intro to sociology (final)

49-50

A

Who coined the phrase "the survival of the fittest"? a. Charles Darwin b. Karl Marx c. Emile Durkheim d. Harriet Martineau e. Herbert Spencer

e. Herbert Spencer

Which of the following would be included on a list of the functions of religion? a. providing food and water b. making social mobility easier c. showing how to create world peace d. providing values, norms, and rules e. all of the above

e. all of the above

Where did the Industrial Revolution begin? a. the United States b. Germany c. England d. France e. China

C. England

How do most sociologists differentiate between sex and gender? a. Sex is biological; gender is social. b. Both relate to genetics, but hormones have a greater influence on gender. c. Sex comes from DNA; gender comes from hormones. d. Sex is genetic; gender is about primary and secondary sex characteristics. e. Gender is biological; sex is social.

a. Sex is biological; gender is social.

It is expected that you will forget many or even most of the facts you learn in an introductory sociology class. What is the most important element of the course to not forget? a. a new way of looking at and thinking about the social world b. those facts that apply to you personally c. all the facts and figures that are truly shocking

a. a new way of looking at and thinking about the social world

Sociologists observe society: a. by studying the various parts of a society and the ways they interact and influence each other. b. by focusing solely on individual behaviors. c. by studying society as if it were a concrete object, in the same way a geologist studies rocks. d. by utilizing the preconceptions, assumptions, and beliefs that come from living in a society. e. through the use of special scientific tools that allow unmediated access to the very heart of society.

a. by studying the various parts of a society and the ways they interact and influence each other.

According to the theoretical position developed by Karl Marx, what is the engine of social change? a. conflict between social groups b. cooperation between social groups c. exploration beyond the boundaries of a given society d. development of technology e. shared moral values

a. conflict between social groups

Traditionally, most of the sociological literature on deviance focuses on: a. crime. b. mental illness. c. political corruption. d. the extremely wealthy. e. the emotional appeal of deviant acts.

a. crime.

In addition to who we are, gender identity is also about: a. how we act. b. our biological sex. c. our hormones. d. our genitalia. e. our chromosomes.

a. how we act.

According to C. Wright Mills, who rules America? a. the power elite b. a variety of organizations and institutions that represent different interest groups c. political action committees that raise money and advocate on behalf of their donors d. the media e. celebrities

a. the power elite

44. Sociology can be defined as the systematic and scientific study of human society and social behavior. Given this definition, what level(s) of social structure listed below best describe(s) what sociologists might examine? a. only small groups b. almost any level—from interactions between two people to large-scale institutions c. mass culture and large institutions d. relations between individuals e. large-scale social structures that involve significant numbers of people

almost any level—from interactions between two people to large-scale institutions

What has modern science determined about racial categories? a. There is greater diversity between racial populations than within them. b. Biologically there is no such thing as a pure race. c. Some racial groups are genetically predisposed to be more intelligent than others. d. Some racial groups are genetically predisposed to be more athletically inclined than others. e. There has been almost no mixing of races in American history.

b. Biologically there is no such thing as a pure race.

Which of the following best characterizes microsociology? a. It is an approach that examines large-scale social structures in order to see how they affect individual lives. b. It is an approach that examines interactions between individuals and the ways those interactions reflect larger patterns within a society. c. It is an approach that examines institutional interactions that occur over time. d. It is an approach that quantifies data about social structures so that they can be analyzed statistically. e. It is an approach that exclusively focuses on gender and power as they are enacted socially.

b. It is an approach that examines interactions between individuals and the ways those interactions reflect larger patterns within a society.

Which of the following statements best describes the approach taken by macrosociologists? a. Macrosociology concentrates on the way large social institutions are created through individual interactions. b. Macrosociology directly examines large-scale social structures in order to see how they affect individual lives. c. Macrosociology focuses on nonnumerical data like texts, images, and recordings. d. Macrosociology focuses on creating a "beginner's mind," in contrast to microsociology, which uses an "expert's mind." e. Unlike microsociology, macrosociology focuses on creating scientific knowledge of the world rather than practical knowledge.

b. Macrosociology directly examines large-scale social structures in order to see how they affect individual lives.

