Sociology Final Questions
(Point) Why is it NOT surprising that Evangelical Protestantism is the most common religious affiliation in the United States?
Evangelicals emphasize the importance of gaining new converts.
Why do members of the lower class exercise LESS often?
Exercise is a luxury often accessible only to those who do not have to struggle with day-to-day existence.
(Point) According to Mark Juergensmeyer's book, Terror in the Mind of God, what accounts for the rise in religious violence across the world?
Extremist religious beliefs can grant a sense of control to people who otherwise feel powerless.
Why do social scientists who use interviews rarely speak with large numbers of people for a project?
Face-to-face interviewing is a very time-consuming process.
Throughout history, prison has been the most common means of punishment for criminals and deviants.
False
When sociologists use the term "deviant," they are making both a social and a moral judgment.
False
Sociologists assert that there is a close relationship between the individual and society. How does Pam Fishman's research on gender and power in heterosexual couples characterize this relationship?
Fishman's data shows how macro-level phenomena like gender and power manifest themselves in everyday interactions.
Why are respondents often more comfortable addressing sensitive subjects on surveys than in other research contexts?
They can answer in private and are usually assured of anonymity.
Recent research by marine biologists suggests that bottlenose dolphins have names for themselves. Scientists played sounds they had identified as the names of particular dolphins, putting them through a synthesizer so that they did not sound like the voices of particular dolphins. The researchers found that dolphins would respond to the names of other dolphins that they were related to or associated with, but they ignored the names of strangers. This discovery suggests a much greater degree of self-awareness in aquatic mammals than was previously suspected. If this research holds up, what does it suggest about dolphins?
They have a sense of self similar to that of humans.
Which of the following is an advantage of using interviews as a research method?
They reveal attitudes and beliefs not accessible by any other means.
Why do the authors of your textbook reject definitions of family that depend on particular types of people (like parents) and specific types of ties (like marriage
They want the definition to be broad enough to encompass a variety of living arrangements.
According to Karl Marx, how is class consciousness, or revolutionary consciousness, developed?
When the lower classes come to recognize how society works and challenge those in power
Social historian Jeffrey Weeks, who points out that even though homosexual acts have been documented throughout history, homosexual identity as we know it today didn't exist before the twentieth century
Women's suffrage
According to the symbolic interactionist George Herbert Mead, the generalized other is:
an understanding of the rules that govern a network of different players in related roles.
Lili is conducting a sociological research study on the underground music scene. She has just finished collecting data for the study. What is the next step Lili should take in the scientific method?
analyze data
Jai is conducting a sociological research study on differences in interactions between similar and dissimilar co-workers. After reviewing the literature, he developed a hypothesis and has operationalized the variables he will study. What is the next step Jai should take in the scientific method?
choose a research design or method
Maria is worried about the representativeness of her study. She is conducting interviews, but each one seems to last at least five hours. Given that she only has one month to collect her data, what strategy might she use to increase her sample size?
conduct a focus group
A social movement's long-term development often looks a lot like:
failure
According to the scientific method, what are the steps in research, and in what order should they be completed?
form a hypothesis, define variables, choose research method, collect data
People who take advantage of a public good without contributing to it are called:
free riders.
Unlike earlier religious traditions that attempted to determine the ultimate cause or source of reality, Auguste Comte developed positivism in order to:
identify laws that describe the behavior of a particular reality.
Survey research tends to produce quantitative data. One key advantage of this kind of data is that it:
is easy to transmit to the public.
What sort of jobs can support a middle-class lifestyle in America today?
jobs in the service, information, and technology sectors
Harriet Martineau supported many ideas that were radical for her time, including:
labor unions and the abolition of slavery.
When it comes to understanding everyday life, one of the weaknesses of being an everyday actor is that you:
make assumptions and gloss over many things that the social analyst strives to understand systematically.
Howard Becker said that sociology can best be understood as the study of people "doing things together." This definition reminds us that:
neither society nor the individual exists in isolation; each is dependent on the other.
