Ch. 1 Quiz Questions (SOC 101)

Although she made contributions to sociology, Jane Addams is perhaps best remembered for her embrace of praxis, meaning that she: a)acted on her intellectual convictions in practical ways. b)embraced conflict theory. c)was a pragmatist. d)was the first person to translate Comte into English. e)was the antithesis of practical when it came to her personal life

a

Emile Durkheim believed that even the most individualistic actions have social origins. a) true b) false

a

Macrosociology is the study of large-scale social phenomena such as social order, social change, and social inequality. a) true b) false

a

Unlike earlier religious traditions, which attempted to determine the ultimate cause or source of reality, Auguste Comte developed positivism in order to: a)identify laws that describe the behavior of a particular reality. b) explain how class conflict drove social change. c)argue that symbolic interactions between individuals were the basis for social life. d) develop verstehen, or understanding, of individual behavior. e)justify a particular kind of social system based on hierarchy and privilege.

a

When the earliest social theorists established that society was an appropriate object of scientific scrutiny, it was thought of as revolutionary. a)true b)false

a

Which of the following theories focuses on how our behaviors are dependent upon the ways we interpret, make sense of, and define ourselves, others, and social situations? a)symbolic interactionism b)structural functionalism c)psychoanalysis d)postmodernism e)conflict theory

a

"Beginner's mind," a concept borrowed from the Zen Buddhist tradition, is the opposite of the sociological perspective. a)true b)false

b

Bernard McGrane suggests that we should practice using a beginner's mind, the opposite of an expert's mind. Usually it's good to be an expert. Why should we try to think like beginners instead? a)We may need to unlearn some of what we already know in order to become better sociologists. b)All of the above are reasons to use Beginner's Mind c)An expert's mind is so full of facts and assumptions that it has difficulty learning anything new. d)To better understand the world, we may need to defamiliarize ourselves with it. e)A beginner's mind allows us to approach the world without knowing in advance what we will find.

b

Diana just got her driver's license permit. Today is the first day she has ever driven a car. Without questioning why, Diana begins driving on the right side of the road. In sociological terms, Diana can best be described as a/an: a) astute teenager b) everyday actor c) social analyst d) experienced driver

b

Which of the following theories focuses on how our behaviors are dependent upon the ways we interpret, make sense of, and define ourselves, others, and social situations? a) structural functionalism b) symbolic interactionism c) conflict theory d) psychoanalysis e) postmodernism

b

Who among the following was the first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University and to combine sociology and social reform in his work? a)Ibn Khaldun b)W.E.B. DuBois c) Lawrence Bobo d)George Washington Carver

b

According to Emile Durkheim, industrialized societies display organic solidarity. What is the basis for organic solidarity? a)shared experiences and similar beliefs b)globalization and communications technology c)interdependence and individual rights d)religion and tradition e) bureaucracy and strong central government

c

Bernard McGrane, the "Zen sociologist" who recommends using beginner's mind as a way to develop a sociological perspective, has said which of the following about discovery? a)Discovery finds some new fact no one has ever known before. b)Discovery is no longer possible; all we can do is contrast different things and ideas that other people have discovered. c)Discovery is a new way of seeing things. d)Discovery is limited to finding places where no one has ever gone. e) Discovery is not a part of the sociological agenda.

c

One of the key challenges sociologists face is studying something they are intimately familiar with. Like fish in water, sociologists often find it hard to see what is right in front of their faces. To overcome this, what might you try? a)asking people from other societies to help you b)using quantitative methods c)trying to use Beginner's Mind d)moving to another country e)studying an unfamiliar religion

c

What term did Karl Marx use to describe the fact that most of the population accepts the prevailing ideology, even when it fails to tell the truth about their lives? a)existentialism b)pragmatism c)false consciousness d)class consciousness e)discohesion

c

Howard Becker defines _____ as the study of people "doing things together." a) social expectations b) social psychology c) family d) sociology

d

If you possess a sociological imagination and someone asks you to study unemployment rates in a city of fifty million people where fifteen million are unemployed, what would you conclude? a)We should teach people how to take better advantage of their opportunities. b)We should worry about the motivation of the workers who have lost their jobs. c)We should consider the work ethic of the average citizen. d) We should consider the economic and political structures of the society that might be causing such widespread unemployment. e)We should ask those who are unemployed to get training in other professions.

d

Sociology allows you to see the world in a new light. Does this mean you might have to reevaluate old opinions and/or conclusions? a)no b)only on certain subjects c)sometimes, but only if you got most of your information from mass media d)yes e)sometimes, but only if you got most of your information from mass media

d

Most of the time people use psychological rather than sociological arguments to explain why the world is the way it is. Why is it that people so often use a psychological viewpoint? a)They don't have enough information or data for complete sociological explanations. b)They can benefit so much more from a psychological approach. c)They only ever examine problems from a macro perspective. d)They don't use enough quantitative data to ever understand society e)They have insufficiently developed their sociological imagination.

e

Which theory developed as a result of applying conflict theory assumptions specifically to gender inequality? a) queer theory b) midrange theory c) psycholodynamic theory d) neo-functionalist e) feminist theory

e