Sociology Exam #1

Who is known as the founder of sociological theory?

Auguste Comte

What is the purpose of sociological theory?

Framework that organizes sociological thought Functionalist lens Stay focused

According to sociologist Max Weber, rational bureaucracy, rather than class struggle, is the most significant factor in determining the social relations between people in industrial societies.

True

What is a primary agent of socialization? What is a secondary agent of socialization?

Family: Attitudes and values School and church: social skills and learned behaviors

A country in the Asian subcontinent typically consists of middle-class Christians who have similar social and political backgrounds. This country can be referred to as a heterogeneous society.

False

All conflict theorists regard race-ethnicity inequalities as the central and most important source of social change.

False

An example of quantitative research is a study in which researchers systematically analyze the content of the transcripts of personal interviews conducted with patients of breast cancer, whereas an example of qualitative research is a study in which researchers compare the rates of breast cancer among people of different ethnicities.

False

Biological inheritance is more important than social interaction in establishing an individual's characteristics.

False

Carol Gilligan supported Kohlberg's model of moral development because it took into account the effects of gender on social and moral development.

False

Few sociologists attempt to discover patterns or commonalities in human behavior.

False

Folkways govern behaviors considered essential to the stability of society. Therefore, they are codified into laws and are punishable with formal sanctions.

False

Middle-income countries are nations with highly industrialized economies; technologically advanced industrial, administrative, and service occupations; and relatively high levels of national and personal income.

False

Although some people see a global culture emerging, others fear that Western culture is dominating everywhere. This Westernization is a form of cultural __________.

Imperialism

What is the difference between Qualitative and Quantitative research?

Qualitative: interview and observation (subjective) Quantitative: stats and data (objective)

In a study of education in the United States, who among the following theorists is likely to emphasize the daily activities of students and the various forms of communication between teachers and students?

Symbolic interactionists

A sociology student is asked to conduct quantitative research on a topic related to sociology as part of his final-year curriculum. The student decides to study racism and its causes and defines his research problem. In the context of the research process, which of the following steps should the student take next?

The student should review previous research on the chosen topic.

According to ethnomethodologists, interaction is based on assumptions of shared expectancies.

True

A society is composed of people, whereas a culture is composed of beliefs, values, symbols, norms, language, and material possessions.

True

A sociologist who believes that culture helps people achieve their biological, instrumental, and integrative needs is most likely to believe that shared values are essential for the maintenance of a society.

True

An individual's perception about the meaning of a situation depends on his or her unique personal experiences. For example, unlike men, women often do not perceive street encounters to be routine rituals because of fear for their personal safety.

True

As the number of one-parent families and families in which both parents work outside the home has increased dramatically, the number of children in daycare and preschool programs has also grown rapidly. This, combined with the increasing amount of time that students spend in educational settings, means that the importance of schools as agents of socialization has increased.

True

Denver is a lawyer, a son, a husband, a part-time writer, and a citizen of the United States. All these positions make up his status set.

True

Even though the specifics of individual cultures vary widely, all cultures have four common nonmaterial cultural components: symbols, language, values, and norms.

True

Functionalists emphasize the importance of families in providing emotional support and social experience to children, whereas conflict theorists emphasize how socialization through families contributes to false consciousness and reproduces inequalities in the class structure.

True

In an experiment, the experimental group contains the subjects who are exposed to an independent variable to study its effect on them.

True

Manifest functions are intended and/or overtly recognized by the participants in a social unit, whereas latent functions are unintended functions that are hidden and remain unacknowledged by participants.

True

Mikayla is told repeatedly that she is not a very good student. Eventually, she comes to believe it, puts in little effort in class, and receives a poor grade. This scenario illustrates the concept of__________.

a self-fulfilling prophecy

French philosopher Auguste Comte's belief that the world can best be understood through scientific inquiry became known as __________.

absolutism

Karl Marx's term for the feeling of powerlessness and estrangement from other people and from themselves that workers feel as a result of being exploited by the capitalist class is __________.

alienation

In the context of types of surveys, which of the following is a method of gathering data for research in which face-to-face communication between a researcher and a respondent allows the researcher to ask questions to the respondent and record his or her answers?

an interview

A young woman decides that she wants to become a professional basketball player. She joins her school's basketball team, reads articles about the world's best basketball players, and attends basketball camps. This scenario best illustrates __________.

