Sociology Test 1

Match the behaviors to the social rules. 1) being conversationally uncooperative

1) Interactional vandalism

Match the behaviors to the social rules. 2) demonstrating that a lapse is minor

2) response cries

Match the behaviors to the social rules. 3) creating a physical boundary

3) personal space

Match the behaviors to the social rules. 4) holding a gaze

4) eye contact

Some people feel that the discovery in 2013 that the National Security Agency was collecting and monitoring large amounts of data from private citizens has resulted in A) a feeling that the program intrudes too deeply into private life. B) an excessive increase in the role of government. C) a pulling together by the citizenry to get through a tough time. D) a feeling that government needs to do more to protect the country.

A) A feeling that the program intrudes too deeply into private life. FEEDBACK: While it is true that trust in the government ebbs and flows (for example, trust rose immediately following the attacks of September 11, 2001) it is also true that when government is seen as seriously overstepping its authority, both trust and confidence suffer. American values regarding individuality speak to matters of personal privacy, making this balance a very challenging one.

Which of the following statements about individualism best exemplifies the relationship between norms and values? A) Americans often believe strongly in individualism, which is exemplified by a mainstream belief that it is normal and healthy for people aged eighteen or older to move out of their parents' house. B) Beliefs in individualism in the early United States were developed out of the need for the relatively few English immigrants to learn to survive in an unfamiliar environment. C) The norm of individualism in the United States has led us to place more value in people who disagree with mainstream ideas than in those who agree with them. D) Individualism in the United States is valued because of its link to innovation in American culture, which is also highly prized.

A) Americans often believe strongly in individualism, which is exemplified by a mainstream belief that it is normal and healthy for people aged eighteen or older to move out of their parents' house. FEEDBACK: Norms are principles or rules of behavior that everyone in a culture is expected to follow, and they reflect the more abstract ideals that constitute values. Individualism, as an abstract ideal, is reflected in ideas about how people should behave in the course of everyday life.

The high rate of gun-related violence in the United States is pervasive across all subcultures and minority populations. Many states have "open carry" laws that permit the individual to carry a weapon in public. Such approaches may not suffice, however, especially when we consider that in some countries, such as Switzerland, guns are easy to obtain but the rate of violent crime is significantly lower. What do sociologists see as the likely explanation for the high rate of gun violence in America? A) It is the combination of ready availability, the "frontier tradition," and subcultures of manliness and ritual violence in inner-city populations. B) "Stand your ground" laws have provided white and minority populations with a kind of "frontier" mentality that makes gun violence both desirable and easy. C) The culture of manliness in the American population, the persistent imagery of gun use portrayed in the media, and the absence of gun control laws make gun use simple for everyone. D) A spirit of independence among whites, African Americans, and Hispanics has fostered a kind of reverence for guns.

A) It is the combination of ready availability, the "frontier tradition," and subcultures of manliness and ritual violence in inner-city populations. FEEDBACK: Gun control laws are often the measure of first resort when episodes of gun violence occur. It is easy, however, to overlook the pervasive influence of the "frontier" mentality that has been part of white America's history. While this same mentality is not an integral part of African American and Hispanic communities, these populations often embrace a culture of manliness, with guns and rituals of violence at its center.

Which of the following statements might be derived from the linguistic relativity hypothesis? A) Learning a different language can be a very good way of understanding the culture and experiences of the group by which that language was developed. B) Forms of language developed by groups different from one's own are inapplicable to one's own experience. C) People who have small vocabularies are unable to manage complex thoughts. D) The larger the variety of experiences available to people in a culture, the more likely they are to develop larger and more complex vocabularies.

A) Learning a different language can be a very good way of understanding the culture and experiences of the group by which that language was developed. FEEDBACK: The linguistic relativity hypothesis suggests that language influences our perception of the world. Thus, learning vocabulary or even a whole language different from your own can be a window into understanding the way that others perceive the world.

A study of university admissions that compares the impact of gender and social class on probability of admission before and after World War II is an example of A) macrosociology. B) Marxism. C) microsociology. D) functionalism.

