Gender Studies Midterm
In the United States, the lower class consists of: 15% of the population. 25% of the population. 40% of the population. 20% of the population.
15% of the population.
In the United States, the upper class is composed of the highest-earning: 15% of the population. 10% of the population. 20% of the population. 5% of the population.
5% of the population
The National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) passed a resolution that is still in effect today against the adoption of black children by white parents. Which of the following is a reason given by the NABSW for this resolution? There are more than enough white children for white families to adopt. A black child growing up in a white family will never develop a positive racial identity. Whites are intent on destroying the uniqueness of black culture. Whites are taking children from black families that have been spuriously declared unfit.
A black child growing up in a white family will never develop a positive racial identity.
Which of the following statements is true of the human ability to form impressions? A person's ascribed status is something that is voluntarily developed during childhood. Humans avoid making initial assumptions about other humans to save energy. Humans lack the ability classify and categorize people into groups. A person's interchanges with others depend on that person's sex or religion.
A person's interchanges with others depend on that person's sex or religion.
Which of the following is part of the process of socialization? Acquiring culturally appropriate skills and knowledge Disregarding societal expectations Disregarding gender neutralization Acquiring enough money to become middle class
Acquiring culturally appropriate skills and knowledge
Which of the following is an example of someone moving toward multiculturalism? A Mexican immigrant teaching her children Spanish A Mexican immigrant enrolling in English classes All of these An Irish immigrant joining the local St. Patrick's Day parade
All of these
According to structural-functionalism, which of the following is the reason for which inequality is inevitable? Not all tasks associated with all roles are equally pleasant, important, or require equal talent and skills Differential rewards must be allocated for differentially important roles. A variety of social roles must be filled. All of these are correct.
All of these are correct.
Access to education is often derived from one's: ascribed status. observed behavior in a classroom. achieved status. scores on standardized tests.
Ascribed status.
Educational attainment is usually described as: You Answered an ascribed status. a stratified characteristic. an ideal status. an achieved characteristic.
An achieved characteristic
Emily is a black woman with a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering with a high income but little personal or familial wealth. Her social status is: based on both achieved and ascribed criteria. likely to be independent of her race. independent of cultural influences. heavily reliant on the within-group differences in other races.
Based on both achieved and ascribed criteria.
According to the author, which of the following components of identity is least likely to be attributed to innate biological or anatomical traits? Class Sex/gender Race/ethnicity Sexuality
Class
The fact that "New Yorker" can mean Jew and "urban" can mean black is a reflection of: polite euphemisms. where many Jews and Blacks actually live. symbolic representations. code words.
Code words
From an essentialist perspective, people's: racial ambivalence is independent of within-group and between-group differences. definitions and labels can change, but an individual's essence is permanent. idea of what is real and essential is always a product of the culture and historic period in which they live. race and gender can change as long as society's essence is transient.
Definitions and labels can change, but an individual's essence is permanent.
Which of the following was one of the factors that was focused on by psychological and sociological theories in the 1950s and 1960s? Domineering mothers Aggressive fathers Biological inheritance Unrestricted diet
Domineering mothers
Upon getting up in the morning, after using a plethora of scented products in the shower and checking to make sure no body hair is evident, Christina routinely spends the next 20 minutes putting on make-up. About 20 minutes after that, this person attends to an elaborate hairstyle that includes using a curling iron, hairdryer, and special styling products. This person is most likely: expressing gender. disregarding traditional gender roles. displaying her sex. expressing her heterosexuality.
Expressing gender.
Referring to new-born daughters as tiny and soft, while referring to new-born sons as strong and hardy is an example of: gender guidance. dissociative disorder. gender neutralization. parental negligence.
Gender guidance
Researchers do not devote time to ask why people become heterosexual because: heterosexuality is assumed to be normal. talking about sexuality makes people uncomfortable. homosexuality does not exist in nature. within-group differences are insignificant among heterosexuals.
Heterosexuality is assumed to be normal.
Which of the following statements is true of symbols? Symbols bear a necessary connection to nature. Symbols are by definition incapable of evoking emotional responses. Humans concoct them and learn to agree on what they should stand for. Humans create all symbols using reason and logic.
Humans concoct them and learn to agree on what they should stand for.
