Sociology Final Exam

An office has a "coffee fund," an old coffee can where people can toss change anytime they pour a cup of coffee. The fund can be used to buy new coffee for the office when the supply runs out. However, one individual always takes coffee and never puts any money in the fund, making him a:

d. free rider.

Many expectant parents get a sonogram to find out the sex of their baby, and they only start decorating the nursery after learning the sex. This is an example of:

d. gender role socialization.

Which term was used by George Herbert Mead to refer to the child's awareness of the attitudes, viewpoints, and expectations of society as a whole

d. generalized other

Merton's typology of deviance outlines the strain that people experience as they attempt to access cultural goals through legitimate, institutionalized means. Of the following, which category illustrates gangsters and con-artists

d. innovation

Tasks designed to achieve a tangible goal like washing the dishes or taking out the trash are called:

d. instrumental tasks.

What is a term for someone who labels himself "spiritual but not religious"

unchurched

At what age do babies become aware of their own gender

c. Age two

In her ethnography of high school boys titled Dude, You're a Fag, sociologist C. J. Pascoe found that boys often use homophobic slurs toward each other in an effort to define masculinity for themselves and other boys. This is an example of

c. the influence that peers can have as agents of socialization

The term "socialization" refers to:

c. the lifelong process by which people learn the norms, values, and beliefs of their culture.

According to conflict theory, what is the real source of racism

c. the struggle groups have for power and control

Together and in groups, people organize their lives and their social interactions to produce a real and meaningful world. Sociologists can study this because

c. we organize our lives in patterned ways.

How do sociologists define ethnicity

d. a group with a shared ancestry or shared cultural heritage

Patriarchy can be defined as:

d. a society in which women are dominated by men

According to your textbook, what do all religions have in common

d. a system of beliefs and rituals that establish a relationship between the sacred and the profane

A collection of people who happen to be in the same place at the same time, such as all of the people on the same airplane flight, is called a (an)

d. aggregate.

The concept of the looking-glass self explains

d. how we develop a self-concept based on our perceptions of others' judgments of us.

What is one reason that critics might object to school vouchers

They believe vouchers will drain funds from vulnerable public schools and cause them to deteriorate further.

According to the symbolic interactionists Jay Gubrium and Jim Holstein, what form does the family take in contemporary society?

a. "The family" does not exist; rather, family is a fluid, adaptable set of concepts and practices.

A position in a social hierarchy that comes with a set of expectations is called:

a. A status

Bob is on his first date with Mary, whom he really likes. He tries to act in a manner that will cause her to like him, too, and to want to go out with him again. This is an example of

a. impression management.

A simple random sample is defined as a sample:

a. in which every member of the population has a chance of being included.

Groups that we use as standards to evaluate ourselves—either positively, in terms of the qualities we aspire to achieve, or negatively, in terms of the qualities we wish to avoid—are called:

a. reference groups.

According to Karl Marx, the most important factor in social life is a person's:

a. relationship to the means of production.

After formulating a general research question, what will a good researcher always do?

a. review the literature in order to become familiar with earlier research that relates to his topic

A little girl notices that whenever both of her parents are in the car, her father is always driving. From this she deduces that women should be passive and men should be active. This process is called

a. social learning

Periods in which social change happens so rapidly that whole societies are dramatically redefined are called:

a. social revolutions.

Émile Durkheim suggested that in traditional societies, people were bound together through mechanical solidarity. What was the basis of these sorts of bonds?

b. Shared traditions and similar experiences

What do functionalists generally believe to be true about gender

b. Some social roles are better suited to one gender than the other.

What school of social theory believes that society is a stable system of structures, each of which contributes to the equilibrium of the whole? a. Symbolic interactionism b. Structural functionalism c. Conflict theory d. Dramaturgy

b. Structural functionalism

According to the sociological explanation of emotions, which of the following statements about grief is true?

b. The experience of grief is universal, but expressions of grief are cultural.

According to the structural strain theory of deviance as articulated by Robert Merton, what is one of the principal reasons people turn to deviant behavior in the United States

b. The goal of success is shared by a majority of people, but not everyone has equal means for achieving that goal.

The names given to positions of power and authority, like "chairman" and "policeman," often emphasize the male gender. Why does this matter?

b. The names imply that one gender is more suited for a particular job than the other.

What are the positive consequences of racial and ethnic categories

b. They create a sense of identity and lead to feelings of solidarity.

Which of the following is an advantage of using interviews as a research method?

b. They reveal attitudes and beliefs not accessible by any other means.

Which of the following is one of the goals of socialization

b. To teach norms, values, and beliefs

How is culture transmitted and internalized? a. It is human nature to accept one's own culture as superior. b. We learn values and beliefs slowly and incrementally. c. Values and beliefs are only taught in school. d. We are born with these values and beliefs.

b. We learn values and beliefs slowly and incrementally.

