Sociology Exam 1

A nation's flag is: a. A symbol b. A value c. A culture d. A folkway

a

A sociologist defines society as a group of people who reside in a defined area, share a culture, and who: a.interact b. work in the same industry c. speak different languages d. practice a recognized religion

a

According to Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann, society is based on ________. a. habitual actions b. status c. institutionalization d. role performance

a

An example of high culture is ___________, whereas an example of popular culture would be ____________. a. Dostoevsky style in film; "American Idol" winners b. medical marijuana; film noir c. country music; pop music d. political theory; sociological theory

a

How did nearly complete isolation as a child affect Danielle's verbal abilities? a. She could not communicate at all. b. She never learned words, but she did learn signs. c. She could not understand much, but she could use gestures. d. She could understand and use basic language like "yes" and "no."

a

Mary works full-time at an office downtown while her young children stay at a neighbor's house. She's just learned that the childcare provider is leaving the country. Mary has succumbed to pressure to volunteer at her church, plus her ailing mother-in-law will be moving in with her next month. Which of the following is likely to occur as Mary tries to balance her existing and new responsibilities? a. Role strain b. Self-fulfilling prophecy c. Status conflict d. Status strain

a

Rodney and Elise are American students studying abroad in Italy. When they are introduced to their host families, the families kiss them on both cheeks. When Rodney's host brother introduces himself and kisses Rodney on both cheeks, Rodney pulls back in surprise. Where he is from, unless they are romantically involved, men do not kiss one another. This is an example of: a. culture shock b. imperialism c. ethnocentrism d. xenocentrism

a

The Ku Klux Klan is an example of what part of culture? a. Counterculture b. Subculture c. Multiculturalism d. Afrocentricity

a

The Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011 grew to be an international movement. Supporters believe that the economic disparity between the highest economic class and the mid to lower economic classes is growing at an exponentially alarming rate. A sociologist who studies that movement by examining the interactions between members at Occupy camps would most likely use what theoretical approach? a. Symbolic interactionism b. Functionalism c. Conflict theory d. Ethnocentrism

a

The biggest difference between mores and folkways is that a. mores are primarily linked to morality, whereas folkways are primarily linked to being commonplace within a culture b. mores are absolute, whereas folkways are temporary c. mores refer to material culture, whereas folkways refer to nonmaterial culture d. mores refer to nonmaterial culture, whereas folkways refer to material culture

a

The concept of the iron cage was popularized by which of the following sociological thinkers? a. Max Weber b. Karl Marx c. Émile Durkheim d. Friedrich Engels

a

Which of the following best depicts Marx's concept of alienation from the process of one's labor? a. A supermarket cashier always scans store coupons before company coupons because she was taught to do it that way. b. A businessman feels that he deserves a raise, but is nervous to ask his manager for one; instead, he comforts himself with the idea that hard work is its own reward. c. An associate professor is afraid that she won't be given tenure and starts spreading rumors about one of her associates to make herself look better. d. A construction worker is laid off and takes a job at a fast food restaurant temporarily, although he has never had an interest in preparing food before.

a

Which of the following is not an age-related transition point when Americans must be socialized to new roles? a. Infancy b. School age c. Adulthood d. Senior citizen

a

Which of the following occupations is a person of power most likely to have in an information society? a. Software engineer b. Coal miner c. Children's book author d. Sharecropper

a

Which would a quantitative sociologists use to gather data? a. A large survey b. A literature search c. An in-depth interview d. A review of television programs

a

Who coined the phrase symbolic interactionism? a. Herbert Blumer b. Max Weber c. Lester F. Ward d. W.I. Thomas

a

Why are wealthy parents more likely than poor parents to socialize their children toward creativity and problem solving? a. Wealthy parents are socializing their children toward the skills of white-collar employment. b. Wealthy parents are not concerned about their children rebelling against their rules. c. Wealthy parents never engage in repetitive tasks. d. Wealthy parents are more concerned with money than with a good education.

a

Your 83-year-old grandmother has been using a computer for some time now. As a way to keep in touch, you frequently send e-mails of a few lines to let her know about your day. She calls after every e-mail to respond point by point, but she has never e-mailed a response back. This can be viewed as an example of: a. cultural lag b. innovation c. ethnocentricity d. xenophobia

a

Émile Durkheim's ideas about society can best be described as ________. a. functionalist b. conflict theorist c. symbolic interactionist d. rationalist

a

the view that social researchers should strive for subjectivity as they worked to represent social processes, cultural norms, and societal values

antipositivism

C. Wright Mills once said that sociologists need to develop a sociological __________ to study how society affects individuals. a. culture b. imagination c. method d. tool

b

Kenneth and Mamie Clark used sociological research to show that segregation was: a. beneficial b. harmful c. illegal d. of no importance

b

Organic solidarity is most likely to exist in which of the following types of societies? a. Hunter-gatherer b. Industrial c. Agricultural d. Feudal

b

Paco knows that women find him attractive, and he's never found it hard to get a date. But as he ages, he dyes his hair to hide the gray and wears clothes that camouflage the weight he has put on. Paco's behavior can be best explained by the concept of ___________. a. role strain b. the looking-glass self c. role performance d. habitualization

