Deck 1: The Sociological Perspective

Question 1

Three campus roommates are talking about why they are in college. A sociological view of going to college highlights the effect of

A) nationality, because most countries outside of the West don't have colleges.
B) gender, because women don't generally attend college.
C) our place in history, because a century ago going to college was not an option for most people.
D) intelligence, because it's smarter to go to college than trade school.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Almost all of Latin America and Asia falls within which of the following categories?

A) low-income nations
B) middle-income nations
C) high-income nations
D) very rich nations

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which discipline defines itself as "the systematic study of human society"?

A) sociology
B) psychology
C) economics
D) history

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following categories contains countries in which average income is typical for the world as a whole and in which people are as likely to live in a rural area as in an urban area?

A) low-income nations
B) middle-income nations
C) high-income nations
D) variable-income nations

Question 5

By stating that the sociological perspective shows us "the strange in the familiar," the text argues that sociologists

A) focus on the bizarre elements of society.
B) reject the familiar idea that people simply decide how to act in favour of the initially strange idea that society shapes our lives.
C) believe that people often behave in strange ways.
D) believe that even people who are most familiar to us have some very strange habits.

Question 6

Canada falls within which category of the world's nations?

A) low-income nations
B) middle-income nations
C) high-income nations
D) variable-income nations

Question 7

In Canada today, the suicide rate is highest for which category of people listed below?

A) White males
B) Black males
C) White females
D) Black females

Question 8

Peter Berger described using the sociological perspective as seeing the ______ in the _______.

A) good; worst tragedies
B) new; old
C) specific; general
D) general; particular

Question 9

Sociologists use the term "social marginality" to refer to

A) people who have little understanding of sociology.
B) having special social skills.
C) being defined by others as an "outsider."
D) people who are especially sensitive about their family background.

Question 10

A sociological analysis of childbearing around the world suggests that the number of children born to a woman reflects

A) her preference for family size.
B) how many children she can afford.
C) whether she herself was born into a poor or rich society.
D) the desires of her husband.

Question 11

Following the thinking of C. Wright Mills, we would have expected the sociological imagination to be more widespread

A) during times of peace and prosperity.
B) among the very rich.
C) among very religious people.
D) during times of social crisis.

Question 12

The nations of Europe, Israel, Japan, and Australia fall into which of the following categories of countries?

A) low-income nations
B) middle-income nations
C) high-income nations
D) each belongs to a different category

Question 13

C. Wright Mills claimed that the "sociological imagination" transformed

A) common sense into laws of society.
B) people into supporters of the status quo.
C) personal problems into public issues.
D) scientific research into common sense.

Question 14

Which of the following is a reason that it is important to understand the world beyond our own borders?

A) Nations of the world are increasingly interconnected.
B) So we can see how much better our country is than other countries.
C) Because of an international agreement mandated by the United Nations.
D) It isn't important.

Question 15

What might a sociologist say about people's selection of marriage partners?

A) People marry because they fall in love.
B) When it comes to romance, it's all a matter of personal taste.
C) Typically, a person marries someone of similar social position.
D) When it comes to love, opposites attract.

Question 16

If marginality encourages sociological thinking, we would expect people in which category listed below to make the most use of the sociological perspective?

A) the wealthy
B) disabled persons or people who are a racial minority
C) politicians
D) the middle class

Question 17

According to Emile Durkheim, a category of people with a higher suicide rate typically has

A) more clinical depression.
B) less money, power, and other resources.
C) lower social integration.
D) greater self-esteem.

Question 18

The idea that the social world guides our actions and life choices just as the seasons influence activities and choice of clothing describes

A) the basis of what philosophy calls "free will."
B) the essential wisdom of the discipline of sociology.
C) the fact that people everywhere have "common sense."
D) the fact that people from countries all around the world make mostly identical choices about how to live.

Question 19

The pioneering sociologist who studied patterns of suicide in Europe was

A) Robert K. Merton.
B) Auguste Comte.
C) Emile Durkheim.
D) Karl Marx.

Question 20

Because there is more social isolation in rural areas of Canada than in urban areas, we would expect suicide rates to be

A) higher in urban areas.
B) higher in rural areas.
C) high in both urban and rural areas.
D) low in both urban and rural areas.

