Sociology Chapters 1-2

Sociologists evaluate research by asking all of the following questions EXCEPT

Who paid for this research?

true or false: Industrialization refers to the historical period when economies shifted from an agricultural to a consumer base

false

true or false: Intensive interviewing is a type of survey research

false

true or false: Max Weber is best known for his work on social solidarity

false

true or false: Modernity is marked by increased fragmentation of the dominant culture

false

true or false: Positivism is a belief that individuals must act in ways that benefit the greatest number of people in society

false

Glenna was asked by a journal to evaluate a research study written by another scholar. After reading the paper, she provided feedback to the author and said that more work was needed to improve the quality of the paper before it was published. Glenna is participating in

the journal's peer-review process

Megan submitted a manuscript to a journal for publication. The editor at the journal asked experts in the topic Megan studied to read and comment on her work. Megan received feedback from these experts that she then used to improve her manuscript before it was published. What practice is described here?

the peer-review process

Sociological research is evaluated for quality prior to publication. This is known as

the peer-review process

The argument that social structures moved from being based on tradition to being based on logic and reason is called

the rationalization of society

To what group of research-based disciplines does sociology belong?

the social sciences

Each of the following is an aspect of a society's culture EXCEPT the a. language they speak. b. artifacts they produce. c. values they hold. d. All of the answers are correct

All of the answers are correct

Which position advocates for transparency in methods? a. positivist social science b. interpretive social science c. critical social science d. All of the answers are correct

All of the answers are correct

How have modern technological advances assisted the research process?

Both qualitative and quantitative research is easier to collect and analyze

Who used the term "sociological imagination" to describe a way of viewing the connections individuals have to their social worlds?

C. Wright Mills

Which of the following best summarizes Karl Marx's view of the social world?

Capitalism narrowed the gap between great wealth and crushing poverty

Garner is conducting a study on how students who live on campus eat. He asked participants to record where they ate each of their meals. He found that during the week he collected data, there was a large increase in the number of students eating in the dining hall when compared to the weeks before and after he conducted his study. With what phenomena should Garner be concerned in his findings?

Hawthorne effect

Which of the following research questions would a sociologist ask?

How does being homeless impact people's ability to find work?

Which of the following questions would a sociologist ask?

How does collecting government assistance impact future employment?

Henry read two research studies on men's contributions to housework. One study found that men did 50 percent of the housework and the other study found that men did 30 percent of the housework. In order to assess the differences in these findings, what question should Henry ask?

How were the variables operationalized?

Which of the following statements BEST summarizes the relationship between individuals and social structure?

Individuals and social structures work together to shape an individual's life experience

What did Emile Durkheim mean by the term "division of labor"?

Individuals specialized in jobs that highlighted their skills

Which of the following is NOT a role theory plays in the research process?

It can help identify the research methods to conduct a study

What is the purpose of the peer-review process

It helps to ensure that only quality research is published

Tammy created a survey to study how much alcohol students drink. On the survey she asked the following question: In the past seven days, how many times have you drank alcohol or smoked marijuana? What is the main problem with how this survey question is worded?

It is a double-barreled question

Julian and his friends like to watch movies together. One movie focused on a young black man who rose out of poverty by playing basketball. His friend N'Cola commented that there would be no poverty if poor people simply tried to find employment. Julian said that the solution to poverty was not that simple and that N'Cola's understanding of how poverty worked was mistaken. What was the problem with N'Cola's argument?

It was based on common sense

Which of the following is the core belief of positivism?

Knowledge must be based on evidence

Which of the following social thinkers is NOT correctly matched to their key work?

Marx: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Which social thinker believed that a rational view of the social world replaced tradition as the basis for organizing society?

Max Weber

Which of the following is NOT one of the problems researchers face when conducting social research using human participants?

Research using existing data provides more valid results

Which of the following best summarizes Emile Durkheim's view of the social world?

Society works because there is a collective understanding of behaviors.

What does it mean for a sociologist to report provisional knowledge?

The findings are subject to change with the discovery of new information

To what aspect of life is it impossible to apply the sociological perspective?

The sociological perspective can be applied to all aspects of life

What does it mean for researchers to generalize their findings?

They use their findings to understand patterns in larger groups

Which social thinker produced ground-breaking research on race in America?

