Sociology Test 1

The average person is exposed to __________ commercials a year

200,000

People from all walks of life, races, religions, and ethnic groups participate in the U.S. legislative process. In view of this, which term best describes American society?

America is a pluralistic society

During his career, Anthony has worked as a juvenile police officer, corrections counselor in a state prison, and executive director of an urban redevelopment program. In view of this, which description best describes Anthony's career path?

Anthony has been an applied sociologist

The sociologist responsible for suggesting the connection between history and biography to explain the sociological imagination was ________.

C. Wright Mills

The sociologist who developed the concept of the power elite was ________.

C. Wright Mills

The social scientist who criticized the theory of Lawrence Kohlberg and developed an alternative theory on the development of morality based on personal relationships was ________.

Carol Gilligan

The process by which we develop a sense of self, referred to as the "looking-glass self," was developed by ________.

Charles Horton Cooley

All of the following statements are examples of countercultures, EXCEPT for which one?

Chicago Cubs fans

Anthropologist Ralph Linton said, "The last thing a fish would ever notice would be water." What does this imply about culture?

Culture is taken for granted by members of society who share it

The anthropologist who gathered data on hundreds of groups around the world to compare their customs, and then concluded that specific customs differed from one group to another, was ____.

George Murdock

More than twenty years prior to the birth of Durkheim and Weber, Society in America, an analysis of American social customs, was published by sociologist ________.

Harriet Martineau

The term "survival of the fittest" which is a principle part of the concept of social Darwinism, was coined by ____.

Herbert Spencer

How does the mass media influence gender roles in contemporary American society?

It reinforces gender roles considered appropriate for one's sex.

While in the Peace Corps, Kristina enjoyed a delicious Cambodian dinner that included several entrees. Later that evening she was told that one of the entrees was roast dog, the same canine Kristina was playing with the day before. At this point Kristina became ill and swore she would be a vegetarian as long as she was in Cambodia. Which statement most applies to Kristina's experience?

Kristina experienced culture shock.

Lamont believes in democracy and equality, and when asked to describe himself he cites his appreciation for people of all races and ethnic heritages. But at the same time, Lamont believes women should not be in the armed services and he avoids taking courses from female professors. In view of this, which statement best describes Lamont?

Lamont is engaged in value contradiction.

All of the following statements are accurate regarding language, EXCEPT for which one?

Language is universal in terms of the meaning of particular sounds.

The contemporary conflict sociologist who pointed out that conflict is most likely to develop among people in close relationships was ____.

Lewis Coser

In developing his theory on moral development, when did Kohlberg claim most people reach the postconventional stage?

Most people do not reach this stage.

What conclusion did psychologists Susan Goldberg and Michael Lewis make after observing the interactions of mothers and their children?

Mothers unconsciously rewarded their daughters for being dependent.

Which sociological perspectives are best to use in developing an accurate understanding of society?

No single perspective is best, so all three must be utilized.

The sociologist who identified ten underlying core values of American society was ________.

Robin Williams

All of the following statements are accurate in describing gestures, EXCEPT for which one?

Social scientists have identified many common gestures and agree that gestures are universal.

Why do many sociologists object to psychoanalysis as a valid explanation for human behavior?

Sociologists object to the view that inborn and subconscious motivations are the primary reasons for human behavior.

Sue is an expert in interpreting gestures, silence, the use of space, and expressions people make in their daily interactions. In view of this, how would Sue's expertise be defined?

Sue is an expert in nonverbal interaction.

The American sociologist who focused on social analysis, developing abstract models showing how parts of society harmoniously work together, was ________.

Talcott Parsons

From a sociological perspective, which statement best classifies 19th century Mormons and 21st century physicians?

The Mormons would be classified a counterculture and the physicians as a subculture

The book published by WEB Dubois in 1899 that analyzed how African Americans in a major US city coped with racism was ____.

The Philadelphia Negro

In America, why is Spanish, rather than English, continuously spoken from generation to generation, with greater commitment than any other non-English speaking language?

There is a constant influx of new Hispanic immigrants into the U.S.

What is the proposed source of the six specific emotions that Paul Ekman identified as being present in all cultures?

