Deck 3: Socialization, the Life Course, and Aging

Question 1

At Sally's birthday party,her mother reminded her to say "thank you" every time she opened a present from a friend.Sally's mom was engaging in the process of:

A) evolution
B) socialization
C) sensitization
D) natural selection

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Jean Piaget's theory of child development is based on:

A) the importance of family in early childhood
B) the important of schooling in early childhood
C) the emergence of a sense of self
D) the stages of cognitive development
E) none of the above

Answer 2

D

Question 3

All social science theories of child socialization emphasize:

A) that social isolation does not influence socialization
B) the significance of brain development
C) the role of genetics
D) the importance of human contact

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The process by which children become self-aware,knowledgeable people and skilled in the ways of the culture into which they are born is known as:

A) evolution
B) socialization
C) sensitization
D) natural selection

Question 5

According to George Herbert Mead,children develop a sense of self by:

A) going through distinct stages of sensorimotor development
B) going to school and learning to read
C) going to church and gaining a soul
D) imitating other people

Question 6

George Herbert Mead defined the generalized other as:

A) the people a child has contact with while growing up
B) the images of people in a culture
C) the general morals and values of the culture in which a child is raised
D) the people in a child's family

Question 7

Socialization is the process by which members of society learn the norms and values of society from their elders,thereby allowing the society to __________ over time.

A) socially reproduce itself
B) drastically change itself
C) have conflict among the generations
D) biologically reproduce itself

Question 8

Jean Piaget refers to the stage in which a child is learning about the world around him or her by handling different objects as the:

A) egocentric stage
B) preoperational stage
C) sensorimotor stage
D) touch stage

Question 9

According to George Herbert Mead,the socialization process occurs in three stages: the "I" stage,the __________ stage,and the generalized other stage.

A) "me"
B) othering
C) self-consciousness
D) ego

Question 10

According to George Herbert Mead's theory of socialization,when children learn what it is like to be in the shoes of another person,they have developed:

A) a social self
B) other-consciousness
C) selflessness
D) the "I"

Question 11

When Jorge was young,he liked to paint his toenails pink with his sister.On the first day he started kindergarten,the other kids laughed at him and told him that he was acting like a girl with his toenails painted pink.Once he got home he took the nail polish off so that the kids would no longer make fun of him.According to George Herbert Mead's theory of socialization,Jorge now saw himself through the eyes of others and realized that boys are not supposed to wear nail polish.In other words,Jorge developed:

A) a fear of girls
B) a lack of confidence
C) a social consciousness
D) an ego

Question 12

Alyssa likes to pretend that she is a doctor.She uses her mother's thermometer to take the temperature of her stuffed animals and then gives them "medicine" with a teaspoon.George Herbert Mead would say that she is:

A) developing a self-consciousness
B) taking on the role of the other
C) being egocentric
D) developing a social self

Question 13

According to George Herbert Mead's theory of socialization,children are not born with __________ but learn to acquire __________ through socialization.

A) a soul; an identity
B) intelligence; an identity
C) social consciousness; a social self
D) an ego; a self

Question 14

The human thought process that involves reasoning,perception,and remembering is referred to as:

A) incongruence
B) cognition
C) self-awareness
D) socialization

Question 15

Examining the process of socialization in societies reveals that one of the most distinctive features of human beings,compared with other animals,is:

A) our self-awareness or the sense that one has an identity distinct and separate from others
B) the long time that we raise our children
C) how much we socialize with other human beings
D) the importance of human contact

Question 16

The process whereby societies have structured continuity over time is known as:

A) social dominance
B) structured time flow
C) social reproduction
D) biological reproduction

Question 17

Socialization is a process that takes place:

A) at birth
B) in childhood
C) during young adulthood
D) throughout our entire lives

Question 18

Humans cannot be socialized without:

A) regular social interaction with others
B) proper medical treatment
C) educated parents who are familiar with theories of child psychology
D) two parents: a mother and a father

Question 19

At age three Emily was beginning to master her spoken language,but she was also able to use her hands to speak some words in sign language.According to Jean Piaget,what stage of cognitive development was Emily in?

A) concrete operational
B) preoperational
C) formal operational
D) linguistic

Question 20

According to George Herbert Mead,children develop as social beings by imitating those around them.One of the most important ways that this part of socialization happens is through:

A) learning at school
B) watching TV
C) reading books
D) playing

Question 21

In addition to the family,one of the most important socializing agents for school-age children in modern societies is:

A) their extended family
B) their teachers
C) their peer groups
D) their babysitters

Question 22

In our schools we learn a formal curriculum in various academic subjects.However,schools are more subtle agents of socialization.Which of the following is an example of the latent aspects of socialization in schools?

A) teaching students proper English
B) affecting students' expectations of themselves
C) teaching students the importance of math
D) making certain that students learn proper use of the comma

Question 23

Gender socialization begins at:

A) infancy
B) toddlerhood
C) early adolescence
D) adolescence

Question 24

According to Jean Piaget,when one is not able to comprehend other people's perspectives and believes that only his or her own outlook is accurate,this behavior can be labeled as:

A) concrete operational
B) egocentric
C) formal operational
D) selfish

Question 25

In many African societies young men are circumcised between the ages of 12 and 18 in a ceremonial fashion that marks their transition from one __________ to another.

