Sociology Final Quizzes Chapter 7-16

Good health is: a. unrelated to culture. b. biologically determined. c. explained only by biomedical models. d. historically and socially contingent. e. consistent around the world.

d

A sociologist tells you that she believes that "the owners and top-level managers in large income-producing properties are far and away the dominant power figures in the United States" because "their corporations, banks, and agribusinesses come together as a corporate community that dominates the federal government." What concept is being described here? a. the power elite b. totalitarianism c. political action committees d. authoritarianism e. pluralism

a

How has the Information Revolution changed the nature of work and the economy? a. It has shifted the economy toward the production of knowledge and services. b. It has increased pressures to urbanize. c. It has increased the shallow integration of the global economy. d. It has made it less likely that individuals will be able to work from home. e. It has made companies more likely to manufacture and sell goods within a single nation.

a

In 2005 teaching assistants at the University of Oregon went on strike. What feature of their job made it easier for them to strike than most American workers? a. Their jobs can't be moved overseas. b. They have better contracts. c. The public is much more sympathetic to academic workers. d. They have more "intellectual tools" and therefore can better strategize about how to make a strike succeed. e. They can cripple a key segment of the economy.

a

In Japan, some are worried about the effect that the rise in one-child families is having on the foundation of Japanese society. What sort of theoretical perspective on the family is this concern based on? a. structural functionalist b. life course theory c. conflict d. symbolic interactionist e. historical materialist

a

In the 1970s, after the publication of Iron John, many middle-aged men went on male-bonding retreats, learned to cry, shared their feelings, and learned to be different kinds of men, which demonstrates that: a. gender socialization is a lifelong process. b. masculinity is more or less frozen and unchanging. c. gender is still largely based on hormones and neurotransmitters. d. boys are more likely to get in trouble by misbehaving and therefore have distanced themselves from emotional responses. e. families are the most important element of socialization.

a

In the United States, which of the following groups would have the most freedom in choosing to display or not display their race or ethnicity? a. Irish b. Hispanic c. African American d. Asian e. Native American

a

In the past, most voters formed political opinions by listening to speeches, meeting with representatives of political parties, or attending town hall meetings. How do voters today tend to learn about political issues? a. through human interest stories in the media b. through newspaper and magazine articles that focus on the policy implications of political decisions c. through intimate, firsthand knowledge of issues d. through church groups that disseminate information on policy and news e. through websites maintained by political candidates

a

In the past, the vast majority of people lived in rural areas and small towns where it was truly shocking to encounter a genuine stranger, but today most of us live in cities where we are constantly surrounded by total strangers. This leads directly to: a. social atomization. b. increased divorce rates. c. suburbanization. d. a demographic transition. e. international travel.

a

What is the principal sociological critique of the culture of poverty? a. It tends to blame the victims of poverty for their own misfortunes, while ignoring the structural causes of inequality. b. The poor often move into the middle class. c. Contrary to assumptions about the culture of poverty, members of the lower class often save and take actions that might lead them to improve their situations. d. Some people simply have a predisposition to making poor choices regarding finances. e. The values and norms of many Americans in all class groups include attitudes of resignation and fatalism.

a

What would a symbolic interactionist studying the family be most interested in? a. the way gift giving within an extended family makes some bonds more important than others b. the diminished role the family plays in teaching children important skills c. the way increasing divorce rates are making it harder for families to function and to socialize children d. the different meanings of family from colonial times down to the present day e. the inequalities associated with men's negligible role in raising and caring for infants

a

When film legend Marilyn Monroe committed suicide, demographers noted a sharp increase in suicide rates in the following month. Which theory would best explain the increase in rates? a. contagion b. physiological c. psychological d. selection e. ecological

a

When sociologists reject the hypodermic needle model, they tend to stop asking ____________ and start asking ____________. a. what media does to people; what people do with media b. what writers and critics do with media; what media does to people c. what media does to people; what writers and critics do with media d. what people do with media; what media does to people e. what critics do with media; what people do with media