W.E.B. Du Bois

Which of the following questions would sociologists NOT ask about race?

What are the major personality characteristics of Asian Americans?

Connell saw a research study that found that individuals who owned a smart phone had more sex partners than individuals who did not own a smart phone. Which question would be the MOST important for Connell to examine to assess the findings of this study?

What was the sample?

When evaluating research, you should ask all of the following questions EXCEPT

Who conducted this research?

true or false: Applied research allows individuals outside academia to learn the findings of studies

false

true or false: Critical social science believes that research must be value-free

false

Before 1800, approximately what percentage of Europeans lived in rural areas?

about 90 percent

In 1997, members of the Heaven's Gate religious cult committed mass suicide because they believed that after death their souls would be transported to a level of existence beyond human. According to Emile Durkheim's theory, what type of suicide did these members commit?

altruistic

Which of the following characteristics is NOT part of the move towards modernity?

an increased confidence in religion

What term did Emile Durkheim use to explain a sense of normlessness?

anomie

Minoosh created a study to measure how different afterschool programs affected students' grades. She will use her findings to help schools allocate funding into afterschool programs. Her study is an example of

applied research

Studies that aim to understand and work towards solving social problems are termed

applied research

Which term is defined by the use of factories and mills to mass produce goods for sale?

industrialization

True or false: Sociology views individuals as free agents who are able to make choices about their lives independent of society

false

.Studies that describe and help us better understand some aspect of society are examples of

basic research

Manuel interviewed new parents to learn how gender, both the parents' and the babies', shapes the interactions they have with their babies. He is conducting

basic research

Reina interviewed young girls about their perceptions of media images of women in order to understand how those images influenced the girls' self-esteem. She is conducting

basic research

Monty is a rich man who invests his money in small businesses. He recently purchased a small bakery and hired a new manager to oversee changes to the business to make it more profitable. His investment has paid off since he now makes more money than he spent to acquire the bakery. What term describes Monty's role in this scenario?

capitalist

Which of the following is one way a researcher can ensure confidentiality?

changing personal details that might identify a person

true or false: A manifest function of crime is the creation of law enforcement jobs

false

You are planning to conduct a survey about student opinions of dining on campus. In constructing your questionnaire, you should avoid all of the following EXCEPT

clearly phrased questions

In the United States, common shared values include social freedom, individualism, and self-sufficiency. What term would sociologists use to define these characteristics?

collective conscience

Which of the following terms defines the shared values within a society?

collective conscience

Collective conscience focuses on

common values members of a society share

In his study of workplace harassment, George changed the names of the participants that he quoted in his final report. This was done to ensure

confidentiality

Karl Marx believed that society was shaped by the power differences of workers and capitalists. Into which sociological theory does this best fit?

conflict theory

Mario believes in the phrase "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." Which theoretical perspective would best match Mario's worldview?

conflict theory

Which theoretical perspective argues that social structure is maintained by those with power to maintain the values and ideals of dominant groups?

conflict theory

Which theory views society being shaped by competition, struggle for power, and unequal distribution of resources?

conflict theory

Mei is doing intensive interview research with domestic violence victims. She has designed her study and asks you what she should do next. You should advise her to

consider the ethical issues in her study

Rebekkah collected advertisements for beauty products from popular women's magazines. She systematically analyzed the images in order to study how gender was represented. What kind of research is she conducting?

content analysis

The data collection method in which researchers evaluate information gathered from sources such as news articles, television shows, or magazine ads is called

content analysis

Levi collects data for a study by questioning anybody who walks by his store at the mall. What data collection method is he using?

convenience sampling

What is the term that describes a relationship in which one variable is connected to change in another variable?

correlation

Steven's college has a major problem with student drinking on campus. He decided to study student drinking behavior so that he could help the college identify why students drink and to inform policies and practices that would reduce problematic drinking. What type of research is he conducting?

critical social science

What type of research seeks to create knowledge that can be used to make society a better place?

critical social science

The rise in scientific thought, the Age of Enlightenment, and the declining influence of religion in everyday life are associated with _____ revolution

cultural

A society's values, knowledge, language, interactions, and material objects reflect its

culture

true or false: An example of interpretive social science research would be a study aimed at understanding and ending child abuse

false

true or false: An experiment is any research that collects data for analysis.

