CH 1

True or False: According to sociologists, human behavior is the product of "free will."

False

True or False: Every social structure is useful, or functional, in a positive sense for the operation of society.

False

True or False: Sociologists should make use of only one theoretical approach.

False

True or False: The sociological perspective reveals that people's lives are mostly a result of what they decide to do.

False

True or False: One consequence of living in a low-income country for women is, on average, having more children than women living in high-income nations.

True

True or False: The sociologist who stated that the point is not just to understand the world but to change it was Karl Marx.

True

Making use of the sociological perspective encourages: a. challenging commonly held beliefs. b. accepting conventional ideas. c. the belief that society is mysterious. d. people to become isolated from one another.

a. challenging commonly held beliefs.

Unrecognized and unintended consequences of the social structure are called: a. latent functions. Correct b. manifest functions. c. eufunctions. d. dysfunctions.

a. latent functions.

Which discipline defines itself as "the systematic study of human society"? a. sociology b. psychology c. economics d. history

a. sociology

All but one the following historical changes stimulated the development of the discipline of sociology. Which one did NOT? a. the spread of the Roman Catholic religion b. the rise of an industrial economy c. the growth of cities d. new political ideas stressing individual rights

a. the spread of the Roman Catholic religion

The social-conflict approach is sometimes criticized for: Select one: a. focusing on values shared by everyone in society. b. being clearly political. c. promoting the status quo. Incorrect d. All of the above are correct.

b. being clearly political.

Historically, the sociological perspective was most likely to develop in: a. nations with little social change. b. countries experiencing rapid social changes. c. countries where tradition was strong. d. isolated villages.

b. countries experiencing rapid social changes.

Using which of the following methods would a researcher be most likely to reveal information about herself to her subjects? a. questionnaire b. interviews Correct c. an experiment d. secondary analysis

b. interviews

In Barbara Ehrenreich's study of low-wage work, she concluded that: a. steady work is the key to economic security. b. many low-wage workers feel unworthy, even to the point of not trying. c. working full-time often does not generate enough income to pay for people's basic needs. d. when it comes to getting ahead, personal effort is everything.

b. many low-wage workers feel unworthy, even to the point of not trying.

The basic idea of the symbolic-interaction approach is that society is: a. an arena of conflict between categories of people. b. the reality people construct as they interact with one another. c. a system that operates to benefit people. d. All of the above are correct.

b. the reality people construct as they interact with one another.

What might a sociologist say about why an individual chooses a particular person to marry? a. There is no accounting for personal feelings like love. b. This shows that people's actions reflect human free will. c. This shows that society guides human behavior. d. In the case of love, opposites attract.

c. This shows that society guides human behavior.

In his study of prison behavior, Philip Zimbardo was trying to learn: a. if better nutrition improves the lives of inmates. b. if putting more people in prison reduces crime. c. if prisons themselves create violence. d. why the public, by and large, does not support the use of prisons.

c. if prisons themselves create violence.

Which of the following phrases best describes the focus of the structural-functional approach? a. the meaning people attach to their action b. patterns of social inequality c. the consequences of social patterns for the operation of society d. All of the above are correct.

c. the consequences of social patterns for the operation of society

Three roommates are in their dorm room sharing a late-night discussion about why they are in college. A sociological look at this issue might point to the importance of: a. age, because college students tend to be young adults. b. class, because college students tend to come from families with above-average incomes. c. which country we live in, because going to college is far more common in higher-income nations. d. All of the above are correct.

d. All of the above are correct.

Peter Berger described using the sociological perspective as seeing the __________ in the __________. a. good; worst tragedies b. new; old c. specific; commonplace d. general; particular

d. general; particular

Which research method asks subjects to respond to a series of items in a questionnaire or an interview? a. secondary research b. participant observation c. experiment d. survey

d. survey

By saying that the sociological perspective shows us "the strange in the familiar," the text argues that this point of view: a. focuses on the bizarre elements of society. b. rejects the familiar idea that people simply decide how to act in favor of the initially strange idea that society shapes our lives. c. shows that people often behave in strange ways. d. shows that common sense is the best guide to understanding human behavior.

b. rejects the familiar idea that people simply decide how to act in favor of the initially strange idea that society shapes our lives.

Which of the following illustrates a micro-level focus? a. the operation of the U.S. economy b. a rising level of global terrorism c. two airplane passengers getting to know one another d. class inequality in the armed forces

c. two airplane passengers getting to know one another

From a sociological perspective, patterns of childbearing around the world suggest that the number of children born to a woman reflects: a. her personal choice. b. how many children she can afford. c. whether she lives in a poor or rich society. d. the desires of her husband.

c. whether she lives in a poor or rich society.

Which of the following is generally true of researchers setting out to conduct fieldwork? a. Researchers may begin with few specific hypotheses. b. Researchers plan to be flexible about how they will do their research. c. Researchers must be both "insiders" and "outsiders" at the same time. d. All of the above are correct.

d. All of the above are correct.