Deck 12: Education and Religion

Question 1

Today,around __________ of the population 15 years and older in developing countries is illiterate.

A) 2 percent
B) 20 percent
C) 40 percent
D) 70 percent

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Allison thinks that the Chicago school system would better equip students if it were turned over to for-profit institutions instead of the state.This view is often referred to as:

A) Marxian method
B) socialization
C) privatization
D) curricula controls

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In his research of public schools,the journalist Jonathan Kozol found that in the United States:

A) we have public school systems that ensure an equal access to educational opportunities
B) there are the best mathematics programs in the world
C) we overemphasize philosophy at the expense of more useful disciplines
D) we have incredibly unequal conditions in our schools,with some children not even having access to basic resources for learning

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The term homeschooling refers to when:

A) a child is moved into a home in a different country and immersed in the culture
B) adults,who are too old for public schools,learn on their own from home
C) a child is taught outside of a school by his or her parents,guardians,or a team of adults who oversee his or her educational development
D) runaways attend group-home schools

Question 5

Xheng asserts that if a child is put in a higher-level grouping for instruction in school,the child is likely to receive better teaching and treatment.Her view most closely resembles which of the following studies?

A) sociological studies of tracking and "within school effects"
B) Jonathan Kozol's Savage Inequalities
C) James Coleman's studies on "between school effects"
D) Randall Collins's studies of credentialism

Question 6

"Between school effects" refers to:

A) a comparison of how schools differ from one another
B) the effects of nighttime activities on learning
C) a comparison of wealthy and poor children and their educational opportunities
D) that crucial summer between high school and college

Question 7

Martita thinks that public schools in poorer areas in the United States suffer from a lack of resources compared with those in wealthy areas and that this has a major impact on learning and educational achievement.Her views most closely mirror which of the following studies?

A) sociological studies of tracking and "within school effects"
B) Jonathan Kozol's Savage Inequalities
C) James Coleman's studies on "between school effects"
D) Randall Collins's studies of credentialism

Question 8

Kumar thinks that a child's background and environment influence educational attainment more than the physical resources a school has at its disposal.His view most closely resembles the conclusions of which of the following studies?

A) sociological studies of tracking and "within school effects"
B) Jonathan Kozol's Savage Inequalities
C) James Coleman's studies on "between school effects"
D) Randall Collins's studies of credentialism

Question 9

Until the first few decades of the 19th century,most of the world's population had no schooling whatsoever.According to the textbook,why did universal education develop?

A) The church,then a powerful political institution,demanded public education as a means to transmit religious values.
B) As the industrial economy rapidly expanded,there was a great demand for specialized schooling that could produce an educated,capable workforce.
C) The demands of the peasantry for education could no longer be ignored because they challenged the hegemony of the nobility over education.
D) Enlightenment values dictated that the populace at large must be educated.

Question 10

Why might sociologists be opposed to tracking in schools?

A) Studies have generally found that tracking reinforces previously existing inequalities for average or poor students.
B) Tracking is usually done inefficiently by contemporary schools.
C) Tracking creates hierarchies,which sociologists uniformly reject.
D) Tracking artificially inflates the middle class.

Question 11

The practice of tracking can be described as:

A) dividing students into groups that receive different instruction on the basis of assumed similarities in ability or attainment
B) keeping tabs on students who have had run-ins with the law
C) the practice of cataloging where children are from and their immigration status
D) keeping a running account of the differences between boys and girls in core subjects,such as math and English

Question 12

Why have sociologists,at times,been critical of Jonathan Kozol's findings on public schools in his work Savage Inequalities?

A) Schools are not integral to the functioning of society and are,therefore,not worthy of empirical study.
B) Young students cannot be trusted as respondents for sociological studies.
C) Poor students are likely to lie about their educational experiences to fit into normative constructions of what it means to be educated.
D) He had no systematic way in which he chose the schools he studied,which allowed for selection bias.

Question 13

Why are sociologists often critical of the idea of universal education as a great equalizer that creates a freer and equal society?

A) Schooling and education-particularly literacy-create elitists who wave their educations around as signs of being better than others.
B) Work carries with it more practical knowledge than schools can teach.
C) Contemporary schools often carry within them a hidden curriculum that reproduces social inequality.
D) Schools reinforce critical-thinking skills that make it difficult for social scientists to educate people without them questioning their authority.

