SOC 105 - Quiz Questions

Contemporary sociologists eschew grand theories in favor of those that focus on a specific problem in a specific context. a) True b) False

True Information: "the work of contemporary sociologists. Instead, it is best understood as a way to think about a particular moment in sociology's history." Ch.2

We rely on subcultures to tell us what cultural practices and objects are better and worse than others. a) True b) False

False Information: Cultural power is exercised in cultural hierarchies that enforce particular ideas about what counts as good culture Ch. 4

Which of the following is an example of nominal variables?

Alive or dead Information: Nominal variables measure phenomena that are not inherently numerical and are not in an ordered relationship to each other. Ch. 3

According to Durkheim, in a complex world, people experience solidarity based on similarities in the limitations of their geographic worlds. a) True b) False

False Information: Durkheim argued that in complex societies, solidarity is based on interdependence (people's need for each other.) Midterm 1 Prep (Ch.1-5)

The theory of the looking glass self says that we develop a social self based on how we think other people perceive us. a) True b) False

True Information: Cooley's theory says that society is a mirror that we use to see ourselves and to shape ourselves. Ch. 5

Dr. Locklear wants to study the impact of the hours spent on social media on high school students' hours spent studying. Which variable is the dependent variable and which is the independent variable? a) High School GPA is dependent and hours spent on social media is independent. b) Hours spend on social media are dependent and hours spent studying is independent. c) Hours spent studying are dependent and hours spent on social media are independent. d) High School GPA is independent and hours spent on social media is dependent.

c) Hours spent studying are dependent and hours spent on social media are independent. Information: a dependent variable (the outcome to be explained) and an independent variable (the thing they think causes a change in the dependent variable or produces the outcome). Ch. 3

A federal agency that studies health has just released a major report that provides further evidence that vaccinations present a much lower risk of injury, illness, or disease for individuals and communities than does not getting vaccinated. Which audience is most likely to reject the meaning that the government agency has tried to encode?

An anti-government blogger Information: If people distrust or dislike the speaker, they are more likely to reject the message Ch. 4

In which of the following research questions is income a dependent variable?

Does college GPA increase a new graduate's income in the first year after graduation? Information: A dependent income is predicted to change in response to the independent income. In the list of questions below, only one predicts that income will change. Ch. 3

When sociologists say that "biology is not destiny," what do they mean?

While biology is one factor that shapes our bodies and our health, social factors also impact these. Information: Sociologists recognize that biology shapes our life's outcomes-but that, at the same time, even biology is influenced by social forces. For example, genetics influences our likelihood of getting a particular disease, but so does our diet, exposure to environmental pollutants, and other social factors. Ch. 5

"Theories of the middle range" describe theories that a) Focus on particular institutions and practices rather than an overwhelming theory of society. b) Incorporate insights from many disciplines c) Seek a unified theory of human behavior d) Deliberately include contributions by people historically overlooked in sociological history

a) Focus on particular institutions and practices rather than an overwhelming theory of society. Keyword: "which focus on particular social practices and outcomes" Ch.2

The social sciences are those disciplines that a) Use systematic scientific and cultural methods to study the social world b) Deal with human experiences c) Gather knowledge through experiments on humans d) Ignore stringent methods in favor of relying on common sense.

a) Use systematic scientific and cultural methods to study the social world Information: "They looked to sociology to develop a science of society itself, by establishing a master theory that could explain social phenomena." Ch.2

What does it mean to say that all people are sociologists? a) We use ideas about our social world to navigate our way through life. b) We can rely on common sense to help us understand the world accurately. c) More jobs than ever require employees to understand how people relate to each other. d) All of the above.

a) We use ideas about our social world to navigate our way through life. Information: "Are you already a sociologist? American sociologist Charles Lemert thinks you are because you use ideas about the social world to navigate your life. This might be called common sense." Ch.2

Which of the following is NOT a topic on which macro sociologists would focus their work? a) How journalistic coverage of a war shapes how members of Congress allocate funds for warfare. b) The environmental impact of bombing on the agricultural output of a nation c) How warfare affects the mental health of individuals soldiers d) How economic factors such as international trade increase or decrease the change of two nations in conflict moving to war.