A) Macrosociology FEEDBACK: Macrosociology examines large-scale social systems and often looks at changes or continuities over time. Although social class and gender are the properties of individuals, they have patterned impacts on institutions and other forms of social organization.

Which of the following statements best summarizes the general sociological approach to the nature/nurture debate as described in this chapter? A) While genetics and biology play a role in human behavior, they manifest in an astounding variety of ways, based on complex interactions with the social environment. B) Sociological understandings of human behavior can allow us to rise above what could otherwise be biological destiny. C) Genetics and biology are essentially irrelevant compared to the determining force of social forces. D) Social forces can be understood as macrocosms of biological forces and interactions.

A) While genetics and biology play a role in human behavior, they manifest in an astounding variety of ways, based on complex interactions with the social environment. FEEDBACK: While genetics and instincts may have an impact on human behavior, the form in which such things are expressed are seen by sociologists to be mediated by culture, which also provides the guidance by which self-consciousness develops.

What is it that allows people to creatively interpret and react to their environment, thus enabling them to make subtle changes to social structures or resist the encompassing effect of social structures? A) agency B) nonverbal communication C) back region D) symbolic interactionism

A) agency

Sociologist Arlie Hochschild (1983) found that many workers in modern industrial countries A) are required to display socially acceptable emotions at work. B) do not distinguish between where they work and where they live. C) work where they live or have workshops in their homes. D) are not much different from workers in more traditional societies.

A) are required to display socially acceptable emotions at work. FEEDBACK: According to sociologist Arlie Hochschild (1983), modern industrial workers in the West, especially women, need to learn how to "feel" on the job and then display socially acceptable emotions at work. For example, flight attendants and restaurant hostesses are good examples of workers who need to project positive moods and demeanors even if they are fearful or dealing with difficult customers.

Avoiding eye contact with fellow passengers on a crowded subway is an example of A) civil inattention. B) an encounter. C) impression management. D) unfocused interaction.

A) civil inattention. FEEDBACK: Civil inattention is used by people who are in frequent proximity to strangers to signal that they are aware of the presence of others and pose no threat to them.

How has the theory that elevated crime rates are caused by poor economic conditions been challenged in the context of declining crime rates in the twenty-first century? A) Crime rates continued to decline even after the economic recession that began in 2008. B) Illegal drugs are one of the main causes of crime, and they are far harder to obtain during periods of economic recession. C) Economic conditions have experienced an uninterrupted decline since the mid-1990s. D) The main drop in crime rates has happened in the areas of corporate and white-collar crime, which is generally perpetrated by people without economic hardships.

A) crime rates continued to decline even after the economic recession that began in 2008. FEEDBACK: The lower crime rates following the recession of 2008 challenge the theory that poor economic conditions cause high rates of crime. The falling rate of crime has been explained in multiple ways, including improvements in policing tactics, the increase in home security systems, drops in drug use, or even lowered levels of lead in Americans' bodies.

What term was coined by Weber's student Robert Michels to describe the tendency in organizations toward the centralization of power, which can be detrimental to democratic processes? A) iron law of oligarchy B) vertical command structure C) McDonaldization D) formal organization

A) iron law of oligarchy FEEDBACK: According to Weber, bureaucratic organizations are structured like pyramids, with power residing with the few at the top. Both he and his student, Michels worried that the lack of power left at the bottom compromised democracy and turned low-level bureaucrats into instruments of management with no say or control over their own work. This is what Michels referred to as the iron law of oligarchy.

Suppose you recently attended a dinner party. The invitation was extended to you by a close friend who had also been invited and who was trying to help you land a job in your chosen field of criminal justice. As it turned out, your friend was unable to attend and you knew nobody there, even though the guests were all employed in police departments in the area and therefore would might have aided your job search. During the dinner, you had no meaningful conversations with anyone, so you conclude that your social capital has A) not changed at all. B) increased, but not by much. C) decreased a lot. D) decreased, but not by much.