Question 14

Rather than going to public,or even private,schools,Pedro was taught by his parents.This is an example of:

A) feminist pedagogy
B) complimentary holism
C) homeschooling
D) the Marxist method

Question 15

According to the textbook,why was education so rapidly expanded with the development of capitalism in the opinion of Marxist sociologists?

A) Working people fought for universal education to improve their condition.
B) Employers needed certain personality characteristics in their workers-self-discipline,dependability,punctuality,obedience,and the like-and these are all taught in schools.
C) The state came to compete with the church as the agent of education.
D) Enlightenment values demanded an equal access to a good and stable education.

Question 16

Proponents of __________ in education advocate for competition,for-profit schooling,and performance-based pay for teachers.

A) socialization
B) New Age techniques
C) strong unions
D) privatization

Question 17

Chang thinks that students in school largely learn to become obedient and diligent workers despite any formal lessons they might be taught.Sociologists call this the:

A) three Rs
B) school of hard knocks
C) critical-thinking lessons
D) hidden curriculum

Question 18

The term school has its origins in a Greek word meaning:

A) "leisure" or "recreation"
B) "mastery"
C) "craftsmanship and hard work"
D) "accounting"

Question 19

Compulsory schooling was established in Europe and the United States:

A) in the 17h century
B) in the 18th century
C) in the 19th century
D) in the 20th century

Question 20

The term hidden curriculum refers to:

A) secret lessons picked up on by especially bright students
B) a learning game invented in Berkeley
C) the fact that much of what is learned in school has nothing directly to do with the formal content of lessons
D) how difficult it is for students to find proper training in philosophy

Question 21

Why was Karl Marx critical of religion?

A) Marx believed that religion defers happiness and rewards to the afterlife and teaches the resigned acceptance of existing conditions in the earthly life.
B) Marx felt that religions explained existence but provided no explanations for societal advancement.
C) Marx believed that the world's economies were mere reflections of their respective religions.
D) Marx thought that religion influenced humans to think more in terms of philosophy instead of hard science.

Question 22

Karl Marx declared that religion was:

A) a force for human liberation
B) the primary means of organizing revolution
C) an incubator for new ideas
D) the "opium of the people"

Question 23

Émile Durkheim's theory of religion is a good example of the __________ tradition in sociology.

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

Question 24

Jezebel thinks that religions are typified by their tendency to treat some objects as supernatural,mystical,and awe-inspiring and others as just part of everyday life.The supernatural objects are then treated with ritual and veneration.Her view most closely resembles that of:

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Wade Clark Roof
C) Karl Marx
D) Max Weber

Question 25

Contrary to Karl Marx,Max Weber believed that __________ was the source of the capitalistic outlook found in the modern West.

A) Buddhism
B) Protestantism
C) materialism
D) Confucianism

Question 26

Fran thinks that religion provides justifications for people who occupy positions of wealth and power in our society to maintain their wealth and remain in power.Her view most closely resembles that of:

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Wade Clark Roof
C) Karl Marx
D) Max Weber

Question 27

Sociologists consider religion all of the following EXCEPT:

A) the primary source of ethnic and racial hatred
B) a source of society's beliefs
C) a source of society's norms
D) a source of society's values

Question 28

Adhira thinks that religion serves a function in society by cohering social groups under some common ideas and morals.Her views most closely resemble those of:

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Wade Clark Roof
C) Karl Marx
D) Max Weber

Question 29

Sociologists define religion as:

A) a cultural system of commonly shared beliefs and rituals that provides a sense of meaning and purpose by creating an idea of reality that is sacred,all encompassing,and supernatural
B) a social system in which the state interacts with a clergy and creates a merger between superstition and law
C) an institution defined by a common mythology and an expectation of penance,often in the form of money
D) a deeply ingrained connection with the divine

Question 30

Why are sociologists so concerned with the social organization of religion?

A) Religion is the primary source of the development of the economy,which sociologists consider the most important building block of any society.
B) Religion is among the most important institutions in society and is a primary source of the deepest-seated norms and values.
C) Sociologists view religion as a repressive force,and sociologists value open societies.
D) Religion is the institution that determines our basic understandings of ourselves,such as gender,race,nationality,and other markers of identity.

Question 31

Why did Émile Durkheim believe that religion was useful for human societies?