A) age-group
B) age-grade
C) peer group
D) manhood

Question 26

Peer groups can best be defined as social groups in which members:

A) grew up in the same household
B) have the same hair color
C) are of similar age and social background
D) were born in the same country

Question 27

In second grade,Jeanne was earning As on her math tests,which included multiplication and division.According to Jean Piaget,what stage of child development is Jeanne in?

A) the preoperational stage
B) the concrete operational stage
C) the formal operational stage
D) the generalized other stage

Question 28

The process of self-consciousness,in which we create and recreate who we are,is known as:

A) social identity
B) self-identity
C) the "I"
D) the "me"

Question 29

By what age do children generally have a partial understanding of what gender is?

A) ten
B) at birth
C) five
D) two

Question 30

Sociologists argue that social and geographic mobility has affected our self-identities in which way?

A) Our self-identities are less stable.
B) Our self-identities are more rigid and unchanging.
C) We have a difficult time forming self-identities.
D) Our social identities are overwhelming our self-identities.

Question 31

Functionalists argue that social roles:

A) have changed little in the past 500 years
B) are related to social power
C) are the same in all societies
D) are in a constant state of change

Question 32

Sociologists refer to the socially defined expectations for a person in a given social position as:

A) social outcomes
B) social roles
C) social identities
D) social norms

Question 33

In a 1972 study by Lenore Weitzman examining gender roles in children's books,she found that:

A) the vast majority of the characters were female
B) females were more likely to be involved in adventurous activities
C) females were more likely to be indoors and engaged in passive activities
D) there was a balance of male and female characters

Question 34

There are many agents of socialization,but the most significant agent of childhood socialization is:

A) television and magazines
B) the family
C) friends
D) teachers

Question 35

Eugene Provenzo's work on the effects of Nintendo and other video games found that video games have __________ effect on school performance.

A) a profoundly negative
B) a profoundly positive
C) no
D) both a positive and a negative

Question 36

For most individuals in modern society,the agent of socialization that is most responsible for their early childhood development is:

A) their preschool
B) their friends at school
C) the television
D) the family

Question 37

Our __________ identity marks the way in which we are different from others.

A) individual
B) unique
C) social
D) self-

Question 38

Which of the following best describes the relationship between identity and socialization according to sociologists?

A) Through socialization,individuals are robbed of their individuality and free will.
B) Through socialization,we lose the identity we were born with.
C) Through socialization,each person develops an identity and capacity for individual thought and action.
D) After the age of 12 we have already been socialized into the identity that we will have for the rest of our lives.

Question 39

Which type of television show depicts the highest number of violent acts per episode?

A) children's cartoons
B) comedy sitcoms
C) news programs
D) crime dramas

Question 40

A social group that is made up of an adult-adult couple and their children is known as:

A) a nuclear family
B) a normal family
C) a secondary group
D) a peer group

Question 41

Critics of functionalist theories of aging argue that these theories:

A) place too much emphasis on the importance of the elderly in modern societies
B) emphasize the need for the elderly to adjust to existing conditions rather than participate in changing them
C) give too much agency to the elderly in defining their own role in society
D) focus too little on racial inequalities affecting the elderly

Question 42

According to conflict theorists,which of the following among the elderly tend to fare the worst?

A) men
B) wealthy people
C) ethnic minorities
D) highly educated people

Question 43

Which stage of personal and sexual development is unique to modern societies?

A) young adulthood
B) mature adulthood
C) teenager
D) tween

Question 44

In modern societies,death is most commonly associated with old age,but a few hundred years ago,death was most commonly associated with:

A) childhood
B) infancy
C) all life stages
D) mature adulthood

Question 45

Which theories of aging point to social institutions that favor those who have the most economic power as the source of many of the problems of aging?

A) social conflict theories
B) functionalist theories
C) social psychological theories
D) life course theories

Question 46

Which of the following groups is most likely to live past age sixty-five in U.S.society?

A) blacks
B) whites
C) foreign-born people
D) people born in single-parent households

Question 47

According to your textbook,which of the following is a reason that the meaning of the term aging is changing today?

A) People are not living as long as they used to.
B) Medicare and Social Security are expanding to include younger adults.
C) There are more social programs for older people.
D) Advances in nutrition and health have enabled people to live longer.

Question 48

Which stage of the life course is currently seeing the greatest growth in the number of people and is therefore of great interest to policy makers?

A) infants
B) adolescents
C) older adults
D) teenagers

Question 49

Which stage of the human life course became a clear and distinct stage only in modern societies?

A) career stage
B) infancy
C) elder
D) childhood

Question 50

Among the elderly,which group is most likely to be independent,healthy,and actively engaged?

