Midterm #1 - SOCIOLOGY
participant observation
- Approach used to uncover the meanings people give to their own social actions by observing their behavior in practice - More likely to capture the reality of a situation/social behavior - Involves significant time investment and access to a given community
interviews
- Literally asking people questions and recording their responses - Using the comparative method across different interviews to see any patterns or major differences - Usually fairly unstructured in order to allow the interviewer to become comfortable and divulge more information
surveys
- Ordered set of questions intended to elicit information from a respondent - Usually done anonymously - Use a larger sample size than needed because some people will choose not to respond
feminist methodology
1. Treat women's experiences as legitimate empirical and theoretical resources 2. Engage in social science that may bring about policy changes to help improve women's lives 3. Take into account the researcher as much as the overt subject matter
history of media
1. books 2. radio 3. film 4. television 5. internet
three factors needed for causality
1. correlation 2. time order 3. ruling out alternative causes
3 ethics of social research
1. do no harm 2. informed consent to be studied 3. voluntary participation
4 types of media effects
1. short term intended 2. short term unintended 3. long term intended 4. long term unintended
"Thinking like a sociologist" means that you a. apply analytical tools to the things you've always done without much conscious thought in the past. b. always back up your assertions with statistics. c. understand how the meaning of an act is the same across cultures. d. focus on the uniqueness of phenomena.
A
A classmate has been talking for weeks about trying out for the school dance team. The day after the tryouts, you ask her how it went, and she answers that she couldn't go because she was sick. (In reality, however, she did try out but wasn't selected.) The way your classmate reported the situation to you is an example of what? a. saving face b. role strain c. a breach of common roles d. the process of social construction
A
As a mother, Linda sometimes feels torn. Most of the time she focuses on being loving and supportive, but sometimes she needs to be firm to discipline her children. These opposing expectations are an example of a. role strain. b. role conflict. c. adult socialization. d. ascribed status.
A
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States undertook the internment of all people of Japanese ancestry living in the United States. The government stated that this action was to protect national security. Many of those sent to these internment camps were U.S. citizens, with parents or grandparents born in Japan. This action relied on the use of a. stereotypes. b. hegemony. c. culture jamming. d. newspapers.
A
Getting ready to go out on a first date with someone she first contacted through a dating app, Jada tries on a dress and stilettos. Then, remembering that the person mentioned liking sporty women, Jada reconsidered and changed into shorts and a tank top. Jada's wardrobe change illustrates what social theory? a. looking-glass self b. Double-consciousness c. Verstehen d. credentialism
A
In an effort to understand how group dynamics change under duress, a research team gathers 100 people at a remote mountain location, bringing them all in by helicopter. Using carefully designed interviews, the researchers begin the lengthy process of interviewing the participants. After the second day, however, there are a dozen participants who express unhappiness and want to leave. The research team reminds them that they signed an agreement agreeing to be interviewed knowing what it entailed, that leaving is not practical and that they need to continue with the process. The research team is failing to fulfill what cardinal rule of research? a. ensuring voluntary participation b. obtaining informed consent c. notifying their home institution d. protecting a vulnerable population
A
In an interview with the Dalton Conley, Mitchell Duneier describes his desire to conduct research that adheres to the ethical guidelines of social research. If Duneier had interviewed street vendors by secretly recording their interactions, what ethical guideline would he have violated? a. informed consent b. "do no harm" c. participant observation d. reflexivity
A
In her interview with Dalton Conley, C. J. Pascoe talks about the ways in which boys in high school police the boundaries of masculinity, specifically by using the term "fag." What is at stake is not sexual orientation, but gender norms regarding what is perceived as "masculine." In 2010, Billy Lucas, a 15-year-old high school student, hung himself after repeatedly being called a "fag" by his peers for "looking different." Lucas's peers were enforcing norms based on a. gender-role socialization. b. resocialization. c. destruction of the generalized other. d. dramaturgical performance.
A
Martha wants to get a highly competitive internship with a state senator. She has shared this interest with her family and friends, but no one seems to have any useful contacts who can help her. One day, she runs into a former classmate she has not seen for several years and learns that the classmate has a cousin who worked as the assistant campaign manager for that senator in a recent election. The classmate then offers to introduce Martha to his cousin. This is an example of what concept? a. the strength of weak ties b. leveraging social capital c. embeddedness d. a structural hole
A
Nonmaterial culture includes a. values, beliefs, behaviors, and social norms. b. literature and historical texts. c. anything from the natural environment. d. technological innovations.
A
Observing and analyzing the conversations patients have with their doctors or the interactions of catcallers and women walking down the street is the approach of what kind of sociology? a. Macrosociology b. conflict theory c. Microsociology d. quantitative sociology
A
One of the challenges faced by many colleges and universities is binge drinking on campus. Imagine you are tasked with developing solutions to this problem. Thinking sociologically, you suggest that it would useful to understand the meaning placed on the parties where binge drinking happens, so solutions are based on a deeper understanding of the experience itself. Your approach relies on the methodology of a. interpretive sociology. b. Macrosociology. c. cultural anthropology. d. functionalism
A
Suppose you are on an overseas trip with friends and prefer homestays to hotel rooms. At one homestay, the hosts invite you to dinner, serving up a meal of couscous, steamed vegetables, and roast dog. You are uncomfortable with the inclusion of dog meat on the menu, in large part because you grew up with a dog as a beloved pet. You recognize that these disparate understandings of dog as meat versus dog as pet are a case of differences in a. assigned meanings. b. economic disparities. c. performance types. d. face.
