Sociology Chapter 6
79. The overall purpose of the bureaucratic organization is a. to maximize efficiency. b. promote democracy. c. alleviate suffering for the workers. d. be open to social change.
a
80. The informal structure of a bureaucracy a. follows the same rules and regulations as the formal structure. b. develops among those at the top of the organizational structure. c. increases the feelings of solidarity among all workers. d. uses alternate channels to get some things done faster.
a
85. Which of these is not considered a problem within bureaucracies? a. the informal structure b. risky shift c. groupthink d. ritualism
a
88. Alienation refers to the . a. psychological separation of a person from an organization b. rigid adherence to rules and regulations c. shift away from intimate relationships with others d. physical movement away from a negative interaction
a
9. The sociologist who introduced the concept of primary groups is . a. Charles Horton Cooley b. George Herbert Mead c. Georg Simmel d. Charles Page
a
10. Which of the following is an example of a primary group? a. classmates b. neighbors c. family d. teachers
c
101. The theory of organization that sees participation in an organization as a means of self-actualization is a type of . a. functionalist theory b. conflict theory c. symbolic interaction theory d. social exchange theory
c
104. The focus on how the individual looses their sense of self and is overwhelmed by bureaucracy reflects which perspective? a. functionalist theory b. conflict theory c. symbolic interaction theory d. feminist theory
c
11. Cooley originally used the term primary for some groups because a. they are the only groups that matter to individuals. b. they are the occupational groups without which we would not make a living. c. they are the first groups we are part of as children. d. they are the easiest groups for sociologists to recognize.
c
15. Secondary groups are most likely to take on characteristics of primary groups a. in situations where there is a clear authority and purpose to the group. b. when family members are living at a distance. c. in times of high stress or crisis such as natural disasters. d. when they are extremely small.
c
1. Why is it important for sociologists to have a shared definition of groups? a. Having a definition enables sociologists to understand the behavior of people in society and how to predict people's behavior in groups. b. If all sociologists cannot agree on a definition of groups, then groups cannot exist. c. Groups are a very simple aspect of sociology; the definition makes them seem more academic d. A shared definition allows sociologists from around the world to collaborate.
a
100. "Hierarchy can result in dysfunction." This is a criticism of: a. functionalist theory b. conflict theory c. symbolic interaction theory d. social exchange theory
a
13. Which of these statements about primary groups is true? a. Primary groups have a powerful influence on a person's selfidentity. b. Primary groups are not as influential for the individual as secondary groups. c. The concept of the primary group refers only to groups in one's childhood. d. Your sociology class is an example of a primary group.
a
14. are small and intimate; are larger and short-lived. a. Primary groups; secondary groups b. Secondary groups; primary groups. c. Triads; dyads d. Categories; secondary groups
a
77. Which of the following is not characteristic of Weber's "ideal type" bureaucracy? a. cooperative structures for accomplishing tasks b. impersonal relationships c. formal rules and regulations d. high levels of efficiency
a
16. In their study of groups of different sizes, sociologists have found that a. primary groups are a major influence and an important source of social control. b. primary groups often take on the characteristics of secondary groups. c. primary groups are less important today as our society has become more secondary group-oriented. d. secondary groups tend to be most significant in the emotional lives of people.
a
17. Sociologists have found that primary groups a. fulfill a person's expressive needs. b. generally only meet a person's instrumental needs. c. tend to be larger than secondary groups. d. are less significant than secondary groups
a
18. If Bobby joins a gang, he is joining a . a. primary group b. secondary group c. dyad d. triad
a
19. Which of the following statements is true about the differences between primary and secondary groups? a. Secondary groups are less intimate than primary groups. b. Primary groups are larger in membership than secondary groups. c. Primary groups are less long-lasting than secondary groups. d. Secondary groups include only family members.