false

The two key aspects of social research are theory and

data

Raymond found that as mothers' educational achievement increases, the greater the level of education their daughters are likely to attain. What is the dependent variable?

daughters' education

In a sociological study of the relationship between two variables, which one changes in response to changes in the other?

dependent variable

During what phase of the research process would you operationalize your concepts?

designing the study

What is the second step in the sociological research process?

develop a specific research question

Which of the following is NOT a latent function of attending college?

developing job skills

What term did Emile Durkheim use to describe how individuals used specific skills to complete specialized work within a society?

division of labor

Beth conducted a study and found that individuals with more education tend to marry later and have fewer children. What is the independent variable in her study?

education

Randy's wife of fifty years recently passed away. They had no children and Randy felt isolated and alone. He fell into a depression and committed suicide. According to Emile Durkheim's theory, what type of suicide is this?

egoistic

Qualitative data and quantitative data are examples of

empirical evidence

Mahmoud found that unemployed young men are more likely to engage in deviant activities than employed young men. What is the independent variable?

employment status

In order to understand our lives, sociologists would argue that we need to

examine the contexts in which we live

Suriya designed a study to see if study sessions increased her students' performance on exams. She assigned only half of her class to participate in a study session before an exam. What kind of research is she conducting?

experiment

Which research method allows for specific variables to be controlled and manipulated?

experiments

What is the first step in the sociological research process?

exploring a topic

true or false: Randal found that as one's years of education increased, so did one's annual income. In his study, the independent variable is income

false

true or false: Sociology research and theory focuses on either large-scale social systems or the interactions between individuals

false

true or false: Structure refers to how societies and institutions are organized

false

true or false: The final step in the research process is to analyze your data

false

true or false: The manuscript review process ensures that only quality research findings are published

false

true or false: The purpose of a hypothesis is to summarize the key findings from a research study

false

true or false: The term social solidarity refers to the shared values within a society

false

Laud was interested in what type of men engaged in anonymous homosexual sex in public places. He spent time in a public bathroom where men engaged in sex with other men and secretly observed the types of men who visited the bathroom. What kind of research was he conducting?

field research

Sammy noticed that her test grades were better when she attended classes. She decided to create a study to see if there was a relationship between class attendance and test performance. In what aspect of the social research process has Sammy engaged?

finding patterns in everyday life

Ja'nice interviewed a group of students with disabilities about the barriers they face in the classroom. She concluded that other students with disabilities to whom she did not talk probably face similar problems. What is she doing?

generalizing her findings

Studies that provide anonymity

guarantee that the information provided cannot be traced back to the participant

Which of the following topics is NOT among those a sociologist would study?

how personality develops

An educated guess that explains the relationship between two variables in a study is called a(n)

hypothesis

In designing a study of the relationship between grades and class attendance, Mana states that she expects grades to improve as class attendance increases. This statement is her study's

hypothesis

Which of the following events did NOT occur during the Industrial Revolution?

increased influence of religion

In a sociological study of the relationship between variables, what is associated with and/or causes change in the value of the other?

independent variable

A sociological understanding of homelessness would include all of the following EXCEPT

individual's personal failures at locating work

Historically, which of the following events happened first?

industrialization

Before Leann starts interviewing her research participants, she informs them of the risks and benefits of their participation in her study. By doing this, she is ensuring

informed consent

Salvatore is participating in a survey. Before starting, the researcher tells him that he will be paid five dollars for participating and that he can stop the survey at any point and still be compensated for his time. This is an example of

informed consent

In what data collection technique does the researcher ask open-ended questions to participants and record their responses for analysis?

intensive interview

What data-gathering technique includes focus groups?

intensive interviewing

Which of the following is NOT a sampling technique?

intermediary sampling

Steven's college has a major problem with student drinking on campus. He decided to study student drinking behavior by focusing on the reasons students drink and the meanings they attach to their behaviors. What type of research is he conducting?

interpretive social science

What type of research focuses on how individuals create meaning in their everyday lives?

interpretive social science

Which type(s) of research is/are based on the belief that recognizing the values of the researcher is important when conducting research?

interpretive social science and critical social science

The unintended results of social phenomena are called

latent functions

Which of the following is NOT an element of social research?

learning the truth about human nature

In a study, Hans found that the length of a prison sentence varied based on the convict's race, social class, and number of prior arrests. What was the dependent variable in his study?