A
The process of choosing a urinal in a men's restroom may seem simple, but there is an underlying, implicit protocol that has actually been studied. In what has been termed "piss stance," one researcher found that the unspoken rule was to always ensure a "buffer zone" of at least one "open" urinal between yourself and another person. Being an intrepid sociologist, you have decided to see what happens when this protocol is ignored. In doing so, you are practicing a. ethnomethodology. b. interviewing. c. role reversal. d. symbolic interactionism.
A
Think about your own experience of going to school. More than simply "what you learned in school today," much of our lives in the United States are shaped by that entire experience: what we choose to wear, with whom we make friends, whom we avoid, and how we respond to authority figures, whether teachers or preachers or police. Overall, our experience of school is a. a major part of socialization. b. an institutional program to foster moral development. c. significant exposure to a specific subculture. d. training in cultural relativism.
A
Today, some people engage in open relationships, or polyamory, wherein all partners share details about their sexual health. In some relationships, the size of the group may be as large as a dozen people who share links to one or more of the others in the group. To protect all those involved, everyone agrees to disclose information upon testing positive for a sexually transmitted disease (STD). If someone fails to do this, or simply does not know he or she has an infection, what could the group employ to try to determine what happened? a. network analysis b. organizational structure analysis c. historical analysis d. a careful look at embedded ties
A
What is defined as a complex group of interdependent positions that, together, perform a social role and reproduce themselves over time? a. a social institution b. Triad c. Nation d. culture
A
When children who speak languages other than English at home attend public schools in the United States, they not only are expected to learn and use academic English, they also are exposed to and expected to act in accordance with rules such as waiting in line to get lunch and sitting in the cafeteria to eat lunch. When these children go home, they speak with their family in their shared language and follow different practices regarding shared meals. Moving between these different settings, these children grow adept at a. code switching. b. culture jamming. c. making friends. d. ethnocentrism.
A
Whether Muslim women veil themselves, especially in countries such as the United States and France, is often a controversial topic. Sociological research has found that while some women choose to veil for religious reasons, others may take up the veil because they are motivated to claim their Muslim identity in the face of anti-Muslim sentiment. These different interpretations of the import of veiling illustrates how meaning is subjective. This emphasis on differences in subjective interpretations, in turn, is characteristic of a. Postmodernism. b. functionalism. c. symbolic interactionism. d. conflict theory.
A
Which of the following is an example of a negative relationship between an independent and a dependent variable? a. Employees with more responsibility are less likely to miss work. b. Employees with more responsibility are more likely to receive promotions. c. Healthier employees are more likely to receive promotions. d. Employees with lower incomes miss fewer days of work.
A
Which of the following is an example of a primary group? a. a family in which the parents live in California and their children live in different states b. a preschool class c. a three-time state champion high-school volleyball team d. a neighborhood volunteer association
A
Which of the following scenarios involves the use of peer pressure? a. A college sophomore is afraid to report a sexual assault because she believes her sorority sisters will ostracize her. b. Three friends encourage a fourth friend to follow her dream to try out for the school play, even though none of them are involved in theater. c. A teacher and a guidance counselor stage an intervention with a student who they think has a drug problem. d. Two children steal another child's soccer ball on the playground because he won't share it.
A
functionalism
A school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish certain behaviors exist because they have a function that is essential
ascribed status
A social position assigned to a person by society without regard for the person's unique talents or characteristics.
A friend of yours has invited you to a big social event. Knowing you might meet people who could offer you a job after graduation, you polish your shoes, buy a new outfit, and practice introducing yourself and explaining the insights you've gained during college, all in the hopes of making a strong professional impression. In sociological terms, you're preparing to present yourself as a young professional, in accordance with a. saving face. b. dramaturgical theory. c. role theory. d. symbolic interactionism.
B
A researcher observes that most teens entering a café choose to sit near other occupied tables, whereas most retirees choose a table that is farther away from other customers. The researcher then theorizes that youth like to feel that they are part of a larger group of people, whereas the elderly are more comfortable being alone. This is an example of which kind of research approach? a. deductive reasoning b. inductive reasoning c. quantitative research d. a case study
B
A thermometer that consistently gives readings that are five degrees cooler than the actual temperature is a. valid but not reliable. b. reliable but not valid. c. neither reliable nor valid. d. both reliable and valid.
B
According to George Herbert Mead's stages of development, children first start to learn to recognize an "other" through a. formal games. b. imitation. c. playing informally with other children. d. first recognizing their own identities.