Question 21

_____ is a way of understanding the world based on science.

A) Theology
B) Positivism
C) Metaphysics
D) Free will

Question 22

Which of the following historical changes is among the factors that stimulated the development of sociology as a discipline?

A) the founding of the Roman Catholic Church
B) the rise of industrial factories and cities
C) the power of tradition
D) a belief that our futures are defined by "fate"

Question 23

According to Comte, people begin to see society as a natural-rather than a supernatural-phenomenon as their society enters which stage of development?

A) theological stage
B) metaphysical stage
C) scientific stage
D) post-scientific stage

Question 24

Thomas Hobbes's idea that society reflects a selfish human nature illustrates the thinking common at which of Comte's stages of societal development?

A) theological stage
B) metaphysical stage
C) scientific stage
D) sociological stage

Question 25

The major goal of sociology's pioneers, including Comte and Durkheim, was

A) to change social patterns and events.
B) to help build an "ideal society."
C) to discover how society actually operates.
D) to prevent disruptive social change.

Question 26

In which of the countries noted below did sociology as a formal discipline appear first?

A) the United States
B) Japan
C) France
D) China

Question 27

According to Comte's approach, the kind of thinking favoured by people such as Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, becomes common in a society at which stage of societal development?

A) theological stage
B) metaphysical stage
C) scientific stage
D) positivist stage.

Question 28

When did sociology become established as an academic discipline in North America?

A) during the Middle Ages
B) about 1800
C) about 1900
D) about 1975

Question 29

Examples of people applying their knowledge of sociology at work include people in

A) law enforcement understanding which categories of people are most likely to commit crimes.
B) law enforcement understanding which categories of people are at high risk of becoming victims of crime.
C) resource-extraction industries that seek to remove ancestral lands from indigenous inhabitants for profit.
D) people in the clergy who want to weed out undesirable elements in their congregations.

Question 30

Sarah is spending a summer living in another country where people have a way of life that differs from her own. A sociologist might expect that this experience would lead her to

A) end up with a greater understanding of both a new way of life and her own way of life.
B) accept what people in Canada call "common sense."
C) assume that people's lives reflect the choices they make.
D) want to move to that other country, because their way of life is clearly superior.

Question 31

We would expect the sociological perspective to be most likely to develop in a place that was

A) very traditional.
B) experiencing many social changes.
C) very poor.
D) small and socially isolated.

Question 32

According to Comte, people living in Europe during the Middle Ages thought of society as

A) a system operating according to its own laws.
B) chaotic and having little form.
C) an expression of God's will.
D) operating precisely as nature intended.

Question 33

Sociology differs from the older discipline of philosophy by focusing on

A) what the ideal society should be.
B) human nature.
C) the place of God in shaping human events.
D) how society actually operates.

Question 34

Most of today's sociologists agree with Auguste Comte that science is a crucial part of sociology, but most also recognize that

A) human beings are orderly and always accepting of structure and definition.
B) human behaviour is far less complex than natural phenomena.
C) no rigid "laws of society" hold everywhere and at all times.
D) the framework of society is a naturally occurring phenomenon which will play out the same across the world.

Question 35

Sociology provides an advantage to students preparing for later careers by preparing them for work

A) only as teaching sociologists.
B) only in criminal justice or social work.
C) only as clinical sociologists.
D) in all of the above careers and many others, including business, education, law enforcement, and social work.

Question 36

Making use of the sociological perspective encourages

A) challenging commonly held beliefs.
B) accepting conventional wisdom.
C) the belief that society is mysterious.
D) people to be happier with their lives as they are.

Question 37

The term sociology was coined in 1838 by

A) Karl Marx.
B) Herbert Spencer.
C) Adam Smith.
D) Auguste Comte.

Question 38

Learning more sociology helps us to

A) realize that common sense is universal.
B) assess the opportunities and constraints in our lives.
C) understand why it's better to live in high-income countries than low-income countries.
D) conform to social expectations and fit in better.

Question 39

Comte described the earliest human societies as being at which stage of societal development?