A) Durkheim felt that religions allowed our desires to be expressed in totems and repressed our baser instincts.
B) Durkheim held that religion ties communities together through a common belief in divine judgment.
C) Durkheim argued that religion has the function of cohering a society by ensuring that people meet regularly to affirm common beliefs and values.
D) Religion,according to Durkheim,allows the strong to assert ideological power over the weak,which leads to societal advancement and evolution.

Question 32

According to the textbook,when it comes to religion,sociologists are NOT concerned about:

A) the effects of religion on the economy
B) the ways religion is used to legitimate authority
C) whether religious beliefs are true or false
D) how religion gives humans a sense of meaning

Question 33

Theism can be described as:

A) a complete rejection of religion of any kind
B) a belief in one or more supernatural deities
C) repackaged neoliberalism
D) the idea that schools should have equal access to resources

Question 34

Alienation can be described as:

A) the ways that humans relate to foreign and alien ideas
B) the patterns of behaviors that societies use to distinguish themselves from outsiders
C) the sense that our own abilities as human beings are taken over by other entities
D) a profound degree of mastery and knowledge

Question 35

Indeet's family has a pot of incense that they use to give gifts of scent to their dead ancestors in rituals.It is seen as a special object,apart from everyday life,for a ritual that is to be treated with special respect.Émile Durkheim would refer to this object as:

A) religious economy
B) sacred
C) profane
D) preliterate

Question 36

Kitchen utensils,in David's family,are just routine everyday parts of life.Émile Durkheim would refer to these objects as:

A) religious economy
B) sacred
C) profane
D) preliterate

Question 37

Clara notices in her historical research that the ancient Greeks tended to ascribe the creation of their ethical values to gods and goddesses.Clara is noting the process of:

A) globalization
B) canonization
C) alienation
D) communization

Question 38

__________ is one of the oldest human institutions.

A) School
B) The nation-state
C) Large-scale private property
D) Religion

Question 39

Émile Durkheim defined religion in terms of a distinction between the __________ and the __________.

A) clean; unclean
B) lord; citizen
C) sacred; profane
D) prayerful; silent

Question 40

James thinks that religion,by getting people focused on rewards in an afterlife,distracts them from changing things now.His views most closely resemble those of:

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Wade Clark Roof
C) Karl Marx
D) Max Weber

Question 41

The religious grouping that Juana belongs to was once primarily a smaller protest group of another larger religious organization,but now it has become institutionalized and no longer functions as a protest group.Sociologists would likely refer to this as a:

A) church
B) sect
C) denomination
D) cult

Question 42

Aiko thinks that the rise in science,technology,and rational thought leads to a kind of thinking that might mean a decline in religion for human communities.Some sociologists refer to this as:

A) religiosity
B) secular thinking
C) stoicism
D) theological thinking

Question 43

Donald thinks that religions are best studied as being in competition with one another for followers.Sociologists call this view:

A) dialectical materialism
B) idealism
C) religious economy
D) sectarianism

Question 44

Why did Max Weber believe Christianity contained possibilities for social change that Eastern religions did not?

A) Weber thought that the Eastern religions were too focused on sin and salvation instead of experiencing the divine.
B) Weber thought that Christianity represented the top of the religious evolutionary chain and beat other religions because of its usefulness to human progress.
C) Weber believed that the religions of the East cultivate an attitude of passivity or acceptance within the believer whereas Christianity demands a constant struggle against sin and so can stimulate revolt against the existing order.
D) Weber thought that Christianity,with its focus on inner development,love,and acceptance of everyone,was suited for multicultural development.

Question 45

Bachiko belongs to a small transient religious grouping that rejects the values of her sprawling city.Sociologists would likely refer to this as a:

A) church
B) sect
C) denomination
D) cult

Question 46

Lorna's research shows a steady decline in religious participation in her small community in Texas and,thus,a decline in the social and political power of religious institutions there.Sociologists refer to this process as:

A) secularization
B) fundamentalism
C) socialization
D) religious economy

Question 47

Why is education considered a social institution?