c) How warfare affects the mental health of individuals soldiers Information: "NOT a macro sociologists topic as it stated 'individuals soldiers" Macrosociologists study structural problems and relationships-those that affect people by shaping the structures of social life. Midterm 1 Prep (Ch.1-5)

One risk of spending our online time with people who affirm what we already believe is that we

come to hold more extreme versions of the opinions that we already hold Information: If you surround yourself only with people who think like you, your opinion is more likely to become more radical. For example, when people who are racist join white supremacy chatrooms, their views on race become even more hateful. Ch. 5

The processes through which powerful people try to create forms of material and ideal culture and by which everyday people interpret that culture are called

encoding and decoding Information: Encoding = people try to create forms of material and ideal culture that encourage us to adopt shared meanings. Decoding = cultural messages decoded by specific people Ch. 4

Socialization contributes to the social construction of reality because it

teaches people in a society what is "natural" and makes it harder for them to consider alternatives to the way things are in a society Information: Socialization makes us think that our way of life is "natural," and not socially constructed. Ch. 5

Sociologists find that individuals' lives are almost entirely shaped by social structures. a) True b) False

False Information: "In the language of sociology, these exceptions show that people's lives are not entirely shaped by social structures. Ch.2

Alienation is prejudice that arises when people are forced, through globalization, into relationships with people who are unfamiliar to them. a) True b) False

False Information: Alienation is a condition where humans have a lack of meaningful connections to other people of work. Midterm 1 Prep (Ch.1-5)

You can signal your expertise over an area of culture, such as wine, by appointing yourself with a title that indicates your expertise, even if others do not recognize it. a) True b) False

False Information: Because people work in increasingly specialized jobs, they know that they depend on other people's expertise, and this creates a kind of social connection. In other words, we feel connected to our doctor or accountant, even if we do not know very much about them. Durkheim called this new form of social integration, organic solidarity. Midterm 1 Prep (Ch.1-5)

When Durkheim argued that beliefs are primarily social, he meant that most of the time, most people resist believing what they are taught; they must be convinced of it. a) True b) False

False Information: Durkheim meant that what we believe is shaped by the groups to which we belong. We do not create our own beliefs, instead they are taught to us by the group we belong in. Ch. 4

Logic requires strongly held beliefs. a) True b) False

False Information: Logic, by definition, requires valid reasoning. While empirical or statistical evidence can be supported by logic, this evidence is not required as logical reasoning can be entirely theoretical. Ch. 3

What does James Mason, from the documentary Documenting Hate, say the term "Make America Great Again," represents to him and other members of white supremacist and Neo-Nazi groups?

In James Mason's words, the phrase means, "Make America white again" Ch. 3

Ideal culture is based on

Language Information: Ideal culture is based on language, including spoken/unspoken forms of communication Ch. 4

First, a sociologist defines the research population, then they choose the sample. a) True b) False

True Information: The research population is selected first because it defines the kind of individuals under study. From this the researcher then chooses the specific individuals who will be asked to participate, which is the actual sample. Ch. 3

The analytical strategy for understanding cause and effect in which the researcher asks the question, "What factors would have led to a different outcome in this situation?" is called counterfactual reasoning. a) True b) False

True Information: another strategy sociologists use to explain the causal logic of their findings is counterfactual reasoning, where they try to imagine what factors might have led to a different social outcome. Ch. 3

What is the central question of the consensus theory? a) How do our everyday interactions create our social world? b) What factors contribute to stable social systems? c) Who has power in a society and how did they get it? d) Who can exert agency to change their lives?

b) What factors contribute to stable social systems? Ch.2

Looking at the documentary, "A Class Divided," how can we think about eye color, as it is used as an example during Jane Elliott's exercises, sociologically?

As an ascribed status Information: An ascribed status is something that is assigned to us by society, which we do not choose and which we often cannot change, such as race, family origin, and age, while an achieved status is something that we earn through our own actions, such as our jobs and hobbies. Ch. 5

Conflict theorists argue that many people enjoy conflict, which explains a lot of the social inequalities we observe. a) True b) False

False Information: "Conflict theorists argued that social structures emerged out of the conflicts between different groups. Instead of a functional equilibrium between different parts of society, conflict theorists emphasized that social structures were designed to reinforce the unequal distribution of power and resources." Ch.2