a
20. Primary groups provide for an individual's needs; secondary groups provide for an individual's needs. a. expressive; instrumental b. instrumental; psychological c. instrumental; expressive d. socioemotional; expressive
a
24. Which of the following is true of reference groups? a. Reference groups are not "groups" in the sense that they involve interaction. b. A well-adjusted person only has one reference group at a time. c. The influence of a given reference group can be positive or negative, but not both. d. Reference groups only influence our behavior during childhood.
a
26. Which of these statements about reference groups is false? a. reference groups always provide good role models b. one does not belong to a reference group c. the influence of a reference group may be positive or negative d. Identification with a social group can strongly influence self-esteem.
a
38. Which of the following is false about the formation of social networks? a. Networks are must often formed in very conscious and formal ways. b. The formation of networks can be very spontaneous. c. Social networks may form at home, work, church, or many other places. d. Family networks can lead to jobs and upward mobility.
a
39. According to research, which of the following is most likely to lead to getting a job? a. using a personal network b. applying through a job listing online c. answering a help wanted ad d. using a placement agencies
a
41. When women are meticulous and aggressive they often are seen as . a. pushy and bitchy b. as powerful as men c. good leaders d. thorough
a
47. The idea of strength in weak ties refers to: a. knowing one person in a network b. knowing many people in a network c. people with different backgrounds d. networks connected together
a
50. In his classic study of perception and group pressure, Asch found that a. even rather gentle pressure was sufficient to cause an astonishing rise in the number of wrong answers. b. most people would not bend to the opinions of others without a great deal of anger and argument. c. the majority of people make up their minds for themselves and stick to those opinions. d. there is no real pressure to conform in most situations.
a
54. The implications of Milgram's experiments on obedience to authority are that a. it may be possible for any ordinary person to commit atrocities under the right conditions. b. getting most people to follow orders requires a great deal of coercion. c. only some personality types are capable of committing atrocities against other human beings. d. we cannot hold people accountable for their actions.
a
57. What was the outcome of the classic prison simulation done by Zimbardo and his associates? a. Without being told to do so, students playing the role of guards behaved sadistically toward the students in the role of prisoners. b. When upper-class students were put in the role of prisoner, they were not abused as much as the working-class students in the same role. c. The students acting in the roles of both prisoners and the prisoners did not take the experiment seriously and so it was discontinued early. d. The findings were not significant in terms of how people adapt to roles of authority.
a
61. As , trends in risk-taking are amplified. a. groups become larger. b. groups become smaller. c. groups become less stable. d. groups become more intimate.
a
62. From a sociological standpoint, the most convincing explanation for the occurrence of risky shifts is . a. deindividuation b. anomie c. panic d. social disorganization
a
64. Sociological analysis of the process of deindividuation finds that a. a person in this situation thinks any blame that results will be shared by the entire group. b. the size of the group has no impact on the tendency for deindividuation. c. the larger the group the better chance there is of people talking each other out of risky behavior. d. mixed-sex groups are more likely to take risks than single-sex groups.
a
65. Formal organizations a. are secondary groups that are organized to accomplish complex tasks efficiently. b. may be very small or very large. c. are not relevant to most people's lives. d. are generally organized around kinship or friendship.
a
67. The study of formal organizations represents an example of . a. macroanalysis b. microanalysis c. content analysis d. survey analysis.
a
69. The primary reason that people join normative organizations is a. to pursue goals they believe are worthwhile. b. to increase their financial status. c. because of coercive pressure. d. to increase the size of their social networks.
a
7. Triadic segregation refers to: a. the tendency for triads to develop into a pair and an isolate. b. the likelihood of dyads to be stable. c. the emergence of coalitions. d. the predisposition for primary groups to be small.
a
72. Total institutions were described by Goffman as a. coercive organizations. b. well-integrated throughout society. c. having very differentiated populations. d. responsive to the needs of the individual.
a
95. Studies of people being discharge from employment, or fired, have found that a. Black federal employees are twice as likely to be fired as their White counterparts. b. when Whites and Blacks have the same education and hold upper-level federal positions, they are equally likely to be fired. c. racial patterns in being discharged from employment may be attributed to lack of seniority for Black workers. d. White employees were more likely to be fired, but only when they worked less than 40 hours per week.
