Introductory Sociology CLEP

Some sociologists view the family as an economic unit that contributes to social injustice because it is the basis for transferring power, property, and privilege from one generation to the next. Which of the following perspectives best describes that view?

Conflict

Which of the following approaches to stratification is most likely to suggest that, as a society becomes more stratified, it prevents the talents of those at the bottom from being known or used and thus potentially fails to benefit from the contributions of all its members?

Conflict

Which theorist is most associated with structural-functionalism?

Karl Marx

Which theory assumes that deviance occurs among individuals who are blocked from achieving socially approved goals by legitimate means?

Merton's strain theory

Mrs. Jones has a parent-teacher meeting scheduled at the school where she teaches. The meeting is scheduled at the same time as her daughter's piano recital. Mrs. Jones will have to decide how to juggle the contradictory expectations of teacher and parent. This situation is referred to as

Role conflict

What distinguishes a crime from a deviant act?

The definition of the act as criminal by a political entity

What is an example of an informal positive sanction?

Danisha receives a new car from her parents when she scores 2300 on the SAT®. correct

Max Weber's principle of verstehen was meant to

explain the subjective beliefs that motivate people to act

As a nurse, Rex works to respect and fulfill the different values, beliefs, and behaviors of his patients. Which of the following is Rex practicing?

Cultural competence

What allows human beings to adapt to diverse physical environments?

Culture

According to sociological terminology, an analysis of the amount of violence in mass media, such as television shows, would be which of the following?

Content analysis

Who was the sociologist who described deviance this way: It is not the act itself but the reactions to the act, that make something deviant?

Howard Becker

Which type of societies is least differentiated?

Hunting and gathering

In order for an occupation to be considered a profession by a sociologist, it must be an occupation that

Is based on abstract knowledge and a body of specialized information

What effect did two years of intensive language training have on Isabelle, an isolated child discovered in Ohio in 1938?

Isabelle reached an intellectual level normal for her age.

What is the underlying principle of symbolic interactionism?

It analyzes how one's behavior depends on the way they define themselves and others

Which of the following is true of a dependent variable?

It is influenced by another variable

For a deviant act to be classified as a crime, what quality must pertain to it?

It must be a rule written into law.

Which of the following is true of a random sample?

It provides every member of the population with an equal chance of being selected.

Which of the following terms refers to something that has an unexpected detrimental effect on social institutions or society?

Latent dysfunction

The increase in prejudice that sometimes resulted from court-ordered desegregation in public schools is a

Latent dysfunction of desegregation

The early Chicago School researchers found that even though immigration changed the racial and ethnic composition of some areas of the city over time, the rates of crime in those areas remained relatively high. Which of the following interpretations of this finding is most consistent with the Chicago School's social disorganization perspective?

Neighborhood social institutions were ineffective at preventing crime.

According to Charles Horton Cooley, how do we develop our self concept?

Our self concept develops from interaction with others.

What is the major difference between sociological and psychological theories used to explain deviance?

Sociological explanations focus on factors outside the individual, while psychological explanations look for answers within the individual

After studying the use of personal space in several cultures, what conclusion did Edward Hall reach regarding the amount of space people prefer?

The amount of personal space people prefer varies from one culture to another

What was the result of the study conducted by H. M. Skeels and H. B. Dye where they placed an experimental group of mentally challenged babies in an institution to be cared for by caring adults?

The intelligence scores of the babies significantly increased when retested two and a half years later.

How would Robert Merton describe the intended beneficial consequences of Franklin D. Roosevelt s New Deal program that raised the standard of living for millions of Americans in the 1930s?

They would be classified as manifest functions.