(Point) In recent years, some schools and educators have adopted a "flipping the classroom" approach. This teaching method relies on in-class problem-solving activities, supplemented by online lectures that students can watch on their own time as part of their homework. Critics of this teaching method argue that:
not all students have access to technology and the Internet to benefit from this approach.
You are doing a research project on the effects of contemporary media. If your hypothesis is that "watching violence on television causes an increase in violent behavior," then what are your variables?
violence on television and violent behavior
Even though a small number of people have been trained academically as sociologists, we can all be described as "everyday sociologists" because:
we are all members of society and therefore we have a great deal of background knowledge about how society works.
The dual nature of the self, according to George Herbert Mead, refers to the idea that:
we experience the self as both subject and object.
According to the symbolic interactionists Jay Gubrium and Jim Holstein, what form does the family take in contemporary society?
"The family" does not exist; rather, family is a fluid, adaptable set of concepts and practices.
According to Kathryn Edin and Maria Kefalas, which of the following is a reason young women of low socioeconomic status have children?
A baby is a symbol of belonging, and motherhood can lead to respect from one's community.
What do sociologists claim is the most significant component of culture?
Language
Why would mentioning a sensitive issue, such as divorce or infidelity, in a survey question influence how respondents answer later questions?
Sensitive questions make the questionnaire confusing and difficult to fill out.
A famous social scientist tells you that the most important task in her research was to move from "total bewilderment" to "finding her feet" with the people she was studying. What can you say about this researcher?
She is a qualitative researcher.
Look at the graphic representation of sociology's family tree. Given that they were both very influential in the classical stage of sociological theory, why are Karl Marx and Émile Durkheim depicted so far apart?
The theoretical schools they founded are very different.
Which of the following is an example of something that would be part of a person's or a society's material culture?
Weapons of war
What did Robert Merton call a prediction that came true only because the prediction was made?
a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Researchers should try to avoid double-barreled questions, or questions that:
ask about multiple issues.
In the 1980s, many politicians argued that listening to heavy metal music led teenagers to commit suicide. Though you might find this belief silly, it is a(n):
hypothesis.
How are informal norms different from formal norms?
informal norms are implicit and unspoken.
Each to each a looking-glass, / Reflects the other that doth pass." This poem, associated with sociologist Charles Cooley, indicates that our sense of self originates in:
interactions with other people.
(Point) How does the textbook define the "hidden curriculum"?
lessons that students learn indirectly through the method in which the curriculum is presented and the way the school is organized
After researchers conduct a series of interviews, they usually transcribe the responses. The transcription process is fairly time-consuming, but it is valuable in part because it allows researchers to:
look for patterns in their data.
What people really do is considered __________ culture.
real
"Buy Nothing Day" might best be described as a ________ social movement.
regressive
Which of these statements about roles is true?
A role involves behaviors.
Structural functionalist theory is very concerned with the ways in which structures contribute to the stability of society. What is a structure?
A social institution that is stable over time and helps meet the needs of society
(Point) How is a sociological definition of religion different from a commonsense, everyday definition?
A sociological definition must be broad enough to encompass all brands of religious experience.
Which of the following is an example of resocialization?
A stay-at-home mother becoming paralyzed in a car accident
In The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan wrote: Each suburban wife struggled with it alone. As she made the beds, shopped for groceries, matched slipcover material, ate peanut butter sandwiches with her children, chauffeured Cub Scouts and Brownies, lay beside her husband at night—she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question—"Is this all?" What larger social issue does this passage suggest Friedan was worried about?
Access to education and employment
What does it mean for a sociologist to control for a variable?
All factors except for the independent variable are taken into account.
Sociology can be defined as the systematic and scientific study of human society and social behavior. Given this definition, which of the following levels of social structure best describes what sociologists might examine?
Almost any level—from interactions between two people to large-scale institutions
(Point) The former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor voted to allow a Christmas display on public property that included a nativity scene but voted to prohibit city governments from having displays that had only a nativity scene. This indicates that:
America is both a secular and a nonsecular society at the same time.
How does a person come to possess an achieved status?