Dr. Kingston is researching white supremacy among young white males living in rural America. If he wishes to achieve a representative sample, his research population must include white men who oppose white supremacy. a) True b) False

False Information: In order to collect data for his research, Bearman and his students began by creating a representative sample of 287 sample buildings in New York City that had doormen. - Shows us that they have to be for the cause, not against it in this question. A representative sample includes the characteristics of the research population. If you are studying rural white men in white supremacy, then you need to conduct research on actual rural white men who are engaged in white supremacy. Midterm 1 Prep (Ch.1-5)

Sometimes, in response to research findings, people change their behavior. While this is a positive thing since sociologists want people to use research to improve their lives, it can also create a problem if we assume that changes in people's behavior are due not to actual changes, but to previous mis-measurement. When people change their behavior in response to research, we call this citizen science. a) True b) False

False Information: Institutional reflexivity is the phenomenon where people change their behavior in response to social research. Ch. 3

Secondary groups are the most likely to foster a sense of belonging among its members. a) True b) False

False Information: Primary groups are groups that focus on a sense of belonging, rather than on accomplishing a task. Ch. 5

Role strain occurs when the role we are given is defined by someone else, with little or no input from us. a) True b) False

False Information: Role strain occurs when one role makes conflicting demands on us. Ch. 5

Scholars influenced by the work of Karl Marx are particularly concerned about two sources of ideological social control, religion and race. a) True b) False

False Information: Scholars influenced by Marx are concerned about two sources of social control, religion and race Ch. 4

According to Georg Simmel, large groups that contain 100 or more people are the most unstable type of group. a) True b) False

False Information: Simmel argued that dyads are the most unstable form of group, since the removal of just one member destroys them. Ch. 5

The practice of pharmaceutical companies to conduct more dangerous research on people in less wealthy nations, which had more lax rules about experimentation on humans than did Western nations, led to the creation of the Nuremburg Code. a) True b) False

False The Nuremburg Code was a response to Nazi experimentation on Jewish people, people with disabilities, and others during the Holocaust. Ch. 3

Which is most likely to be a spurious correlation?

Studying makes you more knowledgeable. Information: Spurious correlations happen when the relationship between variables is a correlation but is mistaken for causation. Ch. 3

In the documentary, Merchants of Cool, what do the fans of genres of music like rap metal or rage metal represent?

Subculture Information: Subculture members set themselves apart as being different from mainstream culture and important identity as members of a distinctive group Ch. 4

A star of a reality TV show about people living with addictions likes to wear clothing from a particular brand; this includes T-shirts with the logo of the brand prominently displayed. This brand sues the TV show over the use of their logo on the show. Why do they want to stop a reality TV actor from displaying their logo?

They do not want people with addictions to serve as a reference group for people considering their brand. Information: Companies worry about people of lower classes establishing themselves as fans of their product and thus creating a new (and unwanted) reference group. Ch. 5

From the documentary, Documenting Hate, it is explained that post-war periods are directly correlated to an increase in white supremacist and Neo-Nazi groups, such as the Atomwoffen Division, which was featured in this video. a) True b) False

True Ch. 3

Systems of shared meaning that justify existing relationships of power and privilege are known as ideologies. a) True b) False

True Ideology is a system of shared meaning that justifies the status quo. Ch. 4

All people experience limitations on their perception because all people's abilities to see and understand a situation are shaped by their social position. a) True b) False

True Information: "The sociological imagination is based on reflexivity. It acknowledges that our perceptions are limited by our social positions. Our views are shaped by the time and place and bodies where we live. This is true for every person. We bring our experiences, knowledge, attitudes, and abilities into every social situation" Ch.2

Public sociology is committed to the application of sociologic ideas in wider conversations and in the pursuit of social justice. True False

True Information: "a commitment to using sociological ideas in wider public conversations and struggles for social justice both in the United States and around the globe." Ch.2

Any group that helps us figure out where we fit in society is called a reference group. a) True b) False

True Information: Any group that helps us figure out where we fit in society is called a reference group. Reference groups offer us people to compare ourselves to and thus help us fit in. Midterm 1 Prep (Ch.1-5)

From the documentary, "A Class Divided," in the exercise that Jane Elliott conducted with the members of a corrections department, she created in-groups and out-groups by separating the participants by eye color. a) True b) False