A) not changed at all. FEEDBACK: Social capital is an intangible sense of mutual obligation and trust, as well as a way to expand your social network and influence. While you may not have accomplished your goal of meeting others who can help you get a job, you did not negatively affect your own social capital, if only because you behaved appropriately and respected social norms. This was only a minor missed opportunity.

According to labeling theory, an individual who accepts the label of deviant and acts accordingly is performing A) secondary deviation. B) criminal mentality. C) primary deviation. D) impression management.

A) secondary deviation. FEEDBACK: According to labeling theory, the first act performed by an individual that is seen as deviant, or primary deviation, causes him or her to be labeled as deviant. Once an individual accepts and internalizes the deviant label, he or she goes on to commit more acts of deviance. This stage is called secondary deviation.

Labeling theory asserts that deviance is a matter of A) social context. B) learned behavior. C) inequality. D) unequal power.

A) social context FEEDBACK: Labeling theory says that deviance is not innate, but rather is something that occurs as a result of specific social context. How someone is labeled determines whether he or she is deviant.

Laud Humphreys's 1970 study on the secret lives of gay men was unethical for which of the following reasons? A) He asked personal questions of those wishing to remain anonymous. B) He wrote down license plate numbers of the subjects he studied. C) He reported his subjects to the police. D) He revealed the findings of his study to his subjects' families.

B) He wrote down license plate numbers of the subjects he studied. FEEDBACK: Ethics in research is a major concern to the researcher, the institution under whose auspices the researcher works, and those who are being studied. Collecting supplemental data such as license plate numbers presents a dual problem in that the nondisclosure to the car owners is unethical and the potential for damaging information to fall into the wrong hands could result in a lot of difficulty for the population under study.

Company-sponsored community service days, company softball teams, and casual Fridays can promote A) an iron law of oligarchy. B) a corporate culture. C) a modern bureaucracy. D) a vertical power structure.

B) a corporate culture. FEEDBACK: A corporate culture can include a surprising variety of methods that seek to strengthen ties between the company and the employee. Some might seem frivolous: the opportunity to play with toys during a break, for example. But others, such as community service time or casual Fridays, speak to the ways in which employees are valued on their own terms.

Which of the following is the best example of deviant behavior as it's defined in the chapter? A) A twenty-five-year-old woman wears a black miniskirt and heavy makeup to a nightclub. B) A middle-aged man wears jeans to a black-tie wedding. C) A teenager spends all afternoon texting her friends. D) A college student organizes a political rally on his campus.

B) a middle-aged man wears jeans to a black-tie wedding. FEEDBACK: We may define deviance as a nonconformity to expected social norms, but it might not always appear radical in nature.

What is colonialism? A) the era during which groups of adventurers began perfecting sailing technologies that allowed them to discover increasingly distant parts of the world B) a process whereby Western nations established their rule in parts of the world away from their home territories C) the establishment of new forms of punishment enabled by travel technology, in which penal work colonies were established in remote areas D) a process in which people from populated areas move to uninhabited parts of the world to set up their own societies

B) a process whereby Western nations established their rule in parts of the world away from their home territories FEEDBACK: Colonialism is primarily understood to mean the replacement of indigenous rule in most parts of the world with governance by a distant European power. Sometimes it involved large numbers of European settlers who relocated to the colonized area, but in other cases only enough people relocated to establish political and economic dominance.

In modern societies, the transition from teenager to young adult is most easily recognized by A) a demonstrated willingness to give up games and toys. B) common benchmarks of adulthood. C) the age of the individual. D) a willingness to work in a paying job.

B) common benchmarks of adulthood FEEDBACK: It is not easy to pinpoint the exact age or time when an individual is no longer a teenager, but five major "benchmarks" of adulthood seem to be common markers of this change in life: leaving home, completing school, getting married, having children, and financial independence.

Which of the following might be considered a cultural universal? A) having conflicts with ones' in-laws B) decorating one's body C) using smartphones and the Internet D) teaching children how to be self-sufficient

B) decorating one's body FEEDBACK: Cultural universals are values or modes of behavior shared by all human cultures, although specific manifestations of cultural universals vary from one culture to another.

