DSU Sociology Exam 1

Define Postmodernism

Blurred the lines of innovation and tradition. Attempted to create tension between innovation and tradition, past and present, mass culture and high art.

Max Weber believed that modern industrialized societies were characterized by which of the following institutions?

Bureaucracies

What does it mean when an interviewer asks a respondent for their life history?

a chronological account of the respondent's life

Culture is _____.

a guide to living our lives

a paradigm is

a set of assumptions, theories, and perspectives that makes up a way of understanding social reality

a pilot study is...

a smaller study used to investigate the feasibility of a larger one

Which of the following is an example of a subculture? a. skateboarders b. IBM workers c. muslims d. college students

a. skateboarders

which scholar's research sparked debate about both ethical and legal violations?

alice goffman

Emile Durkheim's study on suicide found that not only did suicide rates increase when the economy slumped; they also increased when the economy boomed. Which of Durkheim's concepts explain why both positive and negative economic conditions could increase suicide rates?

anomie

Before we can experience role-taking emotions, we must

be able to see things from another persons point of view

If a researcher allows their own values and opinions to affect their analysis, they are guilty of

bias

is the microsociological or macrosociological perspective more useful in analyzing social phenomena?

both are useful in different ways because they each provide different types of information about the same object of study

How was Harriet Martineau similar to W. E. B. DuBois?

both were intrigued by america's democratic promise, but disappointed in its hypocritical injustices

according to Karl Marx, class consciousness is developed...

by the lower class recognizing how society works and challenging those in power

Carla is worried about the representativeness of her study. she is conducting interviews, but each one seems to last at least five hours. what strategy might she use to increase her sample size given that she only has one month to collect her data?

conduct a focus group

You want to conduct some sociological research on whether people on social networking sites are less likely to meet in person as a result of their online community participation. What is the next step in the scientific method?

conduct a literature review

Even very significant events in our lives increasingly take place online. It is now common to hear stories of couples breaking up through an instant message or even a text message. What is missing from these interactions compared with similar interactions in the past?

copresence

In the recent past, hip-hop was a distinctly American form of music, emanating from major urban centers in the United States. Now, you can find hip-hop artists almost anywhere in the world, from Beijing, China to Santiago, Chile. This an example of _____.

cultural diffusion

Talia is from a working-class family, and she pays for her own college tuition by working nights as a waitress. On television, she sees a commercial that says, "You deserve a luxury car." She starts thinking that she wants the car despite knowing she cannot afford it. This is an example of what?

cultural hegemony

The government of Iran officially censors all non-Islamic media content. The government likely considers the spread of Western media such as pop music and television programs an example of _____.

cultural imperialism

While on vacation in Montreal, Canada, Candice wants to go to a restaurant where the locals go, hoping for something different than what she can get back home in Jacksonville, Florida. However, while looking for a place to eat, all she sees are the same chain restaurants she has near her home. This is an example of _____.

cultural leveling

While driving to work one day, a sociologist noticed a bumper sticker on a large pickup truck that stated: "Gun control means using both hands!" Later, he saw a small electric vehicle with a bumper sticker that stated: "Protect children, not guns!" The sociologist would most likely describe this debate over guns as an example of a(n) _____.

culture war

In contrast to cultural anthropologists, sociologists usually focus on what kind of cultures?

cultures close to home

What did Sigmund Freud suggest in his book The Interpretation of Dreams?

dreams result from inconsequential superstitions and have to be "worked through" for analysis to succeed

When she arrived at her host family's home on her study abroad in Cambodia, Jamie was treated to a welcome dinner consisting of local delicacies, including fried spiders. Jamie refused to eat any of it because it sounded gross, and asked her hosts if they had any "normal" food, such as hamburgers. What behavior is she exhibiting?

ethnocentrism

Why do social scientists who use interviews rarely speak with large numbers of people for a project?

face to face interviewing is a time consuming process

TRUE OR FALSE - Symbolic interactionism analyzes social phenomena at the macro level, while structural functionalism and conflict theory analyses are at the micro level.

false

TRUE/FALSE - Agents of socialization are mutually exclusive and do not overlap.

false

what term did Karl Marx use to describe the fact that most of the population accepts inequality even when it does not benefit them personally?

false consciousness

Why does the family have such a powerful impact as an agent of socialization?

families begin the socialization process before there are other competing influences

