Contemporary Social Problem Chapter 1

Cheating on a spouse would be a violation of a a. folkway. b. more. c. value. d. belief.

B

A peace sign is an example of a ______________ a. value. b. belief. c. symbol. d. sanction.

C

"Secondhand smoke harms nonsmokers." This statement is an example of a a. belief. b. value. c. folkway. d. more.

A

Anna is studying whether drug use contributes to lower academic achievement of high school youth. Anna's independent variable is ______________- a. youth. b. drug use. c. high school. d. academic achievement.

B

Being praised by one's neighbors for organizing a neighborhood community surveillance project would be a(n) a. formal positive sanction. b. informal positive sanction. c. formal negative sanction. d. informal negative sanction.

B

Colleges are good places for young adults to meet potential mates. This is an example of a. a manifest function. b. a latent function. c. the sociological imagination. d. a dysfunction.

B

Contemporary Marxist theories point to the main source of social problems as a. the weak social norms of capitalist societies. b. class inequality that is inherent in a capitalistic system. c. social disorganization that exists in both capitalist and communist societies. d. lack of social communication among individuals in society.

B

Folkways, laws, and mores are three types of a. sanctions. b. norms. c. values. d. master statuses.

B

For which method of data collection is it most important to select a representative sample so that the information may be generalized to a larger population? a. an experiment b. a survey c. participant observation d. a case study

B

Having to attend classes, read assignments, take exams, and write papers illustrates the________ of a college student. a. status b. role c. institution d. sanctions

B

Jasmine received a list of questions in the mail. She was asked to answer the questions on paper and return them to a researcher. Jasmine was asked to participate in a. an experiment. b. a questionnaire. c. non-participant observation. d. participant observation.

B

Jeff frequently picks his nose in class. He is violating a __________ a. value. b. folkway. c. more. d. law.

B

Loreli dieted and worked out resulting in significant reduction in size and weight. Which of the following is an informal positive sanction? a. She feels much better about herself than she did before the weight loss. b. Friends tell her she looks great. c. She lost twenty-five pounds. d. She fits into a much smaller size in jeans.

B

Microsociologists, such as W. I. Thomas, believe that human action is influenced mostly by _______ a. the social organization of a social situation. b. definitions of a situation. c. objective inequalities that exist in a situation. d. feelings of alienation that occur from lack of power.

B

Symbolic interactionist Herbert Blumer said that social problems develop in stages. In the ________ a condition is recognized as a social problem by the larger community, such as media, schools, and churches. a. objectification b. social legitimation c. mobilization d. implementation

B

The first stage in conducting a research study is ___________________ a. reviewing the literature. b. formulating a research question. c. formulating a hypothesis. d. defining variables.

B

The major strength of the experimental method is that a. experimental research findings are easily generalized to larger groups in society. b. it provides evidence for causal relationships. c. it is more likely than other methods of data collection to show an association between the variables of interest. d. it is an easy way to collect information on almost all sociological variables.

B

The objective element of a social problem a. Refers to our attitudes about the social conditions. b. Refers to the existence of a social condition. c. Is the only part that can be measured. d. is unimportant.

B

Which element of a social problem refers to the belief that a particular social condition is harmful to society? a. Objective b. Subjective c. operational d. theoretical

B

Which of the following illustrates "corporate violence"? a. contract killings ordered by organized crime b. the lack of action by BP prior to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico despite knowledge of unstable seals c. a fired employee who seeks revenge by murdering his employer and fellow workers d. the terrorist bombing of a U.S. corporation's factory in a foreign country

B

Which of the following is a violation of a more in American society? a. refusing to shake hands with a new acquaintance b. sexual abuse of a child c. eating peas with your fingers d. littering

B

________________ are social agreements about what is considered good and bad, right and wrong desirable and undesirable. a. Norms b. Values c. Roles d. Beliefs

B

Structural-functionalists a. emphasize the feelings of powerlessness of workers in industrialized societies. b. focus on how groups with different interests compete for scarce resources. c. view society as a system of interconnected parts that work together to maintain balance. d. focus on how a person's selfconcept is formed by his or her interaction with others.

