Chapter 5 - Sociology Midterm

A society that depends on mechanization to produce its goods and services is called a(n) A) industrial society. B) postindustrial society. C) postmodern society. D) preindustrial society.

A) industrial society.

Which term is used by sociologists to refer to a set of expectations for people who occupy a given social position or status? A) social role B) structural role C) achieved role D) ascribed role

A) social role

Which term is used by sociologists to refer to any of the full range of socially defined positions within a large group or society? A) status B) culture C) social structure D) Gemeinschaft

A) status

Helen Rose Fuchs Ebaugh studied A) role conflict among internal affairs officers in police departments. B) role exit. C) social networking among Black businesswomen. D) sociocultural evolution.

B) role exit.

The untested hypothesis that every employee within a hierarchy tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence is referred to as A) goal displacement. B) the Peter principle. C) trained incapacity. D) bureaucracy.

B) the Peter principle.

A technologically sophisticated society that is preoccupied with consumer goods and media images is called a(n) A) preindustrial society. B) industrial society. C) postindustrial society. D) postmodern society.

D) postmodern society.

Which term is used by sociologists when speaking of any group that individuals use as a standard for evaluating themselves and their own behavior? A) primary group B) secondary group C) tertiary group D) reference group

D) reference group

An achieved status is a social position A) attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts. B) "assigned" to a person by society without regard for the person's unique talents or characteristics. C) that is assigned to an individual at birth. D) that is given to an individual based upon his or her age, race, or gender.

A) attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts.

According to the classical theory of formal organizations, workers are motivated almost entirely by A) economic rewards. B) fear of their superiors. C) norms of conformity to the group. D) the need for job satisfaction.

A) economic rewards.

A(n) ___ is any number of people with similar norms, values, and expectations who regularly and consciously interact. A) group B) negotiation team C) organic solidarity D) aggregate

A) group

The "iron law of oligarchy" is a principle A) of organizational life according to which even democratic organizations will become bureaucracies ruled by a few individuals. B) under which organizations are established on the basis of common interests. C) of organizational life according to which each individual in a hierarchy tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence. D) None of these answers is correct.

A) of organizational life according to which even democratic organizations will become bureaucracies ruled by a few individuals.

Role exit is defined as A) the process of disengagement from a role that is central to one's self-identity in order to establish a new role and identity. B) a difficulty that occurs when incompatible expectations arise from two or more social positions held by the same person. C) a difficulty that occurs when incompatible expectations arise within one social position occupied by an individual. D) a set of expectations of people who occupy a given social position.

A) the process of disengagement from a role that is central to one's self-identity in order to establish a new role and identity.

An ascribed status is a social position A) attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts. B) "assigned" to a person by society without regard for the person's unique talents or characteristics. C) that is earned. D) that is reached as a result of negotiation.

B) "assigned" to a person by society without regard for the person's unique talents or characteristics.

Ferdinand Tönnies used the term ___ to refer to communities that are large, impersonal, and often urban, with little consensus concerning values or commitment to the group. A) Gemeinschaft B) Gesellschaft C) mechanical solidarity D) organic solidarity

B) Gesellschaft

A primary group is a small group that is A) characterized by impersonality, with little intimacy or mutual understanding. B) characterized by intimate, face-to-face association and cooperation. C) used as a standard for evaluating oneself and one's behavior. D) characterized by impersonality and face-to-face associations.

B) characterized by intimate, face-to-face association and cooperation.

Special-purpose groups designed and structured in the interests of maximum efficiency are known as A) informal organizations. B) formal organizations. C) coalitions. D) primary groups.

B) formal organizations.

A preindustrial society in which people rely on whatever foods and fibers are readily available in order to live is called a(n) A) agrarian society. B) hunting-and-gathering society. C) horticultural society. D) slash-and-burn farming society.

B) hunting-and-gathering society.

Which term is used to refer to incompatible expectations that arise when the same person holds two or more social positions? A) role strain B) role conflict C) role ambiguity D) role exit

B) role conflict

The difficulty that arises when the same social position imposes conflicting demands and expectations is known as A) role conflict. B) role strain. C) role exit. D) resocialization.

B) role strain.