B
According to the sociologist Georg Simmel, what can you use to predict the behavior of members of a social group? a. whether the group has a hierarchical or flat structure b. the number of people in the group c. whether the group is personal or impersonal d. whether the group serves a social or professional function
B
Amber is conducting research on the negative portrayal of Latinos in the media. She searches through newspapers to document instances of discriminatory language toward Latinos. What type of research is Amber conducting? a. participant observation b. content analysis c. cross-sectional survey d. comparative research
B
Another early sociological writer, Harriet Martineau, wrote a book in 1838 that examined the institution of marriage and challenged assumptions about women's inferiority. In this respect, Martineau espoused what kind of theoretical position in her sociological writing? a. Marxist b. Feminist c. Functionalist d. liberal
B
At finals time, you are studying at a downtown coffee shop. Feeling stressed, you are relieved to hear two students from a college across town who are sitting at a nearby table and talking about how tough their tests are. You strike up a conversation with the pair, and you all end the conversation by agreeing that both schools could give students an extra study day to relieve the pressure. This insight came about thanks to your use of the other students as a a. social network. b. reference group. c. secondary group. d. small group.
B
Climate change has evoked a politically polarized debate in the United States. For many, the cause and effect relationship between human activity and climate change seems obvious based on the science available. For others, such a claim seems ludicrous. While it may seem that climate change is a matter of science, underlying the disagreement are attachments to opposing a. religious belief sets. b. ideologies. c. fanaticisms. d. materialisms.
B
Comparative research usually involves studying which of the following? a. two or more units of analysis that have almost nothing in common in order to determine why they are so different b. two or more units of analysis that have a number of things in common but differ on a dimension (or dimensions) of interest c. several subgroups in a given country or culture to identify how and why they are similar or different d. a minority and majority group in a particular country
B
If you were to tell someone that you were conducting breaching experiments, you would be telling them that you were intentionally a. trying to convey a good impression and seeing what happens. b. ignoring social norms to see what happens. c. challenging total institutions to see what happens. d. resocializing others in order to see what happens.
B
In August 2014, police in Ferguson, Missouri, shot Michael Brown, a young black man. The incident sparked a wave of protest, and elicited a dialogue about police and race relations nationwide. The town of Ferguson is predominantly African American, having become increasingly so as white residents moved to the suburbs. Some people have argued that part of the problem in Ferguson originated from the disparity between the residents and police department, where the city was comprised of one population (black) and the police department of another (white). This underlies a more fundamental problem faced by many communities, in that the decline of communal ties has lessened the amount of a. fear. b. trust. c. social capital. d. civic engagement.
B
In the United States, media ownership is a. spread among a large number of public and private companies. b. consolidated in the hands of a few big companies. c. by the state. d. in constant flux.
B
José goes to a training session for election volunteers in his precinct. There are 15 participants and two trainers. This type of group is known as a a. party. b. large group. c. primary group. d. small group.
B
Some businesses in the United States, especially food-service establishments, will post signs that read, "No shirt, no shoes, no service." These signs a. establish a shared value. b. reinforce a cultural norm. c. enforce a subculture d. manifest material culture.
B
The case of a young girl named Genie is the most carefully documented and well-studied instance of what happens to a child who does not experience adequate contact with other people during infancy and childhood. Genie was locked in a room alone for nearly 13 years and never developed language skills the way most children do. Obviously, this is a story in part of severe parental neglect, but it also provides insight into whether abilities like language are innate. Fundamentally, this case about a feral child is about whether a. the physical or the social environment has a larger impact on culture. b. biology or socialization shapes human behavior. c. parents or peer groups influence children's behavior. d. physical or cognitive traits influence socialization.
B
There are many different student organizations on a college campus. Like a larger society, such organizations have a. embedded ties. b. organizational culture. c. power and authority used to control others. d. an autocratic decision-making process.
B
What three factors are needed to establish causation? a. a natural experiment, time order, and correlation b. correlation, time order, and ruling out alternative explanations c. moderating variables, ruling out alternative explanations, and time order d. correlation, a hypothesis, and alternative explanations
B
When fears of contagious diseases such as avian flu and ebola arise, public health officials encourage people to replace greetings involving close contact (handshakes, hugs) with an elbow bump. This change in greetings represents a shift in a. personal values. b. social norms. c. media messages. d. societal subcultures.
B
Where is the "right to be forgotten" a policy? a. United States b. European Union c. Argentina d. China
B
Which of the following is an example of a given off gesture? a. nodding to indicate agreement during a job interview b. inadvertently glancing at the clock during a boring lecture c. talking to a colleague over coffee d. winking at a friend
B
Which of the following is an example of an application of midrange theory? a. analyzing how a bartender interacts with customers b. exploring the role of churches in maintaining community ties rural areas c. examining the origins of World War II in terms of class conflict d. analyzing how a particular dictator rose to power
B
Which of the following is the best example of a quantitative research method? a. interviewing people about the last book they read b. conducting a survey of how often people read c. observing children as they learn to read d. analyzing the language style of newspaper ads
B
Which of the following represents the highest amount of embeddedness? (Note that any knowledge is reciprocal; that is, if A knows B, then B knows A.) a. You know Jack, Jill, Larry, Moe, and Sam. Jack knows Jill, Moe, and Sam. Larry knows Jill and Moe. b. You know Ted, Alice, Bob, and Carol. Bob knows Carol, Ted, and Alice. Carol knows Ted and Alice. Ted knows Alice. c. You know Paul, Robert, Stacey, and Tom. Paul is dating Quinn and Stacey. Quinn knows Robert. Stacey knows Robert. Tom knows Quinn. d. You know Alex, Walter, and Fred. Alex knows Walter and Fred. Walter knows Alex. Fred knows Alex and Walter.