In many cultures, a rite of passage designed to mark a transition from childhood to adolescence or adulthood exists as a formalized event or series of events. Such rituals are designed to A) reduce the anxiety that adults often feel about assuming new social roles. B) designate the transition into adulthood. C) instill a strong sense of gender into young adults. D) ensure that children and adults are clearly identified according to socially defined roles

B) designate the transition into adulthood FEEDBACK: Formal rites of passage, set up as a ritual event or events, are less common today than they were in the past. Yet there is evidence that such ceremonies help ease the transition into full adulthood.

W. E. B. DuBois, argued that American society only lets African Americans see themselves through the eyes of others. He called this concept A) alternative social facts. B) double consciousness. C) postmodernism. D) hidden reality.

B) double consciousness FEEDBACK: Throughout his career, DuBois emphasized race relations in the United States. He argued that African American identity continues to be influenced by slavery, segregation and prejudice. His writing continues to impact social thought and activism today and he has had a profound impact on contemporary issues, including the Black Lives Matter movement.

When Coy Mathis, a transgender girl, was six years old, she was not allowed to use the girls' bathroom in her school. Instead, she was allowed to use the gender-neutral restroom in the teacher's lounge. In 2013, Coy's parents successfully sued the school district to allow Coy to use the main girls' bathroom in the school. They argued that their daughter was entitled to the same rights as other girls and that making her use a special bathroom could make her subject to teasing and bullying. This example illustrates the idea that A) gender is determined by biology, not processes of socialization. B) gender is socially constructed and is part of a complex process of socialization. C) male and female categories are natural and biological. D) gender socialization is just a phase of childhood.

B) gender is socially constructed and is part of a complex process of socialization. FEEDBACK: The experience of Coy Mathis illustrates the importance and complexities of socialization to everyday life. Sociologists are interested in the processes through which a young child such as Coy learns to become a member of society by complying or rejecting the ever-changing social expectations for how an individual should act, think, feel, and even dress. Social institutions, such as schools, encourage conformity through positive sanctions and discourage nonconformity through disapproval and punishment.

A recent study found that when teenage drivers are in a vehicle with their peers, they are more likely to drive too fast and to take more risks. Subsequent studies replicated these findings, suggesting that part of the reason is the impact of peers on the adolescent brain's sensitivity to rewards. A sociologist might also conclude that this is a case of A) transformational leadership. B) groupthink. C) primary groups and a sense of unity. D) backseat drivers giving orders.

B) groupthink FEEDBACK: Groupthink happens when a cohort of persons conforms to group opinions that lead to bad decisions. When they are among their peers, teen drivers are prone to fall victim to this kind of thinking.

According to George Herbert Mead, children develop a sense of self by A) learning how to read and write. B) imitating the actions of other people. C) obeying their parents and other authority figures. D) going through the concrete operational stage.

B) imitating the actions of other people FEEDBACK: According to Mead, infants and children develop as social beings by imitating the action of those around them. Young children imitating what adults do through play is one of the ways in which this development takes place;

Reports and accounts of what are termed "feral children" have existed for hundreds of years. A child is discovered living with animals, in the wild or, in some cases, deliberately hidden away, isolated from all contact with other human beings. These children, when reintegrated with the larger society, experience difficulty. What is missing from their experience that is an essential contributor to their socialization? A) the ability to walk upright (bipedalism) B) language C) adequate nutrition D) motor sensory development

B) language FEEDBACK: Family, language, school environment and education, and peer presence are all significant agents of socialization. While there are few accurate, well-documented accounts of feral children, where they exist they can serve as a window into the nature of socialization and how these agents are an integral part of becoming human.

Cultural relativism is the A) relationship between the ideas and practices of two similar societies. B) practice of judging a society by its own standards. C) adoption of aspects of one society's culture by another society. D) idea that one's own culture is superior to all others.

B) practice of judging a society by its own standards FEEDBACK: Cultural relativism is an effort to avoid ethnocentrism by seeking to understand the origins of practices in other cultures that seem strange or even repulsive in the context of one's own cultural beliefs.