Which of the following statements is true of immigrants in the United States? Less than half the children who speak Spanish as their first language speak English. Immigrants are making the transition to speaking English more quickly than in the past. Most immigrant groups prefer the use of panethnic labels as it gives them political power. Majority of residents with a foreign-born parent prefer to speak only Spanish at home.
Immigrants are making the transition to speaking English more quickly than in the past.
Paolo is a rich white bisexual man who is divorced with three children. If we analyze his identity based on Newman's prescription, we would highlight his: intersections. denial of the normative ideal. immoral behavior. confusion.
Intersections
The Confederate battle flag is a controversial symbol because it: always expresses racism. is outdated. is historically inaccurate. is an expression of pride in heritage and often an expression of exclusion and threat.
Is an expression of pride in heritage and often an expression of exclusion and threat.
Which of the following statements is true of multiculturalism? It encourages cultural assimilation by moving away from the use of hyphenated ethnoracial identities. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining the cultural elements that make us different from one another. It emphasizes the use of panethnic labels to highlight within-group diversity. It is the process by which members of minority groups alter their ways to conform to those of the dominant culture.
It emphasizes the importance of maintaining the cultural elements that make us different from one another.
Which of the following is a criticism of the "pro-ana" or "pro-mia" movement? It shames thin women and encourages them to binge on food. It glorifies dangerous and potentially life-threatening conditions. It encourages women to take up work in hazardous countries. It shames working mothers and encourages them to stay at home to take care of their children.
It glorifies dangerous and potentially life-threatening conditions
Which of the following statements is true of false consciousness? It is the extent to which within-group differences influence between-group differences. It is the belief that wealth and success are solely the products of structured inequalities in society than the product of individual effort. It is the primary means by which the powerful classes in society prevent protest and revolution. It is the means by which prestige and power are distributed to the middle class.
It is the primary means by which the powerful classes in society prevent protest and revolution.
Which of the following statements is true of assimilation? It is the notion that all ethnoracial qualities are valued equally. It is the process by which members of minority groups alter their ways to conform to those of the dominant culture. It is the process by which members of minority groups emphasize the importance of the cultural elements that give them identity and make them different from others. It is the process by which ethnic groups adopt a hyphenated ethnoracial identity.
It is the process by which members of minority groups alter their ways to conform to those of the dominant culture.
According to the text, in which of the following ways do class and race interact with gender? Upper-middle-class black parents are less likely to socialize their sons and daughters into traditional gender roles than upper-middle-class white parents are. Low-income African American parents often have higher expectations for their sons than for their daughters. Among working-class black parents, traditional gender socialization is more common than among working-class white parents. Low-income African American parents often have higher expectations for their daughters than for their sons.
Low-income African American parents often have higher expectations for their daughters than for their sons.
Minnie is a working-class black lesbian. Her experiences can best be represented if she is understood primarily as representing: poor lesbians. none of the above. Blacks. women.
None of the above.
According to the author, which of the following social identities is the most innate? Ethnicity None of these Class Gender
None of these
Which of the following statements is true of the kinds of information parents seek about their children? Both parents with sons and parents with daughters are equally likely to search about their child's physical attractiveness. Parents with daughters are more likely to search for information about whether their child has above average intelligence. Parents with sons are significantly more likely to submit queries about their child's weight. Parents with sons are more likely to search for information about whether their child is a leader.
Parents with daughters are more likely to search for information about whether their child has above average intelligence.
According to the text, some researchers attribute the fact that men tend to interrupt, are nonresponsive, and control topics of conversation to: the mainstream culture of femininity. the natural submissiveness of women. power imbalances between men and women. the natural dominance of men.
Power imbalances between men and women
During the 1970s and 1980s in South Africa, the government created a category of honorary white for: people who earned an achieved status through interracial marriage. rich, powerful Asians who invested in South Africa. certain random groups which were allowed to claim whiteness on some governmental forms. Whites who granted exceptional status to their non-white slaves.
Rich, powerful Asians who invested in South Africa
Group differences in behaviors or traits tend to be understood in an essentialist way when they are: seen as based on cultural and historical contexts. seen as innate and individual characteristics. understood as having psychological and structural meanings. understood as not existing independently from human ideas.
Seen as innate and individual characteristics.
Children who are adopted by parents of the same race or ethnicity tend to do better than children of color in white homes when it comes to issues of: physical fitness. doing gender. general adjustment. self-esteem.