B
Which one of the following is an example of using cultural relativism to think about cultural differences? a. You read about an indigenous group in South America that still hunts with bows and arrows, and your reaction is that they should use better technology. b. You see a news story about a country where people often eat spicy seafood dishes in the morning, and you reason that their long coastline and hot climate provide easy access to both seafood and hot peppers. c. You are greatly offended when a classmate from Bangladesh describes her sister's arranged marriage, and you respond that you would never let your parents choose your spouse. d. You love sushi and see the availability of Japanese cuisine in the United States as a positive thing.
B
You and a date are at a cocktail party. As you pluck a drink off a tray, you turn and almost run into actor Idris Elba of Luther fame. You discover after a short chat that he knows your date. You remark that it sure is a small world and that maybe that six degrees thing is true. In his interview with Dalton Conley, Duncan Watts confirms the work of Stanley Milgram, but also notes that the "six degrees" idea can apply to a. small groups. b. disjointed populations. c. nonhuman networks. d. families.
B
A company changes from a hierarchical approach to product development, with managers alone promoted or fired based on how well a product eventually sells, to a team-based approach, where team members' salaries rise or fall in relation to how a product fares. This is a fundamental change to the company's a. corporate culture. b. social capital. c. organizational structure. d. small- and large-group dynamics.
C
A group of people is waiting to be helped at a customer service desk in a store. A woman in the waiting area suddenly clears her throat and spits on the floor. Everyone else in the room is taken aback and gives her horrified looks. How can this reaction be explained in sociological terms? a. There is probably a sign on the wall that says "No Spitting," and the others in the room cannot believe that the woman has breached this overt rule. b. The status of the others in the room is threatened by the actions of the woman who spit on the floor. c. The woman who spit on the floor is not conforming to social norms that are shared by the other people in the room. d. The others in the room have been socialized to think that it's okay for a man to spit on the floor but not a woman.
C
A researcher spends time with small organic farmers on their land and at market in order to understand their particular subculture, noting the brands of work clothes they prefer; their conversations about hoop houses, compost, and aquaponics; and the nonverbal greetings they give other drivers on rural roads. This focus reflects which approach to research? a. Postmodernism b. conflict theory c. symbolic interactionism d. Functionalism
C
A television ad campaign for a new toy starts playing nationwide in late October. Within weeks, big box retailers are selling out of the toy as parents prepare for the holidays. This response is an example of a a. long-term, intended media effect. b. long-term, negative media effect. c. short-term, intended media effect. d. short-term, unintended media effect.
C
As a budding sociologist, you decide to study American politics by attending presidential caucuses. You identify as a liberal independent, but you are interested in the process from different perspectives. Your first stop is at a caucus for Republican candidates. Everyone in the audience is passionate about their beliefs, and you find yourself disgusted by the process, reacting against ideas that you see as extreme. In developing the paper discussing your study results, what is one of the challenges you in particular must overcome to produce an unbiased study? a. determining the actual party affiliation of the people you interview b. making sure you attend an equal number of caucuses across the political spectrum c. remembering that everyone, including you, is inculcated into systems of beliefs that influence thinking and perceptions d. ensuring the names and identifying information of the people you interview is kept completely confidential
C
Every year, as many as 20,000 devotees of Harley Davidson motorcycles convene in Sturgis, South Dakota. Their numbers frequently overwhelm nearby towns and cities, including the Mt. Rushmore National Monument. For some tourists visiting the monument at that time, the cultural collision with tattooed and long-haired bikers might be jarring. For the tourist who thinks like a sociologist, such an encounter is an opportunity to observe a different group of people by applying a. cultural scripts. b. different values to one's own life. c. cultural relativism. d. reflection theory.
C
For a research project in an introductory sociology course, a student decides to compare how magazines created for women cover health and beauty topics versus career and professional topics in. This student is conducting a. media scanning. b. culture jamming. c. textual analysis. d. cultural production.
C
HIV/AIDS has devastated many different populations. Efforts to reduce the spread of the disease have often focused on sexual behavior. Many studies in Africa have presumed that awareness of high HIV rates would lead to a change in sexual behavior: the higher the prevalence of HIV, the fewer risky sexual behaviors would be observed (dependent variable). Following widespread educational efforts (independent variable), the actual change in HIV rate showed little to no change. This failure to affect the HIV rate was due to a. Causality. b. Correlation. c. reverse causality. d. a spurious relationship.
C
Hypothesis: Children in families that eat dinner together at least four times per week experience fewer behavioral problems in school. In this hypothesis, what is the dependent variable? a. the number of times per week that a family eats together b. how much time children spend with their families c. how often children misbehave in school d. the nutritional value of the food children eat with their families
C
In the "Sociological Conversations" video, Allison Pugh discusses how parents in very different socioeconomic strata decide on whether to purchase the current popular toy for their children. She introduces us to the ideas of symbolic indulgence and deprivation. Families choosing which toys to purchase for children are participating in a. culture jamming. b. textual analysis. c. consumer culture. d. cultural production.
