Sociology Exam 1

Which of the following existing data sources are used more frequently for sociological research?

Census data

In Karl Marx's analysis, society was fundamentally divided between..

Classes that clash in pursuit of their own class interests.

The use of the discipline of sociology with the specific intent of altering social relationships or restructuring social institutions is called:

Clinical sociology.

Which sociological perspective would most likely argue that the social order is based on coercion and exploitation?

Conflict perspective

_________ is most closely associated with the concept of the sociological imagination.

C. Wright Mills

An element or a process of society that may actually disrupt a social system or lead to a decrease in stability is known as a..

Dysfunction

Which sociological perspective would suggest that if an aspect of social life does not contribute to a society's stability, then it does not serve a useful function?

Functionalist perspective

To conduct a cross-cultural study of job discrimination against women, a sociologist interviews 75 women between the ages of 20 and 40 in an American city, and 75 women in the same age group in a Canadian city. This study would be classified as

A survey

Researchers found which of the following to be true of cell phone users compared to landline users?

All of these

Which of the following is true regarding feminist researchers?

All of these

Marx viewed the relationship between the capitalists and the exploited workers in systemic terms; that is, he believed that a system of _____________ relationships maintained the power and dominance of the owners over the workers..

All of these.

The sociological imagination is an empowering tool because..

All of these.

An operational definition is:

An explanation of an abstract concept that is specific enough to allow a researcher to measure the concept.

In many Third World nations, the pace of social change is very rapid and there is significant hunger and starvation, unemployment, and family disruption. Individuals who live in Third World nations are likely to suffer..

Anomie.

A key element in the sociological imagination is the ability to view one's own society..

As an outsider.

The results of an interview may be influenced by

Both gender and race of the interviewer

The relationship between a condition or a variable and a particular consequence, with one event leading to the other, is known as

Casual logic

A sociologist who studies the impact of the women's movement on the divorce rate would probably be following which of the following perspectives?

Conflict

Critics of television often suggest that executives of major television networks and movie corporations are wealthy White males who decide which programs or movies will be produced and which directors and actors will obtain jobs in the industry. This analysis reflects the..

Conflict perspective

A speculative statement about the relationship between two or more variables is known as a

Hypothesis

The view that laws are set up to assist those who are in positions of power would be held by:

Conflict perspective

What sociological perspective would most likely suggest that educational inequalities are purposeful and set up to reinforce the position of those in power?

Conflict perspective

Which sociological perspective sees the social world as being in continual struggle?

Conflict perspective

Which sociological approach would view sports as an agent for defining people's social positions as players, coaches, and referees as a result of their performances and reputations?

Interactionist perspective

In an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the independent variable is called the

Control group

The single most common value in a series of scores is referred to as the

Mode

What is a potential problem when sending out Internet-based surveys?

Protection of the respondent's anonymity AND defining the potential audience

Contemporary conflict theorists are concerned with the conflict between.

All of these

We have little reliable data on human sexuality because

All of these

Surveys and interviews that focus on macrosociological analyses would be likely to follow which theoretical perspective?

Both functionalist and conflict perspectives

Which sociological perspective is most concerned with macrolevel analysis?

Both functionalist and conflict perspectives

When a sociologist actually joins a group for a period to get an accurate sense of how it operates, the approach is called

Participant observation

Which of the following is used to show the portion of 100?

Percentage

Which sociological perspective would view society as a living organism in which each part of the organism contributes to its survival and stability?

Functionalist perspective

Which early sociologist applied the concept of evolution to societies in order to explain how they change or evolve over time?

Herbert Spencer

Which of the following would be an example of cultural capital?

Knowledge of great American authors.

In 1909, W.E.B. Du Bois helped found which of these organizations?

NAACP

An attempt to explain problems, actions, or behavior in a comprehensive manner is called a(an)..

Theory.

Which of the following could be a manifest function of colleges?

They prepare students for post-college careers.

The word that Max Weber used to stress the need for sociologists to take into account people's emotions, thoughts, beliefs, understandings, and attitudes was..

Verstehen.

___________'s study of Italian street-corner men used participant observation.

William F. Whyte

Émile Durkheim's explanation of suicide was scientific because he..

developed conclusions based on systematic examination of data.

If you were interested in studying the relationship between date and acquaintance rape victims and the characteristics of the rapist, your first step would be to:

Define the problem

A hypothesis concerning the role of languages in shaping cultures was created by linguist(s)

Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf

Correlations are an indication that causality is always present.

False

The conflict perspective emphasizes the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability.

False

In the study of language, which sociological perspective suggests that gender-related language reflects the traditional acceptance of men and women into certain occupations?

Feminist perspective

Which sociological approach focuses on the macrolevel and would tend to view inequality in gender as central to behavior and organization?

Feminist perspective

Which perspective would state that people are formed through the way in which they interact with and react to their social world?

Interactionist perspective

Which sociological perspective generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction in order to understand society as a whole?

Interactionist perspective

Which sociological perspective holds the view that people create their social worlds through interaction and manipulation of symbols?

Interactionist perspective

Which sociological perspective would be most likely to suggest that nonverbal communication, such as the frequency of individuals touching each other during a conversation, varies from one culture to another?