Julie Bettie's ethnography WOMEN WITHOUT CLASS: GIRLS, RACE, AND IDENTITY examined the role of race and class in the lives of girls in California's Central Valley. She did most of her work in a high school, hanging out with students and writing down her observations. What do ethnographers call her written observations?

field notes

Alanna was annoyed because several guests at her dinner party showed up without letting her know they would be attending, and she had to adjust her plans. These guests violated a _____.

folkway

regardless of their various approaches to social phenomena, what are all sociologists aiming to accomplish with their work?

illuminating the connection between the individual and society

Patrick isn't old enough to go to school yet, but he loves to play house. He has a toy stove and pretends to be a stay-at-home father. Playing house sometimes gets boring, so he goes outside, takes a garden hose, and pretends to be a firefighter. George Herbert Mead would say that Patrick is

in the play stage

In the United States, forgetting to pay back your friend for a meal would violate a(n) ______, whereas purposefully leaving a restaurant without paying the bill would violate a(n) _______.

informal norm; formal norm

Survey research tends to produce quantitative data. One key advantage of this kind of data is that it

is easy to transmit to the public

what is a weakness of the sociological approach

it attempts to grasp things that everyday actors understand implicitly

Which of the following is a disadvantage of using ethnography as a method of social research?

it is difficult for another researcher to repeat or replicate any particular ethnography.

Horace Miner illustrates what point in his famous article, "Body Ritual among the Nacirema" (1956)?

it is very easy to fail to see one's own culture precisely because it taken for granted

A sociologist who studies the use of architectural elements, building materials, paint, and lighting in a historic district is studying _____.

material culture

symbolic interactionism argues that people act toward things on the basis of their meaning. according to this perspective, how does meaning arise?

meaning is negotiated through interaction with others

What do the several cases of children who grew up in extreme social isolation, such as the case of Genie in 1970, suggest?

most of our mental capacities, and perhaps the ability to think, are learned through social interaction

Josie wore a pair of short shorts to school. This was against the rules and violated school norms. Because this was the third time that she had broken the same rule, the principal gave her a detention. The principal's action was a means of enforcing norms through _____.

negative sanction

Why is it increasingly difficult to use sociological models that assume interaction involves copresence?

new technology makes it much more common to interact with someone without being physically in the same place

In the 1950s smoking cigarettes was a widely accepted behavior both in public and private. In recent years cigarette smoking has been banned in many public places and strongly discouraged in private spaces, especially when children are present. This historical shift demonstrates that what aspect of culture can change over time?

norms

As children get older, which agent of socialization tends to replace parents as their most intense and immediate influence?

peers

What are some examples of things students learn from a school's hidden curriculum?

punctuality, neatness, and discipline

Researchers must avoid negative questions when writing a survey. What are negative questions?

questions that ask respondents what they don't think rather than what they do think

In her ethnography Wheeling & Dealing, Patricia Adler investigates the social and professional worlds of mid-level cocaine and marijuana smugglers. Her research started unexpectedly when she discovered that her next-door neighbor and friend was a drug smuggler. This was a huge advantage for her because it meant that she already had ________ with one of her informants.

rapport

In his research, ethnographer Richard Mitchell kept his identity a secret while studying militant survivalist groups. Sometimes he even presented himself as a believer in the survivalists paranoid, racist ideologies in order to establish...

rapport

Eliza works for a company that sees itself as an environmentally friendly business with a social conscience. However, in the day to day operations of the organization Eliza observes countless examples of resource waste, worker exploitation, and a single-minded focus on profits above all else. In contrast to the way the company sees itself, the way it actually operates is indicative of its _____.

real culture

The University of California, Santa Barbara, is located near the Pacific Ocean, and many students live within walking distance of the beach. Most students put on a cover-up or wrap themselves in a towel to make the short walk back to their apartments, though they feel that it's perfectly normal to wear a bathing suit while at the beach. This is because the beach, unlike the street, is a(n) ________, where wearing nothing but a bathing suit is considered normal and acceptable.

region

which of the following is a disadvantage of using existing sources of data for research?

researchers often seek answers to questions the data does not directly address

Why would mentioning a sensitive issue, such as divorce or infidelity, in a survey question influence how respondents answer later questions?

respondents may think about the sensitive issue when answering later questions

according to emile durkheim what was the basis for the bonds created through mechanical solidarity in traditional societies?

