Deck 16: Social Interaction and Social Structure

Question 1

You walk into your women's studies class,and you look at the person sitting to your left.He is the only male in the class;he is about 20 years old,wears a wedding ring,and carries a bag with a tennis racquet.Which of his characteristics is most likely his master status in the context of this class?

A)his age
B)his marital status
C)his gender
D)his interest in tennis

Answer 1

C

Question 2

An ascribed status is a social position

A)attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts.
B)"assigned" to a person by society without regard for the person's unique talents or characteristics.
C)that is earned.
D)that is reached as a result of negotiation.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

According to Herbert Blumer,a distinctive characteristic of human interaction is that

A)the reality of humans is shaped by our perceptions and evaluations.
B)humans respond to behavior based on the meaning we attach to the actions of others.
C)humans interpret or define each other's actions.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Ray is an African American who is currently enrolled at a four-year university where he is studying social work.Which of the following is his achieved status?

A)social worker
B)male
C)African American
D)college student

Question 5

Which term is used by sociologists to refer to any of the full range of socially defined positions within a large group or society?

A)status
B)culture
C)social structure
D)Gemeinschaft

Question 6

An achieved status is a social position

A)attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts.
B)"assigned" to a person by society without regard for the person's unique talents or characteristics.
C)that is assigned to an individual at birth.
D)that is given to an individual based upon his or her age,race,or gender.

Question 7

Social interaction is

A)the process of learning norms,values,beliefs,and other requirements for effective participation in social groups.
B)the way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships.
C)the ways in which people respond to one another.
D)a series of relationships linking a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.

Question 8

Ascribed statuses may be based on an individual's

A)race.
B)gender.
C)age.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about an ascribed status is correct?

A)It is easy to change when an individual becomes older.
B)It has the same social meaning in every society.
C)It is based on an individual's skills.
D)It is generally biological in origin,but significant mainly because of the social meanings attached to it within a given culture.

Question 10

Which of the following is true regarding marriage in Japan?

A)Most husbands do not call their wife by name.
B)Husbands say "I love you" more often than other nationalities.
C)Most married Japanese couples do not actually love one another.
D)Marriage is considered more a relationship than a social status.

Question 11

An individual can acquire an achieved status by

A)attending school.
B)establishing a friendship.
C)inventing a new product.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 12

Which sociological perspective is especially interested in ascribed statuses because they often confer privileges or reflect a person's membership in a subordinate group?

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

Question 13

Jan,Randy,and Terry are science majors,and when they graduate from college,they find jobs as a nurse,a midwife,and a hospital administrator,respectively.These new positions are examples of

A)statuses.
B)social roles.
C)groups.
D)social networks.

Question 14

Philip Zimbardo's study of a simulated prison environment that used college students as prisoners and prison guards

A)indicated that it is impossible to replicate a "real life" situation in a laboratory.
B)demonstrated that a social structure can influence the type of social interactions that occur.
C)indicated that social interactions are not influenced by social structure characteristics.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 15

Which of the following terms refers to the way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships?

A)socialization
B)social structure
C)social interaction
D)culture

Question 16

Which of the following is an achieved status?

A)race
B)gender
C)occupation
D)age

Question 17

When Malcolm X's eighth grade teacher dismissed Malcolm's desired career goal of lawyer and instead suggested he become a carpenter,the teacher was viewing Malcolm's race as a(n)

A)achieved status.
B)master status.
C)ascribed status.
D)assigned status.

Question 18

William I.Thomas wrote from which perspective when observing that people respond not only to the objective features of a person or situation but also to the meaning that person or situation has for them?

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

Question 19

A master status is a

A)category used by sociologists for any of the full range of socially defined positions within a large group or society.
B)social position attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts.
C)status that dominates others and thereby determines a person's general position within society.
D)series of social relationships linking a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.

Question 20

One crucial aspect of the relationship between dominant and subordinate groups is the ability of the dominant group to

A)define a society's values.
B)define social reality.
C)mold the "definition of the situation."
D)All these answers are correct.

Question 21

The difficulty that arises when the same social position imposes conflicting demands and expectations is known as

A)role conflict.
B)role strain.
C)role exit.
D)resocialization.

Question 22

Which sociological perspective emphasizes that social roles contribute to a society's stability by enabling members to anticipate the behavior of others and to pattern their own actions accordingly?

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

Question 23

Studies have shown that which of the following is true in terms of the use of social networks for job searching and career advancement?

A)Networking pays off more for white men.
B)Men are more likely to rely on classified advertisements.
C)Networking pays off more for women.
D)More female executives use networking than male executives.

Question 24

Which term is used by sociologists to refer to a set of expectations for people who occupy a given social position or status?

A)social role
B)structural role
C)achieved role
D)ascribed role

Question 25

Which of the following statements about social networks is true?

A)Even network connections that are weak may be useful.
B)Social networks consist exclusively of direct ties to others.
C)Networking in the workplace pays off more for women than for men.
D)About 25 percent of male executives find new jobs through social networks.

Question 26

Which sociological perspective suggests that a society or a relatively permanent group must accomplish certain major tasks if it is to survive?

