Deck 12: Education and Religion

Question 1

An education researcher studying first graders observes that girls are much more likely to get the teacher's attention if they stay close to the teacher rather than moving to the other side of the classroom. By contrast, the researcher observes that boys get attention from the teacher regardless of their proximity to the teacher. The resulting message students receive in the classroom would be an example of:

A) the hidden curriculum.
B) gender proximity.
C) tracking.
D) between-school effects.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The practice of tracking can be described as:

A) dividing students into groups that receive different instruction on the basis of perceived 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.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

According to the textbook, how do Marxist sociologists explain why education expanded so rapidly with the development of capitalism?

A) Working people fought for universal education to improve their conditions.
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 equal access to a good and stable education.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

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 5

The textbook notes the importance of industrialization for the development of universal education. The key feature of industrialism most closely associated with the rise of universal education is:

A) the expansion of cities.
B) an increased cultural emphasis on formal education.
C) a need for more awareness of the danger of industrial work.
D) the differentiation of occupations.

Question 6

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 7

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 8

"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 9

Today, around ________ of the population in developing countries who are fifteen and older are illiterate.

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

Question 10

Compulsory schooling was established in Europe and the United States:

A) in the seventeenth century.
B) in the eighteenth century.
C) in the nineteenth century.
D) in the twentieth century.

Question 11

Until the first few decades of the nineteenth 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 12

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 13

Martita thinks that public schools in poorer areas of the United States suffer from a lack of resources compared with those in wealthy areas. She believes 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 14

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:

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

Question 15

Rather than going to public or 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 16

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

A) we have public school systems that ensure 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 very unequal conditions in our schools, with some children not even having access to basic resources for learning.

Question 17

The textbook points out that the hidden curriculum is the mechanism through which ________ occurs.

A) informal learning
B) specialized learning
C) social reproduction
D) tracking

Question 18

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

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

Question 19

A colleague introduces Felicia to a professional conference audience, giving information about her college degrees and the institutions where she earned those degrees. This is an example of:

A) credentialism.
B) professional socialization.
C) universal education.
D) status reinforcement.

Question 20

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 21

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) the Marxian method.
B) socialization.
C) privatization.
D) curricula controls.

Question 22

Your textbook notes that the average lower IQ scores recorded for African Americans in the United States are remarkably similar to the lower scores recorded for disadvantaged ethnic minorities in other countries. This provides strong support for the idea that:

A) there are genetically driven intelligence differences between the groups.
B) social, cultural, and economic factors explain variations in IQ.
C) IQ tests do not really measure anything meaningful.
D) IQ differences cannot really be changed.

Question 23

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 24

Compared to other industrialized countries, the United States has a level of functional literacy that is:

A) below that of other industrialized countries.
B) above that of other industrialized countries.
C) equal to that of other industrialized countries.
D) not internationally comparable.

Question 25

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 26

________ is one of the oldest human institutions.

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

Question 27

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 28

Kendra is able to comprehend, interpret, and apply the content of graphs and information tables. She is demonstrating:

A) prose literacy.
B) quantitative literacy.
C) basic literacy.
D) document literacy.

Question 29

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 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

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 clergy and creates a merger between mythology and law.
C) an institution defined by a common mythology and an expectation of faith in one or more deities.
D) a deeply ingrained connection with the divine.

Question 32

Religion helps produce social solidarity through a common set of norms and values among believers. This is most closely connected to the work of:

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

Question 33

Alienation can be described as:

A) the ways that humans relate to foreign and unfamiliar ideas.
B) the patterns of behavior 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 34

Fran thinks that religion provides justification for people who occupy positions of wealth and power in 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 35

Why was Karl Marx critical of religion?

A) Marx believed that religion deferred happiness and rewards to the afterlife and taught 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 36

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 37

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 38

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 39

Not all religions include a belief in one or more deities. This fact illustrates the difference between religion and:

A) supernatural belief.
B) theism.
C) spiritual connection.
D) illusion.

Question 40

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 41

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 42

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

A) evangelicalism.
B) religious nationalism.
C) fundamentalism.
D) ecumenicalism.

Question 43

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 44

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 45

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

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

Question 46

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 can be an agent of social change.
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 47

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

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

Question 48

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 cultivated an attitude of passivity or acceptance within the believer, whereas Christianity demanded a constant struggle against sin and so could 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 49

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 the 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 50

In David's family, kitchen utensils 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 51

Cantong notes in his research that religion often 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 52

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 53

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 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 and does not account 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

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 56

While most theorists of religion in society believed that religion was an illusion, the theorist who saw religion as having the potential to bring social change was:

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

Question 57

The religious group 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 58

Bachiko belongs to a small transient religious group 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 59

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 60

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 61

According to the textbook, what are some of the reasons Americans are so religiously affiliated? Please explain your answer in a short paragraph.

Question 62

Briefly explain Karl Marx's, Émile Durkheim's, and Max Weber's theories of religion. Please explain each theory in two to five sentences.

Question 63

What are the connections between education and employment? Please explain your answer in three to five sentences.

Question 64

According to the textbook, how do religious groups in the United States vary by region and socioeconomic status? Please explain your answer in a short paragraph.

Question 65

How is the educational system connected to the reproduction of inequality? Please explain your answer in a short paragraph.

Question 66

In two to five sentences, describe the recent policy proposals enacted to reform education in the United States. In one to two sentences, what is your assessment of these policies?

Question 67

What are some of the reasons there are high rates of illiteracy in the developing world? Please explain your answer in three to five sentences.

Question 68

According to the textbook, the increase in the number of adults who report no religious affiliation ("the rise of the nones") is largely explained by:

A) a lack of diversity in choices of religions.
B) generational replacement, since more millennials are religiously unaffiliated.
C) an overabundance of religious choices, which decreases the sacred quality of religion.
D) a response to the rise in religious nationalism.

Question 69

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 70

What is the theory of religious economy? Please explain your answer in three to five sentences.

Question 71

Explain in three to five sentences what is meant by tracking in education, and explain how it is connected to the process of social reproduction. How does this relate to the idea that education is the great equalizer?

Question 72

What is religious nationalism? Please explain your answer in a short paragraph.

Question 73

Describe the four types of religious organizations outlined in the textbook. Please explain in two to three sentences for each.

Question 74

How do religion and education act as socializing agents? Please explain your answer in three to five sentences.

Question 75

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 76

________ 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