C
Resocialization would be most likely to occur in which of the following situations? a. A mother decides not to return to work after giving birth to her first child. b. A child gets a new teacher halfway through the school year. c. An American woman who takes a full-time job in Saudi Arabia after graduating from college ends up marrying a local man. d. An electrician who has never left the United States takes a two-week vacation to Kenya.
C
Skateboarding is a popular youth pastime. Within the activity, there are distinct variations on how it's done, and the skating lexicon can vary by place. In addition, skateboarders have distinctive gear, like skate shoes designed to provide grip and durability. All this sets skaters apart as a kind of a. minority group. b. cultural majority. c. subculture. d. ethnic group.
C
Sociology is distinct from other academic disciplines in its attempt to a. provide evidence rather than rely on rhetoric. b. ask probing questions about how societies function. c. detect patterns in how different societies respond to similar phenomena. d. examine human interaction on the micro level.
C
Suppose you attend a dinner party, to which you were invited by a close friend who is trying to help you land a job in your chosen field of human resources. Your friend was unable to attend, and you knew nobody at the dinner, even though the dozen guests were all employed in human resource departments in the area. During the dinner, you were quiet and reserved, just listening to conversations around you. Afterward, you worry you missed the chance to gain new a. triads. b. organizational resources. c. social capital. d. embeddedness.
C
The Asch test provides insight into what concept? a. divide et impera b. network analysis c. group conformity d. embeddedness
C
The chapter notes that Duke University has changed its name twice and yet people accept that it remains the same institution, while the tobacco company Philip Morris changed its name to Altria in an attempt to shake its negative reputation as a cigarette manufacturer and remake itself into a different institution. These two examples highlight the idea of social identity as a. a construct that no longer has meaning in the postmodern era. b. a collection of social roles that an institution will or will not fill. c. a collection of individual stories told between people. d. determined by the social group into which people are born.
C
The contemporary social movement with the slogan "Fight for 15" seeks a $15 minimum wage and unionization. This attempt to mobilize and make gains for workers can be viewed as in line with the view of the social world of which classical sociological theorist? a. Émile Durkheim b. Georg Simmel c. Karl Marx d. Harriet Martineau
C
Using the sociological imagination helps sociologists (and students of sociology) a. create an image of how people in other societies live. b. focus on individual lives. c. develop the ability to see the connections between our own personal experience and the larger forces of history. d. understand the theories developed by Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Émile Durkheim.
C
Which of the following descriptions capture a feature of feminist approaches to social research? a. exclusively observing female behaviors in order to better understand women b. ensuring that men do not conduct participant observation in women's groups c. engaging in research that may bring about policy changes to help improve women's lives d. identifying and eliminating all possible sources of male-centered bias in field research
C
Which of the following is an example of a panel survey? a. a survey of 1,000 high school seniors that is repeated with a new group of seniors every year for 10 years b. a onetime survey of 25 percent of each of the four grades in a particular high school c. a survey of 1,000 high school seniors who are then contacted every 2 years for a 10-year period to participate in a follow-up survey d. a survey of 1,000 high school seniors conducted by a panel of sociologists with different specialties
C
Which of the following is an example of a total institution? a. an elementary school b. a sports team c. a convent d. a political party
C
While today the phrase "mass media" might bring to mind a cable TV network or a print publication with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, the earliest mass media were a. movies. b. town criers. c. books. d. radio shows.
C
While you're riding a crowded city bus, a woman sits on the seat next to you. Rather than strike up a conversation, she briefly rifles through her purse, then put in earbud, turns on some music, and stares past you out the bus winter. The woman is exercising what is called a. politesse. b. social awkwardness. c. civil inattention. d. saving face.
C
You would like to understand why some high school students in a private religious school are prone to being cyberbullied. After thoroughly operationalizing the terms, developing well-honed variables, and identifying a sample, you must apply to an institutional review board in order to conduct the research. One of the main concerns is that a. you are required to get the consent of the parents. b. you are dealing with the school administration. c. you are dealing with a protected population group. d. your questions ask about illegal activities.
C
You've noticed that when you sleep less, your grades suffer. At the same time, you realize that lower grades could also lead to a lack of sleep: that worrying about a possible dip in your grade point average could keep you up at night. What kind of relationship between the two variables, lack of sleep and lower grades, are you noticing here? a. Causal b. Coincidental c. Correlation d. Time-ordered
C
A theoretical perspective most popular in the mid-twentieth century held that social realities such as the roles that men and women play in heterosexual couples or the existence of inequality could be explained by the necessary purpose they served in society. What was this theoretical perspective? a. Postmodernism b. conflict theory c. symbolic interactionism d. Functionalism
D
Allison is concerned with the subtle messages that her niece receives from her kindergarten teacher about suitable careers. For example, picture books read in class portray women as nurses and secretaries but the doctors and engineers in the books are male. Allison's concerns reflect what kind of theoretical perspective? a. Functionalist b. Positivist c. conflict theorist d. feminist
D
At a friend's housewarming, you meet a young engaged couple from India. They tell you that their relationship was arranged when they both very young (she was 12, he was 14). They seem happy with this arrangement, but you're taken aback. The couple's comfort with the arrangement, as well as your initial discomfort, are examples of a. symbolic interactionism. b. operationalization. c. social interaction. d. socialization.
