated with the shift to industrial production?

A) decreasing numbers of people move to the cities and suburbs.
B) scientific and technical advances produce tremendous wealth.
C) greater openness to change results in the emergence of new social classes and social movements.
D) decreases in the amount of social conflict.

Question 53

The emergence of industrial society can be best described as a transition from:

A) centralized to decentralized societies
B) gemeinschaft to gesellschaft
C) gesellschaft to gemeinschaft
D) urban to folk societies

Question 54

Societies based on the close personal relationships of small groups and communities are called:

A) gemeinschaft societies
B) gesellschaft societies
C) global societies
D) urban societies

Question 55

A term used to refer to the well-organized but impersonal relationships among the members of modern societies is:

A) agrarian society
B) folk society
C) gemeinschaft society
D) gesellschaft society

Question 56

Gemeinschaft is to gesellschaft as primary group is to:

A) reference group
B) secondary group
C) social aggregate
D) social group

Question 57

A small group characterized by intimate, face-to-face associations is a:

A) primary group
B) reference group
C) secondary group
D) social group

Question 58

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of a primary group?

A) Relationships tend to be face-to-face.
B) The group is characterized by a sense of "we-ness."
C) The group's purpose is to serve the needs of the individual.
D) There is a lack of personal involvement in members' relationships.

Question 59

A social group whose members have a shared goal or task, but are not bound by strong emotional ties, is:

A) an in-group
B) a primary group
C) a reference group
D) a secondary group

Question 60

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of a secondary group?

A) Relationships tend to be task-oriented.
B) There is a great deal of intimacy among members.
C) It tends to be characteristic of modern society.
D) Role expectations tend to be clearly defined.

Question 61

All of the following are examples of secondary groups EXCEPT:

A) bureaucracies
B) factories
C) families
D) schools

Question 62

Susan Smith is a single mother who works as a social worker for a large hospital. Very often she has to work late at night in order to deal with emergencies. In order to do so, she must spend time away from her five-year-old daughter. She feels guilty about not spending enough time with her daughter, but at the same time she realizes that if she didn't stay late at the office she would be neglecting her professional duties. Smith's problem is an example of role:

A) ambiguity
B) conflict
C) strain
D) stretch

Question 63

When people experience conflicting demands in an existing role or cannot meet the expectations of a new one, they are experiencing role:

A) ambiguity
B) conflict
C) strain
D) stretch

Question 64

John. has always felt he was the head of the household and was a good provider. Recently he lost his job and now worries a great deal about his ability to provide for his family. John is experiencing what sociologists call role:

A) conflict
B) ineptitude
C) panic
D) strain

Question 65

Anxiety over poor performance in a particular role is termed role:

A) ambiguity
B) conflict
C) strain
D) stretch

Question 66

Master statuses can have damaging effects for which of the following?

A) a woman who is a community leader
B) a black man who is an attorney
C) a woman who is a respected scientist
D) all of these

Question 67

A position or rank that is assigned to a person at birth and cannot be changed is:

A) a closed status
B) a fixed status
C) an achieved status
D) an ascribed status

Question 68

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

A) doctor
B) president of General Motors
C) president of the United States
D) Queen of England

Question 69

Which of the following statements concerning ascribed statuses is NOT true?

A) They are based on the actions of the individuals.
B) They are determined by birth.
C) They cannot be changed.
D) They tend to be less important in modern societies.

Question 70

All of the following are examples of achieved statuses EXCEPT:

A) bank teller
B) college graduate
C) husband
D) woman

Question 71

Which of the following statements concerning achieved statuses is NOT true?

A) Once established, they cannot be changed.
B) They are based on individual effort.
C) They tend to predominate in industrial societies.
D) They usually have a certain amount of role conflict built into them.

Question 72

One status may be more important than all the others that an individual occupies. That status is termed:

A) a primary status
B) the major status
C) the master status
D) the superior status

Question 73

Which of the following statuses would be considered a master status?

A) club member
B) consumer
C) cook
D) woman

Question 74

All of the following may function as master statuses EXCEPT:

A) family relationship
B) gender
C) physical attractiveness
D) race

Question 75

Which of the following is the BEST example of a primary group?

A) a civic organization
B) a friendship group
C) an elementary school classroom
D) people shopping in a supermarket

Question 76

A society's set of political structures is referred to as the:

A) economy
B) government
C) power elite
D) state

Question 77

According to Max Weber, "a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory" is the:

A) economy
B) establishment
C) government
D) state

Question 78

In modern societies the question of "who gets what, when, and how" is resolved by which of the _______ following?

A) kinship
B) religion
C) the economy
D) the political institutions

Question 79

The largest territory within which a society's political institutions can operate without having to face challenges to their sovereignty is the:

A) empire
B) legitimate state
C) nation-state
D) supreme state

Question 80

Which of the following men was executed trying to create a modern Nigerian nation with democratic institutions?

A) Karl Marx
B) Ken Saro-Wiwa
C) Mahatma Gandhi
D) Nelson Mandela