A) theological stage
B) metaphysical stage
C) scientific stage
D) post-scientific stage

Question 40

The ancient Romans saw the stars as gods. Comte would classify Roman society as which of the following types?

A) scientific stage
B) metaphysical stage
C) theological stage
D) post-scientific stage

Question 41

The theoretical approach in sociology that assumes society is a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability is the

A) structural-functional approach.
B) social-conflict approach.
C) symbolic-interaction approach.
D) None of the above is correct.

Question 42

To evaluate a theory, sociologists

A) gather data or facts.
B) follow the conventional wisdom of their society.
C) are guided by what they personally want to be true.
D) ask their sociology professors if it sounds right.

Question 43

Herbert Spencer described human society as having much in common with

A) animal societies.
B) planets and stars.
C) the human brain.
D) the human body.

Question 44

Which theoretical approach was used by early sociologists Auguste Comte and Emile Durkheim?

A) the structural-functional approach
B) the social-conflict approach
C) the symbolic-interaction approach
D) the deviance and social control approach

Question 45

Identify the three sociologists who played a part in the development of sociology's structural-functional approach.

A) Auguste Comte, Karl Marx, W.E.B. Du Bois
B) Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim
C) Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, Auguste Comte
D) Harriet Martineau, Robert Merton, W.E.B. Du Bois

Question 46

Social structures sometimes have negative consequences for the operation of society as a whole. What is the term for these negative consequences?

A) social structure
B) eufunctions
C) social functions
D) social dysfunctions

Question 47

Who said "the medium is the message"?

A) Harold Innis
B) John Porter
C) Dorothy Smith
D) Marshal McLuhan

Question 48

Canadian sociology, as distinct from American sociology, contains

A) a unique anglophone component.
B) a unique francophone component.
C) a reflection of four major cultures.
D) an Aboriginal component.

Question 49

In deciding what kinds of questions to ask in their research, sociologists are guided by

A) one or more theoretical approaches.
B) their own common sense.
C) our society's traditional wisdom.
D) sheer chance.

Question 50

A statement of how and why specific facts are related is called a(n)

A) approach.
B) precept.
C) concept.
D) theory.

Question 51

Who coined the term "institutional completeness"?

A) John Porter
B) Dorothy Smith
C) Harold Innis
D) Raymond Breton

Question 52

Which of the following best describes the focus of the structural-functional approach?

A) the meaning people attach to their behaviour
B) patterns of social inequality
C) the consequences of social patterns for the operation of society
D) the conflicts which arise between genders or ethnicities.

Question 53

Which of the following does NOT contribute to Canadian sociology's concern with questions of unity, political movements, regionalism, environment, identity, diversity, and cultural expression?

A) Canada's massive size
B) Canada's distance from Europe
C) Canada's sparse but diverse population
D) Canada's proximity to the United States

Question 54

French-Canadian sociology was influenced, initially, by

A) sociology in France.
B) August Comte.
C) the Roman Catholic Church.
D) Harriet Martineau.

Question 55

With whom do we associate the "staples thesis"?

A) Auguste Comte
B) Harold Innis
C) John Porter
D) Dorothy Smith

Question 56

Using the structural-functional approach, which of the following questions might you ask about marriage?

A) What do people think marriage means?
B) How does marriage benefit women and men unequally?
C) What are the consequences of marriage for the operation of society?
D) How can we help people find more pleasure in their marriages?

Question 57

If we state that children raised in single-parent families are at high risk of being single parents themselves, we have constructed a(n) _____ of family life.

A) approach
B) precept
C) concept
D) theory

Question 58

Sociologists cannot identify "laws of society" that allow us to predict individual human behaviour

A) because human behaviour is patterned but also spontaneous.
B) because sociology is still very young.
C) because no sociologist ever tried to discover such laws.
D) because society is modelled after God's will, which is beyond the understanding of sociology.

Question 59

Which term is used to describe relatively stable patterns of social behaviour?

A) social structure
B) eufunctions
C) social functions
D) social dysfunctions

Question 60

Who was the sociologist who distinguished between the manifest functions and the latent functions of social patterns?

A) Robert K. Merton
B) William Graham Sumner
C) Talcott Parsons
D) C. Wright Mills

Question 61

The main characteristic of the _____ approach is its view of society as orderly and stable.

