Sociology Chapter 1

A sociologist's responsibility is to question everything the everyday person would take for granted. True False

True

C. Wright Mills described a process by which biography (individual lives) and history (larger social forces) are related. He argued that this process works in two ways: individual lives influence society, while society also influences individuals. True False

True

According to Karl Marx, how could a belief in heaven as a reward for earthly suffering serve the interests of the ruling class? a. by keeping the lower classes from demanding better treatment in this life b. by distracting the lower classes with fantastic spectacles c. by using the church as a means to extract economic resources from the poor d. by keeping working classes busy with religious activities and with no time to organize

a. by keeping the lower classes from demanding better treatment in this life

Critical race theory is associated with which of the major theoretical perspectives or schools of thought in sociology? a. conflict theory b. symbolic interactionism c. structural functionalism d. functional theory

a. conflict theory

Many Marxist sociologists assume that large-scale economic structures are the most important factors in shaping people's lives. This assumption is an example of a. macrosociology. b. microsociology. c. rationalization. d. symbolic interactionism.

a. macrosociology.

Which of the following theories views society as a whole unit made up of interrelated parts that work together? a. structural functionalism b. postmodernism c. symbolic interactionism d. conflict theory

a. structural functionalism

Which of the following theories focuses on how our behaviors are dependent on the ways we interpret, make sense of, and define ourselves, others, and social situations? a. symbolic interactionism b. structural functionalism c. pragmatism d. conflict theory

a. symbolic interactionism

Even though we are not all trained academically as sociologists, we can all be considered "everyday actors" because a. we are all members of society and have background knowledge about how society works. b. sociologists are really just everyday observers of conventional wisdom. c. sociology is a part of human nature. d. our parents taught us to be sociologists even before they sent us to school.

a. we are all members of society and have background knowledge about how society works.

Why did C. Wright Mills think that it is important for everyone, even people who will never take a sociology class, to develop a sociological imagination? a. It will encourage growth in the field of microsociology. b. Many people are unaware of the connections between their own lives and the larger course of history. c. It will help create more jobs for sociologists. d. The sociological perspective is innately understood by nearly everyone, but we rarely acknowledge it.

b. Many people are unaware of the connections between their own lives and the larger course of history.

According to symbolic interactionism, what is the relationship between the self and society? a. Both the self and society are shaped by larger external forces. b. The self is shaped by society, but society is also shaped by the self. c. Both the self and society are created by the course of history. d. The development of a sense of self is guided by society.

b. The self is shaped by society, but society is also shaped by the self.

What is the link between feminist theory and conflict theory? a. They both see gender as the most important aspect of social identity. b. They both seek to not only understand inequality but also to remedy it. c. They both see the economy as central to the functioning of society. d. They both were developed at about the same time.

b. They both seek to not only understand inequality but also to remedy it.

Structural functionalist theory is concerned with the ways in which structures contribute to the stability of society. What is a structure? a. any aspect of society that generates conflict or change b. a social institution that is stable over time and helps meet the needs of society c. an informal agreement between people over a wide geographical area d. a class hierarchy

b. a social institution that is stable over time and helps meet the needs of society

A reality television show called Wife Swap exchanged the mothers from two very different families and filmed the result as the participants are exposed to radically different ways of life. Although the television network was simply trying to be entertaining, the show also demonstrates the sociological principle of a. the sociological imagination. b. culture shock. c. globalization. d. quantitative methods.

b. culture shock.

A dishonest judge must pretend to be an honest judge, but even an honest judge must play the role of "honest judge" for an audience in order to interact and work with others effectively. This performance is an example of what theoretical perspective? a. ethnomethodology b. dramaturgy c. conflict theory d. structural functionalism

b. dramaturgy

Which of the following is a latent function of the educational system in the United States? a. teaching reading and writing b. keeping children out of trouble while parents are at work c. preparing a modern workforce to use technology d. teaching new immigrants about American values and history

b. keeping children out of trouble while parents are at work

What is the sociological imagination? a. a characteristic of society that ensures people remain ignorant of the connections between their lives and social change b. the ability to understand the connections between biography and history or the self and the world c. the sociological approach that assumes individual decisions and interactions are independent of larger social institutions d. a particular way of understanding the criminal mind such as that of a serial killer

b. the ability to understand the connections between biography and history or the self and the world

Who coined the phrase "the survival of the fittest"? a. Charles Darwin b. Karl Marx c. Herbert Spencer d. Émile Durkheim

c. Herbert Spencer

Why would culture shock be a useful state of mind for a sociologist? a. It makes us unable to function even in simple, everyday ways. b. It shows us that people in foreign cultures have a way of life that seems strange to us. c. It makes us realize we lack an understanding of our surroundings so we can perceive what is right in front of us. d. It requires us to travel, which helps us grow as human beings.

c. It makes us realize we lack an understanding of our surroundings so we can perceive what is right in front of us.

Many everyday cultural practices such as greeting a friend, giving someone flowers, or using the thumbs-up sign seem like natural ways of acting. Why does having an awareness of how these practices vary across cultures demonstrate a healthy sociological imagination? a. It helps us economically when we do business in different countries. b. It shows us that cultures are not as different as we sometimes think they are. c. It reminds us that everyday interactions are connected to larger societies and norms. d. It lets us understand how immigrants perceive America when they move here.

c. It reminds us that everyday interactions are connected to larger societies and norms.

Jane Addams was an early advocate of applied sociology. This means that she did not just do research but that she also a. reported illegal activities to the proper authorities. b. examined the historical origins of the phenomena she researched. c. addressed social problems through hands-on activity in the communities she researched. d. compared the communities she studied to communities from other cultures.

c. addressed social problems through hands-on activity in the communities she researched.

According to C. Wright Mills, what one quality of mind do all great sociologists possess? a. open-mindedness b. attention to detail c. sociological imagination d. praxis

c. sociological imagination

The divorce rate has steadily increased over time and now more than a quarter of all marriages end within the first four years. What sort of factors would C. Wright Mills suggest investigating to explain this increase? a. religious b. personal c. structural d. psychological

c. structural

What was probably Harriet Martineau's MOST important contribution to the development of sociology as a discipline? a. her work on an early theory of symbolic interactionism b. her struggle for women's rights c. her theory of alienation d. her translation of the work of Auguste Comte into English

d. her translation of the work of Auguste Comte into English

According to Karl Marx, the most important factor in social life is a person's a. religious beliefs. b. race or ethnicity. c. level of education. d. relationship to the means of production.

d. relationship to the means of production.

What school of social theory believes that society is a stable system of structures, which contribute to the equilibrium of the whole? a. conflict theory b. symbolic interactionism c. dramaturgy d. structural functionalism

d. structural functionalism