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

Question 27

A group of businesswomen meet on a monthly basis to assist one another in advancing their careers.They give each other job leads and advice,and they invite business leaders to attend their sessions to provide further assistance.This group is an example of

A)role connection.
B)impression management.
C)status assistance.
D)social networking.

Question 28

Which of the following is an example of a social institution?

A)the U.S.government
B)a group of passengers on an inner-city bus
C)the members of a stamp-collecting society
D)a children's playgroup

Question 29

In Ebaugh's four stages of the process of role exit,which of the following is a core element of the first stage?

A)searching for alternatives
B)identity creation
C)doubt
D)action

Question 30

Helen Rose Fuchs Ebaugh studied

A)role conflict among internal affairs officers in police departments.
B)role exit.
C)social networking among Black businesswomen.
D)sociocultural evolution.

Question 31

Which term is used to refer to incompatible expectations that arise when the same person holds two or more social positions?

A)role strain
B)role conflict
C)role ambiguity
D)role exit

Question 32

Sociological research that maps sexual relationships among high school students is an example of research on

A)ascribed statuses.
B)role exit.
C)social networks.
D)social institutions.

Question 33

Which of the following is true of obesity in regards to social ties?

A)The obese are most frequently in social groups with the non-obese.
B)Weight gain in one person is often related to weight gain of that person's friends and family.
C)Obese people have few social ties.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 34

Which of the following terms is used to refer to organized patterns of beliefs and behavior centered on basic social needs?

A)social networks
B)social institutions
C)functional prerequisites
D)communities

Question 35

Role exit is defined as

A)the process of disengagement from a role that is central to one's self-identity and the re-establishment of an identity in a new role.
B)a difficulty that occurs when incompatible expectations arise from two or more social positions held by the same person.
C)a difficulty that occurs when incompatible expectations arise within one social position occupied by an individual.
D)a set of expectations of people who occupy a given social position.

Question 36

A(n)________ is any number of people with similar norms,values,and expectations who regularly and consciously interact.

A)group
B)negotiation team
C)organic solidarity
D)aggregate

Question 37

Which of the following statements about social roles is correct?

A)The roles that belong to a social status are always performed in the same manner.
B)Social roles are always performed in the same manner by those holding ascribed,but not achieved,statuses.
C)Actual performance of a role varies from individual to individual.
D)Role expectations and actual role performances never vary.

Question 38

A social network is

A)a social structure that derives its existence from the social interactions through which people define and redefine its character.
B)an attempt to reach agreement with others concerning some objective.
C)a series of social relationships that link a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.
D)the way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships.

Question 39

Elaine is a clinical sociologist who practices marriage and family therapy.She is also a college professor.One of her current students asks her if she can make an appointment for a therapy session.Elaine tells the student that she will refer her to a colleague because she feels that holding therapy sessions with a student might create

A)role strain.
B)role conflict.
C)role exit.
D)status displacement.

Question 40

Functional prerequisites are

A)tasks that a society or relatively permanent group must accomplish if it is to survive.
B)organized patterns of beliefs and behavior centered on basic social needs.
C)social relationships that link a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.
D)attempts to reach agreement with others concerning some objective.

Question 41

Reality is shaped by our definitions-but not our perceptions and evaluations.

Question 42

The last stage of role exit is the departure or disengagement from a role that has been central to one's identity.

Question 43

Gender is an ascribed status.

Question 44

In the U.S. ,the ascribed statuses of race and gender can function as master statuses that have an important impact on one's potential to achieve a desired professional and social status.

Question 45

Mitchell Duneier studied the social network and social behavior of whom,as a method of researching the effects of social institutions on them?

A)street corner preachers
B)female word processors
C)warehouse workers
D)tollbooth operators

Question 46

The patriotic behavior of U.S.citizens on January 20,2009 in coming to witness the Inauguration of President Barack Obama represents what kind of functionalist prerequisite?

A)teaching new recruits
B)preserving order
C)replacing personnel
D)providing and maintaining a sense of purpose

Question 47

Mitchell Duneier's work regarding social networks operates from which sociological perspective?

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

Question 48

The mass media are an example of a social institution.

Question 49

The 2004 Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal brought new relevance to the prison experiments conducted using college students in the 1970s.

Question 50

Explain the ways in which a social network can either help or hinder a person.

Question 51

The conflict perspective holds that social institutions

A)maintain the privileges of the powerful individuals and groups within a society.
B)preserve order and equality.
C)train personnel equitably.
D)provide and maintain a sense of basic fairness.

Question 52

Age is an achieved status.

Question 53

Positive age-seniority language distinctions are uncommon in the United States.

Question 54

Discuss how the three major sociological perspectives of functionalism,conflict theory,and interactionism view the role of social institutions in society.

Question 55

Which of the following functional prerequisites was NOT fulfilled by the religious sect known as the Shakers?

A)replacing personnel
B)teaching new recruits
C)producing and distributing goods and services
D)preserving order

Question 56

Explain the difference between ascribed and achieved statuses,and give examples to support your answer.

Question 57

Friends and family are examples of social networks.

Question 58

Social networks influence the way in which people behave.