b

Socialization, as a sociological term, describes: a. how people interact during social situations b. how people learn societal norms, beliefs, and values c. a person's internal mental state when in a group setting d. the difference between introverts and extroverts

b

That McDonald's is found in almost every country around the world is an example of: a. globalization b. diffusion c. culture lag d. xenocentrism

b

The major difference between invention and discovery is: a. Invention is based on technology, whereas discovery is usually based on culture b. Discovery involves finding something that already exists, but invention puts things together in a new way c. Invention refers to material culture, whereas discovery can be material or theoretic, like laws of physics d. Invention is typically used to refer to international objects, whereas discovery refers to that which is local to one's culture

b

The notion that people cannot feel or experience something that they do not have a word for can be explained by: a. linguistics b. Sapir-Whorf c. Ethnographic imagery d. bilingualism

b

The terms _________________ and ______________ are often used interchangeably, but have nuances that differentiate them. a. imperialism and relativism b. culture and society c. society and ethnocentrism d. ethnocentrism and xenocentrism

b

Weber believed humans could not be studied purely objectively because they were influenced by: a. drugs b. their culture c. their genetic makeup d. the researcher

b

What theoretical perspective views society as having a system of interdependent inherently connected parts? a. Sociobiology b. Functionalism c. Conflict theory d. Ethnocentrism

b

Which founder of sociology believed societies changed due to class struggle? a. Emile Comte b. Karl Marx c. Plato d. Herbert Spencer

b

Which of the following is a manifest function of schools? a. Understanding when to speak up and when to be silent b. Learning to read and write c. Following a schedule d. Knowing locker room etiquette

b

Which of the following is typically the earliest agent of socialization? a. School b. Family c. Mass media d. Workplace

b

Which of the following was a topic of study in early sociology? a. Astrology b. Economics c. Physics d. History

b

Which research technique would most likely be used by a symbolic interactionist? a. Surveys b. Participant observation c. Quantitative data analysis d. None of the above

b

Who believed that the history of society was one of class struggle? a. Emile Durkheim b. Karl Marx c. Erving Goffmann d. George Herbert Mead

b

tenets or convictions that people hold to be true

beliefs

A sociologist conducts research into the ways that Hispanic American students are historically underprivileged in the American education system. What theoretical approach is the sociologist using? a. Symbolic interactionism b. Functionalism c. Conflict theory d. Ethnocentrism

c

According to Marx, the _____ own the means of production in a society. a. proletariat b. vassals c. bourgeoisie d. anomie

c

Berger describes sociologists as concerned with: a. monumental moments in people's lives b. common everyday life events c. both a and b d. none of the above

c

Chris Langan's story illustrates that: a. children raised in one-parent households tend to have higher IQs. b. intelligence is more important than socialization. c. socialization can be more important than intelligence. d. neither socialization nor intelligence affects college admissions.

c

Cultural sanctions can also be viewed as ways that society: a. Establishes leaders b. Determines language c. Regulates behavior d. Determines laws

c

From a sociological perspective, which factor does not greatly influence a person's socialization? a. Gender b. Class c. Blood type d. Race

c

Modern-day hipsters are an example of: a. ethnocentricity b. counterculture c. subculture d. high culture

c

Seeing patterns means that a sociologist needs to be able to: a. compare the behavior of individuals from different societies b. compare one society to another c. identify similarities in how social groups respond to social pressure d. compare individuals to groups

c

The "American Dream"—the notion that anybody can be successful and rich if they work hard enough—is most commonly associated with which sociological theory? a. Sociobiology b. Functionalism c. Conflict theory d. Ethnocentrism

c

The belief that one's culture is inferior to another culture is called: a. ethnocentrism b. nationalism c. xenocentrism d. imperialism

c

The difference between positivism and antipositivism relates to: a. whether individuals like or dislike their society b. whether research methods use statistical data or person-to-person research c. whether sociological studies can predict or improve society d. all of the above

c

The existence of social norms, both formal and informal, is one of the main things that inform ___________, otherwise known as a way to encourage social conformity. a. values b. sanctions c. social control d. mores

c

What did Carol Gilligan believe earlier researchers into morality had overlooked? a. The justice perspective b. Sympathetic reactions to moral situations c. The perspective of females d. How social environment affects how morality develops

c

What occurs in Lawrence Kohlberg's conventional level? a. Children develop the ability to have abstract thoughts. b. Morality is developed by pain and pleasure. c. Children begin to consider what society considers moral and immoral. d. Parental beliefs have no influence on children's morality.

c

Which of the following best describes sociology as a subject? a. The study of individual behavior b. The study of cultures c. The study of society and social interaction d. The study of economics

c

Which of the following fictional societies is an example of a pastoral society? a. The Deswan people, who live in small tribes and base their economy on the production and trade of textiles b. The Rositian Clan, a small community of farmers who have lived on their family's land for centuries c. The Hunti, a wandering group of nomads who specialize in breeding and training horses d. The Amaganda, an extended family of warriors who serve a single noble family

c

Which of the following is true regarding American socialization of recent high school graduates? a. They are expected to take a year "off" before college. b. They are required to serve in the military for one year. c. They are expected to enter college, trade school, or the workforce shortly after graduation. d. They are required to move away from their parents.