D
Facebook surpassed 1 billion monthly active users in 2012, and that number has continued to climb. Facebook wasn't the first social media site, of course; it had to compete with earlier sites such as Friendster and MySpace. Today, though, Facebook is many people's default way of staying in touch with family, friends, and colleagues through messages, posts, likes, and event invitations. Widespread reliance on the site is a good example of a. socialization. b. domination. c. soft power. d. hegemony.
D
In India, there is an elaborate system of social classification called the caste system. This has existed for thousands of years, and still dictates, to a great extent, the social and economic status of an individual. A person's caste is an example of a. an achieved status. b. a role. c. a status set. d. an ascribed status.
D
In the effort to stop the spread of HIV, organizations and countries have invested in research to understand how the virus spreads within a population. Often, this research investigates transmission through "having sex." Here, one of the challenges is to precisely define what "having sex means," so that researchers can identify the pertinent variables. This challenge of specifying a key idea is crucial to any good sociological study and is called a. defining the dependent variable. b. hypothesis testing. c. defining the independent variable. d. operationalization
D
Jamar enters a clothing store and a security guard immediately notices him and follows his actions on a security monitor. Jamar is aware of the security guard's actions and adjusts his own behavior to avoid a potential confrontation. This is a contemporary example of which sociological concept developed at the turn of the twentieth century? a. the generalized other b. double consciousness c. Anomie d. Positivism
D
Kalani has busy summers planned for her daughters. They take music lessons, play on soccer and basketball teams, and attend summer school classes. This summer schedule is an example of a. natural growth. b. resocialization. c. role strain. d. concerted cultivation.
D
Many cell phone companies have similar offers and restrictions on changing numbers, adding numbers to a plan, getting a new phone, paying for minutes used beyond those allotted, and so on. These similarities are due to which of the following processes? a. market alignment b. converging organizational structures c. institutional culture d. institutional isomorphism
D
Marta decides to conduct comparative research for her dissertation on the effects of demographic policies on population growth and decline in China and Russia. Which type of sociology is this? a. Feminist b. Functionalist c. Microsociology d. Macrosociology
D
Melinda and Alex are co-leads on a project at work, but their working styles differ greatly and they are having trouble agreeing on procedures and objectives. Elena, a member of their team who is relatively new to the company, steps in and pulls together a crucial part of the project to meet a tight deadline. The account manager is impressed with Elena's work, and Elena ends up getting a promotion after the project is completed. In this triad, Elena could be said to have assumed what role? a. divide et impera b. mediator c. role leader d. tertius gaudens
D
Our birth families (mother, father, sister, and so on) are a central part of our lives. Suppose you family decides to host a foreign exchange student for a year. It goes well, and, the next year, the student's entire family (all nine of them) decides to visit America and your family. In the ensuing year, various members of the two families stay in touch, and you share these relationships with your own friends. In the context of social networks, what's happening between your two families, as well as the way you share the experience with your friends, is what sociologists call a tie, and although the two families are unrelated, this "tie that binds" is made real because of a. a symbol that is given meaning through social interactions. b. a direct path to another member of our network. c. the sum of the stories we tell about people in our primary group. d. a set of stories that explains our relationship to the other members of our network.
D
Rather than complaining about "kids these days," 52-year-old Professor Cathy Small enrolled as an undergraduate at a large university in an attempt to better understand the college experience of her students. She published her findings in the book, My Freshman Year (under the pen name of Rebekah Nathan). This research is in line with the methodology developed by which of the following early sociologists? a. Émile Durkheim b. Georg Simmel c. Karl Marx d. Max Weber
D
Suppose a friend of yours spends a lot of time on Facebook, as he has a lot of close friendships there. He is somewhat alienated from his family, who live far away and most of whom he sees perhaps only once a year. Despite your friend's difficult relationship with them, his family is considered a. a secondary group. b. his most intimate relationships. c. an impersonal group. d. a primary group.
D
Suppose you are part of a research team stationed in Uganda to do sociological surveys. You are there with your same-sex spouse of eight years. In Uganda, homosexuality was criminalized in 2009 and is currently punishable by life imprisonment. Attitudes in the country are not favorable toward homosexuality, but you have not experienced difficulties in daily life. As you begin the write-up of your research, you are especially aware of the scholarly need to a. ensure that the Ugandan government approves of all your data. b. disseminate your data to all of your colleagues for preliminary review. c. avoid being outed (detected) as a same-sex couple. d. avoid letting your own beliefs about same-sex relationships enter your writing.
D
The decision to marry is a major life step. Contemporary Americans do so with certain cultural expectations: that our partner will love and care for us, will share the duties of managing a household (nowadays, fairly equally and regardless of gender), and will support us in our lives when problems arise at work or with other family members. These expectations of a spouse are an example of a. status. b. gender division. c. sexism. d. roles.