a

Whenever a math teacher writes story problems, any character with an occupation listed is male, like Bob the janitor or James the lawyer, but when women are used, they have no occupation. What is this an example of? a. the way schools socialize children into gender roles b. the way men are associated with blue collar work c. the role peers play in our gender socialization d. the fact that more women than men are now graduating from college e. the way boys are given credit for intellectual ability, while girls are given credit for hard work

a

Which of the following is true of the upper class in the United States today? a. They are a largely self-sustaining group and rarely add new members. b. They are not usually very well educated. c. They are comprised mainly of skilled workers in technical fields. d. They usually work in executive, managerial, and professional jobs. e. They make up about 30 percent of the population.

a

Why did Karl Marx believe that workers in a capitalist economy experience alienation? a. They are paid for their labor but do not own the things they produce. b. They are often poor and deprived of their basic needs. c. The mass media make them feel bad about themselves. d. Increasingly, they are surrounded by images and representations that don't really seem to relate to reality. e. Shallow consumerism doesn't give them something to believe in and work for.

a

Why do many contemporary sociologists speak not of the family but rather of families? a. Family situations in contemporary society are so varied that there is no single model. b. They want to emphasize that families are the same across societies. c. They are concerned about rising divorce rates. d. They want to talk about communities made up of many individual families. e. They mean both the extended family and the nuclear family.

a

You are an American with a lower socioeconomic status. You are a racial minority, live in public housing, and did finish high school but work at a physically labor-intensive job. You are supporting a family of four on your wages. It is likely that you: a. have a number of ailments, like arthritis and asthma. b. engage in regular good health practices. c. will have a slightly lower death rate. d. No research has been done that would help us comment on your health status. e. report having good physical well-being.

a

A young doctor fresh out of medical school who looks for a position where he can work about twenty hours a week and make much less money than other doctors might be: a. lazy and selfish about helping people in need. b. part of the simplicity movement. c. lacking in professional connections. d. not very skilled. e. insane.

b

Death and illness in a population is bad for the productivity of the system and is a destabilizing force. Which theory takes this approach to medicine? a. conflict b. structural functionalism c. sick role d. symbolic interactionism e. ecological

b

Displays of ethnic identity that only occur on special occasions are called: a. quiet race. b. symbolic ethnicity. c. religious identity. d. celebratory ethnicity. e. situational ethnicity.

b

How did the rise of the suburbs affect the way people used their leisure time? a. It encouraged them to join neighborhood groups and associations. b. It encouraged them to spend their leisure time in their own homes. c. It led to an increase in communal activities such as bowling leagues. d. It led to an increase in outdoor activities. e. It encouraged them to take more vacations.

b

If an individual takes adult education classes, attends lectures and concerts, or travels to Europe, what might he be trying to gain more of? a. tennis shoes b. cultural capital c. souvenirs d. wealth e. credentials

b

In 1993 six African American Secret Service agents filed a complaint with the Department of Justice against Denny's for refusal of service because the restaurant took much longer to serve them than other customers. After they filed the complaint, thousands of other African Americans came forward with similar allegations. What are these allegations evidence of? a. internal colonialism b. institutional discrimination c. situational ethnicity d. individual discrimination e. assimilation

b

In March 2008, The Advocate published an article by Thomas Beatie, describing his decision to become pregnant. Beatie had undergone sex reassignment surgery but had not had his ovaries or uterus removed, so he was still able to get pregnant when his wife Nancy proved unable to bear children. Despite this fact, he wrote, "To Nancy, I am her husband carrying our child. . . . I will be my daughter's father, and Nancy will be her mother." What does this tell you about gender? a. The transgender community has accepted the principle of human sexual dimorphism. b. Primary sex characteristics do not define gender for many people. c. Like many individuals within the transgender community, Thomas is both a trans man and a gay man. d. Public displays of gender are more important than private displays. e. The transgender community has done away with gender.