c

Which of the following societies were the first to have permanent residents? a. Industrial b. Hunter-gatherer c. Horticultural d. Feudal

c

Which one of the following is not a way people are socialized by religion? a. People learn the material culture of their religion. b. Life stages and roles are connected to religious celebration. c. An individual's personal internal experience of a divine being leads to their faith. d. Places of worship provide a space for shared group experiences.

c

a theory that looks at society as a competition for limited resources

conflict theory

groups that reject and oppose society's widely accepted cultural patterns

countercultures

the deliberate imposition of one's own cultural values on another culture

cultural imperialism

the practice of assessing a culture by its own standards, and not in comparison to another culture

cultural relativism

patterns or traits that are globally common to all societies

cultural universals

shared beliefs, values, and practices

culture

the gap of time between the introduction of material culture and nonmaterial culture's acceptance of it

culture lag

an experience of personal disorientation when confronted with an unfamiliar way of life

culture shock

A symbolic interactionist may compare social interactions to: a. behaviors b. conflicts c. human organs d. theatrical roles

d

How do schools prepare children to one day enter the workforce? a. With a standardized curriculum b. Through the hidden curriculum c. By socializing them in teamwork d. All of the above

d

Most cultures have been found to identify laughter as a sign of humor, joy, or pleasure. Likewise, most cultures recognize music in some form. Music and laughter are examples of: a. relativism b. ethnocentrism c. xenocentrism d. universalism

d

Some jobs today advertise in multinational markets and permit telecommuting in lieu of working from a primary location. This broadening of the job market and the way that jobs are performed can be attributed to: a. cultural lag b. innovation c. discovery d. globalization

d

Studying Sociology helps people analyze data because they learn: a. interview techniques b. to apply statistics c. to generate theories d. all of the above

d

The American flag is a material object that denotes the United States of America; however, there are certain connotations that many associate with the flag, like bravery and freedom. In this example, what are bravery and freedom? a. Symbols b. Language c. Material culture d. Nonmaterial culture

d

The Harlows' study on rhesus monkeys showed that: a. rhesus monkeys raised by other primate species are poorly socialized b. monkeys can be adequately socialized by imitating humans c. food is more important than social comfort d. social comfort is more important than food

d

The Protestant work ethic is based on the concept of predestination, which states that ________. a. performing good deeds in life is the only way to secure a spot in Heaven b. salvation is only achievable through obedience to God c. no person can be saved before he or she accepts Jesus Christ as his or her savior d. God has already chosen those who will be saved and those who will be damned

d

What is one way to distinguish between psychology and sociology? a. Psychology focuses on the mind, while sociology focuses on society. b. Psychologists are interested in mental health, while sociologists are interested in societal functions. c. Psychologists look inward to understand behavior while sociologists look outward. d. All of the above

d

Which of these theories is most likely to look at the social world on a micro level? a. Structural functionalism b. Conflict theory c. Positivism d. Symbolic interactionism

d

Why do sociologists need to be careful when drawing conclusions from twin studies? a. The results do not apply to singletons. b. The twins were often raised in different ways. c. The twins may turn out to actually be fraternal. d. The sample sizes are often small.

d

the spread of material and nonmaterial culture from one culture to another

diffusion

things and ideas found from what already exists

discoveries

a technique sociologists use in which they view society through the metaphor of theatrical performance

dramaturgical analysis

a stable state in which all parts of a healthy society are working together properly

dynamic equilibrium

social patterns that have undesirable consequences for the operation of society

dysfunctions

the process of simultaneously analyzing the behavior of an individual and the society that shapes that behavior

figurations

the part a recurrent activity plays in the social life as a whole and the contribution it makes to structural continuity

function

a theoretical approach that sees society as a structure with interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of individuals that make up that society

functionalism

attempts to explain large-scale relationships and answer fundamental questions such as why societies form and why they change

grand theories

the unrecognized or unintended consequences of a social process

latent functions

a wide-scale view of the role of social structures within a society

macro-level

sought consequences of a social process

manifest functions

the study of specific relationships between individuals or small groups

micro-level theories

philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and the experiments performed in support of them

paradigms

the scientific study of social patterns

positivism

in-depth interviews, focus groups, and/or analysis of content sources as the source of its data

qualitative sociology

statistical methods such as s urveys with large numbers of participants

quantitative sociology

the laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, customs, fashions, rituals, and all of the cultural rules that govern social life

social facts

the social ties that bind a group of people together such as kinship, shared location, and religion

social solidarity

the ability to understand how your own past relates to that of other people, as well as to history in general and societal structures in particular

sociological imagination

is the systematic study of society and social interaction

sociology

a theoretical perspective through which scholars examine the relationship of individuals within their society by studying their communication (language and symbols)

symbolic interactionism

a proposed explanation about social interactions or society

theory

a German word that means to understand in a deep way

verstehen