A) structural-functional
B) social-conflict
C) social-interaction
D) deviance and social control

Question 62

Which of the following statements might be made by a sociologist using the gender-conflict approach?

A) Men and women share in the joys of family life.
B) Men earn more than women in the workplace.
C) Gender functions in an important way to keep society operating.
D) The glass ceiling is a myth.

Question 63

The recognized and intended consequences of a social pattern are referred to as

A) latent functions.
B) manifest functions.
C) eufunctions.
D) dysfunctions.

Question 64

Unrecognized and unintended consequences of a social pattern are called

A) latent functions.
B) manifest functions.
C) eufunctions.
D) dysfunctions.

Question 65

Which woman helped launch the discipline of sociology by studying the evils of slavery and also by translating the writings of Auguste Comte?

A) Harriet Martineau
B) Jane Addams
C) Elizabeth Cady Stanton
D) Dorothea Dix

Question 66

The social-conflict approach sometimes receives criticism for

A) focusing on values that everyone shares.
B) being openly political.
C) promoting the status quo.
D) condemning the free flow of ideas and information.

Question 67

Robert Merton explained that what is functional for one category of a society's population

A) is functional for everyone.
B) may not be functional for another category.
C) is unlikely to change over time.
D) may not be functional in the future.

Question 68

Which of the following is an accurate criticism of the structural-functional approach?

A) It ignores inequality that can generate tension and conflict.
B) It focuses too much on social dysfunction.
C) It focuses too much on power divisions in society.
D) It is a politically liberal view of society.

Question 69

Which theoretical approach would highlight the fact that, on average, Aboriginal families have less income than White families?

A) the race-conflict approach
B) the gender-conflict approach
C) the structural-functional approach
D) the symbolic-interaction approach

Question 70

W.E.B. Du Bois claimed that _____ was the major problem facing the United States during the twentieth century.

A) class
B) race
C) gender
D) ethnicity

Question 71

The social-conflict approach draws attention to

A) how elements contribute to the overall operation of society.
B) how people construct meaning in their interactions.
C) patterns of social inequality.
D) the stable aspects of society.

Question 72

Which of the following early sociologists had an important influence on the development of the social-conflict approach?

A) Karl Marx
B) Talcott Parsons
C) Emile Durkheim
D) Herbert Spencer

Question 73

Which pioneering sociologist founded Chicago's Hull House to assist immigrants and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?

A) Jane Addams
B) Harriet Martineau
C) W.E.B. Du Bois
D) Herbert Spencer

Question 74

Karl Marx, speaking for the social-conflict approach, argued that the point of studying society was

A) to understand how society really operates.
B) to compare U.S. society to others.
C) to foster support for a nation's government.
D) to bring about needed change.

Question 75

Which early U.S. sociologist studied the Black community and served as a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)?

A) Jane Addams
B) Harriet Martineau
C) W.E.B. Du Bois
D) Herbert Spencer

Question 76

Which early sociologist received the first doctorate ever awarded by Harvard University to a person of colour?

A) Jane Addams
B) Harriet Martineau
C) W.E.B. Du Bois
D) Herbert Spencer

Question 77

Which of the following is the best example of a latent function of going to college?

A) providing skills needed for later jobs
B) keeping young people out of the labour force, which may not have jobs for them yet
C) gaining the knowledge required to be an active and thoughtful citizen
D) giving young people experience living on their own

Question 78

The "framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change" is the

A) structural-functional approach.
B) social-conflict approach.
C) symbolic-interaction approach.
D) feminist approach.

Question 79

Looking at the operation of Canadian schools, the social-conflict approach might lead a sociologist to conclude that

A) the function of schools is to teach needed skills.
B) the meaning of schooling varies from child to child.
C) schools have been a major path to social advancement.
D) tracking provides some students with far better schooling than others.

Question 80

Using the social-conflict approach, a sociologist might highlight which of the following?

A) the standard of fairness all students receive in the public education system
B) the importance of gender roles in a well-ordered society
C) racial inequality in a company's hiring and promotion practices
D) the positive function of inequality in the workplace