Question 48

Gilbert thinks that the salvation-oriented religions of the West have a particularly progressive character because of their focus on the struggle against sin.His views most closely resemble those of:

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Peter Berger
C) Karl Marx
D) Max Weber

Question 49

Grant belongs to a small and less organized group of worshippers set up in protest of the larger Christian congregation in his city.Sociologists would likely refer to this group as a:

A) church
B) sect
C) denomination
D) cult

Question 50

The term religious economy refers to:

A) Western religions that create multimillion-dollar mega-churches
B) a theoretical framework within the sociology of religion that argues that religions can be fruitfully understood as organizations in competition with one another for followers
C) a set of sociological theories focusing on the role that economics plays in the development of world religions
D) the ways that religious institutions collect money,often through charity and tithes

Question 51

Why did Max Weber largely disagree with Karl Marx's ideas on religion?

A) Weber argued that religion was not necessarily a conservative force; rather,religiously inspired movements have often produced dramatic social transformations.
B) Weber held that religion,rather than being the "opium of the people," actually had a much more sinister effect of teaching the populace basic lessons about the repression of desire.
C) Weber thought that Marx looked too much at society's structures when it came to religion and failed to account for daily life.
D) Weber knew that religion was embedded in human culture and that it could not be reduced to the workings of the state.

Question 52

According to the textbook,__________ are the most loosely knit and transient of all religious organizations.

A) churches
B) sects
C) denominations
D) cults

Question 53

Luis believes that it is the responsibility of Christians and the Catholic Church to be activists and advocates for the poor.This idea is referred to as:

A) Christian fundamentalism
B) humanism
C) religious nationalism
D) liberation theology

Question 54

Why are some sociologists critical of the religious economy approach to looking at religious involvement?

A) Sociologists think that economics is not a useful field to draw from.
B) The approach assumes that people are largely forced into their religious beliefs rather than accounting for human choice and diversity.
C) It overestimates the extent to which people rationally choose among different religions,as if they were shopping for a new car or a pair of shoes.
D) Most sociologists think that economists should focus on hard economic data instead of human social behaviors.

Question 55

Sally belongs to a large bureaucratic religious body with a hierarchy of officials.It is one of the largest,recognized,and legitimated faces of religion in her country.Sociologists would refer to this as a:

A) church
B) sect
C) denomination
D) cult

Question 56

Why do religious economists believe that competition among secular viewpoints and many religions leads to increased participation in religion in modern societies?

A) Competition makes each religious group try harder to win followers,and the presence of numerous religions means that there is likely to be something for just about everyone.
B) Competition against secularism has shown that religious viewpoints have better explanatory power for life's basic problems.
C) Religions that see themselves as in competition with one another are more likely to evolve into secular-style beliefs.
D) Modern societies need multiple religions competing for the economy to function,providing untaxed incentives for belief.

Question 57

Kristine believes that as a Christian,she belongs to a group of people who are destined to bring the United States under God's rule as a Christian country.Her ideas are a form of:

A) secularism
B) humanism
C) religious nationalism
D) Marxism

Question 58

The linking of strongly held religious convictions with beliefs about a people's social and political destiny is called:

A) a Fatwa
B) religious nationalism
C) fundamentalism
D) ecumenicalism

Question 59

__________ describes an activist Catholic religious movement that combines Catholic beliefs with a passion for social justice for the poor.

A) Liberation theology
B) Monasticism
C) Agnosticism
D) Asceticism

Question 60

Cantong notes in his research that often religion serves as a progressive force for social change.His views most closely resemble those of:

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Wade Clark Roof
C) Karl Marx
D) Max Weber

Question 61

What are some theories for why schooling has developed as it has in modern society?

Question 62

How is religion connected to both violence and social change?

Question 63

Describe the four types of religious organizations outlined in the textbook.

Question 64

What is religious nationalism?

Question 65

What are some arguments for privatization of the educational system?

Question 66

Describe the recent policy proposals enacted to reform education in the United States.What is your assessment of these policies?

Question 67

What are the connections between education and employment?

Question 68

How do religious groupings in the United States vary by region and socioeconomic status,according to the textbook?

Question 69

How is the educational system complicit in the reproduction of inequality?

Question 70

Briefly explain Karl Marx,Émile Durkheim,and Max Weber's theories of religion.

Question 71

What are some of the reasons why Americans are so religiously affiliated,according to the textbook?

Question 72

What is the theory of religious economy?

Question 73

What are some of the reasons there are many illiterate people in the developing world?

Question 74

How do religion and education act as socializing agents?