Which of the following is an example of how the hidden curriculum can reinforce inequality?

b. While curriculum may recognize and celebrate diversity, most professors and administrators are white and heterosexual.

Anna's father tried a low-carb diet for a while, but stopped when he became aware of a new diet called "paleo." This is an example of:

b. a fad.

A high school football player watches their favorite professional football team with great admiration. These football players could be considered: c. a focus group. b. a reference group

b. a reference group

What did Robert Merton call a prediction that came true only because the prediction was made

b. a self-fulfilling prophecy

A sociologist uses a survey to study the attitudes of adults in the United States concerning premarital sex among teenagers. In this study, the target population consists of all ________ and the group that is asked the survey questions is called the ________.

b. adults in the United States; sample

A sociologist uses a survey to study the attitudes of adults in the United States concerning premarital sex among teenagers. In this study, the target population consists of all ________ and the group that is asked the survey questions is called the ________. c. teenagers in the United States; reference group b. adults in the United States; sample

b. adults in the United States; sample

If you decided that you could never get into a good school and therefore could never get a good job, you might decide to sell crack cocaine instead as a way to make a living. According to Robert Merton, what sort of deviant would you be

b. an innovator

Lili is conducting a sociological research study on the underground music scene. She has just finished collecting data for the study. What is the next step Lili should take in the scientific method?

b. analyze data

Poverty can be defined in either relative or absolute terms. How does absolute deprivation measure poverty

b. by considering access to food, shelter, clothing, and medical care

What do sociologists call awareness of our own and others' class statuses?

b. class consciousness

Which of the following factors makes someone most likely to drop out of high school?

b. coming from a non-English-speaking background

The famous anthropologist Margaret Mead said that the United States of America is the best place to raise a female child. Her assertion is an example of:

b. ethnocentrism.

The sense of solidarity, or team spirit, that an individual feels toward her group is called

b. group cohesion.

The Solomon Asch experiment, in which groups of participants were asked to compare the lengths of lines, demonstrated that

b. groups have great power to induce conformity.

How do observers determine someone's socioeconomic status when meeting him or her for the first time?

b. his or her speech and gestures

White privilege is the idea that one group (whites) in society enjoys certain unearned privileges and that group members are:

b. largely unaware of the unequal benefits they possess.

Which of the following is a form of stratification in which all positions are awarded on the basis of merit

b. meritocracy

Which of the following research techniques focuses on gaining an insider's perspective of the everyday lives of subjects under investigation, often dispelling stereotypes about the group being investigated?

b. participant observation

Which of the following is an example of discrimination

b. refusing to sell someone a house in a particular neighborhood because of his or her race

Systems and structures that persist over time and help organize group life are called

b. social institutions.

The analysis of Isabelle and Genie is important because it emphasizes the relevance of

b. social interaction in human development.

The fact that school schedules are organized around Christmas is evidence:

b. that the United States is not a totally secular society.

Unlike a folkway, a more is closely related to

b. the core values of a group.

According to one study, in Pennsylvania, black defendants on trial for murder were 40 percent more likely to receive the death penalty than whites convicted of similar crimes. This indicates that

b. the criminal justice system has a racial bias.

Allison is playing on a city soccer league and passes the ball to Erika, who appears to have a scoring opportunity. Allison's pass suggests that she is aware of her role as a member of a team and that she is now in which stage of development, according to George Herbert Mead

b. the game stage

Charles Horton Cooley is responsible for developing the concept of

b. the looking-glass self.

What is it called when individuals must care for both their own children and their elderly parents?

b. the sandwich generation effect

Arlie Hochschild's study of two-income families found that women were much more likely than men to do the majority of the unpaid labor inside the home even after a full day's work outside the home. What term do sociologists use to describe this extra labor?

b. the second shift

According to conflict theory, what is the real source of racism?

b. the struggle groups have for power and contro

According to the text, what are the major factors involved in forming relationships and selecting mates?

b. the tendency to choose mates who are similar in class, race, ethnicity, and age

According to conflict theory, how does the nuclear family facilitate exploitation?

b. through a sexual division of labor within the home

Which of the following would sociologists consider the best definition of deviance

b. violations of social norms

Feminist theory has contributed to our understanding of gender by supporting the claim that:

b. women continue to have unequal positions in society, as reflected in the ways their contributions have been written out of history books.

Which type of group is characterized by long-term, intimate, face-to-face relationships

c. A primary group

Which kind of norm is so deeply ingrained that the very thought of breaking it brings feelings of disgust or horror? a. A more b. A folkway c. A taboo d. A federal law

c. A taboo

According to conflict theory, why are women's contributions to family life devalued?

c. As a social group, men benefit from maintaining their dominant status.