An achieved status is earned.
In visual representations, racial and ethnic minorities are often portrayed as animalistic or subhuman, many times as monkeys or chimpanzees. According to your understanding of Chapter 8, why would racist imagery so often use animals?
Animal imagery supports the assumption that differences between groups are innate, or biologically based.
What is the difference between basic and applied research?
Applied research is gathering knowledge that can be used for social change.
Which of the following is an example of something that would be part of a person's symbolic culture?
Belonging to a political party
Which of the following is an example of something that would be part of a person's symbolic culture?
Belonging to a political party0.
How is a subculture different from a counterculture?
Both are distinct from mainstream culture, but a counterculture actively opposes important aspects of the mainstream.
Judith Stacey's Brave New Families explored the ways families adapted to meet the challenges of a postmodern society by creating innovative family structures that looked very different from the "traditional" family. Which of the following would you think was the full title of Stacey's book?
Brave New Families: Stories of Domestic Upheaval in Late-Twentieth-Century America
__________ values can bring about social change.
Contradicting
Which idea is NOT conveyed in the discussion of Durkheim's thoughts on deviance?
Deviance can endanger lives.
Which of the following describes how deviance can be explained from the functionalist perspective?
Deviance clarifies moral boundaries and affirms norms
Which of the following describes how deviance can be explained from the functionalist perspective?
Deviance clarifies moral boundaries and affirms norms.
A famous monologue from Shakespeare's As You Like It begins: All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts Which theory of social life could be seen as taking its inspiration from these lines?
Dramaturgy
(Point) What does a sociological perspective tell us about education in the United States?
Educational success often has as much to do with social stratification as it does with individual ability.
The tendency to use your own group's way of doing things as the yardstick for judging others is called:
Ethnocentrism
Why are social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter so exciting to sociologists who study social networks?
For the first time, social networking sites offer sociologists a data set rich enough to test ideas that until now have only been theorized
(Point) For which of the following reasons could the supposed increase in voter turnout in the 2004 election really be just an artifact of the way that voter turnout is measured?
For the first time, the turnout rate was based on eligible voters, as opposed to all residents of voting age.
What was probably Harriet Martineau's most important contribution to the development of sociology as a discipline?
Her translation of the work of Auguste Comte into English
(Point) How does the academic achievement of homeschooled students compare to that of public school students?
Homeschooled students perform significantly better, on average, than public school students.
All over Birmingham, you can see cars sporting a bumper sticker that says, "My favorite teams are ALABAMA and whoever's playing AUBURN." What is this an example of?
Hostility toward an out-group
Google has implemented employment policies like increasing the use of women interviewers for female job applicants and expanding maternity leave from three months to five in order to hire and retain more female employees. Which characteristic of bureaucracy is Google attempting to address with these changes?
Impersonality
According to George Herbert Mead, in what way is a game of football like society?
In both football and society, individuals have to take into account the roles and points of view of everyone else.
How are informal norms different from formal norms?
Informal norms are implicit and unspoken
How is institutional discrimination different from individual discrimination?
Institutional discrimination is more systematic and widespread.
Some researchers suggest that interviews give "voice" to people who may never have been heard before and offer privileged access to authentic experience, private worlds, and true selves. How do interviews do this?
Interviews allow respondents to speak in their own words; they can reveal their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs—internal states that would not necessarily be accessible by any other means.
In her research for The Second Shift, Arlie Hochschild interviewed married couples to find out how they dealt with changing family roles as more women entered the workforce. What advantages came from her decision to use interviews as a research method?
It allowed her to gather direct quotations and construct an intimate portrait of married couples.
Why is the term "queer" used to describe queer theory?
It emphasizes the importance of difference and rejects the idea of a single gay or lesbian identity.
Which of the following is a DISADVANTAGE of using ethnography as a method of social research?
It is difficult for another researcher to repeat or replicate any particular ethnography
Which of the following is a DISADVANTAGE of using ethnography as a method of social research?
It is difficult for another researcher to repeat or replicate any particular ethnography.