They are a product of our genes.

Courtney raises champion sheep, Joe is a cab driver in New York, and Rufus is a member of the RAW family of professional wrestling. What do Courtney, Joe, and Rufus have in common?

They are all members of subcultures.

At the Back to Nature Nudist Colony, Ernie and Morello take a walk every morning along the beach, totally nude. Within the colony, which statement best describes the behavior of Ernie and Morello?

They are conforming to the folkways of their subculture.

What did Robert E. Park, Ernest Burgess, and George Herbert Mead have in common?

They were among the first faculty members in the sociology department at the University of Chicago.

The first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University, who spent his lifetime studying race relations in America and was one of the founders of the NAACP, was ________.

W.E.B. DuBois

Fred has just joined a fraternity. As part of his initiation, he has been forced to cook for the fraternity brothers, clean the frat house, and address the fraternity members as "sir." This is an example of what Harold Garfinkel termed ________.

a degradation ceremony

Although formal education is intended to transmit knowledge and skills, it unintentionally teaches students that the same rules apply to everyone. This universality reflects what sociologists describe as ________.

a latent function

Functionalists refer to how parts of a society fit together to form a whole as ________.

a structure

Americans usually recognize hard work, education, and efficiency as desired qualities. Where one of these qualities is found, the other two also apply. This is an example of ________.

a value cluster

Another term used for the stage of development called transitional adulthood, which is between the ages of 18 and 29, is ________.

adultolescence

In Kohlberg's theory of moral development, the stage in which the child has no sense of right or wrong and only personal needs to be satisfied is the ________ stage.

amoral

The social science discipline that concentrates on the study of artifacts, social structure, ideas, values, and forms of communication is ________.

anthropology

Of the following, which discipline is most appropriately classified as a natural science?

biology

The titles Karl Marx used to describe the two classes in society were the ____ and the ____.

bourgeoisie;proletariat

According to Sigmund Freud, when the id gets out of hand, individuals follow their desires for pleasure and ________.

break society's norms

According to Max Weber, the Protestant ethic was a central factor in the birth of ________.

capitalism

Pigs, spiders, elephants, and other animals that rely solely on instinct act as they do because they lack a ________.

cerebral cortex

Karl Marx suggested that the force that drives human history and is at the core of human society is ________.

class conflict

Frankie and Johnnie are both above-average students, but they feel that they learn much more about life, success, and relationships with others from other students outside of the classroom. In this sense, Frankie and Johnnie are relying on the ________ for their education.

corridor curriculum

The spread of cultural characteristics from one group to another refers to ________.

cultural diffusion

Within a few blocks in midtown Manhattan, you can purchase a bagel with cream cheese, a hot dog, a steak, a polish sausage, or a pizza, as well as chow mein, lamb curry, sushi, lasagna, falafels, chicken couscous, enchiladas, and a host of ethnic specialties. This range of culinary possibilities illustrates the process of ________.

cultural diffusion

In recent years, cultures have become more similar to each other as a result of travel and communication. Sociologists use the term "____" to describe this process.

cultural leveling

Language, beliefs, values, norms, behavior, material objects, and technology that are passed from one generation to the next by members of society describe ________.

culture

Many fundamentalist Christians lobby for laws making same-sex marriage illegal. Gays and lesbians consider same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage as basic human rights. Which concept best describes the relationship between these fundamentalist Christians and the gay/lesbian community?

culture war due to conflicting values

Karl Marx believed that ________ was the central force for social change, while Max Weber believed that ________ was the force most responsible for social change.

economics; religion

The author added three values to the original list of ten core values that Robin Williams identified as the most common in American society. Which of the following is NOT one of the three values added?

equality

Sociologists use the concept of "norms" to describe ________.

expectations or rules of behavior that develop from values

The first goal of each scientific discipline is to ___

explain why something happens

The first goal of each scientific discipline is to _____.

explain why something happens

Which of the following elements did C. Wright Mills attribute as being the one that sociologists would use to explain individual behavior?

external influence

At the first meeting of the American Sociological Society, attendees discussed the primary reason for sociology as the practical application to the improvement of social life. This goal of sociology was aligned with the discipline's _____ stage of development in the US.