How is a subculture different from a counterculture?

c. Both are distinct from mainstream culture, but a counterculture actively opposes important aspects of the mainstream.

Sociology can be approached from both a microsociological and a macrosociological perspective. Which is more useful?

c. Both are useful in different ways, because they each provide different types of information about the same object of study.

From an interactionist perspective, what is the most important way that schools socialize children into their gender identities

c. Through interactions between teachers and students

Which of the following is an advantage cited by supporters of school vouchers

c. Vouchers give more choices to parents for their children's education.

The dramaturgical approach is

c. a view of social interaction in which people are seen as theatrical performers.

The Farm is a living arrangement located in the state of Tennessee where residents share all of their resources, such as living space and income. This is called:

c. an intentional community.

Émile Durkheim worried that in an increasingly fragmented modern world, individuals would feel less and less connected to groups, which would lead to

c. anomie, or normlessness.

What is a political system called that denies ordinary people participation or representation in their government?

c. authoritarian

Because laws represent the interests of those in power, crimes committed by the upper classes are typically treated more leniently than crimes committed by the lower classes. This argument is consistent with

c. conflict theory.

What theory of collective behavior would suggest that when crowds come together a "mob mentality" takes over and rational thought disappears?

c. contagion theory

The idea that individuals learn to be deviant by interacting with others who are already deviant is called

c. differential association theory.

The values, norms, and practices of the most powerful group within a society are called:

c. dominant culture.

The deliberate and systematic extermination of a racial, ethnic, or national group is called

c. genocide.

The "bureaucratization" stage of a social movement:

c. happened when American colonists transitioned from being revolutionaries to the official government leaders.

Social mobility that occurs over the course of an individual's lifetime is called ________ mobility

c. intergenerational

White privilege is the idea that one group (whites) in society enjoys certain unearned privileges and that group members are

c. largely unaware of the unequal benefits they possess.

A closed-ended question is one that:

c. limits the possible responses.

Designer labels on purses and athletic logos on shirts are both examples of:

c. material culture.

Designer labels on purses and athletic logos on shirts are both examples of: a. values. b. cultural essentials. c. material culture. d. counterculture.

c. material culture.

What kind of question usually produces a wide variety of responses by allowing respondents to answer in whatever way seems appropriate to them

c. open-ended

Which of the following variables have the greatest impact on crime rates

c. population density and anomie

Robert is walking down the street late at night when a man in a ski mask suddenly sticks a gun in his face and takes his wallet. Sociologists would say that Robert's mugger had ________ but not ________.

c. power; authority

If you observe a group in order to determine its norms, values, rules, and meanings, then what kind of research are you doing?

c. qualitative

A set of beliefs about the superiority of one racial or ethnic group compared to another is

c. racism.

A set of beliefs about the superiority of one racial or ethnic group compared to another is:

c. racism.

A society that separates church and state is a ________ society.

c. secular

In Japan, some are worried about the effect that the rise in one-child families is having on the foundation of Japanese society. On what sort of theoretical perspective on the family is this concern based?

c. structural functionalist

The nature vs. nurture debate helps us understand:

c. the complex interaction between hereditary traits and social learning.

How do many people hope that the Internet will have a democratic influence on society

d. In online interactions, there is no way to see what other people look like.

Which of the following statements best characterizes microsociology? a. It is an approach that examines institutional interactions that occur over time. b. It is an approach that focuses exclusively on gender and power as they are enacted socially. c. It is an approach that quantifies data about social structures so that they can be analyzed statistically. d. It is an approach that examines interactions between individuals and the ways those interactions reflect larger patterns within a society.

d. It is an approach that examines interactions between individuals and the ways those interactions reflect larger patterns within a society.

What term did the sociologist George Ritzer use to describe the spread of rationalization and bureaucratic ways of operating into everyday life

d. McDonaldization

How is prejudice different from discrimination?

d. Prejudice is an attitude; discrimination is an action.

What are some examples of things students learn from a school's hidden curriculum

d. Punctuality, neatness, and discipline

A traffic cop pulls over a speeder, only to discover that the driver is a close friend. The police officer is torn, because her professional obligations demand that she punish the speeder but her personal obligations suggest that she should give a friend a break. This is an example of

d. Role conflict

Which of the following phenomena is a reason why group efficiency declines as groups increase in size?

d. Social loafing

What do functionalists generally believe to be true about gender?

d. Some social roles are better suited to one gender than the other.