What can an institutional review board do if it has reservations about the safety or ethics of a research project?
It may stop the project from going forward, at least until changes have been made.
(Point) From a structural functionalist perspective, religion fulfills what role in society?
It provides its adherents with a set of values, norms, and rules by which to live.
Many everyday cultural practices—such as greeting a friend, giving someone flowers, or using the thumbs-up sign—seem like natural ways of acting. Why does having an awareness of how these practices vary across cultures demonstrate a healthy sociological imagination?
It reminds us that everyday interactions are connected to larger social structures.
How did the Industrial Revolution change the common meaning of family?
It shifted the meaning from extended family to nuclear family.
Which of the following is a latent function of the educational system in the United States?
Keeping children out of trouble while parents are at work
__________ would be an example of a moral holiday.
Mardi Gras
Symbolic interactionism argues that people act toward things on the basis of their meaning. According to this perspective, how does meaning arise?
Meaning is negotiated through interaction with others.
What did Max Weber mean when he said that modern people are trapped in an "iron cage"?
Most aspects of life are increasingly controlled by rigid rules and rationalization.
How is custody of minor children usually handled in divorce cases?
Mothers receive custody in a disproportionate number of cases.
Why is it increasingly difficult to use sociological models that assume that interaction involves copresence?
New technology makes it much more common to interact with someone without being physically in the same place.
Some sociologists use a macrosociological approach, whereas others take a microsociological approach. How does this difference affect the ultimate goal of their research?
No matter what approach they take, all sociologists attempt to illuminate the connection between the individual and society.
One of Karl Marx's most important achievements was developing the principle of praxis. What does this mean that he thought intellectuals should do?
Not just theorize about the world but change it
Researcher Pam Fishman noticed that within heterosexual couples, women are more likely than men to use questions in conversation. Why is this finding sociologically important?
Questions are more likely to be used by the partner with less power, so Fishman's research demonstrates connections between general social structures and individual behaviors.
(Point) In the Sermon on the Mount, in the Christian New Testament, believers are told, "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them." Of which of the functions or dysfunctions of religion does this remind you?
Religion provides morals, values, rules, and norms for participants.
Which of the following is a DISADVANTAGE of using existing sources of data for research?
Researchers often seek answers to questions the data does not directly address.
Although Geoffrey Greif points out that "more fathers are rearing children alone following separation and divorce than ever before," which of the following remains true about single fathers?
Single fathers are still only about 15 percent of all single parents
Scientists who are searching for a "gay gene" have been criticized by sociologists for their narrow understanding of sexual orientation, which does not take into account the way biology and the social environment interact to produce sexual behaviors. Which of the following theorists makes this point?
Social historian Jeffrey Weeks, who points out that even though homosexual acts have been documented throughout history, homosexual identity as we know it today didn't exist before the twentieth century
While it is always important to ask clear and unambiguous questions regardless of the method you use, it is especially important to avoid confusion when conducting surveys. Why?
Survey researchers are usually not present to clarify any misunderstandings.
When high schools want to ask students about sensitive subjects like drug use or sexual health, they often use surveys rather than a more direct form of communication like interviews. Why?
Surveys allow students to answer the questions in private and assure the confidentiality of their responses.
(Point) Which of the following is a criticism of the No Child Left Behind Act passed by Congress in 2002?
Teachers, under pressure to raise test scores, may stop doing everything but "teaching to the test.
What did Harvard Medical School researchers conclude about the effects of the media on young people in Fiji, who until recently lacked widespread access to television?
Television affected young women's body image.
What historical events convinced Auguste Comte that society needed to be guided by thinkers who understood social laws?
The French Revolution and the instability that followed it
A research study examined how teachers at community colleges handled retirement. The study found that the unique culture of such institutions had a significant effect on how retirees coped with their new situation. Which of the following could be the title of a paper written about this study?
The Role-Exit Process of Community College Faculty: A Study of Faculty Retirement"
How do most abusive relationships look at the beginning?
The abusive partner is charming, attentive, and thoughtful.