a
99. The central focus of is: positive functions contribute to unity and stability of the organization. a. functionalist theory b. conflict theory c. symbolic interaction theory d. social exchange theory
a
102. The fact that women and minorities, as well as members of lower social classes, are not treated equally within bureaucracies is focus of . a. functionalism b. conflict theory c. symbolic interaction theory d. social exchange theory
b
103. Which perspective is most likely to focus on the fact that individuals experience stress and alienation as a result of being subordinated within a formal organization? a. functionalist theory b. conflict theory c. symbolic interaction theory d. feminist theory
b
12. Cooley's concept of primary groups a. refers only to the intimate groups of one's formative years. b. has been elaborated to include a variety of intimate relationships in groups. c. no longer has relevance within sociology. d. has been replaced with the concept of secondary groups.
b
2. If a sociologist is studying groups he or she is using . a. micro level analysis b. macro level analysis c. universal level analysis d. individual level analysis
b
25. Research on race and reference groups indicates that a. school desegregation is most important in raising the self-esteem of Black children. b. positive representations of ethnic and racial groups raises the self-esteem of children of those groups. c. reference groups have little or no affect on self-esteem. d. how groups are presented has no impact on their effectiveness as reference groups for children.
b
3. By definition, groups must be at least people. a. 1 b. 2 c. 5 d. 7
b
30. According to attribution theory, when an outgroup member's behavior is unclear a. it will be interpreted in a neutral way by in-group members. b. it will be interpreted in a negative manner by in-group members. c. it will be interpreted as positive by in-group members. d. in-group members will not pay attention to it.
b
32. Attribution error refers to a situation in which one a. fails to see that group membership is the cause of a person's behavior. b. falsely attributes a person's behavior to membership in a particular group. c. blames something on one person that is really the fault of another person. d. completely misunderstands the action in a particular situation.
b
33. When a student joins an organization it will provide which of the following? a. primary needs b. instrumental needs c. secondary needs d. basic needs
b
37. The sociological term for a set of links between individuals or between other social groups is . a. consortium b. social network c. organizational complex d. interactive web
b
43. Which of these statements about occupations and networks is false? a. Compared with Whites, Latinos and Black are more likely to be harmed by a lack of social contacts b. The "old boy network" has virtually disappeared. c. The person who leads you to a job is likely to have a background similar to yours d. Black leaders have formed a network closer than that of White leaders.
b
45. Which of the following is a criticism of Travers and Milgram's research? a. They had a small sample size. b. Only one-third of the documents ever reached the targets. c. They did not include any Black or Hispanic senders or targets. d. The senders were highly incentivized for their work.
b
5. Which of the following is an example of a dyad? a. your parents and you b. a married couple c. your sociology class d. all 18-year-olds
b
51. The results of Solomon Asch's classic study of conformity were that a. test subjects required a great deal of harassment before they would succumb to group pressure and give an incorrect answer. b. individuals are likely to conform to group pressure, even if the group is objectively incorrect. c. the size of the group of confederates do not make any difference in the likelihood of the subject to give an incorrect response. d. male subjects were more likely to conform than female subjects.
b
55. Applying Milgram's research on conformity to the torture of prisoners by American soldiers that took place at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq demonstrates that a. the torture of prisoners by American soldiers must have been the act of a few cruel and deranged people. b. the reasons that prisoners were tortured by soldiers lay within the social structure and the group pressure of the situation. c. the American soldiers are in no way responsible for their actions. d. only new recruits with little experience would conform to authority if told to intentionally harm another person.
b
56. Applied to a situation like the torture of Iraqi prisoners in American prison Abu Ghraib, Milgram's and Asch's findings would indicate that a. there was a serious breakdown in respect for authority that caused soldiers to violate the international standards for treatment of prisoners. b. the cause of the American soldiers' inhumane treatment of prisoners is partly the structure of the situation and group pressure. c. American soldiers would only commit torture if following a direct order with fear of punishment for not carrying it out. d. soldiers are more sadistic than the average college student or American citizen.
