Deck 1: Sociology: a Unique Way to View the World

Question 1

The discipline a social scientist is trained in plays a role in the questions the social scientist asks. "How will high gas prices impact automobile sales in the near future?" would most likely be asked by a(n):

A) Anthropologist
B) Economist
C) Psychologist
D) Sociologist

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The difference between common sense and sociology is that:

A) Common sense refers to ideas that are taken for granted, while sociology tests beliefs in a scientific manner.
B) Common sense is only useful in survival situations.
C) Sociology finds the true answers, while common sense is not true.
D) None of the above

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The discipline a social scientist is trained in plays a role in the questions the social scientist asks. "How do couples negotiate roles in a marriage?" would most likely be asked by a(n):

A) Sociologist
B) Economist
C) Political scientist
D) Psychologist

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The discipline a social scientist is trained in plays a role in the questions the social scientist asks. "What are individuals' physiological reactions to a violent movie like Saw?" would most likely be asked by a(n):

A) Anthropologist
B) Economist
C) Psychologist
D) Political scientist

Question 5

Which of the following sociologists is most closely associated with the sociological imagination?

A) Peter Berger
B) Karl Marx
C) C. Wright Mills
D) Émile Durkheim

Question 6

The aspects of society that provide the rules, roles, and relationships needed to shape human behavior are:

A) Social units
B) Social structures
C) Social institutions
D) National societies

Question 7

Rigid beliefs that are often untested or unfounded about a certain group of people are referred to as:

A) Stereotypes
B) Common sense
C) Prejudices
D) Discriminations

Question 8

A social scientist is trained to study the contents of garbage heaps. "What can we learn from studying garbage?" would most likely be asked by a(n):

A) Anthropologist
B) Economist
C) Political scientist
D) Psychologist

Question 9

According to the text, the smallest unit sociologists study is a(n):

A) Triad
B) Dyad
C) Individual
D) Community

Question 10

While walking down the street, Alana notices a homeless man. She thinks to herself, "That man must be homeless because he became unemployed. I'm sure that's because our local economy is so bad and companies seem to be moving to other countries. He probably lost his family, too." Sociologists would say that Alana is using her:

A) Sociological imagination
B) Psychological training
C) Economic perspective
D) Investigative abilities

Question 11

Which of the following elements did C. Wright Mills attribute as being the one that sociologists would use to explain individual behavior?

A) Common Sense
B) Instinct
C) External influence
D) Inherited ability

Question 12

Common sense differs from sociology primarily because:

A) Sociology uses scientific research methods to test ideas while common sense relies primarily on untested information.
B) Sociology is an unpopular discipline and common sense is viewed as a reliable source of information.
C) Common sense is only used by the uneducated while only educated persons use sociology.
D) Common sense relies only on emotion to draw conclusions while sociology relies only on logic to formulate studies.

Question 13

The discipline a social scientist is trained in plays a role in the questions the social scientist asks. "How do educational opportunities for women impact national infant mortality rates in Eastern European countries?" would most likely be asked by a(n):

A) Sociologist
B) Psychologist
C) Political scientist
D) Economist

Question 14

Interconnected parts of the social world ranging from small groups to entire societies are:

A) Social units
B) Social structures
C) Social institutions
D) National societies

Question 15

_______________ refers to the layering of individuals into social strata based on factors such as income, education, and occupation.

A) Socialization
B) Stereotyping
C) Stratification
D) Institutionalism

Question 16

When her four-year-old son wanted to wear a dress to kindergarten, Lisette told him that he could not because "boys don't wear dresses." In doing so, Lisette engaged in the process of:

A) Socialization
B) Change
C) Stratification
D) Institutionalism

Question 17

In comparison, sociology focuses on _________, whereas psychology focuses on _________.

A) humans, rats
B) group patterns, behavior of individuals
C) behavior of individuals, group patterns
D) society, members of society

Question 18

In 1989, numerous Chinese students were killed as they protested in Tiananmen Square. The students had become dissatisfied with the government and were calling for political and economic reform. These students were attempting to engage in the process of:

A) Socialization
B) Change
C) Stratification
D) Institutionalization

Question 19

Jennifer and Tyrone have been dating for two years. They have decided to attend the same college together, so both move in to the same dorm. In this example, "Jennifer and Tyrone" are a _____________ and "moving in to the same dorm" is a _______________.