Which social theory focuses on micro-level interactions? a. Structural functionalism b. Pragmatism c. Conflict theory d. Symbolic interactionis

d. Symbolic interactionis

Which of the following is an aggregate?

d. The audience at a Broadway show

The sociologist Joseph Conti studied the World Trade Organization as a social network. According to Conti, how is power measured within this type of social network?

d. The most powerful members are those who have the most connections to other members.

The names given to positions of power and authority, like "chairman" and "policeman," often emphasize the male gender. Why does this matter

d. The names imply that one gender is more suited for a particular job than the other.

What was the Asch experiment measuring

d. The power of peer pressure

Which is true of social mobility in a caste system?

d. There is little or no chance of social mobility.

What is the relationship between social class and race, ethnicity, gender, and age in the United States today

d. These multiple dimensions of status and inequality intersect to shape who we are and how we live—a concept known as intersectionality.

Why don't girls, who tend to get better grades than boys, translate their advantage into material success after graduation?

d. They are typically credited for hard work rather than intellectual ability.

How do we decide when to display situational ethnicity

d. We do a cost-benefit analysis.

What is realistic about "Cinderella stories" like the film Pretty Woman

d. When class boundaries are crossed, women usually marry up, while men marry down.

How do sociologists define race

d. a social category based on real or perceived biological differences

A group is organizing to change cultural "codes" related to substance addiction. What would we call this group?

d. a social movement

How would a sociologist define "family"?

d. an interdependent social group bound by legal, biological, or emotional ties

According to the symbolic interactionist George Herbert Mead, the generalized other is:

d. an understanding of the rules that govern a network of different players in related roles.

What sorts of jobs are usually available to members of the lower-middle class

d. blue collar jobs, or manual labor

How could new technologies like the Internet decrease the importance of propinquity in mate selection, while preserving or even increasing the importance of homogamy?

d. by bringing people together from all over the world based on very similar interests or backgrounds

Sociologists observe society:

d. by studying the various parts of a society, and the ways they interact and influence each other

Unmarried adults who are romantically involved and live together under the same roof are participating in:

d. cohabitation.

Which of the following factors makes someone most likely to drop out of high school

d. coming from a non-English-speaking background

If a sociologist watches a lot of television and counts the number of times women play roles with lower status than those played by men, what research method is he using?

d. content analysis

If an individual takes adult education classes, attends lectures and concerts, or travels to Europe, what might he or she be trying to gain more of?

d. cultural capital

According to Karl Marx, what social relations matter most in a capitalist system?

d. economic relations

Approximately what percentage of the United States population falls below the federal poverty line?

c. 15 percent

The fact that so many people are asked, "What are you

" in reference to their race is evidence that? a. race must be established interactionally.

A triad is a (an)

b. group with three members.

Which of the following health disorders occurs more often in women than in men

d. Depression

When a parent has to decide between being on time for work or helping his child with a homework assignment, he is experiencing

b. Role conflict

How do most sociologists differentiate between sex and gender?

b. Sex is biological; gender is social.

When a large number of people either collectively or individually engage in similar behaviors, sociologists call it:

Mass Behavior

What is the main reason abusive partners resort to domestic abuse?

c. They desire power over their victims.

A research study examined how teachers at community colleges handled retirement. The study found that the unique culture of such institutions had a significant effect on how retirees coped with their new situation. Which of the following could be the title of a paper written about this study?

a. "The Role-Exit Process of Community College Faculty: A Study of Faculty Retirement"

Sociology can be defined as the systematic and scientific study of human society and social behavior. Given this definition, which of the following levels of social structure best describes what sociologists might examine?

a. Almost any level—from interactions between two people to large-scale institutions

How is a subculture different from a counterculture? a. Both are distinct from mainstream culture, but a counterculture actively opposes important aspects of the mainstream. b. Members of a subculture actively protest and fight to change society, whereas members of a counterculture drop out of society. c. Subcultures are not culturally distinct from the mainstream; they just occupy a particular geographic area. d. Both are distinct from mainstream culture, but only members of a subculture actively oppose important aspects of mainstream culture.

a. Both are distinct from mainstream culture, but a counterculture actively opposes important aspects of the mainstream.

Which of the following is an example of how teachers treat boys and girls differently in a classroom setting

a. Boys are more likely than girls to be punished for misbehaving.

The definition of what constitutes a group is being transformed as a result of new technology and the Digital Revolution. Which of the following is evidence of this?

a. Chat rooms

According to the theoretical position developed by Karl Marx, what is the engine of social change? a. Conflict between social groups b. Shared moral value c. Exploration beyond the boundaries of a given society d. Development of tech

a. Conflict between social groups

Today it is possible to travel all over the world, especially if you visit major metropolitan areas, without ever having to eat anything but McDonald's food. This is an example of

a. Cultural leveling

What is the definition of "culture"

a. Culture is the entire way of life of a group of people, and it acts as a lens through which we view the world.