According to researchers Tony Brown and Chase Lesane-Brown, race socialization A) is no longer an important part of the socialization process in our society. B) will become increasingly important for future cohorts of young people. C) contributes to growing hostility between races in our society. D) only applies to ethnic minority parents and their children.

B) will become increasingly important for future cohorts of young people. FEEDBACK: Sociologists have recently explored the process of race socialization. Although race socialization has historically focused on raising black children to fit in, scholars today recognize that white children should also be socialized to recognize and fight racism.

Many bars use electronic pour spouts on their liquor bottles that only allow a certain measurement of liquor to be poured at one time. By controlling the bartender's actions through automation, these pour spouts maintain the uniformity of drinks served and the efficiency of bartenders. Which concept does this best illustrate? A) formal relations B) bureaucracy C) McDonaldization D) oligarchy

C) McDonaldization FEEDBACK: George Ritzer uses the concept of McDonaldization to explain some of the transformations in industrial society. He identified four main components of McDonaldization: efficiency, calculability, uniformity, and control through automation. Ritzer argues that these four components are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world.

What is the main difference between pastoral societies and agrarian societies? A) Agrarian societies predated pastoral societies by at least several thousand years. B) Agrarian societies were marked by much more divisive inequalities than pastoral societies. C) Pastoral societies relied mainly on domesticated animals, while agrarian societies relied on agriculture. D) Pastoral societies only existed in Africa and the Middle East, while agrarian societies were spread across the entire globe.

C) Pastoral societies relied mainly on domesticated animals, while agrarian societies relied on agriculture. FEEDBACK: Differences in the main source of livelihood distinguish pastoral and agrarian societies, although these differences also engender others.

Suppose that for several years, your workplace has had a written policy that forbids the use of a computer workstation for all activities that are not work related, such as buying things on Amazon or making airline reservations for your vacation. A new chief executive officer (CEO) has implemented a major policy change that eases these restrictions a bit, which now makes it acceptable to use an interoffice chat feature for any reason, even to ask other colleagues to go to lunch together. This change may lead to A) the erosion of good working relationships. B) formal relationships between employees. C) an increase in informal networks. D) an iron law of oligarchy.

C) an increase in informal networks. FEEDBACK: While the loosening of a strict policy might lead to problems such as worsening employee relationships and more people ignoring the rules that remain in place, it is very likely that in this case there will be an increase in informal networks, which involve the development of relations that emerge out of increased personal contact among employees who are not in the same physical space.

In an effort to understand the problem of sexual assault on college campuses, a sociologist might gather data and then A) develop an already accepted biological model that sociologists can understand. B) compare and contrast the collected data with that of others. C) construct an abstract interpretation, or theory, to explain the situation. D) describe the problem using one of the major sociological frameworks, such as postmodernism.

C) construct an abstract interpretation, or theory, to explain the situation. FEEDBACK: Most social problems that a sociologist tackles are best approached by the development of a theory. Until a good theory is proposed, the comparison process, any modeling using other sciences, or the "fitting" of the ideas into existing theoretical canons may not be particularly useful.

When Edgar was twelve, his family moved to a new neighborhood, where he made new friends on his block. Edgar's new friends liked to meet up after school and go to an abandoned building in the neighborhood, where they broke bottles, made holes in the walls, and drew graffiti. Over time, Edgar became recognized among his friends as a talented graffiti artist and expanded his efforts to new areas, despite getting caught by the police twice. Sociologists might attribute Edgar's deviance to A) social sanctions. B) primary deviation. C) differential association. D) juvenile delinquency.

C) differential association. FEEDBACK: Edwin H. Sutherland linked crime to differential association, which occurs when individuals become delinquent through associating with people who follow criminal norms.