Interactionist perspective

Which of the following was a central focus for Charles Horton Cooley?

Intimate face-to-face groups

C. Wright Mills advocated the use of the sociological imagination to view divorce in the United States because divorce..

Is not just an individual's personal problem but a societal concern

People may behave differently in artificial situations than they would in the "real world". This poses a particular problem for researchers using

Laboratory experiments

An abstract system of word meanings and symbols for all aspects of culture is called

Language

"Value neutrality" in social science research was initially called for by

Max Weber

A sociologist who is interested in examining racism in sports might determine what percentage of team owners, general managers, coaches, and managers are members of each racial group. This would be an example of developing a(an)

Operational definition

In The Communist Manifesto, Marx argued that the working class must..

Overthrow the existing class system of capitalist societies.

In which type of sample does each member of the entire population being studied have the same chance of being selected?

Random sample

A research measure that provides consistent results is considered

Reliable

What is commonly the second step in the scientific method?

Reviewing the literature

Which of the following terms is used to describe a systematic, organized series of steps that ensures maximum objectivity and consistency in researching a problem?

Scientific method

Which of the following statements is an example of a sociological theory?

Suicide rates are a reflection of whether people are, or are not, integrated into the group life of a society.

Which sociologist saw "society as a vast network of connected parts, each of which contributes to the maintenance of the system as a whole"?

Talcott Parsons

A sociologist observing behavior at a college football game would probably focus on..

The interaction among fans during the pre-game ritual of tailgate parties.

Which aspect of divorce would most likely be of interest to sociologists using the sociological imagination?

The structural impact of divorce

Although some of the early sociologists saw themselves as social reformers, by the middle of the twentieth century, the focus of the discipline of sociology had shifted to..

Theorizing and gathering information

All research designs have positives and negatives associated with them.

True

Despite their differences, functionalists, conflict theorists, and interactionists would all agree that there is much more to sports than exercise or recreation.

True

After a sociologist reviews the literature, what is the next step in the process?

Create a hypothesis

Secondary analysis includes a variety of research techniques that use

publicly accessible information and data, or data collected by another.

Sociology is considered a science because sociologists..

Engage in organized and systematic study of phenomena to enhance understanding.

Herbert Spencer suggested that sociologists should be highly critical of the status quo and should work actively for social change..

False

The midpoint or number which divides a series of values into two groups of equal numbers of values is referred to as the

Median

Early female sociologists such as Jane Addams were often active in poor urban areas as leaders of community centers known as..

Settlement houses

Emile Durkheim's study of suicide, related suicide rates to..

The extent to which people were integrated into the group life of a society.

Having a grandmother who sits on the board of trustees for your college is an example of social capital.

True

In criticizing the call for a value-free sociology, Alvin Gouldner suggests that sociologists may use objectivity as a sacred justification for remaining uncritical of existing institutions and centers of power.

True

An ideal type is..

A construct or model that serves as a measuring rod against which actual cases can be evaluated.

Anomie refers to..

A loss of direction that is felt in a society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective.

A variable is

A measurable trait or characteristic that is subject to change under different conditions.

Sociologists consider secondary analysis to be

A nonreactive form of research

Which of the following would be an example of the use of the sociological imagination?

A study that concentrates on the behavior of people listening to a religious service compared to those listening to a rock concert.

Inequality, capitalism, and stratification are key concepts of which theoretical perspective?

Conflict perspective

The relationship between two variables whereby a change in one coincides with a change in the other is known as a(an)

Correlation

Selecting a research design is important because it may affect both the amount of time and the

Cost of the project

Which of the following does your textbook note as a common criticism of Exxon's actions after the 1989 Valdez disaster?

Exxon didn't volunteer to fund research on clean-up technologies or long-term environmental costs.

In examining any aspect of society, which sociological perspective emphasizes the contribution that aspect makes to overall social stability?

Functionalist perspective

The authors of the National Health and Social Life Survey argue that their research on human sexual behavior is important and that using data from their survey allows policy makers to more easily address issues such as AIDS, sexual harassment, welfare reform, abortion, and teenage pregnancy. This position best reflects the view of which sociological perspective?

Functionalist perspective

Which sociological perspective would most likely suggest that education is necessary for people to earn more money and advance in society for the purpose of social stability?

Functionalist perspective

Which sociological perspective would most likely suggest that sports help to maintain people's physical well-being?

Functionalist perspective

For W.E.B. Du Bois, which of the following was considered essential in combating prejudice and achieving tolerance and justice?

Knowledge.

The number calculated by adding a series of values and then dividing by the number of values is referred to as the

Mean

Which sociologist argued that sociological research should focus on social change and on relevant research developed by nonsociologists?

Shulamit Reinharz

Karl Marx saw the factory as the center of conflict between society's exploiters and its exploited masses.

True

One of Robert Merton's most significant contributions to sociology was the attempt to merge the microlevel and macrolevel approaches to the study of society.

True

Selection of a research design will influence both the cost of a research project and the amount of time needed to collect the results of the research.

True

Income, religion, race, gender, and marital status can all be examples of

Variables

The concept of anomie was introduced into sociology by..

Émile Durkheim.