length of prison sentence

Sociologists who study crime statistics for the United States work at which level of analysis?

macro

Which level of analysis focuses on large social structures?

macro

The intended results of social phenomena are called

manifest functions

Kimberly grew up in a close-knit farming community. Her community values sharing and cooperation because they allow all families to live comfortable lives. For example, after a fire destroyed some of her neighbor's crops, others in the community came to help the family by sharing their own crops so that they would have enough to eat. What is this an example of?

mechanical solidarity

Which level of analysis focuses on areas between large-scale social structures and small-scale interactions?

meso

Sociologists who study the meanings individuals attach to smiling in various contexts work at which level of analysis?

micro

Which level of analysis focuses on small social interactions?

micro

Maria lives in a society where physical illness is viewed as being caused by germs and unsanitary conditions and not as the product of a curse or spell. In what historical context is she living?

modernity

The historical period marked by a shift to urban industrial economies and increased faith in science and reason is known as

modernity

What term defines the process of developing specific values for the concepts in your study?

operationalize

Takumi decided to measure education by the number of years of school completed. By doing this, he has

operationalized his variable

The target group a researcher is interested in studying is the

population

Auguste Comte is associated with which foundation of sociological thought?

positivism

The principle that true knowledge must be based on the scientific method is known as

positivism

Quinn believes that social science research should be value-free. To which type of research would she most likely subscribe?

positivist social science

Steven's college has a major problem with student drinking on campus. He decided to study student drinking behavior by focusing on the factors that influence drinking behavior and the variables that predict that a student will engage heavy drinking. What type of research is he conducting?

positivist social science

What type of research views the world as being guided by natural laws that can be discovered though research?

positivist social science

Service-oriented economies, the development of mega-cities, and disengagement and cynicism in politics are characteristics of what type of society?

postmodern

Shelby has a diverse group of friends who feel disconnected from the American political system. Many of them work at a customer service call center and do not feel that better opportunities are available. They are not involved in politics because they believe that the vote of working-class Americans is overlooked by the upper-class leaders of society. In what historical period does Shelby live?

postmodernity

Which historical period is marked by increased multiculturalism, a shift towards information-based economies, and the emergence of mega-cities?

postmodernity

Inequalities based in race and gender in American society are the result of _____ differences

power

Someone's ability to impose their will on another person is called

power

When completing her research on the reasons why couples make the decision to live together, Lavonne included a section in her report that described the data she collected and how she reached her conclusions. What aspect of social research is she conducting?

providing transparency in methods

Researchers who make their findings known to nonacademic audiences are engaging in a. the peer-review process

public sociology

Evidence that is non-numerical, such as information gathered from interviews or observation, is known as _____ data

qualitative

Heng uses interviews and field research to study how neighborhoods rebuild after natural disasters. What kind of data is he using?

qualitative

Bryan collected homicide and suicide statistics from different cities so he could examine the relationship between these two causes of death. What kind of data is he using?

quantitative

Evidence that is based in numbers is known as _____ data

quantitative

Marisol conducted a study in which she counted the number of times world leaders used specific words in their speeches. What type of data is she using?

quantitative

A sampling method that involves selecting cases to include by chance is called _____ sampling.

random

Dr. Karner is interested in learning how students in his department feel about the courses being offered. To select the students who will take the questionnaire, he wrote the names of every student on a small slip of paper and blindly drew 100 names from a hat. What sampling method did he use?

random sampling

Sociology emerged from each of the following revolutions EXCEPT

religious

The term that describes scholars' gathering and evaluation of data is

research methods

What is the portion of a population researcher's study that represents the whole population?

sample

Which concept describes how reason and the gathering of objective facts are used to support theories about the natural and social world?

science

Amelie used data collected by the United States Census Bureau to study changes in family size over the past 100 years. What kind of research is she conducting?

secondary data analysis

What kind of research involves the analysis of data that one did not collect oneself?

secondary data analysis

What term defines the social bonds that connect individuals to each other?

social solidarity

Which term do sociologists use to describe a collection of propositions that work to explain how social phenomena operate?

social theory

Which concept describes the processes of examining the social world though understanding how individuals are connected to the societies in which they live?

sociological perspective

What was Immanuel Kant describing with the motto "Dare to know"?