D
Voter turnout in the United States for national elections has never been high, with about half of eligible voters, on average, not showing up at the polls. At the local level, though, estimates suggest that less than a quarter of eligible voters turn out. This lack of local engagement means that people miss the opportunity to influence decisions that affect their everyday lives and immediate environments. What larger social trend does this suggest? a. Strict voter ID laws have disenfranchised millions of people. b. Tightly knit communities tend to avoid getting involved in local politics. c. People believe more in the power of national than local politics. d. There is a decline in the amount of civic engagement.
D
What is a moderating variable? a. a factor that is positioned between the independent and dependent variables but does not affect the relationship between them b. a factor that affects only the independent variable in a hypothesis c. a factor that affects only the dependent variable in a hypothesis d. a factor that affects the relationship between the independent and dependent variables
D
Which of the following American sociologists applied Émile Durkheim's theory of anomie to explain crime rates among African Americans? a. George Herbert Mead b. Louis Wirth c. Jane Addams d. W. E. B. DuBois
D
Which of the following is an example of nonmaterial culture? a. a Buddhist temple b. a music website c. a garden d. spirituality
D
Which of the following is an example of recognizing the "generalized other"? a. There are several children at a pool party. One little boy is very shy and isn't joining in the games. After a while, a slightly older child encourages him to play with the others. b. A little girl lives with her parents, siblings, and grandmother; the grandmother uses a cane. One day the girl sees a neighbor who is about her grandmother's age and asks where her cane is. c. A child goes to his friend's house for dinner and announces that they must bless the food before they eat, because that's what they do in his home. d. A child is taught to hold the door for her parents or siblings when they are carrying something into the house. While at the mall, she holds the door for a stranger leaving the mall who is carrying several bags.
D
Which of the following is an example of soft power? a. the enduring worldwide popularity of athlete Michael Jordan b. requiring the use of English in immigrant communities in South Texas c. the dominance of American military power around the world d. the expansion of American corporations into new global markets
D
Which of the following is an example of using one's sociological imagination? a. being comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings, such as visiting a new friend's house b. creating different hypotheses to explain an individual's behavior when you see that person acting strangely in public c. creating a story to explain unfamiliar social customs when you are traveling in a new country d. understanding that the divorce of one's parents is part of a larger societal trend toward marriage dissolution
D
panel survey/longitudinal study
Following the same subjects over a specified period of time and taking the same measurements multiple times over that time
generalized other
Internalized sense of total expectation of others in a variety of settings, regardless of whether we've encountered those people or places before
concerted cultivation
The parenting model, or style, according to which parents often praise and converse with their children, engage them in extracurricular activities, take them on outings, and so on, with the goal of cultivating their child's talents and abilities.
Max Weber
Verstehen - interpreting and understanding people's meanings they attach to actions
structural hole
a gap between network clusters, or even two individuals, if those individuals (or clusters) have complementary resources
large group
a group characterized by the presence of a formal structure that mediates interaction and, consequently, status differentiation
small group
a group small enough for everyone to interact directly with all the other members lack of formal cues and level of equality
party
a group that is similar to a small group but is multifocal
secondary group
a large and impersonal social group whose members pursue a specific goal or activity
symbolic interactionism
a micro-level theory in which shared meanings, orientations, and assumptions form the basic motivations behind people's actions
status
a recognizable social position that an individual occupies
social network
a set of relations- essentially, a set of dyads- held together by ties between individuals
reverse causality
a situation in which the researcher believes that A results in a change in B, but B, in fact, is causing A
primary group
a small social group whose members share personal and lasting relationships
reference group
a social group that serves as a point of reference in making evaluations and decisions
achieved status
a social position a person takes on voluntarily that reflects personal ability and effort
master status
a status that has special importance for social identity, often shaping a person's entire life
feminist theory
a theoretical approach that looks at gender inequities in society and the way that gender structures the social world
conflict theory
a theoretical framework in which society is viewed as composed of groups that are competing for scarce resources which drives social change
midrange theory
a theory that attempts to predict how certain social institutions tend to function
status set
all the statuses a person holds at a given time
generalized other
an internalized sense of the total expectations of others in a variety of settings - regardless of whether we've encountered those people or places before
Reflexivity
analyzing and critically considering how your role as a researcher may affect the study
Emile Durkheim
anomie - sense of normlessness resulting from drastic changes in living conditions/arrangements individual acts are conditioned by social forces
selection bias
are the people who completed the survey different from the people who chose not to?