What is the definition of "culture"? a. Culture is the entire way of life of a group of people, and it acts as a lens through which we view the world. b. Culture is the principle of evaluating another group or individual as abnormal or inferior. c. Culture is limited to rules or guidelines about what kind of behavior is acceptable and appropriate within a particular situation. d. Culture is reactions to ways people follow or disobey norms in society.

a. Culture is the entire way of life of a group of people, and it acts as a lens through which we view the world.

Clashes over values in the United States, especially as represented by liberals and conservatives in the mass media, have been termed: a. Culture wars b. Value contradictions c. Symbolic disagreements d. Partisan politics

a. Culture wars

Which of the following strategies could be used as a way to minimize social loafing

a. Finding ways to recognize individual effort

A person's self-conception of being male or female based on his or her association with masculine or feminine gender roles can be defined as

a. Gender identity

What is the sociological term for signs people make with their bodies

a. Gestures

What was Sigmund Freud's greatest contribution to the understanding of the self?

a. His theory of the unconscious mind

Regardless of their various approaches to social phenomena, what are all sociologists trying to do?

a. Illuminate the connection between the individual and society

American ideology focuses on the importance of marriage and family values and assumes that the family is at the center of almost everyone's life. How does this compare to the way people really live? d. Family values remain very important, but many more people are choosing not to get married than did so in the past. a. Increasingly, both marriage and the family are less central to the lives of average Americans.

a. Increasingly, both marriage and the family are less central to the lives of average Americans.

The perspective in sociology that is concerned with how gender is constructed and maintained in our everyday lives is known as

a. Interactionism

Which statement about groupthink is true

a. It can cause the members of a group to reach faulty decisions.

What is the danger of too much group cohesion

a. It can lead to groupthink, in which dissenting opinions are strongly discouraged.

Why would culture shock be a useful state of mind for a sociologist

a. It makes us realize that we lack an understanding of our surroundings, so we are truly able to perceive what is right in front of us.

Which of the following statements best describes the approach taken by macrosociologists

a. Macrosociology examines large-scale social structure to see how it affects individual lives.

According to Robert Merton, which of these statements about manifest functions is true?

a. Manifest functions are intended and obvious.

What makes the just-world hypothesis psychologically appealing to the average person

a. Most people have a strong need to believe that the world is orderly, predictable, and fair.

Durkheim theorized that the rapidly changing conditions of modern life lead to anomie. What is anomie? a. Normlessness, or a loss of connections to the social world b. A kind of social solidarity based on interdependence c. Anger and disillusionment with progress d. The transfer of destructive urges to socially useful activities

a. Normlessness, or a loss of connections to the social world

Greg J. Duncan and a team of researchers analyzed the effect of parental income on the academic achievement of children. Given what you have read about socioeconomic status and life chances, what do you think Duncan found

a. Parental income is strongly correlated with academic achievement, especially in low-income families.

When individuals are members of groups, they are influenced by other members. What do sociologists call this

a. Peer pressure

What do sociologists call the norms and values that people actually follow, as opposed to the norms and values that people believe should be followed

b. Real culture

Milgram's study demonstrated that: c. Destructive obedience is rare; most people will not engage in it. a. People will obey commands to harm another person when they believe they are in a legitimate setting.

a. People will obey commands to harm another person when they believe they are in a legitimate setting.

What explanation does functionalism have for prejudice and discrimination today

a. Prejudice and discrimination help to increase group cohesion.

Which of the following phenomena is a reason why group efficiency declines as groups increase in size

a. Social loafing

Why do men usually make more money than women

a. Socially constructed categories of employment lead to larger numbers of men than women in many lucrative jobs.

What is the sociological imagination? a. The ability to understand the connections between biography and history, or the interplay of the self and the world b. A particular way of understanding the criminal mind, such as that of a serial killer c. A property of society that ensures that people remain ignorant of the connections between their lives and social change d. The sociological approach that assumes that individual decisions and interactions are independent of larger social institutions

a. The ability to understand the connections between biography and history, or the interplay of the self and the world

Which of the following agents of socialization has the most enduring, lifelong impact on the individual

a. The family

Which of the following agents of socialization has the most enduring, lifelong impact on the individual? d. School a. The family

a. The family

If someone has no way to make money but to sell his own labor, then he must be a member of what social group?

a. The proletariat

Why don't girls, who tend to get better grades than boys, translate their advantage into material success after graduation

a. They are typically credited for hard work rather than intellectual ability.

What are the positive consequences of racial and ethnic categories?

a. They create a sense of identity and lead to feelings of solidarity.

What is one reason the poor might participate less in social movements compared to college students with adequate financial support?

a. They may have to work multiple jobs, leaving little energy left for activism.