first

Mark views society as a system of interrelated parts, while John views society as composed of groups competing for scarce resources. Mark would be considered a(n) ________ and John would be seen as a(n) ________.

functionalist; conflict theorist

People all over the world, including college students, are breaking down national boundaries because of advances in communication, trade, and travel. This is referred to as ________.

globalization

Capitalism is becoming the world's dominant economic system. This is referred to as ________.

globalization of capitalism

Americans glorify academic progress and material success. However, most students do not graduate with honors and most citizens are not wealthy. This condition characterizes the difference between ________ and ________.

ideal culture; real culture

George Herbert Mead theorized that learning to take the role of the other entails three stages - the ________ stage, ________stage, and ________ stage.

imitation; play; team games

What did the Harlow experiment conclude as being the key to infant-mother bonding?

intimate social contact

Symbols can be strung together in an infinite number of ways for the purpose of communicating abstract thought. This is referred to as ____.

language

Anthropologist Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf concluded that ____.

language creates ways of thinking and perceiving.

Functionalists and conflict theorists tend to focus on the _____ or large scale patterns of society, in conducting their analyses.

macro level

Cindy is interested in how the movement of Maytag production plants and other industries from the Midwest to Mexico has changed the lives of thousands of unemployed workers and their communities. Cindy is conducting a ________ analysis.

macro-level

Jewelry, art, hairstyles, and clothing each represent examples of ________.

material culture

The emerging tools and the skills needed to use them, which have a significant impact on social life, are called ________.

new technology

Receiving the Medal of Honor and making the Dean's List are both examples of ________.

positive sanctions

The term "cultural lag," referring to the varying ________ among elements within cultures, was coined by sociologist ________.

rates of change; William Ogburn

Our image of how others see us is called the ________.

self

Of the five interrelated core values emerging in American society, the one that is reflected in the "human potential" movement that focuses on "self help, relating, and personal development" is ________.

self-fulfillment

Bob's football coach is a very important influence in his life. Many of Bob's actions are attempts to win the approval of his coach. Mead would suggest that the coach is one of Bob's ________.

significant others

Several years ago, the gay community applied for a permit to march in the St. Patrick Day's Parade in Boston. When denied, the gay community filed suit and won. Rather than permitting the gay community to march in the parade, the parade trustees cancelled the event. Sociologists would suggest this conflict in values between the trustees of the parade and the gay community would eventually lead to ________.

social change that brings attention to gay rights and eventual acceptance

The French sociologist Emile Durkheim is most identified with which of the following areas of study?

social integration

What concept do sociologists refer to when they say that "society makes us human"?

socialization

The sociological perspective emphasizes how the social context influences people's lives, particularly how people are influenced by ________.

society

Every December, many Jewish families celebrate Chanukah, the "festival of lights," during which special foods are served, rituals are practiced, and traditional activities take place that are unique to this faith. In this context, members of the Jewish faith would represent which concept?

subculture

When a group has a distinctive way of looking at life, but at the same time its values and norms reflect the dominant culture of its society, the group would be considered a(n) ________.

subculture

Sociologists who analyze how social life depends on the ways that people define themselves and others are most likely ________.

symbolic interactionists

The automobile, and the skills needed to drive it, would be an example of ________.

technology

The university that dominated sociology as an academic discipline when Albion Small headed the department was ________.

the University of Chicago

Of the following traits and abilities, which one would George Herbert Mead consider most essential for an individual to be a full-fledged member of society?

the ability to take the role of another

What term applies to the stages that people pass through from birth to death, beginning with "childhood" and concluding with "the older years"?

the life course

In the "nature versus nurture" argument regarding socialization, the "nurture" component refers to ________.

the social environment

The concept that describes opening a window into unfamiliar worlds that allows us to understand human behavior by placing it within its broader social context is called ________.

the sociological perspective (or imagination)

The period following high school when young adults have not yet taken on the responsibilities ordinarily associated with adulthood is called ________.

transitional adulthood

What quality did Max Weber stress as being the hallmark of social research?

value neutrality

Which of the following traits is least likely to be linked to "nature" (heredity) and most likely linked to "nurture" (the social environment)?

vocational choice