b

In Who Governs, Robert Dahl examined the way power was distributed in New Haven, Connecticut, and concluded that a wide variety of actors played a role in the political decision-making process. What theory of power does Dahl believe in? a. power elite b. pluralism c. authoritarianism d. democracy e. oligarchy

b

In the United States today, very few people marry outside of their own socioeconomic class, suggesting that there is a high degree of: a. exogamy. b. endogamy. c. miscegenation. d. polyandry. e. polygamy.

b

In the early 1900s, native-born Americans, usually Protestants, did not consider Irish, Italian, or Jewish immigrants to be white. What does this illustrate? a. racial pluralism b. the social construction of race c. racial indifference d. an enactment of symbolic ethnicity e. racial passing

b

Kea tries to take good care of herself. She works out regularly, gets plenty of rest, and eats well. Her approach to health is most closely aligned with: a. lifestyle medicine. b. preventive medicine. c. curative or crisis medicine. d. palliative medicine. e. chronic illness.

b

Litter may not be the most pressing problem facing our society, but many people still wish that our streets and parks had less trash strewn about. However, it is difficult to convince people to clean these public areas, a problem that sociologists would call: a. community policing. b. a public goods dilemma. c. the tragedy of the commons. d. resource mobilization theory. e. an emergent social movement.

b

Some conservative groups have organized to campaign both for crackdowns on illegal immigration and for limits on legal immigration, because they are concerned about how America will be changed by nonwhite immigrants. This means that they are against: a. passing. b. pluralism. c. discrimination. d. population transfer. e. embodied identities.

b

The work of the Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci is significant because it seriously considers the importance of the "cultural life-worlds of the oppressed." In what way does this resemble the symbolic interactionist perspective on race? a. Both help explain how certain ethnic groups, mainly European immigrants arriving in the early twentieth century, became assimilated into the larger society. b. Both argue that race must be explained in the terms in which it is experienced, not as overarching general theories. c. Both see the economy as the central component in creating racism and racial hierarchy. d. Both look for the source of racism in capitalist hierarchies. e. Both argue that the need for group cohesion creates racism.

b

What are the benefits of telecommuting? a. It encourages workers to keep a rigid work schedule. b. Businesses get increased productivity and fewer sick days. c. It makes it easier for workers to brainstorm and share ideas. d. It increases interaction. e. It draws more people to large urban areas.

b

What do sociologists call it when an individual changes her career but remains within the same social class? a. vertical social mobility b. horizontal social mobility c. intergenerational mobility d. structural mobility e. intragenerational mobility

b

What does a sociological perspective tell us about education in the United States? a. Education is the pathway to material success and, as such, rewards the best and brightest individuals. b. Educational success often has as much to do with social stratification as it does with individual ability. c. Boys tend to be smarter than girls. d. Tracking helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds achieve material success. e. Anyone who works hard can get good grades.

b

What is the shift from people making their own fun to people purchasing it as goods and services called? a. formalizing recreation b. the commodification of recreational activities c. the privatization of recreational activities d. the end of romance e. conglomeration synergy

b

When our individual, genetic, and physiological illness and disease risks are exacerbated by social factors like the neighborhood where we live, race, ethnic and class inequality, and corporate and governmental policies and practices, this is referred to sociologically as: a. impression management. b. deprivation amplification. c. a human rights dilemma. d. public degradation. e. a food desert.

b

Whereas the top causes of death in the United States are ____________ illness, people in the developing world are continually affected by the threat of ____________ illness. a. acute; curative b. chronic; acute c. preventive; crisis d. crisis; acute e. preventive; chronic

b

Which of the following is NOT a component of the American Dream according to sociologists? a. the belief that it is reasonable to anticipate success b. the belief that some people must fail so that others can succeed c. the belief that everyone can participate equally and can always start over d. the belief that success is associated with virtue and merit e. the belief that success is a result of individual characteristics and that actions are under one's control

b

"Welfare queen" is an insulting term for a woman who is believed to be cheating the government by collecting excessive welfare payments. Although empirical research indicates that very little welfare fraud actually takes place, what nugget of sociological truth is contained in the phrase "welfare queen"? a. Those who use welfare to its fullest extent tend to live very well, as indicated by the word "queen." b. Women are far more likely to cheat and steal than men. c. The use of the word "queen" reminds us that women are more likely than men to live in poverty. d. Like kings and queens, those who use welfare tend to have inherited status from their parents. e. The use of the word "queen" accurately describes the population on welfare, as it includes many gay men and transvestites.