What term describes people who share the same physical space but do not see themselves as belonging together?

aggregate

A collection of people who happen to be walking down the street at the same time but who have nothing else in common is known as

an aggregate

According to Émile Durkheim, a society that lacks clear-cut norms to govern aspirations and moral conduct is characterized by

anomie

What term describes a position in life that one does not choose, but is awarded at birth or is related to the life course?

ascribed status

Sandra is female, she is African American, and she is sixteen years of age. These three characteristics are examples of Sandra's

ascribed statuses

The process by which an individual learns how to live in his or her social surroundings is known as

socialization

The claim that the division of labor based on gender has survived because it is beneficial and efficient for human living is an example of

structural functionalist

Cooley called a person's self-conception based on the responses of others

the looking-glass self correct

According to George Herbert Mead, how does a child learn to take the role of others?

through a natural maturation process that shapes instinct

Socialization takes place

throughout the life cycle correct

Impression management is exhibited by a college student who

cleans the dorm room in preparation for Parent's Weekend

What term do sociologists use to describe a culture, in which their values and norms place it at odds with the dominant culture?

counterculture

When American servicemen occupied Japan following World War II, the Japanese watched the Americans playing baseball, appreciated the sport, and adopted it themselves. Today, baseball is one of the most popular sports in Japan. This adoption of baseball by the Japanese is an example of

cultural diffusion

Mark is a foreign exchange student living with a Chinese family. The first night he was with them his hosts served a delicious entree of meat and vegetables. Although tasty, Mark could not identify the meat. When his host told him it was roast dog Mark became upset and decided to become a vegetarian for the course of his stay. In view of this, which sociological concept did Mark just experience?

culture shock

Sociological studies of gender socialization show that

girls are less likely than boys to receive attention from teachers

Leo is a college graduate, cello teacher, and a member of Who s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. What are these accomplishments collectively called?

his achieved statuses

Joe is on trial for selling drugs. He looks very different from when he was arrested. He has washed, cut, and combed his hair, and is wearing a clean, conservative suit and tie at the trial. Joe is engaged in

impression management

A characteristic of a triad is that it

is prone to coalition formation

Which set of concepts best illustrates material culture?

jewelry, clothing, hairstyles

Macrosociology tends to focus on _________________ where as microsociology focuses on social interaction.

large scale features of social life correct

Street crime has _______mortality costs and ______financial costs than white-collar crime.

lower, lower

According to Émile Durkheim, the more homogeneous a group the greater its

mechanical solidarity

Which term is used to describe a group's way of thinking, gestures, language, values, and social norms?

nonmaterial culture

What are the expectations or rules of behavior that develop out of a group's values?

norms

Nathan wants to study the behavior of city residents as they travel on the subway to work every day. What type of research would be most appropriate for Nathan's research project?

Field research

Which theoretical perspective stresses that society is a whole unit, made up of interrelated parts that work together harmoniously?

Functional analysis

Which of the following concepts seeks a consensus of opinion, or group conformity, by taking a narrow view of an issue?

Groupthink

What is a general statement about how some parts of the world fit together and how they work?

A theory

Which of the following would most likely be an agent of involuntary resocialization?

A total institution

The term "sociology" was coined by its founder, the nineteenth-century positivist

Auguste Comte

Which social scientist first proposed applying the scientific method to the social world, a practice known as positivism?

Auguste Comte

Within the scientific perspective, which of the following are the most important sources of knowledge?

Empiricism and reason

Joanne is a member of a group that is developing a questionnaire as a group project in her sociology class. The leader of her group is always trying to gain consensus by explaining proposed actions and suggesting alternative approaches and giving facts as the basis for their evaluation of the members work. What leadership style is being exhibited in this case?

Expressive

Which of the following terms refers to a philosophical system under which knowledge of the world and human behavior is derived from scientific observation in search of universal laws?

Positivism

Samantha works in a place that is hierarchical in nature, has written rules, and has written communications and records. Based on these characteristics, what can we conclude about Samantha's workplace?

Samantha works in a bureaucracy

"This may sound really strange, but . . ." The statement above is an example of

a disclaimer

Maria woke up with a fever. She called in sick to work, took medicine, and spent the rest of the day in bed. Maria's actions are most representative of

a sick role

The philosopher Thomas Hobbes believed that social order developed out of the

desire to escape a state of continuous social conflict

An example of a folkway in American society is

eating a sandwich for lunch

Laura is conducting an experiment to determine the effect of caffeine on wakefulness. She gives half of her subjects a caffeinated beverage to drink. These subjects are the

experimental group

As children, boys usually receive trucks, sporting equipment, and action toys. Girls receive dolls and gifts that are more passive. Overall, what do sociologists call this sex-based criteria for the gifts children receive?

gender socialization