A) young-old
B) old-old
C) middle-old
D) oldest old

Question 51

The discipline concerned with the study of the social aspects of aging is known as:

A) social gerontology
B) social chronology
C) age studies
D) elder studies

Question 52

Which of the following best summarizes how disengagement theory views the elderly?

A) As people age,they are more interested in watching TV than interacting with others.
B) As people age,they no longer want to participate fully in society.
C) As people age,they need to be removed from their traditional roles to free up those roles for the younger generation.
D) As people age,they are not given the same respect as the younger generation.

Question 53

According to activity theory,both the elderly and society can benefit:

A) if elderly people retire from their jobs so that the younger generation can fill them
B) if the elderly remain physically active but refrain from too much social activity
C) if the elderly remain socially active but do not tax themselves physically
D) if elderly people remain actively engaged in work and other social roles as long as they can

Question 54

What percentage of the elderly in the United States is foreign born?

A) 12 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 20 percent
D) 5 percent

Question 55

According to the textbook,at a very young age,children are socialized into gender based on a number of factors,including:

A) brain chemistry
B) dietary restrictions
C) genetics
D) the different way that men and women handle children

Question 56

Pointing to medieval paintings in which children were portrayed with mature faces and participating in the same work and play activities as adults,French historian Philippe Ariès made the argument that:

A) children were considered nuisances
B) childhood did not exist in medieval times
C) children had the same rights as adults
D) children often married very young

Question 57

According to 1950s functionalist theorist Talcott Parsons,failure to find adequate roles for the elderly in U.S.society will cause them to:

A) be alienated from society
B) organize social movements to struggle for more social programs
C) retire to other countries
D) move in with the adult children

Question 58

Sociologists refer to "the biological,psychological,and social processes that affect people as they grow older" as:

A) dying
B) aging
C) socialization
D) social growth

Question 59

What age-grade had the highest status in traditional cultures but often lacks authority within the family and community in industrialized societies?

A) child
B) teenager
C) young adult
D) elder

Question 60

According to the textbook,gender differences are the result of:

A) our genetics
B) the biological sex category we belong to
C) our brain chemistry
D) social influences

Question 61

Compare and contrast each of the following theories of aging: activity theory,disengagement theory,and conflict theory.Given the elderly people you know,explain which theory you think best explains the situation of most elderly people in today's society.

Question 62

Explain Jean Piaget's four stages of cognitive development.According to Piaget,the first three stages are universal,but some adults never reach the fourth stage.Explain why.

Question 63

Emma was asked to volunteer at the senior center after school a few times a week.She was reluctant to do so because even though she loves seeing her own grandparents,she views the elderly as old-fashioned,senile,and embittered.Emma's stereotypes of the elderly were most likely learned from:

A) mass media and popular entertainment
B) her parents
C) her grandparents
D) the elderly she meets on the street

Question 64

Despite having access to Medicare,the elderly spend about __________ of their income on health care.

A) a fifth
B) half
C) a third
D) one percent

Question 65

Explain a few of the physical,emotional,and financial challenges facing older adults in the United States.Which of these challenges do you think you will face when you are elderly? Explain why.

Question 66

Pick one agent of socialization other than your family and explain the role it played in your socialization as a child.

Question 67

Among the elderly,which group is most likely to experience poor health,isolation,and economic insecurity?

A) young-old
B) old-old
C) middle-old
D) oldest old

Question 68

Your textbook begins chapter three with the example of five-year-old Boo and his Halloween costume.Using this example,explain how Boo's self-identity may have been shaped by this situation and the role that different agents of socialization played in this process.Which agent of socialization do you think would have the greatest impact on Boo's self-identity? Explain.

Question 69

Explain the five stages of the life course.How are these stages different in modern societies compared with more traditional societies?

Question 70

Compare and contrast the child development theories of George Herbert Mead and Jean Piaget.Which one do you believe provides a more accurate explanation of child development today? Explain.

Question 71

Imagine that you and your family want to raise a child in a gender-neutral way.Discuss how this process of gender-neutral socialization would be affected by agents of socialization other than your own family as your child grows into a young adult.

Question 72

A person can have several social identities at one time,and these social identities can have a profound impact on the person's self-identity.Using yourself as an example,explain at least three social identities you have and how they influence your self-identity.

Question 73

Elderly people in the United States are likely to be negatively stereotyped as:

A) lonely
B) wise
C) trendy
D) financially savvy

Question 74

Discrimination based on age is __________ in the United States.

A) illegal
B) uncommon
C) encouraged
D) legal

Question 75

Pick a game you played as a child and use it to explain George Herbert Mead's theory of the development of the self and the process children go through to acquire self-consciousness.

Question 76

Elder abuse is present when an elderly person experiences which of the following?

A) a nutritious diet
B) poverty
C) difficulty accessing health care
D) neglect and abandonment

Question 77

What is the primary reason that the young-old are more likely to be better educated and have higher levels of wealth than the old-old and the oldest old?

A) The young-old grew up in favorable economic times.
B) The young-old grew up with social norms that emphasized independence and hard work.
C) The young-old have better health care and nutrition.
D) The young-old are more politically active.