According to Weber, a bureaucracy is a(n) __________ structure governed by __________ rules. A) governmental; tyrannical B) horizontal; ideal type C) hierarchical; written D) ideal type; arbitrary

C) hierarchical; written FEEDBACK: Bureaucracies are types of organizations marked by a hierarchical structure of authority, a set of written rules dictating formalized procedures executed by full-time, salaried workers filling impersonal and formalized positions

Sociology challenges us to question the things we often feel are given, inevitable, or natural, and to consider that these things are subject to A) industrial and mechanical forces. B) genetic and biological forces. C) historical and social forces. D) evolutionary forces.

C) historical and social forces. FEEDBACK: Sociology attempts to examine the ways in which our own human interaction with both the world around us and with one another is subject to the entirety of historical and social forces.

After school, Sandra often has to go help her grandparents with chores and grocery shopping. On these days, Sandra always brings a change of clothes to avoid appearing at her grandparents' house in the punk-rock outfits she likes to wear to school. This is an example of A) audience segregation. B) civil inattention. C) impression management. D) social posturing.

C) impression management FEEDBACK: Sandra's role as a granddaughter calls on her to behave and present herself differently than does her role as a friend or student. Therefore, bringing a change of clothes on days she will visit her grandparents allows Sandra to fulfill her granddaughter role in a manner commensurate with her grandparents' expectations.

Alicia went on a weekend retreat with her coworkers where they played games, did trust exercises, and spent time sharing personal stories about themselves with the others. After the retreat, Alicia started spending a lot more time outside of work with these coworkers, effectively transforming her work group into a A) secondary group. B) social aggregate. C) primary group. D) family.

C) primary group. FEEDBACK: Sometimes secondary groups, such as work groups, can become primary groups when members bond and become intimate with one another beyond what is necessary to accomplish whatever task the secondary group is formed to accomplish.

The country with the highest rate of incarceration around the world is A) China. B) Russia. C) Mexico. D) the United States.

D) the United States. FEEDBACK: Many people are surprised to learn that the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Attitudes toward criminals and criminal behavior, coupled with social attitudes about personal safety and freedoms, have contributed to this growth.

The problems of online communication are sometimes illustrated with examples of "autocorrect," a feature built into many smartphones and other devices that attempts to parse misspellings and replace them with the correct words. Other types of online communication problems exist as well. Consider this example text message exchange between a father and his daughter. Daughter: "I got an A on the chem exam!" Father: "WTF, well done." Daughter: "Dad, what do you think WTF means?" Father: "Well, that's fantastic." This exchange demonstrates the importance of A) saving face. B) impression management. C) shared understanding. D) public embarrassment.

C) shared understanding. FEEDBACK: We often assume that what we know, say, and use as part of our interactions with others will be instantly and clearly understood. But without a clear sense of how we share or do not share understanding, things can go wrong pretty quickly. One of the challenges of online communication is that we may use a term or phrase that has a different meaning to the recipient, resulting in a miscommunication. The results may not always be humorous.

Culture can be defined as A) expectations about modes of behavior appropriate to participating in a particular community or society. B) scientific understandings and the technological advancements that come from them, by which society is built. C) values, norms, and material objects characteristic of a particular group. D) artistic forms of expression that help cultivate the intellect of members of a society.

C) values, norms, and material objects characteristic of a particular group FEEDBACK: Arts, science, and expectations are all parts or manifestations of culture, which contains all those aspects and more.

A sociological study of American politics today, looking at the interaction between the Republican and Democratic Parties as a contest of power, might develop a __________ understanding, and if this same analysis considered the ways in which the two parties supported or thwarted women's reproductive rights, this study might provide a __________ understanding. A) Marxist; ideological B) Postmodern; feminist C) Marxist; postmodern D) Marxist; feminist+

D) Marxist; feminist FEEDBACK: The concept of power is a key part of Marxist analysis, while gender is a cornerstone of feminist theory.

__________ consists of the physical objects that a society creates that influence the ways in which people live. A) Artistic propaganda B) Infrastructure C) Scientific technology D) Material goods

D) Material goods FEEDBACK: Material goods consists of all the physical objects created by humans to facilitate social living, including scientific technology, artistic creations, highways, living structures (homes), and similar objects.