Max Weber believed that as the Industrial Revolution progressed, society became increasingly rationalized. How did he define rationalization?
The application of economic logic to all aspects of social life
How do sociologists define the self?
The experience of an individual's personal identity, distinct from other people
According to the sociological explanation of emotions, which of the following statements about grief is true?
The experience of grief is universal, but expressions of grief are cultural.
When conducting experiments, how is the experimental group different from the control group?
The experimental group receives the independent variable, and the control group does not.
According to Sigmund Freud's theoretical perspective, what are the parts of the mind?
The id, the ego, and the superego
(Point) During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in England, the curriculum at schools like Trinity College at Cambridge (The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity) leaned very heavily on theology. Today, the vast majority of university students will never take any theology classes. Why did this change?
The knowledge, values, and expectations required to succeed in contemporary society are different from those required then.
What is the relationship between Sister Pauline Quinn's program, in which prison inmates train service and therapy dogs, and sociological concepts of the self and of interaction?
The process of training dogs helps resocialize prisoners.
What was Marx criticizing when he said that religion is "the opiate of the masses"?
The use of religion by the ruling class to oppress the working class
Sometimes survey researchers reject randomness and instead use weighting techniques to construct a sample. How is a weighted sample different from a random one?
The weighted sample more closely resembles the larger population.
Why are remarriage rates lower today than they were in the 1960s?
There has been an increase in cohabitation among unmarried couples.
(Point) What is one reason that critics might object to school vouchers?
They believe vouchers will drain funds from vulnerable public schools and cause them to deteriorate further.
What is the link between feminist theory and conflict theory?
They both seek to not only understand inequality but also to remedy it.
(Point) According to Randall Collins, why do members of lucrative professions like law and medicine support the current educational system?
They want to keep the number of potential job applicants down, thus minimizing competition and ensuring that there is a large number of people for less lucrative, less pleasant professions.
Which of the following is one of the goals of socialization?
To teach norms, values, and beliefs
In the nature vs. nurture debate, both sides are partially right.
True
Norms are symbolic culture in action.
True
Our sense of self is largely created through social processes.
True
Sociologists argue that no behavior, not even one designed to kill a great number of people, is inherently deviant.
True
Sociologists can say that deviance is relative because whether a behavior is considered deviant depends upon the historical, cultural, and/or situational context in which it occurs.
True
The family is created and sustained through interactional work.
True
(Point) Which of the following is an advantage cited by supporters of school vouchers?
Vouchers give more choices to parents for their children's education.
Control theory is associated with __________.
Walter Reckless
What is it that interviewers seek when asking a respondent for his or her life history?
a chronological account of the respondent's life
If a bride is upset on her wedding day because her family members don't seem excited enough for her, sociologists might argue that the family members are violating
a feeling rule.
Many kitchen tools today are made with easy-to-grip silicone handles, a vast improvement over old wire tools, which were often painful to use. Although the advantages of silicone over wire might seem obvious, kitchenware makers were unaware of the problems with wire tools until they hired ethnographers to visit people at home, see how they worked in the kitchen, and determine what sorts of things could be sold to them. This ethnography is an example of:
a nonacademic use of research methods.
A group is organizing to change cultural "codes" related to substance addiction. What would we call this group?
a social movement
(Point) According to your textbook, what do all religions have in common?
a system of beliefs and rituals that establish a relationship between the sacred and the profane
Although she made contributions to sociology, Jane Addams is perhaps best remembered for her embrace of praxis, meaning that she:
acted on her intellectual convictions in practical ways.
The spread of beliefs and practices from one cultural group to another is called:
cultural diffusion
Before we can experience role-taking emotions, we must:
be able to see things from another person's point of view.
How could new technologies like the Internet decrease the importance of propinquity in mate selection, while preserving or even increasing the importance of homogamy?
by bringing people together from all over the world based on very similar interests or backgrounds
(Point) In his book, Savage Inequalities, Jonathan Kozol, a former teacher, conducted an ethnography of public schools in major cities across the United States. According to his study, how do schools reinforce inequality?
by using local property taxes to fund public schools, trapping poor children in poor schools
What is the process called by which societies lose their uniqueness and begin to resemble one another?
cultural leveling
What was one of the earliest theories of collective behavior?
contagion
Unlike sociologists, most people base their knowledge of the world on:
conventional wisdom, background knowledge, and personal experience.