A) social unit, social institution
B) social structure, social process
C) social process, social structure
D) social unit, social process

Question 20

The authors of the text would argue that a change in the economy would eventually result in a change in the family. This is because:

A) People panic when the economy changes, and they frequently take their stresses out on their families.
B) The economy and the family remain separated unless something bad occurs in one institution or the other.
C) All social institutions are interrelated.
D) The authors of the text would not use any of the above arguments.

Question 21

Sociology, political science, and psychology are separate disciplines and do not overlap.

Question 22

Commonsense assumptions are never true when tested sociologically.

Question 23

Kevin is a member of his college hockey team. The team is supported by the university, fans, and corporate sponsors and is connected to other teams, their sports conference governing board, and all of the individual team members' families and friends. In this example, Kevin's team is ________________ and the team's supporters and connections are _______________.

A) an institution, the environment
B) a social unit, the environment
C) an institution, a social unit
D) the environment, a social structure

Question 24

Byron is a sociologist who studies social change. In his study of the election of a new congressional representative for his district, Byron concluded that "Representative Phillips will inevitably be harmful for the working-class people of our district." What error did Byron make in his study?

A) He failed to interview the representative.
B) Rather than just explaining the change, he made a judgment about it.
C) He failed to inform Representative Phillips of his conclusion before releasing it to the public.
D) He should have used both qualitative and quantitative data in his study.

Question 25

Your sociology class is an example of a large group, according to the sociological definition of large groups.

Question 26

Lauren is a sociology student who wants to examine the effects that a new restaurant, the Tasty Tidbit, has on the wait staff at competing restaurants in her town. She decides that she needs to learn more about the restaurant industry, her town's economy, the national economy, and food service workers in general to better understand the impact of the Tasty Tidbit. Lauren is using the:

A) Cultural anthropological model
B) Environmental model
C) Social world model
D) Commonsense model

Question 27

According to the text, a more complete and accurate perspective on the social world can be gained by using:

A) Commonsense beliefs obtained through logic and past experiences
B) Socialization through parents, schools, and religious figures
C) Multiple perspectives gained through a nationally representative survey
D) The concepts, theories, methods, and levels of analysis used by sociologists

Question 28

Psychologists are most likely to study:

A) Human interaction
B) Individual behavior and mental processes
C) The distribution of power
D) The way of life of a particular society

Question 29

Which of the following is not a social unit?

A) A group of sociology students studying for a test
B) Two warring tribes fighting over land rights
C) A boss teaching a new employee
D) A college professor preparing a sociology lecture in her office

Question 30

A study that examines how elementary school children form cliques on the playground would constitute:

A) Micro-level research
B) Meso-level research
C) Macro-level research
D) Mega-level research

Question 31

All of the following represent micro-level analysis except a:

A) Sociology class
B) Study group cramming for an exam
C) Sociology department
D) Professional sociological association

Question 32

Sociology is based on a few assumptions about the social world. Which of the following is not one of these assumptions?

A) People are social by nature.
B) People live much of their lives in social groups.
C) Human behavior is determined by the supply of goods and services.
D) Conflict and change are inevitable features of groups.

Question 33

A study that examines how the No Child Left Behind Act has changed education in Iowa best reflects the __________-level of analysis.

A) micro
B) meso
C) macro
D) None of the above

Question 34

Sociologists study how personality traits affect an individual's behavior.

Question 35

Which of the following is an advantage of using micro-level analysis?

A) It is important for understanding the basis for all social groups and organizations.
B) It is important for the study of processes and institutions in a society.
C) It helps explain how larger social forces shape everyday aspects of social life.
D) It helps explain the moral implications of social organizations.