b
58. According to Janis, which of the following decisions was the result of groupthink? a. Bush's decision to engage in the first Gulf War. b. Kennedy's decision to launch the "Bay of Pigs" invasion in Cuba c. Johnson's decision in 1967 to start the War on Poverty. d. Obama's decision to reform health care.
b
6. In a triad, when two of the people are interacting and form a dyad, the sociological term for the third person is . a. an outcast b. an isolate c. a third party d. a co-participant
b
66. Which of the following is not characteristic of formal organizations? a. They develop their own cultures and routine practices. b. They are independent of any other organization. c. They change over time, but also tend to remain in existence. d. They may be tools for creating social change.
b
68. AARP and the NAACP are examples of organizations. a. affiliative b. normative c. coercive d. utilitarian
b
73. Large organizations that individuals join for specific purposes are referred to as organizations. a. normative b. utilitarian c. coercive d. voluntary
b
78. According to Weber, bureaucracies are organized in such a way as to a. create totalitarian government of organizations. b. ensure that all workers are treated the same. c. create an organization that is easy to change. d. promote democracy within the work place.
b
8. In his study of the effect of size on group dynamics, Simmel found that a. a dyad is basically an unstable social grouping. b. a triad is an unstable social grouping, whereas dyads are relatively stable. c. adding a third person to a dyad has no effect on the stability of the group. d. the size of the group has no effect on interaction
b
86. Despite being warned of danger, NASA scientists proceeded with the launch of the space shuttle Challenger that exploded during launch. Sociological analysis of this situation finds it was caused by a. a lack of communication. b. a combination of risky shift and organizational ritualism. c. organizational alienation. d. groupthink.
b
97. What are the effects of social class and race on people's roles within an organization? a. Race and social class do not have any consistent effect on people's roles within an organization. b. People of upper and middle class backgrounds are more likely to be promoted than someone with a lower-class background, even if they are of the same race. c. When members of minority groups have the same level of education as their White peers, there is no difference in the rates of promotion. d. When people with a lower social class background have the same level of education as their peers they are just as likely to be promoted.
b
21. According to the research presented in the text, in a study of the role of small voluntary groups in society Robert Wuthnow and his associates found that a. voluntary groups are not able to fill the void left by the breakdown of community and family. b. voluntary interest groups have lost their importance within U.S. society c. people seek small voluntary groups for a sense of community and a spiritual connection. d. voluntary group membership has been declining in the U.S.
c
22. Sociologists use the term instrumental needs to refer to the of a person. a. emotional and intimate needs b. socio-biological needs c. task-oriented needs d. formative needs
c
23. Which of the following situations is most likely to result in a secondary group becoming a primary group? a. standing in line at an amusement park waiting to get on a popular ride b. picking over items at a large rummage sale c. a neighborhood digging out after a blizzard has hit d. sharing an admiration for a rock star
c
27. promote a sense of "us;" promote a sense of "them." a. Dyads; triads b. Primary groups; secondary groups c. In-groups; out-groups d. Reference groups; attribution groups
c
31. Thomas Pettigrew's summary of research on attribution theory found that a. individuals are accurate in their perception of the motives of other people's acts, regardless of their in group or out-group membership. b. attribution error is much less common than people think. c. individuals commonly distort the motives and acts of people whom they see as out-group members. d. when provided with information about out-groups that disproves negative perceptions of them, people quickly alter their perceptions.
c
34. If a students uses musicians as a model for behavior then musicians are their . a. primary group b. secondary group c. reference group d. attribute
c
36. A person reads in the newspaper that a Black youth has been shot by a White police officer. If no other information is available, attribution theory suggests that a. a White person will view the shooting as an unnecessary act of violence. b. both Black and White people will assume that youth gang activity was a problem. c. a Black person will likely believe the shooting was unnecessary, while a White person will assume the officer acted appropriately. d. neither a Black nor a White person will make any assumptions about the situation until they have learned more information.