C

Which type of status is assigned on the basis of some characteristic or behavior over which the individual has some control? a. ascribed b. elementary c. achieved d. rational

C

__________ are norms that are formalized and backed by political authority. a. Folkways b. Mores c. Laws d. Values

C

A society is in a state of "anomie" when ________________ a. norms are weak or in conflict with each other. b. the major social institutions reinforce the same cultural values. c. there are more secondary groups than primary groups. d. some segments of society have more wealth than others.

A

According to the _____________ , social problems result from breakdown of the family, religious, economic, educational, or political institutions of a society. a. symbolic interactionist perspective b. social pathology model c. Marxist conflict theory d. non-Marxist conflict theory

A

Alienation refers to _______________ a. feelings of powerlessness and meaningless. b. dislike of others who have more than you. c. the intended consequences of social organization. d. contradictory social norms

A

An innercity youth was caught burglarizing houses. Which of the following explanations views the youth's crime as a public issue? a. The youth was unable to find a job because most of the factories had moved out of the inner city. b. The youth dropped out of school because he did not like his teachers c. The youth's mother did not provide adequate supervision because she was more interested in her boyfriend. d. The youth thought burglarizing homes would be an easier way to make money than to work in a job.

A

Gender, self-esteem, crime rates, and religiosity are examples of _______________ a. variables. b. hypotheses. c. operational definitions. d. samples.

A

In research, an operational definition a. specifies how a variable is to be measured. b. explains the relationship between two variables. c. defines the researcher's hypothesis. d. refers to any variable that cannot be measured.

A

Socially defined rules of behavior are _________ a. beliefs. b. values. c. norms. d. sanctions.

C

Which theoretical perspective emphasizes that a condition must be defined or recognized as a social problem in order to be a social problem? a. structural-functionalism b. Marxist conflict theory c. Non-Marxist conflict theory d. Symbolic-Interactionism

D

. Which of the following illustrates a primary group? a. a husband, wife, and child b. your sociology class c. the college or university you are attending d. your hometown

A

Roles a. guide our behavior. b. tell us what is true or false. c. are general ideas about what is important. d. refer to the positions within a social group.

A

Sociologists refer to the position a person holds in a group as his or her a. status. b. folkway. c. institution. d. role.

A

Structural-Functionalist Theories of Social Problems include social pathology and ________ a. social disorganization. b. labeling theory. c. non-Marxist conflict theory. d. social construction of reality.

A

Susan's parents and teachers often bragged about what a smart girl she was, so Susan grew up believing she could learn any subject if she tried hard enough. This phenomenon illustrates ______________ a. looking-glass self. b. alienation. c. a macro perspective. d. anomie.

A

The ______ variable is the variable that is expected to explain change in the dependent variable. a. independent b. dependent c. operational d. theoretical

A

The ___________of society refers to the way society is organized. a. structure b. culture c. ethos c. sociological imagination

A

To reduce the social problem of underage drinking, _________ would recommend a campaign to encourage teenagers to define alcohol consumption as "uncool." a. labeling theory b. social pathology c. social disorganization d. conflict theory

A

Wearing clothes that are in style is an example of a a. folkway. b. more. c. law. d. sanction.

A

Which of the following illustrates part of the social structure of a society? a. the public educational system b. the belief in God c. the value of education d. the belief that abortion should be illegal

A

Which of the following is an ascribed status? a. female b. single parent c. high school graduate d. college professor

A

Which of the following is the best example of a value? a. equality b. being sent to prison c. a cross on a church d. believing that God exists

A

Which of the following social policies is most likely to be advocated by a structural-functionalist? a. cultivate a strong collective sense of right and wrong b. minimize competition c. reduce the impact of labeling d. alter the definition of what is defined as a social problem

A

Which of the following theoretical perspectives reflects microsociology? a. symbolic interactionism b. structural-functionalism c. Marxist conflict d. non-Marxist conflict

A

Which of the following topics is most likely to be the topic of study of a social constructionist? a. why marijuana use, but not alcohol and nicotine use, are illegal b. how rapid social change weakens traditional rules for behavior c. how the economic structure of society determines power differences d. how unequal social classes create conflicts of interest in society

A

Which of the following would NOT be an example of a symbol? a. the word "jacket" b. a nod indicating yes c. a wedding ring d. shivering when you are cold