There are two types of questions used in surveys: fixed-choice questions and open-ended questions. Open-ended questions typically provide more detailed information because respondents can express their views in their own words as opposed to a fixed set of answers. As a result, open-ended questions are considered A) quantitative. B) objective. C) empirical. D) qualitative.

D) Qualitative FEEDBACK: Fixed-choice, or standardized, questions are easy to compare and count, but the information they yield is limited. In contrast, open-ended questions have the ability to convey thoughts, feelings, and perceptions, which yield much richer data.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the media covered crack cocaine use in a way that portrayed black, inner-city youth in a bad light, which may well have resulted in harsh and excessive penalties among a population that now is struggling to become a stable part of American life. In contrast, use of the drug ecstasy, which until recently has been associated with a more white, middle-class population, has not led to such a media frenzy. Both crack and ecstasy are illegal drugs with some negative side effects, so why might the media interest focus on crack cocaine and not on ecstasy? A) There was a reluctance to include reports about ecstasy use by middle-class white persons. B) The media at that time did not understand the nature of inner-city urban youth. C) Americans were not interested in the problems of poor, inner-city youth. D) The common perception is that most crime is committed by poor, urban, ethnic minorities.

D) The common perception is that most crime is committed by poor, urban, ethnic minorities. FEEDBACK: One of the more difficult problems in crime and criminology is counteracting popular misconceptions about crime and criminals. Media popularization is associated with an effort to gain capital (to make money) and not how to best educate the public about the problems of crime.

Despite the fact that for many Americans, e-books are an increasingly popular way to enjoy fact and fiction in the form of the printed word, it was not always this way. Sociology often draws on the "sociological imagination," a term coined by C. Wright Mills in the 1950s to explore the nature of change in society. In the mid-1400s, the printing press had a powerful effect on society and initiated major social changes. How might we use our sociological imagination to begin a study of that change? A) We would first carefully consult original sources from that time. B) We would first compare the different reactions to books then and now. C) We would first review the work of the sociologists at that time. D) We would first try to step away from familiar routines of daily life.

D) We would first try to step away from familiar routines of daily life. FEEDBACK: C. Wright Mills coined the phrase "sociological imagination" to denote an approach to sociological study. This necessitated a kind of "thinking oneself away" from what is familiar and routine. We are now immersed in an age in which digital books are commonplace, so in order to understand the magnitude of change that accompanied the printing press, we would have to try to step away from our present experience.

A primary group is characterized by A) weak emotional ties. B) the need to play a particular role. C) a lack of pressure to conform. D) a feeling of unity.

D) a feeling of unity. FEEDBACK: Primary groups are characterized by closeness: unity, intimacy, strong emotions, and face-to-face interactions. Our families are a good example of a primary group.

Before riding up the elevator to her job interview, Marisol stops in the restrooms in the lobby to check her appearance and straighten her clothing. In this situation, the restroom functions as a(n) __________ for her performance at the interview. A) staging ground B) front region C) audience segregation D) back region

D) back region FEEDBACK: Back regions are areas apart from front-region performance, as specified by Erving Goffman, in which individuals are able to relax and behave informally. The room in which the interview will take place is the front region, while the restroom, where Marisol lets her guard down and primps for her interview performance, is a back region

The overall rate of violent crime is __________ property crime. A) the same as B) a bit lower than C) much higher than D) considerably lower than

D) considerably lower than FEEDBACK: According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in 2012, violent crimes (murder, aggravated assault, and rape) comprised about 11.7% of all reported crime. This means that of the total 10.5 million crimes committed, about 1.2 million are classified as violent crime.

In a television cartoon for school-age children that features a caped superhero, we might expect that the advertising shown during the commercial breaks would include A) video games, kitchen toys and accessories, and fast racing cars. B) make-up for tween-age girls, video games, and toy robots. C) outdoor construction toys, toy robots, and kitchen toys and accessories. D) fast racing cars, video games, and outdoor construction toys.