c
40. The statement that there is "strength in weak ties" refers to the fact that a. members of a secondary group can still be emotionally supportive. b. even a dysfunctional family may be useful at times. c. one doesn't have to know a lot of people in a network in order for it to be useful. d. sometimes the friend you are the least close to is the most helpful.
c
48. A recent study by Taylor and associates, of networks among Black leaders within the U.S., found that Black leaders a. do not depend on networks as much as Whites. b. feel isolated and do not know others who share their situation and background. c. form closer networks with greater density than do Whites. d. do not attach any importance to networks, preferring to work only through friends.
c
49. According to social psychologist Philip Zimbardo, how do most people respond to hearing about the overly conforming behavior of others in groups? a. They empathize because they know they would behave the same way. b. They understand that for most people conformity is the norm. c. They believe that they themselves would not succumb to group pressure. d. They think that the conformity is the result of group members being tricked in some way.
c
52. In the now famous Milgram Obedience Studies, the results demonstrated that a. people will not conform when they believe their behavior will harm another person. b. women are less likely to engage in behavior that is potentially harmful for others than men are. c. there is a significant difference between what people believe they will do and how they actually behave. d. people only conform up to a certain point, but will not violate moral or ethical standards.
c
53. When asked to administer potentially harmful shocks to other people in a research setting, most people will a. only administer very weak shocks; they refuse to give stronger shocks. b. refuse to administer any type of shocks; they will quit the research project. c. give whatever strength of electric shock they are asked to, regardless of the risk to another person. d. call the authorities and report the person telling them to shock another person.
c
59. Which of the following is not a characteristic common to most cases of groupthink? a. an illusion of unanimity b. treating dissent as disloyalty c. an understanding of one's weaknesses d. underestimating the antagonists to one's plans
c
60. Sociological research on group decision making finds that a. groupthink is inevitable any time a team comes together to make a decision. b. people in positions of power are not affected by groupthink in the same way that those below them are. c. if members of a group feel invulnerable this increases the potential for groupthink to occur. d. younger people are more affected by groupthink than older people.
c
63. Deindividuation refers to a. the inability of a person to think for themselves. b. the willingness of a person to take the blame for the entire group. c. the sense of merging with the group so that blame will be shared, not directed toward any individual. d. a sense of normlessness.
c
70. Voluntary organizations a. lack organization because they are informal and social. b. are always political. c. have been organized to address a wide variety of issues. d. are equally accessed by people from diverse backgrounds.
c
71. Which of the following is not an example of a coercive organization? a. prison b. mental hospital c. church d. juvenile detention center
c
75. Sociologists have found that a. all utilitarian organizations are for-profit. b. all formal organizations are bureaucracies. c. all total institutions are coercive organizations. d. all normative organizations are charitable organizations.
c
76. Weber analyzed the class characteristics of bureaucracy, which he referred to as the bureaucracy. a. primary b. principle c. ideal type d. model
c
81. Sociologists have found that the informal structure of an organization a. includes all members at the lower levels of the organization. b. may increase productivity, but doesn't seem to decrease productivity. c. develops largely among those most taken for granted in an organization. d. is stronger at the top than at the bottom of the organization.
c
82. Which of the following statements about bureaucracy is false? a. Subcultures develop even in the largest bureaucracies. b. Secretaries and other assistants often have more power than their job description or salary indicates. c. The informal culture of bureaucracy works to make all employees feel more connected and included. d. Informal norms within a bureaucracy may increase or decrease worker productivity.
c
84. Organization ritualism refers to a. the norms and practices that an organization uses to socialize new members. b. the fact that formal organizations have written rules. c. the way that rules in an organization are followed even if they do not serve the purpose they were originally meant to. d. the way in which the informal structure of a formal organization is able to subvert the organizations goals.