Self-esteem
The process that creates members whose values, behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions correspond to those deemed by that society as appropriate is called: individuation. socialization. proliferation. canonization.
Socialization
The fact that the Navajo recognize nadle as a third sex, the Tahitians recognize the mahu, and the Lakota recognize the wintke, supports the perspective that sex is: unimportant to all cultures. socially constructed. always connected to gender. an innate biological characteristic.
Socially constructed.
Which of the following statements is true of societies that stratify people on the basis of a caste system? Between-group differences and within-group differences are given equal importance. Socioeconomic status is determined at birth and considered unchangeable. Societal groups are horizontally satisfied. There are no barriers to social mobility.
Socioeconomic status is determined at birth and considered unchangeable.
_____ is a way of examining everyday social life that emphasizes the interplay between societal forces and personal characteristics. Sociorobotics Sociological perspective Sociopathy Sociocritical typography
Sociological Perspective
When systems of difference determine access to resources and life chances, they are said to be associated with: structural-functional systems. fair distribution systems. routinized distribution systems. systems of power and privilege.
Systems of power and privilege.
Which of the following is an example of gender guidance? Giving boys more attentions than girls Giving girls pet names, while not giving pet names to boys Playing with daughters but not with sons Talking about different feelings with daughters than with sons
Talking about different feelings with daughters than with sons
According to the text, moral boundaries between classes consist of assessments of all qualities EXCEPT: work ethic. honesty and integrity. taste. consideration for others.
Taste
The example of the teenager in the film Breaking Away who decides to adopt an Italian identity, but does not do it successfully, demonstrates: that one's ability to create identity depends ultimately on social context and response from others. that the film's character really didn't know anything about being Italian. the impossibility of successfully changing an essential ethnic identity. that one's ability to create identity ultimately depends only on the amount of effort one puts into the process.
That one's ability to create identity depends ultimately on social context and response from others
The quotation, "I am haunted by the human chimpanzees I saw along that hundred miles of horrible country," referred to which racial group in the 19th Century? The Jews The Chinese The Blacks The Irish
The Irish
The effort to replace such terms as "mankind," "freshmen," or "chairman" with "humankind," "first-year student," and "chairperson," respectively, to refer to people of all sexes reflects: the social construction of reality. Correct! the avoidance of exclusive language. the sanitizing of language. media-reinforced femininity.
The avoidance of exclusive language
Groups with significant social power typically have: no trouble dealing with issues such as gender inequality. the luxury of remaining unexamined. race as the pivot around which the rest of their lives circles. the luxury of changing their ascribed status at will.
The luxury of remaining examined.
According to Cornell and Hartman, when growing up and creating our social identities, we learn the boundaries that distinguish group members from nonmembers, whether membership in our group is something to take pride in or be ashamed of, and: the position of our group in a natural hierarchy. the essential character of our group. the perceived position of our group within society. the authentic history of our group.
The perceived position of our group within society
In the United States, although we acknowledge the influence of social surroundings on gender, we only recognize two sexes. This is known as: sexual constructionism. heteronormativity. the sexual dichotomy. sexism.
The sexual dichotomy.
Which of the following statements is true of panethnic labels? They are broad terms applied to diverse subgroups that are assumed to have something in common. They have historically been used by minority groups to label themselves groups for the sake of convenience. They are used to distinguish between the diverse groups of Africans. They are the labels used by government bodies to distinguish between the different Indian tribes.
They are broad terms applied to diverse subgroups that are assumed to have something in common.
When asked to list the traits that characterize Whites, Newman's students: thought about their race in terms of individuality and not in terms of common traits. easily made broad generalizations about Whites. concluded that people of all races have the ability to voluntarily choose their ascribed status. were essentially racist.
Thought about their race in terms of individuality and not in terms of common traits.
Children of color are likely to be exposed to: three types of socialization. four types of socialization. six types of socialization. five types of socialization.
Three types of socialization
According to the conflict perspective, stratification is best described as: vertical differences based on culture. natural horizontal differences between people. natural vertical differences between people. vertical differences arranged for the benefit of those already in power.
Vertical differences arranged for the benefit of those already in power.
In a stratified society, human difference is arranged: horizontally. vertically. by need. by merit.
Vertically.