How would a sociologist define "family"? a. two or more individuals related by blood, marriage, or adoption who share a household b. an interdependent social group bound by legal, biological, or emotional ties c. both the nuclear family and the extended family, to the extent that family members share emotional and material responsibilities d. a group of related people who share a household e. almost any social group so long as they share responsibilities for raising children

b. an interdependent social group bound by legal, biological, or emotional ties

Manuel Noriega was never elected president of Panama but became its de facto ruler when he became head of the army and thus powerful enough to demand the resignation of the elected president. Given only this information, what was Noriega's government? a. totalitarian b. authoritarian c. democratic d. a monarchy e. a simulacrum

b. authoritarian

Apartheid is a specific example of what system of social stratification? a. colonial b. caste c. class d. slavery e. racial

b. caste

What is it called when a government bars an individual, either temporarily or permanently, from voting? a. suffrage b. disenfranchisement c. pluralism d. voting conviction e. simulacrum

b. disenfranchisement

Systems and structures that persist over time and help organize group life are called: a. social controls. b. social institutions. c. secular actions. d. political or governmental legislation. e. pluralistic situations.

b. social institutions.

According to C. Wright Mills, what one quality of mind do all great sociologists possess? a. stoicism b. sociological imagination c. romanticism d. biographical imagination e. attention to detail

b. sociological imagination

Sociologists who examine the ways gender is constructed and maintained in our everyday lives tend to come from which school of social theory? a. essentialism b. symbolic interactionism c. structural functionalism d. conflict theory e. feminism

b. symbolic interactionism

Which of the following would sociologists consider the best definition of deviance? a. actions that are harmful to society b. violations of social norms c. criminal activities d. immoral or unethical behaviors e. illegal activities

b. violations of social norms

How do sociologists define a minority group? a. a group that makes up less than 50 percent of the total population b. a group that makes up less than 20 percent of the total population c. a group whose members suffer from unequal treatment d. a group that is smaller than the dominant group e. a group that is overrepresented in the educational system

c. a group whose members suffer from unequal treatment

How do sociologists define ethnicity? a. people who share a common physical characteristic b. people with the same skin color c. a group with a shared ancestry or shared cultural heritage d. the same way they define race e. a genetic predisposition toward certain behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs

c. a group with a shared ancestry or shared cultural heritage

What did C. Wright Mills mean by the term "power elite"? a. members of legislatures and courts who compete for power and influence b. members of the media who set the agenda for politics in the United States c. a small group of people who occupy key positions in political, economic, and military institutions d. individuals who have enough wealth to contribute to a political action committee e. a diverse group of individuals in a community who have influence over the voting behaviors of their friends and neighbors

c. a small group of people who occupy key positions in political, economic, and military institutions

According to your textbook, what do all religions have in common? a. god(s) or other supernatural beings b. moral laws about the proper way to offer prayer and sacrifice to a god c. a system of beliefs and rituals that establish a relationship between the sacred and the profane d. a belief in the need for respecting one's parents e. certain days that are considered holy

c. a system of beliefs and rituals that establish a relationship between the sacred and the profane

What do sociologists claim is the most significant component of culture? a. history b. logos c. language d. multiculturalism e. technology

c. language

. Emile Durkheim argued that even an action as seemingly individual as suicide has important social components. What social factors did he examine? a. geography and travel b. genetics c. religious affiliation and marital status d. war and international conflict e. race and ethnicity

c. religious affiliation and marital status

What historical events convinced Auguste Comte that society needed to be guided by thinkers who understood social laws? a. the American Civil War and the battle over slavery b. globalization and the rise of international trade and commerce c. the French Revolution and the instability that followed it d. the age of exploration and the expansion of European powers into Africa e. the struggle for women's rights

c. the French Revolution and the instability that followed it

The economy is not only about money, but also about: a. the people who are most important to an individual's sense of self. b. only symbolic. c. the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. d. encouraging cooperation over competition. e. rituals and beliefs that divide the world into the sacred and the profane.

c. the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

What is the scientific method or approach? a. the use of statistics to analyze numerical data b. the study of scientific processes c. the standard procedure for acquiring and verifying empirical knowledge d. the use of technology to understand the physical world e. the study of nature

c. the standard procedure for acquiring and verifying empirical knowledge

Which social theorist is associated with communism? a. Emile Durkheim b. Max Weber c. Auguste Comte d. Karl Marx e. Talcott Parsons

d. Karl Marx

What sort of social mobility is possible in a caste system? a. Social mobility is common with hard work. b. A great deal of social mobility occurs. c. A small but significant percentage of each generation will experience upward social mobility. d. There is little or no chance of social mobility. e. Social mobility is punishable by death.

d. There is little or no chance of social mobility.