Traditionally, most of the sociological literature on deviance focuses on:
crime
Traditionally, most of the sociological literature on deviance focuses on:
crime.
What do we call norm violations that are codified into law?
crimes
The idea that individuals learn to be deviant by interacting with others who are already deviant is called:
differential association theory.
(Point) During the most recent wave of conflict between Israel and Palestine, images of Palestinian children maimed and killed on the beach by Israeli missiles were televised across the world. Israeli officials argued that these images were a public relations tool by Palestinian organizations to gain sympathy for their cause. This example demonstrates the:
importance of using "new media" to communicate with the general public.
When a large number of people either collectively or individually engage in similar behaviors, sociologists call it:
mass behavior.
Which part of the culture tends to change sooner?
material culture
A social research methods class wants to study smoking. First the professor asks how many people in the class are smokers. Two people say yes. Then she asks how many people have smoked a cigarette in the past week, and ten people say yes. From this the class decides that, for the purposes of its survey, a smoker will be anyone who has had a cigarette in the past week and currently owns a pack of cigarettes. This is a(n):
operational definition.
What do you call broad theoretical models of the social or natural world?
paradigms
Someone coming from a psychological standpoint focuses on how __________ influences a person's behavior.
personality
If a social movement works to resist some kind of social change, or even to roll back elements of a change, it is said to be:
regressive.
According to Karl Marx, the most important factor in social life is a person's:
relationship to the means of production.
When African Americans joined a protest movement because it was harder for them to vote than it was for white Americans, they were acting out of:
relative deprivation
A graduate student is almost done with his dissertation when he is informed that twenty years ago someone did a very similar project and already demonstrated what he had hoped to be the first to discover. What basic step of the scientific method could have saved him from this problem?
reviewing the literature
In recent years, salsa has overtaken ketchup as America's most popular condiment. This is an example of:
social change
What do sociologists call behaviors that are rational for any given individual but that lead to disaster for an entire group?
social dilemmas
(Point) The fact that school schedules are organized around Christmas is evidence:
that the United States is not a totally secular society.
The theory of symbolic interactionism was developed by:
the Chicago School of sociology.
In his book The Interpretation of Dreams, Sigmund Freud suggested that:
the conscious level of awareness is but the tip of the iceberg and that just below the surface is a far greater area of the mind, the subconscious and the unconscious.
What is the uneven distribution of technology called between different parts of a society or of the world?
the digital divide
Any time a social researcher is going to use sampling, he or she must first identify his or her target population. What is this target population?
the larger group of people about whom he or she wishes to generalize
According to the text, which of the following has the effect of making poverty socially "invisible"?
the use of law enforcement to move the homeless away from visible locations
Why are remarriage rates lower today than they were in the 1960s?
there has been an increase in cohabitation among unmarried couples.
(Point) According to the textbook, what is the goal of early college high schools?
to make it easier for students from underserved backgrounds to enter college
What is the primary goal of comparative and historical research methods?
to understand relationships between parts of society in various regions and time periods
Jane Addams was an early advocate of applied sociology. This means that she did not just do research, but that she
tried to address social problems through hands-on activity in the communities she researched.
According to Chapter 7, what general predictions can sociologists make about a person's life prospects if all that is known is the person's social class?
what quality of education he or she will receive
Culture is so ingrained in us that we don't even tend to notice __________.
what we think and do because of our culture
Under what circumstances is a father more likely than a mother to be awarded custody of his minor children following a divorce?
when he makes substantially more money than his ex-wife
Max Weber helped lay the groundwork for sociologists who would develop symbolic interactionism as a theory, because he believed that a social scientist should approach the study of human action:
with verstehen (understanding), which emphasizes the need for empathy with individuals' experiences.