A

Which research method involves manipulating a variable in order to determine how it affects another variable? a. experiment b. field research c. survey d. secondary data

A

___________ are most likely to see the solution to social problems as solving differences through negotiation or mediation and finding win-win answers. a. Non-Marxist conflict theorists b. Marxist conflict theorists c. Symbolic interactionists d. Structural functionalists

A

A(n) _________ of religiosity could be the number of times respondents report going to church or synagogue in a month or year. a. theory b. operational definition c. hypothesis d. sample

B

According to C. Wright Mills, the __________and the ___________ is the ability to see the connections between our person lives social world. a. functional perspective b. sociological imagination c. ascribed status d. anomie

B

According to Herbert Blumer the first stage of a social problem is a. mobilization for action. b. societal recognition. c. implementation of a plan. d. social legitimation.

B

According to social disorganization theory,______ is an example of the kind of rapid social change that disrupts norms in society. a. a labor strike b. the cultural revolution of the 1960s c. evolution d. the aging of society

B

According to the social disorganization perspective, the solution to social problems __________ a. would be to ensure equality in society. b. lies in slowing the pace of social change and strengthening social norms. c. lies in severely punishing rule breakers and rewarding those who conform. d. would be to change definitions and meanings.

B

Alice wanted to study the effects of a new teaching technique on learning. She randomly divided her student subjects into two groups and used the new teaching technique with just one of the groups. Then she administered an exam to the two groups and compared their grades. Her experimental group was the group who a. got the highest grades. b. was exposed to the new teaching technique. c. was not exposed to the new teaching technique. d. got the lowest grades.

B

A social problem is a social condition that a. interferes with the functioning of society. b. results in conflict among various population segments of a society. c. a segment of society views as harmful to members of society and in need of remedy. d. everyone in a society agrees is problematic for the society.

C

A social theory is ___________ a. a prediction or educated guess about how one variable is related to another. b. the ability to distinguish between "private troubles" and "public issues" and see the connections between the two. c. a set of interrelated ideas designed to answer a question or explain a phenomenon. d. a set of procedures for collecting data about a particular topic.

C

An event or characteristic that is measurable and varies or is subject to change is a(n) a. hypothesis. b. sample. c. variable d. operational definition.

C

Conflict theory is more likely than structural-functionalism or symbolic interactionism to view the cause of social problems as a. rapid social change. b. different interpretations of social roles. c. inequality. d. inadequate socialization.

C

Culture includes all of the following elements EXCEPT a. beliefs b. values c. statuses d. symbols

C

Edward is an African American male, age 26, who married his high school sweetheart after he graduated from college. He is now the father of two children and employed as a chemical engineer. Which of the following is one of Edward's achieved statuses? a. African American b. male c. chemical engineer d. adult

C

Every status is associated with _______many or the set of rights, obligations, and expectations associated with a status a. institutions b. values c. roles b. norms

C

For which data collection method is response rate the major disadvantage? a. experiment b. field research c. questionnaire d. secondary data research

C

Janet receives disapproving looks from strangers for singing loudly while walking down the street. The disapproving looks Janet receives are examples of a. values. b. folkways. c. informal sanctions. d. formal sanctions.

C

Manifest functions are consequences that _______________ a. are negative for most members of a group. b. most members of a group do not recognize. c. are intended and commonly recognized. d. are irrelevant to the good of the group or its members.

C

Max Weber's concept __________implies that, in others' view of reality and the subjective aspects of their experiences, such as symbols, values, and beliefs. a. anomie b. looking-glass self c. verstehen d. alienation

C

Non-Marxist conflict theories focus on social conflict that results from ______________ a. weak norms. b. social disorganization. c. competing values and interests among groups. d. lack of communication among groups.

C

Researchers observe social behavior in the settings in which it occurs naturally when using the ________method of data collection. a. experiment b. questionnaire c. field research d. secondary data analysis

C

Symbolic interactionism emphasizes that __________________ a. societal institutions meet the needs of people in society. b. institutional inequalities cause social problems. c. human behavior is influenced by meanings that are created through social interaction. d. the important symbols of society are distributed unequally.

C

The two general types of conflict theories are Marxist and______________ a. dysfunction analysis. b. social pathology. c. non-Marxist. d. alienation.