What institutions does Max Weber believe characterize modern industrialized societies? a. churches b. central governments c. stock markets d. bureaucracies

d. bureaucracies

How do sociologists define race? a. an inherited set of predispositions b. a group with a shared cultural heritage c. the same way they define ethnicity d. the difference between Mongoloid, Negroid, and Caucasoid people e. a social category based on real or perceived biological differences

e. a social category based on real or perceived biological differences

What is the sociological imagination? a. a property of society that ensures that people remain ignorant of the connections between their lives and social change b. a particular way of understanding the criminal mind, such as that of a serial killer c. the sociological approach that assumes that large-scale social institutions structure individual interactions d. the ability to understand the connections between biography and history, or the interplay of the self and the world e. the sociological approach that assumes that individual decisions and interactions create larger social institutions

d. the ability to understand the connections between biography and history, or the interplay of the self and the world

Even though a small number of people have been trained academically as sociologists, we all can be described as "natural sociologists" because: a. sociology is a part of human nature. b. society is a part of nature, so everyone has to be a natural sociologist. c. our parents taught us to be sociologists even before they sent us to school. d. we are all members of society and therefore have a great deal of background knowledge about how society works. e. sociologists are really just observers of conventional wisdom.

d. we are all members of society and therefore have a great deal of background knowledge about how society works.

Who is the father of sociology? a. Robert Bly b. Max Weber c. C. Wright Mills d. Larry Ross e. Auguste Compte

e. Auguste Compte

Sociology can be approached from either a microsociological or a macrosociological perspective. Which is more useful? a. Macrosociological—it explains how large-scale social institutions influence individuals. b. Microsociological—it explains how individuals shape and create large-scale social institutions. c. Macrosociological—it helps to understand how face-to-face interactions shape society. d. Both are useful in different ways, because any study that uses only one or the other will be unable to explain anything useful about society. e. Both are useful in different ways, because they each provide different types of information about the same object of study.

e. Both are useful in different ways, because they each provide different types of information about the same object of study.

How did the Industrial Revolution change the common meaning of family? a. It stopped mattering whether children were present. b. Family no longer exclusively referred to people who shared a household. c. The number of people who were thought of as belonging to a single family tended to shrink. d. It shifted the meaning from nuclear family to extended family. e. It shifted the meaning from extended family to nuclear family.

e. It shifted the meaning from extended family to nuclear family.

How does Karl Marx differentiate between members of the proletariat and the bourgeoisie? a. Members of the proletariat own the means of production, while the bourgeoisie possess only their own labor. b. Members of the proletariat benefit directly from their own labor, while the bourgeoisie do not. c. Members of the proletariat have a greater sense of solidarity than do those of the bourgeoisie. d. Members of the proletariat have vast amounts of investment wealth. e. Members of the bourgeoisie own the means of production, while the proletariat possess only their own labor.

e. Members of the bourgeoisie own the means of production, while the proletariat possess only their own labor.

What is the definition of "culture"? a. Culture includes the habits and lifestyle choices of a group of people. b. Culture includes customs and rituals, as well as tools and artifacts. c. Culture shapes and defines who we are. d. Culture encompasses every aspect of social life. e. all of the above

e. all of the above

In 2008 the Obama family's search for a church to attend in Washington, D.C., was big news. A sociological analysis of the national curiosity about the president's church might argue that: a. following the media occupies an increasingly large part of everyone's time. b. we are an increasingly secular society. c. unchurched spirituality is increasingly popular among those who don't feel at home in mainstream religious institutions. d. the president has a very high level of intrinsic religiosity. e. being a Christian is an unofficial requirement for the presidency.

e. being a Christian is an unofficial requirement for the presidency.

When do sociologists most often use statistical tools to analyze their data? a. when they use ethnographic methods b. when they use experimental methods c. when they use interviews and participant observation d. when they use historical research e. when they use surveys e. prisons

e. when they use surveys