Question 36

While psychologists would explain behavior by examining the personality traits of individuals, sociologists would examine:

A) What motivates individual behavior
B) Physiological reactions to violent media
C) Human interaction and social structure
D) People's thought processes in decision-making situations

Question 37

All of the following represent the meso-level of analysis except:

A) State board of education
B) National Education Association
C) World literacy programs
D) Catholic school systems

Question 38

According to sociologists, human beings are naturally social creatures.

Question 39

Which of the following is an advantage of using meso-level analysis?

A) It is important for understanding the basis for all social organizations.
B) It is important for the study of processes and institutions in a society.
C) It helps explain how larger social forces shape everyday aspects of social life.
D) It helps explain the moral implications of social organizations.

Question 40

How are the three levels of analysis related to one another?

A) The three are not related to one another.
B) The distinctions between the three are very clear.
C) The three levels can overlap on a continuum.
D) The three levels are not at all clearly delineated.

Question 41

Ethnology is the subfield of anthropology most closely related to sociology.

Question 42

Our social positions in society are the result of stratification.

Question 43

A married couple is a social unit.

Question 44

An environment includes everything that influences a social unit.

Question 45

The examination of changes in women's status can only take place at the macro-level of analysis.

Question 46

Complete harmony between social units is unusual.

Question 47

The social world is organized into two parts, structures and processes.

Question 48

Tyler heard a story from a friend about a woman who was being beaten by her husband. He decided that the only reason the woman stayed with her husband was because she was too weak to leave him. In this case, Tyler was using his sociological imagination.

Question 49

A focus on individual or small-group interaction entails micro-level analysis.

Question 50

According to the text, the changes in the institution of the family will not likely have an impact on religion.

Question 51

Social institutions are found in every society.

Question 52

Sociologists argue that conflict is a natural part of social life.

Question 53

According to the text, religion and family are examples of social processes.

Question 54

Analysis of intermediate-sized social units is called meso-level analysis.

Question 55

Tyler read the news story about a 12-year-old boy who was caught selling crack cocaine. "My hypothesis is that the boy must be living in true poverty in a neighborhood full of crime." In this case, Tyler was using his sociological imagination.

Question 56

C. Wright Mills developed the concept of sociological imagination.

Question 57

Because sociology is based on common sense, it is an excellent discipline for students who approach the world in a rational, matter-of-fact way.

Question 58

Sociologists generally judge social processes as "good" or "bad."

Question 59

August Comte coined the term sociological imagination.

Question 60

Psychologists tend to focus on groups, while sociologists tend to focus on individuals.

Question 61

What are social processes? Provide at least two examples.

Question 62

Compare and contrast sociology and at least two of the other social sciences discussed in the text.

Question 63

What do the authors of the text mean when they state that "the social world is a human creation"?

Question 64

Drilling for oil affects all levels of the sociological world. Using your knowledge of sociology, explain how this behavior (drilling for oil) affects human relationships on the micro, meso, and macro levels.

Question 65

According to the text, rates of violence against women are relatively uniform across countries.

Question 66

Briefly discuss the difference between sociology and psychology.

Question 67

Compare and contrast social units and social institutions. Provide at least two examples of each.

Question 68

No social unit of our social world can stand alone.

Question 69

Briefly describe how sociology and common sense differ from one another.

Question 70

The types of jobs that sociologists do depend on their level of education.

Question 71

According to the text, what two parts are essential to the study of our social world?

Question 72

Understanding individual human behavior often requires investigation of larger societal beliefs supporting that behavior.

Question 73

The social sciences share some concepts, but do not share theories or methods of inquiry.

Question 74

Most sociologists with a bachelor's degree work in colleges or universities.

Question 75

Briefly describe what applied sociologists are likely to do with research findings. Provide an example in your answer.

Question 76

List and briefly explain the three levels of analysis discussed in the text.

Question 77

Sociologists consider a street gang and a work group as examples of small groups.

Question 78

Sociology provides a method to assess the accuracy of our commonsense assumptions about the social world.

Question 79

The social world engulfs each of us from the moment of our birth until we die.

Question 80

Briefly discuss what sociologists mean by the sociological imagination. Provide an example of its application.