Which of the following statements about secondary groups is true?

a. They tend to be based on specific roles or activities.

Why do ethnocentric people tend to view other cultures as abnormal? a. They use their own culture as a standard of judgment. b. They are practicing cultural relativism. c. They understand other values and beliefs within the proper cultural context. d. They are part of a counterculture.

a. They use their own culture as a standard of judgment.

How do sociologists define ethnicity? c. people who share a common physical characteristic a. a group with a shared ancestry or shared cultural heritage

a. a group with a shared ancestry or shared cultural heritage

How do sociologists define race?

a. a social category based on real or perceived biological differences

Patriarchy can be defined as

a. a society in which women are dominated by men

Ascribed statuses may be based on an individual's

a. all of these

Which of the following is an example of a prejudice

a. believing that Asians are better at math

Which of the following is an example of a prejudice?

a. believing that Asians are better at math

If a researcher allows his own values and opinions to affect his analysis, he is guilty of:

a. bias.

According to Garrett Hardin, how can social dilemmas be solved?

a. by changing the behaviors of the people involved

Until it was canceled due to safety concerns in 2009, thousands of UCLA students used to gather several times a year for an "undie run" as a way of relieving stress during finals. What is this an example of?

a. collective behavior

According to a recent study, what percentage of the American population makes up the power elite

a. considerably less than 1 percent

Traditionally, most of the sociological literature on deviance focuses on

a. crime.

The spread of beliefs and practices from one cultural group to another is called:

a. cultural diffusion.

You are conducting research on violence in the media. If you are trying to decide whether "violence" includes words as well as actions, in what part of the research process are you engaged?

a. defining the variables

Why are there differences in life expectancies for people of different races

a. disparities in access to health care

What is the central means by which modern society transmits knowledge, values, and expectations to its members?

a. education

Until recently, South Korea had laws in place banning marriage between people who belonged to the same clan. This means that they practiced:

a. exogamy.

When individuals fail to see the ways they are oppressed by the social system in which they live, Karl Marx calls it

a. false consciousness.

According to the scientific method, what are the steps in research, and in what order should they be completed?

a. form a hypothesis, define variables, choose research method, collect data

Religious groups that emphasize literal interpretation of sacred texts are called:

a. fundamentalist.

Many expectant parents get a sonogram to find out the sex of their baby, and they only start decorating the nursery after learning the sex. This is an example of

a. gender role socialization.

Sociologists often point out that systems of stratification in the United States systematically favor white men. Sometimes people contest this, pointing to wealthy and powerful black women like Oprah Winfrey or Toni Morrison. A valid counterpoint to this argument is that:

a. stratification is a characteristic of a society rather than a reflection of individual differences.

According to the text, which of the following has the effect of making poverty socially "invisible"

a. the use of law enforcement to move the homeless away from visible locations

Role conflict occurs when:

a. we have multiple roles that are in conflict with each other.

The term that refers to the legitimate use of power is called

authority

Approximately what percentage of the United States population falls below the federal poverty line

b. 15 percent

In her introduction to a paper about gender, the sociologist Rae Blumberg said that the central principle behind gender in our society is "remember the golden rule: he who has the gold makes the rules." What kind of theorist is Blumberg

b. A conflict theorist

How do sociologists distinguish a group from a crowd?

b. A crowd doesn't necessarily feel a shared identity.

Which of the following is an example of a total institution

b. A prison

A position in a social hierarchy that comes with a set of expectations is called

b. A status

Which kind of norm is so deeply ingrained that the very thought of breaking it brings feelings of disgust or horror

b. A taboo

In Émile Durkheim's study Suicide, he reported that suicide rates went up when the economy slumped but they also increased when the economy boomed. Which of Durkheim's concepts explains why both positive and negative economic conditions could increase suicide rates?

b. Anomie

Which racial group has the highest median income

b. Asian Americans

Which of the following is an example of something that would be part of a person's symbolic culture

b. Belonging to a political party

How are norms enforced in everyday settings?

b. By sanctions

What kind of power is exhibited by a police officer who pulls over a suspect after a high-speed pursuit?

b. Coercive power

The ability to understand another culture in terms of that culture's own norms and values, without reference to any other culture's standards, is called:

b. Cultural relativism

A person's self-conception of being male or female based on his or her association with masculine or feminine gender roles can be defined as:

b. Gender identity

Which of the following is one of the basic principles of social stratification

b. It is maintained through beliefs that are widely shared in a society.

Which of the following is one of the basic principles of social stratification?

b. It is maintained through beliefs that are widely shared in a society.

In what way is the family responsible for the reproduction of society?

b. It produces and socializes children.

According to relative deprivation theory, why do people join social movements?

b. Joining a social movement is a rational response to inequality or oppression.