Which of the following statements is true according to constructionism? People's definitions and labels can change, but an individual's essence is permanent. What humans know to be real and essential is always a product of the culture and historical period in which humans live. Social identifiers are independent of context. Categorical distinctions based on race, gender, class, and sexuality exist independently of human ideas about them.
What humans know to be real and essential is always a product of the culture and historical period in which humans live.
Transgender is a broad label that describes individuals: who change their sex through surgery. whose behavior conforms to conventional gender expectations. whose gender identity doesn't match their assigned sex. who believe in the essentialist view of gender.
Whose gender identity doesn't match their assigned sex.
An example of the process of assimilation would be: an Irish immigrant joining the local St. Patrick's Day parade. an Irish immigrant opening a themed restaurant like Bennigan's. a Mexican immigrant teaching her children Spanish. a Mexican immigrant enrolling in English classes.
a Mexican immigrant enrolling in English classes.
The conflict perspective views social inequality as: a means by which the survival needs of society are met. a necessity for the horizontal stratification of society. a source of social order. a reflection of the unequal distribution of power in society.
a reflection of the unequal distribution of power in society.
The National Association of Black Social Workers passed a resolution against the adoption of black children by white parents unless: the black children will be raised by parents who have an annual income exceeding 200,000 dollars. Correct! all other placement efforts have been exhausted. someone from the black community vouches for the white parents. the white parents are able to answer a series of questions about black culture.
all other placement efforts have been exhausted.
We begin social interactions with preconceived ideas about others because we: 1. are saving energy by not starting from scratch in our impressions of others. 2. tend to prioritize within-group differences over between-group differences. 3. are racist. 4. are seeking to avoid categorizing them for our personal convenience.
are saving energy by not starting from scratch in our impressions of others
Applying slurs to those one knows are not members of the targeted group, such as calling boys and men "ladies" or any other feminine label, is an example of: political sanitization of language. assimilating from an essentialist perspective. panethnic labeling. coercing behavior through symbolic communication.
coercing behavior through symbolic communication.
In Newman's narrative of his friends' twin four-year-olds, he reaches the conclusion that the parents' efforts at gender neutrality were a failure due to: the fact that the twin's enjoyed their gifts. the parents' lack of an appropriate social vacuum. contradicting outside information that eclipsed the parents' messages. the children's inability to process complex information.
contradicting outside information that eclipsed the parents' messages.
According to the text, the work of anthropologist Margaret Mead suggests that: gender difference is rooted in evolutionary biology. definitions of natural gender tendencies are not universal. culture makes no difference with regard to biological influences on gender. gender differences are rooted in biological predispositions.
definitions of natural gender tendencies are not universal.
The extension of federal recognition to a tribal nation is the: process by which it is assigned a panethnic label. process that makes the tribal nation lose its exempt status from state tax laws. formal acknowledgement of the tribe's legal sovereign status. formal process by which members of the tribal nation are employed by the federal government.
formal acknowledgement of the tribe's legal sovereign status.
The fact that a girl can be a tomboy and not have her entire sexual identity called into question, but a boy cannot likewise be a sissy and keep his sexual identity intact, reflects that: feminine characteristics are less useful in society. in a society structured around gender, females have to always stay in the appropriate categories. in a society structured around and for the interests of men, stereotypically masculine traits are likely to be valued culturally and interpersonally. masculine characteristics are less useful in society.
in a society structured around and for the interests of men, stereotypically masculine traits are likely to be valued culturally and interpersonally.
When Newman says that identity is a joint social production, he means that identity is: Correct! influenced by family, peers, and broader cultural concerns. a purposeful and conscious goal. rigid and governed purely by genetic factors. a set of explicit interactions designed to produce societal norms.
influenced by family, peers, and broader cultural concerns.
In the United States, if an American meets another American for the first time and does not hold out his or her hand to be shaken, a sociologist would be most likely to say that he or she: does not possess an ascribed status. prioritizes within-group differences over between-group differences. lacks the human tendency to define, classify, and categorize. lacks knowledge of a common, taken-for-granted assumption of everyday life.
lacks knowledge of a common, taken-for-granted assumption of everyday life.
Among the types of lesbians identified by research cited in the text is one described as women who find themselves involved with another woman and who experience this involvement as a discovery and not a purposeful choice. These women are called: personal lesbians. ideological lesbians. situational lesbians. interpersonal lesbians.
interpersonal lesbians.
