Sociology Quiz Questions (Chapter 1)

What do you think C. Wright Mills meant when he said that to be a sociologist, one had to develop a sociological imagination?

You have to have the ability to understand how your own past relates to that of other people, as well as to history in general and societal structures in particular.

Which would a quantitative sociologists use to gather data? a. A large survey b. A literature search c. An in-depth interview d. A review of television programs

a. A large survey

Who coined the phrase symbolic interactionism? a. Herbert Blumer b. Max Weber c. Lester F. Ward d. W. I. Thomas

a. Herbert Blumer

A sociologist defines society as a group of people who reside in a defined area, share a culture, and who: a. interact b. work in the same industry c. speak different languages d. practice a recognized religion

a. interact

Which of the following was a topic of study in early sociology? a. Astrology b. Economics c. Physics d. History

b. Economics

Which founder of sociology believed societies changed due to class struggle? a. Émile Comte b. Karl Marx c. Plato d. Herbert Spencer

b. Karl Marx

Who believed that the history of society was one of class struggle? a. Émile Durkheim b. Karl Marx c. Erving Hoffmann d. George Herbert Mead

b. Karl Marx

Which research technique would most likely be used by a symbolic interactionist? a. Surveys b. Participant observation c. Quantitative data analysis d. None of the above

b. Participant observation

Kenneth and Mamie Clark used sociological research to show that segregation was: a. beneficial b. harmful c. illegal d. of no importance

b. harmful

C. Wright Mills once said that sociologists need to develop a sociological __________ to study how society affects individuals. a. culture b. imagination c. method d. tool

b. imagination

Weber believed humans could not be studied purely objectively because they were influenced by: a. drugs b. their culture c. their genetic makeup d. the researcher

b. their culture

Which of the following best describes sociology as a subject? a. The study of individual behavior b. The study of cultures c. The study of society and social interaction d. The study of economics

c. The study of society and social interaction

Berger describes sociologists as concerned with: a. monumental moments in people's lives b. common everyday life events c. both a and b d. none of the above

c. both a and b

Seeing patterns means that a sociologist needs to be able to: a. compare the behavior of individuals from different societies b. compare one society to another c. identify similarities in how social groups respond to social pressure d. compare individuals to groups

c. identify similarities in how social groups resent to social pressure

The difference between positivism and antipositivism relates to: a. whether individuals like or dislike their society b. whether research methods use statistical data or person-to-person research c. whether sociological studies can predict or improve society d. all of the above

c. whether sociological studies can predict or improve society

Which of these theories is most likely to look at the social world on a micro level? a. Structural functionalism b. Conflict theory c. Positivism d. Symbolic interactionism

d. Symbolic interactionism

Studying sociology helps people analyze data because they learn: a. interview techniques b. to apply statistics c. to generate theories d. all of the above

d. all of the above

A symbolic interactionist may compare social interactions to: a. behaviors b. conflicts c. human organs d. theatrical roles

d. theatrical roles