anticipatory socialization

Daniel is the owner of a company that manufactures automobile parts. He owns all the factories of the company and employs 3,000 workers. In the context of Karl Marx's theory of class conflict, Daniel belongs to the __________.

bourgeoisie

According to Emile Durkheim, organic solidarity is __________.

characterized by interdependence and practical considerations

In 2008, Langhout and Mitchell investigated the "hidden curriculum" in a low-income elementary school and concluded that African American and Latino boys were disproportionately punished for violating rules when compared to their white and female counterparts. This example aligns with the views of __________ theorists.

conflict

Cooking, games, folklore, dancing, and clothing are examples of __________.

cultural universals

Brenda is a housekeeper who is supposed to stand in the presence of her employers as a sign of respect. Given this information, it can be said that Brenda is required to show __________.

deference

Brian has developed a hypothesis that the stress felt by single parents increases the probability of child abuse. In this case, child abuse will be considered the __________ .

dependent variable

Both Emile Durkheim and Ferdinand Tӧnnies __________.

developed typologies to explain changes in the social structure of societies

According to Erving Goffman, social interaction can be compared to a theatrical presentation in that an individual is an actor, observers are audiences, and interactions are guided by social scripts. The study of social interaction in this context is referred to as __________.

dramaturgical analysis

Automobiles provide transportation and independence. They also cause air pollution and contribute to global warming. Sociologist Robert K. Merton would consider these negative impacts the __________.

dysfunctions of automobiles

Describe conflict theory

how two groups/ resources creates conflict within society (rich and poor)

A sociologist who is conducting a study on the relationship between social media use and narcissism formulates the following statement: Regular use of social media increases narcissism among people. This statement is a(n) __________.

hypothesis

Alex was imprisoned for four years for arson. On the day he was taken into custody, he had to go through a degradation ceremony in which he was asked to strip, was searched by the prison guards, and was asked to wear the inmate uniform. Over time, the prison guards encouraged him to conform to institutional norms through a system of rewards and punishment. By the time Alex's prison sentence was over, he was rehabilitated. This scenario exemplifies __________.

involuntary resocialization

A major criticism of Spencer's theory of social Darwinism is that:

it can easily be used to justify class, racial-ethnic, and gender inequalities in society.

Democracy, belief in a Supreme Being, and understanding English are examples of __________.

nonmaterial culture

Both Karl Marx and Max Weber were in agreement that economic conditions played a role in producing inequality in society. However, Max Weber also suggested two other sources of social inequality and conflict. These sources are __________.

power and prestige

Henry, the father of a 15-year-old boy, recently noticed that his choice of music is being influenced by that of his son. Henry and his son often have long discussions about pop culture and his son's preferences in music. As a result, Henry has started listening to rock music, which his son introduced to him. This is an example of __________.

reciprocal socialization

Kevin, a sociologist, decides to study the relationship between stress and aggression. He develops a hypothesis and conducts an experiment with a group of participants to systematically gather data. After analyzing the results, Kevin concludes that there is a positive correlation between stress and violence. In this scenario, which of the following methods is Kevin using to test his hypothesis?

research

A researcher who is conducting a study on how religious views impact the voting behavior of the elderly sends an e-mail with a questionnaire to all members of the population being studied. The people who complete the questionnaire and thereby provide data for analysis are called __________.

respondents

Amber is a first-grade teacher, a daughter, a wife, a mother, a Presbyterian, a soccer coach, and a Kansas resident. Taken together, all of these socially defined positions constitute her status __________.

set

According to Durkheim, social solidarity in industrialized societies is sustained by __________.

shared dependence established through division of labor

Describe functionalism

stable and orderly and fulfills basic needs, what makes a society functional or dysfunctional

Describe symbolic interaction

socialization builds a foundation for social interaction and understanding views (stop sign)

A category of people who share distinguishing attributes, beliefs, values, and/or norms that set them apart in some significant manner from the dominant culture is referred to as __________.

subculture

George, a sociologist, believes that people change and maintain culture through their daily communication with others. He also believes that people reinterpret their values and norms to determine the appropriate behavior for a specific situation. In the context of the major sociological perspectives, George is most likely a __________.

symbolic interactionist

According to the symbolic interactionist perspective on socialization, four components make up our self-concept. Which of the following components is illustrated by the statement "I am good at soccer"?

the active self

According to the symbolic interactionist perspective on socialization, four components make up our self-concept. Which of the following components is illustrated by the statement "I believe in world peace"?

the psychological self