shared traditions and similar experiences

what could you know about Pam Fishman if you didn't know anything about her except that she studied conversation patterns?

she is a microscientist

Researchers are often worried that interviewees have not been completely honest or forthcoming, especially when asked about sensitive subjects. How did Arlie Hochschild attempt to deal with this problem?

she observed some respondents as they went about their daily routines to see if their answers matched their actions

in 2007, the richest 1% of the american population owned 35% of the country's wealth, and the bottom 80% of the population owned 14%. Karl Marx would call this...

social inequality

Works of fiction such as The Jungle Book are retellings of myths about feral children. These stories highlight the sociological concept of _______, but some real-world examples of kidnapping and abuse are no myth.

social isolation

Victor of Aveyron was a feral child who wandered out of the woods in 1800 when he was approximately twelve years old. After being reintroduced to human society, Victor was incapable of talking and never fully adjusted to life with other humans. This case shows the importance of...

socialization

A(n) ________ is a position in a social hierarchy that comes with a set of expectations.

status

who must the social analyst take the perspective of in order to verify that which the everyday actor might just accept or assume to be true?

stranger

Which of the following is an example of the hidden curriculum?

students are taught to dress and behave in a specific matter by teachers and other staff members

Connor is very active in the "cosplay" scene. He designs costumes that embody his favorite sci-fi film characters and wears them to comic conventions (comic-cons). Jordan has a mohawk and wears a leather jacket. He is a member of an anarchist collective that seeks to destroy the current political and economic system, and replace it with a fairer and more just society. The difference between Connor and Jordan is that Connor is a member of a(n) ______, whereas Jordan is a member of a ______.

subculture; counterculture

What did Harvard Medical School researchers conclude about the effects of the media on young people in Fiji who, until the 1990s, lacked widespread access to television?

television affected young women's body image

Changes in marijuana laws over the course of U.S. history illustrate _____.

that norms change overtime and across contexts, and that change in such norms is not always predictable

Every four years, when it is time to elect a new president, we pay much attention to surveys, which we usually call "polls." Political pollsters typically ask approximately one thousand people, of the 300 million people in the United States, who they plan to vote for. They use that information to predict how the election will turn out. Who is the sample for a presidential poll?

the 1,000 people asked whom they will vote for

what historical events convinced Auguste Comte that society needed to be guided by thinkers who understood social laws?

the French Revolution and the instability that followed it

you have just begun studying unemployment rates in a city with fifty million, of which fifteen million are unemployed. if you are using your sociological imagination, what is your first consideration?

the economic and political structures of the society

Sociologists define the self as

the experience of an individuals personal identity that is distinct from other people

Julian is a child who consistently earns mediocre grades and is often picked last for team games. He likes to make silly jokes and play pranks, and he notices that people laugh when he does so. The child starts to think that others are laughing with him, not at him. Charles Cooley would say this development is part of...

the looking-glass self

Anthropologists claimed to have discovered that the Hopi tribe of the American Southwest had no words to distinguish past, present, or future. They concluded that the Hopi did not "see" or experience time in the same way as those whose language provided such words. Such results demonstrate which of the following concepts?

the sopir-whorf hypothesis

macrosociology and microsociology approach the study of society from different perspectives. how does the discipline of sociology deal with these two very different approaches?

these two perspectives are on a continuum, and sociologists can adopt the perspective most useful for a particular problem

survey researchers often use Likert scales to construct the possible answers when they write closed-ended questions. How do Likert scales allow respondents to answer?

they allow respondents to answer along a continuum of "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree"

what do feminist theory and conflict theory have in common?

they both seek to not only understand inequality but also remedy it

TRUE/FALSE - Both sides are partially right in the nature vs. nurture debate.

true

TRUE/FALSE: You will still have to sacrifice some types of information in order to acquire others even if you pick your research method carefully.

true

Among a group of military veterans who meet up regularly, the characteristic of others that they most often speak about is loyalty, which they see as the most desirable quality one can have. For this group, loyalty is a _____.

value

You are doing a research project on the effects of contemporary media. What are your variables if your hypothesis is "watching violence on television causes an increase in violent behavior"?

violence on tv and violence in behavior

According to George Herbert Mead, the dual nature of the self refers to the idea that

we experience the self as both subject and object