C

To study interaction between prison guards and inmates, a sociologist lived at a prison for several months. Only the warden and a few other administrators knew he had not been convicted of a crime. This is an example of ________________ a. secondary data research. b. non-participant observation. c. participant observation. d. an experiment.

C

Which of the following best illustrates the subjective element of a social problem? a. U. S. Census statistics that show the percentage of the United States population who live in poverty. b. Reports that show the percentage of people who have lost their jobs due to the closing of factories in the United States. c. The percentage of Americans who believe availability of child pornography on the Internet is harmful to society. d. World Health Organization estimates of the number of people in the world who have died of the AIDS virus in the last five years

C

Which of the following conclusions BEST illustrates use of the sociological imagination? a. Jody's parents are getting a divorce because they do not love each other anymore. b. Helen is not attending college because her parents do not have enough money to pay her expenses. c. Tony's college failure illustrates problems of innercity children whose schools inadequately prepare them for the rigor of college courses. d. Megan has to request welfare payments because she lost her job.

C

Which of the following illustrates a latent function of a public school? a. the transmission of knowledge b. development of reading and writing skills c. a source of friends and potential mates d. teaching mathematics

C

Which of the following is a major source of alienation in industrial societies, according to Marxist conflict theorists? a. lack of socially shared symbols of communication b. the primary groups to which individuals belong c. limited and repetitive tasks of specialized workers d. lack of effective sanctions in society

C

Which of the following is an aspect of the culture, in contrast to the social structure, of a society? a. institutions b. social groups c. values d. statuses

C

Which of the following is an example of a secondary group? a. a single mother and her children b. a group of friends who work together in a large corporation c. a sociology class at a community college d. the siblings in a family

C

Which of the following is more likely to be found in primary rather than secondary groups? a. task-oriented actions b. impersonal interaction c. intimate relationships d. formal statuses and roles

C

Which of the following social policies is most likely to be advocated by a conflict theorist? a. repair weak institutions b. assure proper socialization c. create an equitable system for the distribution of resources d. reduce the pace of social change

C

Which perspective argues that the division of society into the "haves" and "have-nots" will create social problems? a. functionalist b. interactionist c. conflict d. anomie

C

Which perspective claims our identity or sense of self is shaped by social interaction? a. social disorganization b. social pathology c. symbolic interactionism d. Non-Marxist conflict theory

C

A ___________ is something that represents something else. a. sanction b. more c. folkway d. symbol

D

A method of data collection in which a researcher asks respondents a series of questions and makes written notes or recordings to be analyzed later is called a(n) a. questionnaire. b. experiment. c. secondary data analysis. d. interview.

D

Ernie was caught speeding and given a fine. The fine is an example of a(n) a. value. b. folkway. c. informal sanction. d. formal sanction.

D

Researchers doing research conduct in-depth analyses of a small number of individuals, groups events. a. survey b. experimental c. non-participant observation d. case study

D

Social consequences for conforming to or violating norms are __________ a. values. b. folkways. c. mores. d. sanctions.

D

Society's structure is made up of a. the people who share a culture. b. institutions, social groups, norms, and symbols. c. beliefs, values, norms, and symbols. d. institutions, social groups, statuses, and roles

D

Sociologists define an institution as a. a general idea about what is important or desirable. b. a building where people with special needs live and are cared for c. a collection of people who have something in common. d. an established and enduring social pattern of social relationships

D

Studying white power groups by observing their activities without participating in their activities is considered an example of ______________ a. secondary data b. experimental c. survey d. field research

D

The _________ perspective often questions the origin and evolution of social problems and examines how research, government agencies, and the media influence the public's view of social problems. a. labeling b. social pathology c. social disorganization d. social constructionism

D

The researcher's hypothesis a. identifies a sample to use for the research. b. explains how to measure the variables. c. summarizes the review of literature. d. predicts a relationships between the variables.

D

The sociological imagination allows us to see the connections between private troubles and ______ . a. social institutions b. sociology c. social problems d. public issues

D

Which of the following is NOT one of the five traditional social institutions? a. family b. religion c. politics d. prison

D

Which of the following is a group, according to the definition in your text? a. all of the people in your favorite shopping mall at noon Saturday b. people who usually watch NBC nightly news c. your college sociology class d. fans of the Yankee baseball team

D