the Enlightenment

Maria wants to write a paper that explores how married couples divide household chores. She wants to argue that gender shapes how couples share housework. Given her topic and argument, her class is a part of what discipline?

sociology

The systematic study of the relationship between individuals and society is called

sociology

Emile Durkheim believed that social norms helped to maintain social order. For example, he explains that suicide is a result of a lack of balance in an individual's social world and not an event that is based on an individual's free will. Into which sociological theory does this best fit?

structural-functionalist theory

Janet believes that two-parent families are the best for society. She notes that having a mother and father helps to define work roles and provides children with strong role models. Which theoretical perspective best matches her views?

structural-functionalist theory

Which theoretical perspective would argue that power differences have a positive effect on society because they provide motivation for individuals to compete for highly rewarded positions?

structural-functionalist theory

Which theory views society as working towards agreement and believes that each aspect of a society works to ensure society's smooth operation?

structural-functionalist theory

Persistent patterns in how people act in society is called

structure

The rules we use to understand the relationship we have with our girlfriend or boyfriends reflect _____ in our lives.

structure

Close-ended questions are used in _____ research

survey

Julie works for Knowledge Works, a company that calls individuals in the United States and asks them closed-ended questions about their knowledge of different social policies. What kind of research is she conducting?

survey

Which of the following research methods can produce findings quickly and in a cost-effective way?

surveys

Which social theories focus on how people use shared symbols and construct society as a result of their everyday interactions?

symbolic interactionist theories

Jennie believes that one's virginity only means as much as the value you attach to it. Which theoretical perspective would best match her view of virginity?

symbolic interactionist theory

Two sociologists explain that individuals "do gender" in their everyday interactions with others in society. They argue that being a "man" or "woman" is not natural but is instead a product of shared meanings of how "men" and "women" interact with others in society. Under which sociological theory does their work best fit?

symbolic interactionist theory

Which theoretical perspective would argue that culture is created through the ways that individual members interpret the meanings of material objects and their exchanges with others?

symbolic interactionist theory

During the Middle Ages, who or what dominated European intellectual life?

the Church and its clergy

Sally grew up in the middle class. For school, she volunteered at a soup kitchen and, for the first time, met individuals her own age who had grown up in poverty. Instead of dismissing these individuals as lazy, she sought to understand what social forces worked to shape her life differently from those she met at the soup kitchen. This is an example of

the sociological perspective

What is industrialization?

the use of machines to mass produce items for purchase

A sociologist would understand the phenomena of poverty by examining

the ways that employment is structured

Which of the following is NOT a core concept in sociology?

theory

Baxter is interested in studying gender and voting patterns. He asks you what he should do next. You should advise him to

think of a specific research question to investigate

Which of the following is NOT a manifest function of attending college?

to learn how to live independently

In his study of suicide, Emile Durkheim argued that egoistic suicides were the result of

too little integration

In his study of suicide, Emile Durkheim argued that fatalistic suicides were the result of

too much regulation

What term describes when researchers share how they collected and analyzed their data?

transparency

true or false: A survey can collect both qualitative data and quantitative data

true

true or false: A system that is limited in its abilities or that contains disruptive elements is called dysfunctional

true

true or false: Art, gestures, and language are all components of culture

true

true or false: Informed consent allows participants to end their participation in a study at any time, even if they have not finished answering all the questions

true

true or false: Researchers generalize their findings when they are able to use findings from a sample to explain patterns in a larger population

true

true or false: Science is a method of creating knowledge though the use of empirical facts and reasoning.

true

true or false: Sociologists use empirical evidence to understand patterns in everyday life

true

true or false: Structural-functionalist theories would view crime as serving a role in society

true

true or false: The goal of basic research is to describe and help us better understand our social world

true

true or false: The sociological perspective focuses on exploring the relationship between individuals and the social worlds in which they live.

true

true or false: Thinkers like Harriet Martineau and W.E.B. Du Bois were not fully recognized for their contributions to the discipline of sociology in their time

true

true or false: When evaluating research, one must ask which theory informed the research

true

The movement of individuals from living in rural farming towns into centralized cities is known as

urbanization

Which of the following characteristics is NOT associated with postmodernity?

urbanization

What term describes the process of removing one's personal viewpoints and opinions from the research process?

value-neutrality

Which term is used to describe data that represents different values?

variables