correlation
association/relationship between two things that may be due to outstanding variables
Mediator (triad)
attempts to resolve conflict between the other two
WEB du Bois
black sociologist came up with double consciousness
historical methods
collect data from historical documents (ex. Newspapers, journals, etc.) that date back to the period of study
Karl Marx
communism class conflict drives social change
group conformity
compliance with a group's goals, even when the group's goals may be in direct contrast to an individual's goals
hegemony
condition by which a dominant group uses its power to elicit the voluntary consent of the masses Getting people to go with what the dominant group wants because they've convinced them its the "natural" order of things
role conflict
conflict among the roles connected to two or more statuses
reflection theory
culture is a projection of social structures and relationships into a public sphere
valid vs. reliable
definition that measures a variable accurately vs. consistency of measurements
George Simmel
discovered the group size effect he observed how group size influences the behavior of the participants
frontstage vs. backstage arena behavior
front stage = positive only backstage = positive and negative
triad
group of three
dyad
group of two
subculture
groups united by sets of concepts, values, symbols, and shared meaning specific to members of that group
norms
how values tell us to behave
isomorphism
in institutional theory, the quality that two or more organizations have by virtue of being structurally very similar
opening
indicates start of social encounter
coincidental relationship
inferring a relationship between two variables due to a temporal succession/order of events
total institution
institution where one is totally immersed and all daily activities are controlled; there are no barriers
socialization
internalization of society's values, beliefs, and norms
me, self, and i
me - self that one imagines others perceive them self - individual identity of a person as perceived by the same person I - one's sense of agency and power
roles of people in a dyad
mediator tertius gaudens divide et impera
cultural script
modes of behaviors and understanding are not universal/natural, we have specific things that shape of notions of society
values
moral beliefs
it's important for a researcher to maintain ____ when viewing subjects
objectivity
material culture
part of constructed environment
culture shock
personal disorientation when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life
Auguste Comte
positivism - moral sense during declining religious authority theological stage - society as a result of divine metaphysical stage - human behavior governed by natural and biological scientific stage - scientific laws govern human behavior
anticipatory socialization
preparing for a specific socialization that you have not experienced directly
operationalizaiton
process of assigning a precise method for measuring a term being examined for use in a study
resocialization
process where one's sense of social values, beliefs, and norms are remade through an intense social process that may take place in a total institution
causation
relationship between two things that have a proven effect on each other (one factor causes change in another)
comparative research
researcher compares two or more entities with the intent of learning more about the factors that differ between them
positive sociologist
reveal facts that govern social life
interpretive sociologist
reveal meaning of social phenomena to individuals
ethnocentrism
sense of superiority in the context of cultural practices and attitudes for one's own culture compared to others
research methods
set of standard approaches used for investigating questions
organization
social network defined by common purpose and has boundary between membership and rest of social network
deductive approach
starts with a theory then gets more specific
inductive approach
starts with empirical observations that eventually forms a theory
consumerism
steady acquisition of material possessions, often with the belief that happiness and fulfillment are achieved with them
narrative
sum of stories contained in a set of ties
culture
sum of the social categories and concepts we recognize in addition to our beliefs, behaviors, and practices
code switching
switching back and forth between one linguistic variant and another depending on the cultural context
ideology
system of concepts and relationships to understand cause and effects
content analysis
systematic analysis of the content rather than the structure of a communication, such as a written work, speech, or film can be specific to one type of media
cultural relativism
taking into account differences across cultures without assigning value/passing judgement
role strain
tension among the roles connected to a single status
culture jamming
the act of turning media against themselves
postmodernism
the belief that society is no longer governed by history or progress; shared meanings have eroded and people can have different definitions of the same thing
embeddedness
the degree to which ties are reinforced through indirect paths within a social network
double consciousness
the division of an individual's identity into two or more social realities, usually socially conflicting Those with double scripts risk conforming to others perceptions that they are fully constrained to the behaviors predicted of them
role
the duties and behaviors expected of someone who holds a particular status
face
the esteem in which an individual is held by others
Generalizability
the extent at which the findings can relate to a group larger than the study group
Sapir-Whort thesis
the idea that people see and understand the world through the cultural lens of language
social capital
the information, knowledge of people, and connections that help individuals enter, gain power in, or otherwise leverage social networks
tertius gaudens
the member of a triad who benefits from conflict between the other two members of the group
key independent variable
the most important independent variable in your study since it's possible to have multiple
strength of weak ties
the notion that relatively weak ties often turn out to be quite valuable because they yield new information
civil inattention
the process whereby individuals in the same physical setting demonstrate to one another that they are aware of each other's presence
divide et impera
the role of a member of a triad who intentionally drives a wedge between the other two actors in the group
organizational culture
the set of values, ideas, attitudes, and norms of behavior that is learned and shared among the members of an organization
Ethnomethodology
the study of how people use background assumptions to make sense out of life
secondary socialization
the subsequent experience of socialization into new sectors of society by an already socialized person
dramaturgical theory
the view (advanced by Erving Goffman) of social life as essentially a theatrical performance, in which we are all actors on metaphorical stages, with roles, scripts, costumes, and sets
organizational structure
the ways in which power and authority are distributed within an organization
natural growth parenting
this is a type of parenting used by working class and poor parents. The children often gain and distrust and constraint when interacting with institutions like school. The positive outcome is strong personal connection with family members. The parenting strategy involves more free time and independent work by children
Harriet Martineau
translated Comte to English talked about subordination of women in marriage
Hays Code/ Production Code
used to protect moral fabrics of society in media exposure
nonmaterial culture
values, beliefs, behaviors, and social norms
moderator variable
variable that influences the strength between two other variables
primary socialization
very direct socialziation
latent content
what a researcher can figure out is implied by manifest content
manifest content
what a researcher can observe clearly