Which of the following statements reflects the best understanding of the nature vs. nurture debate?

b. Nature and nurture are not opposing forces, but they constantly modify each other as part of a larger interactive process.

Durkheim theorized that the rapidly changing conditions of modern life lead to anomie. What is anomie?

b. Normlessness, or a loss of connections to the social world

Durkheim theorized that the rapidly changing conditions of modern life lead to anomie. What is anomie? a. The transfer of destructive urges to socially useful activities b. Normlessness, or a loss of connections to the social world c. Anger and disillusionment with progress d. A kind of social solidarity based on interdependence

b. Normlessness, or a loss of connections to the social world

When individuals are members of groups, they are influenced by other members. What do sociologists call this?

b. Peer pressure

Sociology can be approached from both a microsociological and a macrosociological perspective. Which is more useful? a. The macrosociological perspective is more useful, because it explains how large-scale social institutions influence individuals. b. The microsociological perspective is more useful, because it explains how individuals shape and create large-scale social institutions. c. Both are useful in different ways, because they each provide different types of information about the same object of study. d. Both are useful in different ways, because any study that uses only one or the other will be unable to explain anything useful about society.

c. Both are useful in different ways, because they each provide different types of information about the same object of study.

Which of the following is an example of how teachers treat boys and girls differently in a classroom setting?

c. Boys are more likely than girls to be punished for misbehaving.

The ability to understand another culture in terms of that culture's own norms and values, without reference to any other culture's standards, is called: a. Cultural lag b. Variability c. Cultural relativism d. Ethnocentrism

c. Cultural relativism

Clashes over values in the United States, especially as represented by liberals and conservatives in the mass media, have been termed:

c. Culture wars

Which of the following describes how deviance can be explained from the functionalist perspective

c. Deviance clarifies moral boundaries and affirms norms.

What does a sociological perspective tell us about education in the United States?

c. Educational success often has as much to do with social stratification as it does with individual ability.

The term "significant others" is: b. George Herbert Mead's term for altering the presentation of the self in order to create distinctive appearances and satisfy particular audiences. c. George Herbert Mead's term for those individuals who are most important in the development of the self

c. George Herbert Mead's term for those individuals who are most important in the development of the self.

What do sociologists call patterns of interaction between groups and individuals?

c. Group dynamics

Which social scientist studied rhesus monkeys in order to illustrate the importantce of socialization and social interaction for healthy development

c. Harry Harlow

What is the strongest type of conformity that can occur as a result of social influence or peer pressure

c. Internalization

How does colorblindness contribute to racial inequalities

c. It perpetuates racial inequalities by making subtle forms of racism difficult to recognize and therefore difficult to address.

From a structural functionalist perspective, religion fulfills what role in society?

c. It provides its adherents with a set of values, norms, and rules by which to live.

What is the principal sociological critique of the culture of poverty

c. It tends to blame the victims of poverty for their own misfortunes, while ignoring the structural causes of inequality.

A majority of Americans believe that poverty is a big problem, but addressing it is NOT a priority for most. Why NOT? a. Many people hope that the government will fix the problem. c. Many people believe that poor people simply do not try hard enough.

c. Many people believe that poor people simply do not try hard enough.

Which term describes a policy of honoring diverse racial, ethnic, religious, linguistic, and national backgrounds

c. Multiculturalism

What do sociologists call informal rules and guidelines for behavior that is considered acceptable within a group

c. Norms

How is prejudice different from discrimination

c. Prejudice is an attitude; discrimination is an action.

Which of the following is a DISADVANTAGE of using existing sources of data for research?

c. Researchers often seek answers to questions the data does not directly address.

How do most sociologists differentiate between sex and gender

c. Sex is biological; gender is social.

Which of the following theories views society as a whole unit, made up of interrelated parts that work together

c. Structural functionalism

Which of the following theories focuses on how our behaviors are dependent on the ways we interpret, make sense of, and define ourselves, others, and social situations

c. Symbolic interactionism

What is the sociological imagination

c. The ability to understand the connections between biography and history, or the interplay of the self and the world

What is the sociological imagination? a. A property of society that ensures that people remain ignorant of the connections between their lives and social change b. The sociological approach that assumes that individual decisions and interactions are independent of larger social institutions c. The ability to understand the connections between biography and history, or the interplay of the self and the world d. A particular way of understanding the criminal mind, such as that of a serial killer

c. The ability to understand the connections between biography and history, or the interplay of the self and the world

If an upper-middle-class, white college student is sentenced to rehab for the same drug crime that a lower-class, black man is sentenced to jail for committing, what might a conflict theorist conclude about deviance

c. The rules are applied unequally, and those with power or influence are punished much less harshly.