Which term is used to refer to a formal, impersonal group in which there is little social intimacy or mutual understanding? A) primary group B) secondary group C) tertiary group D) reference group

B) secondary group

Which of the following terms is used to refer to organized patterns of beliefs and behavior centered on basic social needs? A) social networks B) social institutions C) functional prerequisites D) communities

B) social institutions

Which of the following terms refers to the way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships? A) socialization B) social structure C) social interaction D) culture

B) social structure

A social network is A) a social structure that derives its existence from the social interactions through which people define and redefine its character. B) an attempt to reach agreement with others concerning some objective. C) a series of social relationships that link a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people. D) the way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships.

C) a series of social relationships that link a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.

In Ebaugh's four stages of the process of role exit, which of the following is a core element of the first stage? A) searching for alternatives B) identity creation C) doubt D) action

C) doubt

Any group or category to which people feel they belong is called a(n) A) dyad. B) triad. C) in-group. D) out-group.

C) in-group.

Which of the following is an achieved status? A) race B) gender C) occupation D) age

C) occupation

A society whose economic system is engaged in the processing and control of information is called a(n) A) industrial society. B) postmodern society. C) postindustrial society. D) agrarian society.

C) postindustrial society.

A master status is a A) category used by sociologists for any of the full range of socially defined positions within a large group or society. B) social position attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts. C) status that dominates others and thereby determines a person's general position within society. D) series of social relationships linking a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.

C) status that dominates others and thereby determines a person's general position within society.

Bureaucratization is A) an element or process of society that may disrupt a social system or lead to a decrease in stability. B) organized patterns of beliefs and behavior centered on basic social needs. C) the process by which a group, organization, or social movement becomes increasingly bureaucratic. D) the process through which an organization identifies an entirely new objective because its traditional goals have been either realized or denied.

C) the process by which a group, organization, or social movement becomes increasingly bureaucratic.

Social interaction is A) the process of learning norms, values, beliefs, and other requirements for effective participation in social groups. B) the way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships. C) the ways in which people respond to one another. D) a series of relationships linking a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.

C) the ways in which people respond to one another.

In a small town in the Midwest, all of the children attend the same school and most of the community members attend the same church. Everyone in this community knows everyone else, and they have shared numerous experiences with one another. This community would be characterized by Ferdinand Tönnies with the term A) Gesellschaft. B) organic solidarity. C) mechanical solidarity. D) Gemeinschaft.

D) Gemeinschaft.

A bureaucracy is a(n) A) two-member group. B) small group in which there is little intimacy or mutual understanding and in which relationships are impersonal. C) organization established on the basis of common interest whose members volunteer or even pay to participate. D) component of formal organization that uses rules and hierarchical ranking to achieve efficiency.

D) component of formal organization that uses rules and hierarchical ranking to achieve efficiency.

A college is run by a board of trustees, which hires a president, who in turn selects vice presidents, deans, and other administrators. This is an example of the bureaucratic characteristic of A) written rules and regulations. B) division of labor. C) impersonality. D) hierarchy of authority.

D) hierarchy of authority.

A group to which people feel they do not belong is called a(n) A) social network. B) primary group. C) reference group. D) out-group.

D) out-group.

Which of the following is an example of a social institution? A) the U.S. government B) a group of passengers on an inner-city bus C) the members of a stamp-collecting society D) a children's playgroup

A) the U.S. government

According to Herbert Blumer, a distinctive characteristic of human interaction is that A) the reality of humans is shaped by our perceptions and evaluations. B) humans respond to behavior based on the meaning we attach to the actions of others. C) humans interpret or define each other's actions. D) All of these answers are correct.

D) All of these answers are correct.

Which of the following is an example of a negative consequence of bureaucratization? A) the Peter principle B) employees deprived of a voice in decision making C) the stifling of initiative and imagination D) All of these answers are correct.

D) All of these answers are correct.

Which of these comments about a bureaucracy is correct? A) The division of labor has the positive consequence of producing efficiency in large-scale organizations. B) The hierarchy of authority has the negative consequence for the individual of depriving employees a voice in decision making. C) An organization's written rules and regulations have the negative consequence of leading to goal displacement. D) All of these answers are correct.

D) All of these answers are correct.

Which of the following can be defined as the long-term trends in societies resulting from the interplay of continuity, innovation, and selection? A) postmodernism B) negotiated order C) industrialization D) sociocultural evolution

D) sociocultural evolution