D) fast racing cars, video games, and outdoor construction toys. FEEDBACK: Advertising is a significant side of socialization and is a large component of both television and online materials aimed at children. Such advertising frequently tends to reinforce preexisting expectations about gender roles.

Childhood has been an important part of human society in all cultures A) for the past fifty years. B) for well over a thousand years. C) since human societies first existed. D) for about a hundred years.

D) for about a hundred years FEEDBACK: It's easy to forget that the idea of "childhood" is a recent, and culturally specific, idea. Children have often been put to hard work at a very young age, and this is still true in many societies.

Through the research developed with the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), Paul Ekman and his colleagues found that, as opposed to bodily postures and gestures, facial expression of emotion and how others interpret it is __________ in human beings. A) conditioned B) exclusive C) variable D) innate

D) innate FEEDBACK: Ekman and W. V. Friesen carried out a study of an isolated community in New Guinea and found that interpretations of facial expressions of emotion (such as happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, fear, surprise, etc.) are innate in human beings. While they acknowledge that these studies are not conclusive, these findings are supported by the findings of other researchers.

Fixed patterns of behavior that have genetic origins and appear in all normal animals in a given species are A) norms. B) sociobiological. C) indoctrinated. D) instincts.

D) instincts FEEDBACK: Instincts do not have to be learned through socialization, as norms must, but originate in genes to direct behavior on an unconscious level. Although there are some reflexes displayed by all humans, such as babies rooting for a nipple, most sociologists believe that an understanding of human behavior must include a consideration of how human biology and genetics interact with socialization to produce the large variety of behavior displayed by humans across the globe.

The Tea Party, a recent political movement that has drawn a lot of attention due to the sometimes strong antigovernment sentiments it holds, is a good example of a __________ subculture. A) legal B) deviant C) criminal D) political

D) political FEEDBACK: While it is true that some deviant behavior is found in groups of people, not all behaviors we disagree with are deviant.

In the conflict approach to sociology, Marxist sociologists place more emphasis on __________ than many non-Marxist sociologists. A) order B) consensus C) biology D) power

D) power FEEDBACK: Marxist sociologists place more emphasis on conflict, class divisions, power, and ideology than many non-Marxist sociologists, especially those influenced by functionalism. The concept of power and ideology are very important to Marxist sociologists and to sociology in general.

Bullying is a pervasive problem, one that sociologists and psychologists alike have studied in depth. While it has often seemed that bullying is a dyadic process, which happens between two individuals, more recent work has focused on the ways in which larger cohorts play a role. More recent studies have shown that bullying is a group process and that a "ringleader" enlists the aid of helper children to accomplish his or her goal. This is a powerful example of the A) family's role in socialization. B) failure of the school system to adequately protect the weaker child. C) nature of social roles and how they are acquired. D) role of peer groups as socialization agents.

D) role of peer groups as socialization agents FEEDBACK: G. H. Mead observed that young children often develop as social beings by imitating those around them. In the United States, the importance and impact of peer groups is often overlooked but can have significant consequences, as bullying demonstrates. In an effort to fit in, young children will often capitulate to the wishes of a more powerful, and sometimes more admired, member of their peer group

In Japan, teen suicide rates spike each year on September 1, the nation's first day of school. Some sociologists have argued that the combination of peer pressure (bullying) and the intense academic pressure of going back to school contribute to the increased suicide rates among depressed teens in that country. These findings would suggest that A) Japanese teenagers are more emotional and inner-focused than their American counterparts and therefore more subject to suicide. B) sociological analysis is an inadequate tool for helping us describe "personal" troubles. C) bullying is a phenomenon that occurs primarily in the United States; it does not affect teens in other countries. D) sociology can help us understand how the patterns of large numbers of individuals reflect "public issues."

D) sociology can help us understand how the patterns of large numbers of individuals reflect "public issues." FEEDBACK: Sociology helps us to understand and analyze scientifically social phenomena like bullying and suicide. This is what C. Wright Mills was implying when he suggested that sociology allows us to "translate private troubles into public issues." Sociology helps us to recognize that even seemingly personal issues reflect consequences of social structure.