True Information: In-groups, represented in this instance of Jane Elliott's exercise as brown eyed people, define what counts as normal and desirable in a society, while out-groups, represented by blue eyed people, are seen as abnormal or undesirable. The members of out-groups are stigmatized and treated as less valuable and are often subjected to humiliating social interactions that injure their self-respect. Ch. 5

Any group that helps us figure out where we fit in society is called a reference group. a) True b) False

True Information: Reference groups offer us people to compare ourselves to and thus help us fit in. Ch. 5

Level of analysis refers to the size and scale of the objects that sociologists study. a) True b) False

True Information: Sociologists study social patterns that occur in all sizes of social relationships-from dyads to international relations. Midterm 1 Prep (Ch.1-5)

In the documentary, Merchants of Cool, the advertising strategy of Sprite, to create commercials that made fun of celebrity endorsements of products is an example of encoding. The ultimate negative reaction of teens to this advertising strategy is an example of decoding. a) True b) False

True Information: Sprite understood that teens were wary of traditional marketing so they created a different version via encoding, which encourage us to adopt specific shared meanings. Not all messages were decoded, or understood, in the way they were meant to, causing Sprite commercials to receive a public reaction. Ch. 4

The fact that in the past, high-heeled shoes were worn by the wealthy, regardless of gender, but now are seen as a signal of femininity is an example that illustrates how fashion has symbolic value. a) True b) False

True Information: demonstrates how fashion can be symbolic Ch. 4

During the late 18th century and through the 19th century, as sociology developed as a discipline, Western societies were experiencing major social change. a) True b) False

True. Information: The Industrial Revolution, the spread of democracy, and the creation of the modern nation-state were causing massive social upheaval in Western Europe, and their influence was spreading quickly throughout the world. Sociologists wanted to understand and explain these changes, which were making people interact in ways they had never before. Ch.2

Which of the following is a belief? a) God forbids stealing. b) Stealing is illegal. c) People who steal should be punished. d) Crime rates are falling in the U.S.

a) God forbids stealing. Information: Beliefs are derived from received tradition or divine revelation. We know something is a belief if we see its source as God, the divine, the supernatural, etc., or as our heritage or ancestors. Ch. 3

Which statement captures the point of the Thomas Theorem? a) How people interpret a situation determines how they respond to it. b) Those who have power try to preserve it; those who lack it seek it. c) People are unpredictable. d) People attract to their lives what they focus their attention on.

a) How people interpret a situation determines how they respond to it. (keyword: interpret) Ch.2

Which of the following is an achieved status? a) Swimmer b) Tall person c) Natural blonde d) A person with juvenile diabetes (also called Type 1 diabetes).

a) Swimmer Information: Achieved status is something that we earn through our own actions. Achieved statuses include things like our job and hobbies. A swimmer earns his abilities through his own actions. Swimming = Hobby Midterm 1 Prep (Ch.1-5)

In July 2019, former President Donald Trump attacked four women of color who are also Members of Congress by saying that they should "go back to where they came from"-though all of them are citizens and three of them were born in the U.S. In his tweet associating the Representatives with immigrants, President Trump was arguing that these women are part of

an out-group Information: Mr. Trump's comments suggested that these women were not true Americans and thus were part of an out-group. Ch. 5

Karl Marx is the sociologist who articulated the concept(s) of a) Discourse b) Ideology c) Encoding and decoding d) Active audiences

b) Ideology Information: Ideology relates to Karl Marx's idea of societal ideological function benefits the dominant groups. Midterm 1 Prep (Ch.1-5)

Which of the following statements is falsifiable? a) The U.S. should pass a law mandating pay equity between men and women. b) On average, women earn less money than men, even in the same field of work and with similar experience and training. c) Countries with greater gender equality are more pleasant places to live. d) There are too many reasons why women earn less than men to be able to solve the problem of pay inequality.

b) On average, women earn less money than men, even in the same field of work and with similar experience and training. Information: It is possible for this statement to be proven wrong with data Ch. 3

When sociologists say that sociology is based on systematic research, they mean a) They study individuals, not groups b) They seek to find fact-based explanations of the social world as it really exists c) They base their conclusions on inferences and hypothetical situations d) They all use the same research method to make observations.