c

According to conflict theory, how does the nuclear family facilitate exploitation? a. by making geographic mobility possible b. by employing members of other social groups to do its dirty work c. through a sexual division of labor within the home d. by exploiting the working class, whose products it consumes e. through the use of nannies and domestic workers

c

In what way is the family responsible for the reproduction of society? a. It is the most important unit of consumption. b. It relies on the nuclear model. c. It produces and socializes children. d. It is the basic unit of the household, the smallest building block of a society. e. It is the fundamental planning mechanism for society.

c

Intrinsic religiosity is: a. practicing within the religious tradition one was born into. b. the process by which worldly concerns come to dominate a person's life. c. a person's inner religious life. d. any approach to religion that meets the fundamental needs of a person. e. a cosmology that justifies a set of behaviors in terms of absolute good or evil.

c

Today, many college graduates find themselves unable to afford the costs of living on their own and, at least temporarily, live with their parents again. What good news about families can we take from this trend? a. College students today are taking less time to finish college and moving past the "student" phase of their lives more quickly than in the past. b. It places new burdens on women, who take on more responsibilities when they live with their parents. c. That so many children are willing to live with their parents again suggests that they have closer relationships with parents than previous generations did. d. By living with their parents, these college graduates save money and demonstrate fiscal responsibility in ways that the past generation didn't. e. It allows parents to have more of a say in their children's romantic lives.

c

What do functionalists generally believe to be true about gender? a. The current system of gender stratification is based on conflict. b. Gender is constructed and maintained through everyday actions. c. Some social roles are better suited to one gender than the other. d. Men maintain control of the most valuable roles. e. There are at least three complementary gender roles.

c

What do most Americans claim about their class status? a. They are lower class. b. They are upper class. c. They are middle class. d. They don't feel they have a class status, or they are unaware of it. e. They don't believe in class.

c

What do you think Barbara Ehrenreich would say about efforts to reform welfare that tried to move people off welfare rolls and into minimum-wage jobs? a. She would disapprove because she thinks that minimum-wage jobs are better filled by new immigrants. b. She would approve because she believes that welfare breeds dependency and low self-esteem. c. She would disapprove because she thinks that low-wage work is demeaning and insufficient to survive on. d. She would approve because she thinks that welfare is demeaning. e. She would approve because she believes that there is a serious shortage of labor in this service sector.

c

What school of social thought insists that all social structures, including systems of stratification, are built out of everyday interactions? a. functionalism b. Marxism c. symbolic interactionism d. Weberianism e. conflict theory

c

A police officer stops you for driving 73 mph in a 65 mph zone and gives you a ticket that costs $150. If you go home and mail a check, you are acknowledging that the police officer has: a. a gun. b. power. c. charisma. d. authority. e. status.

d

Although there are strategies available to help ease the burden of the second shift, they are mainly available to: a. newlyweds. b. the working class. c. people with extended families. d. wealthier families. e. young people.

d

In 2007 Jason Fox and the Hood Presidents, a hip-hop group, uploaded a video of their song "Aunt Jackie" to YouTube, and almost instantly people started imitating the dance moves seen in the video. What is this an example of? a. contagion theory b. a public goods dilemma c. an emergent norm d. mass behavior e. a crowd

d

In the novel The Human Stain by Philip Roth, a professor at a college in the Northeast is forced into early retirement after he is accused of racism. The charge turns out to be ironic when the reader learns that the professor has a secret: he was born to African American parents and has been covering up his heritage and living as a white man his whole adult life. What is this an example of? a. hegemony b. assimilation c. reverse discrimination d. passing e. individual discrimination