One reason women are more likely than men to live in poverty is the expense of child care. How do sociologists explain the relationship between poverty rates and child care costs

c. There are more single women who have sole financial responsibility for their children than single men.

Which is true of social mobility in a caste system

c. There is little or no chance of social mobility.

What is the link between feminist theory and conflict theory

c. They both seek to not only understand inequality but also to remedy it.

Together and in groups, people organize their lives and their social interactions to produce a real and meaningful world. Sociologists can study this because: a. we often assign characteristics to an entire group of people based on experience with a single member of that group. b. they are interested in all aspects of human psychology. c. we organize our lives in patterned ways. d. sociology understands the importance of human psychology.

c. we organize our lives in patterned ways.

According to Chapter 7, what general predictions can sociologists make about a person's life prospects if all that is known is the person's social class

c. what quality of education he or she will receive

Under what circumstances are parents more likely to have joint custody of their children after a divorce?

c. when they are nonwhite

Feminist theory has contributed to our understanding of gender by supporting the claim that

c. women continue to have unequal positions in society, as reflected in the ways their contributions have been written out of history books.

The upper class makes up just 1 percent of the total U.S. population, but its total net worth is greater than that of ________ of the rest of the population

d. 99 percent

Recent research by the Pew Research Center on attitudes about the government's responsibility to help those in poverty revealed

d. Americans are largely divided on this issue, with those favoring government aid for those in poverty decreasing.

Some people believe that women are better suited to be homemakers because they are naturally more caring and emotional than men. What perspective is being expressed in this statement

d. An essentialist perspective

According to conflict theory, why are women's contributions to family life devalued

d. As a social group, men benefit from maintaining their dominant status.

Which of the following is an example of something that would be part of a person's symbolic culture? a. A Rembrandt painting b. Imported French wine c. Navajo jewelry d. Belonging to a political party

d. Belonging to a political party

How are norms enforced in everyday settings? a. By multiculturalism b. By culture wars c. By signs d. By sanctions

d. By sanctions

What did Karl Marx think the lower classes needed to develop in order to end their oppression

d. Class consciousness

According to the theoretical position developed by Karl Marx, what is the engine of social change?

d. Conflict between social groups

The Bell Curve by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray generated an enormous amount of controversy when it first came out, largely because it suggested that racial differences in IQ scores were due to genetically driven differences in intelligence and argued that "both genes and the environment have something to do with racial differences." For those who disagreed, this seemed like a very familiar argument, because

d. racist beliefs are often rooted in the assumption that differences between groups are genetic.

When we compare the salaries of the worst-paid members of a corporation with the salary of the CEO, what sort of measure of poverty are we using?

d. relative deprivation

When African Americans joined a protest movement because it was harder for them to vote than it was for white Americans, they were acting out of:

d. relative deprivation.

The transformation of culture over time is called:

d. social change.

What do sociologists call behaviors that are rational for any given individual but that lead to disaster for an entire group?

d. social dilemmas

Organizations formed expressly to raise and spend money in order to influence elected officials are called:

d. special interest groups.

What school of social thought insists that all social structures, including systems of stratification, are built out of everyday interactions

d. symbolic interactionism

According to one study, in Pennsylvania, black defendants on trial for murder were 40 percent more likely to receive the death penalty than whites convicted of similar crimes. This indicates that:

d. the criminal justice system has a racial bias.

Any time a social researcher is going to use sampling, he or she must first identify his or her target population. What is this target population?

d. the larger group of people about whom he or she wishes to generalize

The term "socialization" refers to

d. the lifelong process by which people learn the norms, values, and beliefs of their culture.

Which of the following seems to make people in general more likely to define a group as a family? According to the symbolic interactionists Jay Gubrium and Jim Holstein, what form does the family take in contemporary society? a. "The family" does not exist; rather, family is a fluid, adaptable set of concepts and practices.

d. the presence of children

What is the scientific method?

d. the standard procedure for acquiring and verifying empirical knowledge

The idea of the American Dream is most closely related to which of the following

d. vertical mobility

You are doing a research project on the effects of contemporary media. If your hypothesis is that "watching violence on television causes an increase in violent behavior," then what are your variables

d. violence on television and violent behavior

A group is any number of people

d. with similar norms, values, and expectations who interact on a regular basis.

In Lincoln, Nebraska, in the summer of 2009, two groups held rallies about health care, one supporting and one opposing legislation proposed to overhaul America's health-care system. At one point, the two groups went beyond holding signs and shouting slogans, and tempers flared. Objects were thrown, shoving matches broke out, and the police had to step in to break up the:

riot

When students are tested and the test results are used to place them in a certain category of classes (remedial, advanced, college prep, etc.), this process is called

tracking