Sociology Chapter 5 Review

What characteristic distinguishes a group from an aggregate?

Groups foster the formation of enduring social relations. FEEDBACK: This chapter focuses on some of the ways we structure and organize our lives around groups. Groups tend to have a common purpose and identity, and form lasting social relations. Aggregates, on the other hand, do not have a common identity and do not form lasting social relations.

Panera Bread restaurants recently began replacing cashiers with ordering kiosks in an effort to increase efficiency, shorten lines, improve order accuracy, and reduce labor costs. This is one example of _____.

McDonaldization FEEDBACK: This is a particular kind of rationalization called trickle-down rationalization, and it has led to, among other things, reduced human contact and increased automation.

Miles joined a small reading group at school and became close friends with the three other members. During the year, seventeen more students joined the group and rules had to be put in place to resolve issues such as which book they should read together. Think about the group dynamics. What impact did this increase in group size have on relationships within the group?

The relationships became more impersonal. FEEDBACK: Group size impacts the dynamics of the group. The relationships (or ties) within the group become less personal and more rule-based and the complexity of interrelationships increases as the total number of members in a group increases.

Which of the following is considered a group?

a classroom of children FEEDBACK: Groups tend to have a common purpose and identity, and meet on some sort of regular schedule. Crowds, on the other hand, do not have a common identity and typically do not gather more than once.

Magda is an actively involved student at Washington State University and also is a big fan of its athletic teams. How is she likely to view other Washington State University students as part of her life?

as her in-group FEEDBACK: There are many ways in which we come to feel an identification with an in-group. Family, work, and recreational activities help us feel connected to others.

In a therapy session, Charlie recalls how he was a pretty well-behaved child and always minded his parents, though it was mostly because his father frequently threatened him with a spanking. Which type of power did Charlie's father wield?

coercive FEEDBACK: Coercive power is backed by the threat of force.

A student who writes a paper for an anthropology class despite not wanting to, is an example of conformity due to _____.

compliance FEEDBACK: In this case, the student does not like the norm but accepts it because of the costs of violating it.

The Asch experiment found that most people gave incorrect answers to factual questions when a group of people endorsed those answers beforehand, thus demonstrating the power of social influence to produce _____.

conformity FEEDBACK: The Asch experiment sought to understand the nature of group conformity by studying compliance.

Family businesses often devalue diverse points of view because they exclude nonfamily members from company decision-making, and as a result are less innovative and competitive. This may be due to a high degree of cohesion within family businesses which results in conformity rather than critical thinking. A sociologist would say these businesses suffer from the problem of _____.

group think FEEDBACK: Very cohesive groups have a tendency to enforce high degrees of conformity and agreement among members, which often results in poor decision-making.

According to sociologist Diane Vaughan, the Challenger shuttle disaster in 1986 may have been caused by NASA scientists failing to take seriously those who suspected weaknesses in the shuttle's design. This exemplifies _____.

groupthink FEEDBACK: The text refers to several other historical scenarios in which groupthink may have been at play. In very cohesive groups, such as a group of NASA engineers, or a small circle of powerful politicians, there is often a tendency to enforce a high degree of conformity among members, creating a demand for unanimous agreement.

According to Max Weber, one of the chief characteristics of a bureaucracy is that it _____.

has a clear hierarchy FEEDBACK: According to Weber, the six characteristics of a bureaucracy are specialization, technical competence, hierarchy, rules and regulations, impersonality, and formal written communication.

The professor who cares only about student grades and isn't concerned with his students' personal well-being or morale is demonstrating what kind of leadership?

instrumental FEEDBACK: Instrumental leadership is task- or goal-oriented.

We often think of leadership styles through a lens of gender. Which of the following is a common stereotype about leadership and gender?

men are instrumental leaders and women are expressive leaders FEEDBACK: We often expect men to be more instrumental and women to be more expressive. These harmful stereotypes can discourage women from taking leadership roles for fear of being called "bossy."

Eli and Kendra have been friends since preschool and they do everything together. In second grade, they become friends with Holly and now the three of them do everything together. Compared to the previous dyad of Eli and Kendra, what will be the nature of the new triad, according to the discussion of group dynamics?

more stable FEEDBACK: A triad has three members, and the additional member generally gives it greater stability than a dyad.

In general, most of us are susceptible to conformity and meeting group expectations. In so doing, what two things do we generally follow?

prescriptions and proscriptions FEEDBACK: Prescriptions means doing things we are supposed to do, and proscriptions means avoiding things we are not supposed to do. These two aspects apply to peer pressure and how we "fit in" with a social group.

Prisha is a member of many different groups, including her school, soccer team, and Hindu temple. Above all these, however, is her close-knit family, which provides her with the most emotional satisfaction and greatest sense of belonging. According to Charles Horton Cooley, Prisha's family would be classified as a _____.

primary group FEEDBACK: Primary groups are composed of the people who are most important to our sense of self; members' relationships are typically characterized by face-to-face interaction, high levels of cooperation, and intense feelings of belonging. Family and close friends are typical examples of primary groups.

To get a sense of her performance in a course, Shayla compares her grades to the grades of others in the course. In this case, the other students are Shayla's _____.

reference group FEEDBACK: A reference group provides a standard of comparison with which we evaluate ourselves.

Co-workers, college classes, political parties, labor unions, and athletic organizations are examples of what kind of group?

secondary group FEEDBACK: Secondary groups are less intimate and often larger than primary groups.

A group is most efficient when its members put the group's needs before their personal needs and think of the team goals before their own. This exemplifies _____.

social identity theory FEEDBACK: Having a social identity, as opposed to a personal one, involves thinking and feeling like a representative of the group. It goes beyond keeping company with the group and evolves into a real desire to belong.

Marcy just started her freshman year of college and has made friends with a group of women in her residence hall. Her new friends are very into fitness and go to the gym regularly. Even though Marcy has never been into exercising before, she starts working out with her new friends and becomes a regular at the gym. Sociologists would describe this situation as an example of _____.

social influence FEEDBACK: Social influence is also known as "peer pressure." Among groups of peers, this can often be a very strong influence.

Dejanee is looking for a job, so she asks her friends, professors, classmates, old high school teachers, and even her hair stylist to let her know if they hear of any openings. Dejanee is relying on her _____ to find a job.

social network FEEDBACK: A social network is the web of direct and indirect ties connecting an individual to other people who may also affect the individual. As the old adage goes, it's not what you know, it's who you know. And who they know, and who they know—and now you have a social network.

The principle of "six degrees of separation" that suggests that everyone in the world is connected to everyone else within six steps, exemplifies which concept?

social ties FEEDBACK: Social ties are connections between people and can be either direct or indirect. Sociologists explore which social ties constitute social networks and how these networks influence people's lives.

Which of the following organizational traits did Max Weber identify as something that helps bureaucracies operate smoothly?

specialization FEEDBACK: Bureaucracies are designed to perform tasks efficiently, so all bureaucracies have similar characteristics.

Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch being murdered by her brother as an honor killing demonstrates a case of _____.

the value of the group being stronger than the value of the individual FEEDBACK: The same cultural norm of strong family values that causes disgust towards murderers, such as Drew Peterson, is the same one behind honor killings. In this case, the family is seen as more important than each individual member.