b) They seek to find fact-based explanations of the social world as it really exists Information: Sociology is based on systematic research. Sociologists collect factors about the social world and are interested in explaining why things happen the way they do, and not otherwise. Sociologists are social scientists, meaning that they follow the scientific process, including using consistent, valid methods of observation, to understand the social world. They may use different methods to do this, ranging from ethnography to surveys, but their goal is to support their conclusion with facts, not guesses. Midterm 1 Prep (Ch.1-5)

What term describes the entire set of beliefs, knowledge, practices, and material objects that a society defines as meaningful and that it seeks to pass from one generation to the next? a) Meaning b) Art and craft c) Culture d) Society

c) Culture Information: Socialization refers to all of the different ways that we learn about our society's culture: its beliefs, values, and expected behaviors. Culture is everything people create and seek to preserve fro future generations. Midterm 1 Prep (Ch.2-5)

Which of the following is an example of systematic research? a) Karenna cannot remember the name of a song that is stuck in her head, so she does an internet search for the lyrics, which helps her find the song title. b) Jeremy wants to find the best pizza shop in the city where he has just moved, so he asks his coworkers, who have an Italian last name. c) Kelsey wants to know how viewers feel about reality TV stars, so she asks 50 reality TV stars to let her read, code, and analyze their fan mail. d) Jeff wants to be supportive of his best friend, who lives with and battles depression, Jeff spends a lot of time reading articles from books, magazines, and blogs about how to support someone with depression.

c) Kelsey wants to know how viewers feel about reality TV stars, so she asks 50 reality TV stars to let her read, code, and analyze their fan mail. Information: Systematic research involves defining terms clearly and using social science research methods, such as content analysis of documents, to investigate a problem that is about social life, not just personal preferences. Midterm 1 Prep (Ch.2-5)

Which of the following is an ascribed status? a) Tutor b) Member of a sorority c) Latina d) Honor roll student.

c) Latina Information: An ascribed status is one that others assign to you-like, for most people, their race and ethnicity. (In some cases, biracial people may choose to identify with one race and not another.) Midterm 1 Prep (Ch.2-5)

The sociological canon is a) The entire body of sociological scholarship ever written b) The over-valued contributions of powerful but ultimately mediocre thinkers from the 19th century. c) The ideas that have become seen as "required reading" to have a firm understanding of the foundations of sociology d) A collection of writing that was once important but that few sociologists read anymore.

c) The ideas that have become seen as "required reading" to have a firm understanding of the foundations of sociology Information: "These three thinkers are especially important in sociology, and their combined work helped create the canon for a sociological scholarship. This means they are a standard point of reference for many sociologists and their ideas continue to be used today." Ch.2

Central to the sociological imagination is the recognition that a) The more similar two people are, the less likely they will be to see the world similarly b) All people share common insights simply by the fact of being human c) People become less biased the older they get d) Where you stand in the social world shapes what you perceive

d) Where you stand in the social world shapes what you perceive Information: They are designed to provide the tools and the space to practice using them so that you will ask better questions and make better choices about your own future and the future of us all. In short, the sociological imagination helps us imagine a better future, and how to make our way in an increasingly uncertain world. Ch.2

When people assume that their society is superior to others, they are demonstrating

ethnocentrism Ch. 4

In 2019, children internees in detention camps for immigrants to the U.S. were denied basic healthcare supplies such as toothbrushes or lice treatment. In response to criticism that this is a human rights violation, federal government guards in the camps said that they were simply following orders when they did not provide children with these goods. This is a case of

moral indifference Information: Moral indifference occurs when we focus more on complying with the rules than on understanding their real-world impact. Ch. 5

In the U.S., undocumented immigrants who are not white and Canadian, European, or Australian are targeted by anti-immigrant activists and Immigration and Custom Enforcement officers at a much higher rate than undocumented immigrants who are white and from European nations or nations with a shared history of British colonization. This is evidence of _____________ in the treatment of undocumented immigrants.

xenophobia Information: Xenophobia = fear of ppl of dif. cultural backgrounds. White Europeans identify each other as the same group, therefore increasing racism towards other groups Ch. 4

One general trend about culture, especially pop culture, is that

young people tend to discard cultural practices as their elders adopt them Information: Int he U.S., it is common that things fall out of fashion among young adults once they become fashionable among older ppl. (ex: Facebook) Ch. 4