Sociology Reading Quiz 1

You have just begun studying unemployment rates in a city with fifty million people, of which fifteen million are unemployed. If you are using your sociological imagination, what is your first consideration? a. how much the people who are unemployed want to work b. the work ethic of the average citizen c. the intelligence level of the workers who have lost their jobs d. the economic and political structures of the society

the economic and political structures of the society

Karl Marx thought intellectuals should not just theorize about the social world but also attempt to improve it. What is the term he used to describe this idea? a. rationalization b. bourgeoisie c. praxis d. verstehen

praxis

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. conflict theory b. pragmatism c. symbolic interactionism d. structural functionalism

symbolic interactionism

Which sociological theory focuses on micro-level interactions? a. structural functionalism b. pragmatism c. symbolic interactionism d. conflict theory

symbolic interactionism

Which theory about human interaction developed from the groundwork laid by Max Weber's discussion of verstehen (understanding), which emphasizes empathy with individual experiences? a. Weberian theory b. the iron cage c. symbolic interactionism d. bureaucratic theory

symbolic interactionism

How do sociologists observe society? a. by studying the relationship between individuals and society, specializing in internal states of mind b. by comparing the past and present, with a focus on the past c. by studying the various parts of a society and the ways they interact and influence one another d. by studying society as if it were a concrete object, in the same way a geologist studies rocks

by studying the various parts of a society and the ways they interact and influence one another

A reality television show called Home Sweet Home has families swap homes and lives for several days. During the swap, the families are exposed to daily routines very different from the ones they're used to. Although the show is meant to be entertaining, it also demonstrates the sociological principle of... a. culture shock b. globalization c. the sociological imagination d. quantitative methods

culture shock

Microsociology is an approach that a. examines interactions between individuals and how those interactions reflect larger societal patterns b. quantifies data about social structures so they can be analyzed statistically c. examines institutional interactions that occur over time d. focuses exclusively on gender and power as they manifest themselves socially

examines interactions between individuals and how those interactions reflect larger societal patterns

Karl Marx believed that most people accept the status quo of society and deny the truths that perpetuate inequality. What is the term that he used to describe this concept? a. class consciousness b. existentialism c. false consciousness d. ethnomethodology

false consciousness

Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism discusses the origin of the capitalist system. In this work he addresses how people are trapped by the bureaucratic structure of society; what did he refer to this entrapment as? a. verstehen b. iron cage c. praxis d. McDonaldization

iron cage

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

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

Karl Marx has often been quoted as saying, "Religion is the opiate of the masses." What did he mean by this statement? a. keeping working-class individuals busy with religious activities and no time to organize is bad for society b. the church is a means to extract economic resources from the poor c. religion helps create and maintain a false consciousness in the working class d. religion distracts the lower classes with fantastic spectacles

religion helps create and maintain a false consciousness in the working class

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

sociological imagination

Bernard McGrane suggested that individuals adopt a _________ to unlearn what we already know and better understand the social world. a. sociological perspective b. beginner's mind c. expert's mind d. reciped, or practical knowledge

beginner's mind

According to Marx, an individual who makes money exclusively by selling their own labor must be a member of what social group? a. bourgeoisie b. proletariat c. bureaucrats d. capitalists

proletariat