Broad conclusions drawn about how family influences gender development must be made with caution because most of the research on the role that parents play in the gender socialization of their children: is not statistically significant. has not been replicated. is based on samples of single-parent poor families. is based on samples of White, middle-class, and two-parent families.
is based on samples of White, middle-class, and two-parent families.
Adopting a "hyphenated" identity is an example of multiculturalism because: it reflects a situational reality. it maintains simultaneous connections to more than one ethnicity. it means that all ethnoracial qualities are valued equally. it represents a stage in the assimilation process.
it maintains simultaneous connections to more than one ethnicity.
The common usage of terms like "female engineer" and "male nurse" demonstrates that: it is important to differentiate between men and women. Occupations take on the symbolic identity of those we expect to be in them. Assimilation ensures that men and women can share power equally. Most occupations use panethnic labeling.
occupations take on the symbolic identity of those we expect to be in them.
Symbols are powerful social constructions because: You Answered our everyday interactions rely sparsely on the use of words as symbols. they bear deep connections to nature. our lives and reality depend upon our knowledge of and agreement on them. they are completely arbitrary, and we can invent them at will.
our lives and reality depend upon our knowledge of and agreement on them.
As a result of the passage of the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994, federally funded agencies have been: allowed to advocate gender-neutral socialization during the placement process. prohibited from allowing couples to adopt transracially. allowed to give tribes special preference in adopting children of Native American heritage. prohibited from considering race and culture in their placement decisions.
prohibited from considering race and culture in their placement decisions.
The usage of code words instead of blatant slurs most likely reflects: shifts in the social stature of particular groups. natural linguistic shifts. the use of unsanitary language. successful self-labeling at the individual level.
shifts in the social stature of particular groups.
In Newman's narrative, when the checker asked Newman's son, "So, what are you going to ask Santa to bring you for Christmas?," she was: signaling her particular religious membership. showing that Christianity has the privilege in everyday discourse not to be named. showing genuine interest in her customers. asking an inappropriately personal question.
showing that Christianity has the privilege in everyday discourse not to be named.
Identities are best characterized as: social locations that determine our position in the world relative to others. categories that disregard our individual opinions. categories ascribed to us by ourselves. primary essences of our natural being.
social locations that determine our position in the world relative to others.
Shifts in the usage of language as well as in reference terms and connotations often parallel changes in the social stature of particular groups. The best example of this is: the existence of the television series "Queer as Folk." the fact that pro-ana movements are sometimes referred to as pro-mia movement that using the word "******" is now detrimental to the political careers of Whites. the existence of Jeff Foxworthy's "Blue Collar TV" comedy series.
that using the word "******" is now detrimental to the political careers of Whites.
In the United States, the official poverty line is determined by: the cost of a subsistence diet multiplied by 6. the cost of a subsistence diet multiplied by 3. the cost of food, housing, and clothing multiplied by 3. the cost of food, housing, clothing, and health care multiplied by 3.
the cost of a subsistence diet multiplied by 3
The tendency of African-American families to emphasize the importance of hard work, independence, and self-reliance equally among sons and daughters is partly due to: great divergence from mainstream understandings of biological predisposition. the historically high proportion of African-American women in the paid labor force. the strength of African-American men. the presence of male-centered households in American culture.
the historically high proportion of African-American women in the paid labor force.
According to structural-functionalism, a Starbucks barista would not need to be heavily rewarded, because even though there seems to be a high demand for take-out coffee: Starbucks workers are not unionized. some people must be low-paid in order for society to function. the position of a barista is easily filled. coffee manufacturers do not make much profit.
the position of a barista is easily filled.
The appearance and disappearance of particular racial labels and categories reflect: the scientific discovery of new races. the formation of new identities through assimilation. the extinction of particular racial groups through intermarriage. the visibility and value of certain groups in society.
the visibility and value of certain groups in society.
When young children make statements like "Doctors are men" and "Nurses are women," they are demonstrating that: they are stating beliefs that will ultimately determine their behavior. they have passively absorbed cultural truths. they only know incorrect stereotypes. they have become gender detectives.
they have become gender detectives.
The fact that red means danger in many cultures most likely demonstrates that: there is some natural property of the color red that signals danger. because red is the color of fire, it is automatically associated with danger. because red is the color of blood, it is automatically associated with danger. those cultures have all learned and understood that red means danger.
those cultures have all learned and understood that red means danger.