c
87. The tragic cases of the Challenger and the Colombia are used to illustrate the point that a. people need to be more responsible in their jobs. b. the informal network does not always have a positive effect. c. rigid conformity within an organization can be very dangerous. d. failure to follow the chain of command may end in tragedy.
c
90. The concept of "McDonaldization" refers to a. the increasing number of franchises among U.S. businesses. b. Americans' desire for fast food is resulting in a tendency toward obesity. c. the way that the principles of fast food restaurants are dominating other aspects of life. d. the frequent turnover in employees that occurs due to alienation.
c
91. Regardless of the city one is in, a hamburger purchased at McDonalds is always very much the same. This is due to what Ritzer called . a. efficiency b. calculability c. predictability d. control
c
92. Which of the following would not be a slogan for Ritzer's McDonaldization? a. "the same way, everyday" b. "count on it" c. "have it your way" d. "over and over again"
c
96. Rosabeth Moss Kanter's classic study of organizational structure indicated that a. there is no indication that the hierarchical structure of the bureaucracy negatively impacts on minorities or women. b. while race and gender play a major role determining people's place within the organization, social class does not. c. the stressful effects of tokenism on women and minorities can have very negative consequences. d. in modern organizations, token minorities and/or women hires no longer exist; persons are hired and fired strictly on their own merit.
c
98. According to Weber bureaucracies have positive functions that contribute to their overall unity. Weber termed these . a. positive functions b. manifest functions c. eufunctions d. non-dysfunctions
c
28. Considering oneself as part of "people like us" is an example of being part of . a. an out-group b. an instrumental group c. a reference group d. an in-group
d
29. An out-group is all of these except: a. created by the existence of an in-group. b. the opposite of an in-group. c. is an attribute of society d. is always a secondary group.
d
35. Which of the following does not illustrate a common type of attribution error? a. a girl who does well in science is perceived as being unusually smart b. a white person observes a white student taking a wallet out of someone's purse and assumes the student was asked to do so by the owner c. a Hispanic student is carrying a baseball bat and it is assumed he intends to vandalize something d. All of these are illustrations of attribution error.
d
4. Georg Simmel is known for his work with: a. social networks. b. social institutions. c. groupthink. d. group size effects.
d
42. Networks based on are especially important in job networks. a. age b. skill set c. experience and union membership d. race, class, and gender
d
44. Sometimes people will comment that it is a "small world" when they coincidentally meet the friend of a friend. Research into the "small world problem" demonstrates that a. networks do not reach as far as was believed in the past. b. employment agencies are more effective than networks at directing people toward jobs. c. social networking is a thing of the past; it is now out-of-date. d. networks make the world seem a lot smaller than many might think.
d
46. The reality of the expression "it's a small world" is that a. there is no interconnection throughout the world. b. people are interconnected in close social networks regardless of their sex, race, and social class. c. the world is a small place for most people in it. d. the world is only a small place for those in one's immediate network (those who share the same race, class, and sex).
d
74. Individuals often join organizations for monetary reasons. a. coercive b. volunteer c. normative d. utilitarian
d
83. Studies done in the 1930s at the Hawthorne, Illinois, Western Electric telephone plant found all of the following, except a. workers developed their own norms for how much work should be accomplished each day. b. workers may be punished by their fellow workers for being too productive. c. informal structures within an organization may increase or decrease productivity. d. women were more likely to be "rate busters" than men.
d
89. Alienation is least common in organizations in which a. workers have little control over what they do. b. the same repetitive task is done over the entire shift. c. employees feel they have little chance of advancement. d. leaders use democratic methods in decision making.
d
93. Overall, the primary organizational principle that motivates McDonaldization is . a. an emphasis on efficiency b. calculability c. predictability d. control
d
94. Which of the following is false in regard to patterns of discrimination within organizations? a. The most powerful positions in any organization are typically held by White men of upper class status. b. Discrimination persists even when formal barriers have been removed. c. Minority employees increasingly have the same amounts of education as White employees. d. In situations where minority employees have the same amount of education as Whites, promotions are given out equally.
d