d

People of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to be scrutinized as problem drinkers or drug addicts. Which theory takes this approach to understanding addiction? a. symbolic interactionism b. sick role c. ecological d. conflict e. structural functionalism

d

The radio played a news story about the murder of a 25-year-old woman, married, with one child. Who would you guess is the most likely culprit given what you've learned in Chapter 12? a. a gang member being "initiated" into a street gang b. someone who was trying to carjack her c. a burglar who she surprised in the act d. her husband or boyfriend e. a serial killer

d

Today, many men and women still insist that men shouldn't cry. At the same time, others insist that it's vital that men learn to share their feelings and express their emotions, which would include crying. What does this disagreement indicate? a. There are two fundamentally different kinds of men in our society. b. Patriarchy is being replaced with matriarchy. c. The women's movement has won significant victories. d. There is a crisis of masculinity. e. Homosexuality has become much more accepted in recent years.

d

What explanation does functionalism have for prejudice and discrimination today? a. Prejudice and discrimination are more or less nonexistent because, as functionalism would predict, they are nonfunctional. b. Prejudice and discrimination are established on an international level. c. Prejudice and discrimination are perpetuated by economic, not racial, factors. d. Prejudice and discrimination help to increase group cohesion. e. Prejudice and discrimination are the result of a struggle for scarce resources.

d

What is one reason critics object to school vouchers? a. They believe vouchers will undermine the independence of private schools. b. They fear that vouchers will cause students to be socially, rather than educationally, disadvantaged. c. They believe vouchers will uphold the separation between church and state. d. They believe vouchers will drain funds from vulnerable public schools and cause them to deteriorate further. e. They believe vouchers will reduce the number of choices and amount of control parents have over their children's education.

d

You are walking across campus and see a large group of students gathered outside the student union listening to someone talk. You stop and try to listen, but you can't get close enough. You ask another member of the crowd what's happening, and you are told that someone was proselytizing and that some students gathered to listen while others argued. What does this tell you about crowds? a. A crowd doesn't have to share a geographic location. b. When people join a crowd, they lose their individuality and become part of something like a collective mind. c. Crowds tend to form for mostly benevolent purposes. d. In any crowd, people have many different motivations. e. Crowds are illogical.

d

A popular television program called The Swan aimed to turn less visually appealing people into more socially acceptable ones by radically changing their appearance through plastic surgery, as well as through clothing, style, and makeup artistry. This is an example of: a. a way to finally address the failure of willpower. b. acute care transformations. c. the rise of the new naturalists. d. genetic improvement. e. medicalization and the social construction of health and illness.

e

According to conflict theory, why are women's contributions to family life devalued? a. Women are entering the workforce in greater numbers. b. The resources provided by men are ultimately more valuable. c. Juvenile delinquency and crime decline when both parents work. d. When no one plays the expressive role, family life remains the same. e. As a social group, men attempt to maintain their dominant status.

e

According to sociologists like Howard Winant and Michael Omi, what is the relationship between race and class? a. Class is an unintended consequence of racial hierarchies. b. Race is a secondary phenomenon that results from the class system. c. Both race and class are created by biological factors inherent in being human. d. There is no relationship at all between race and class. e. Race is not a side effect of class; rather, it permeates every aspect of daily life.

e

Advertising, engineering, marketing, product design, and web design are all examples of: a. computer-assisted work. b. service work. c. industrial work. d. leisure and hospitality work. e. knowledge work.

e

Although it may not seem like much, when an office worker brings in a plant to brighten up his cubicle, it is a(n): a. bargaining tool. b. postmodern gesture. c. sign of nonalienation in labor. d. act of collective resistance. e. act of individual resistance.

e

An accountant with a college degree and a license from the state accounting board works for the Department of Defense as a senior auditor. He makes about $100,000 a year and will soon retire with benefits and a pension. What class would you expect him to belong to? a. middle class b. lower class c. working class d. upper class e. upper-middle class

e

How do most sociologists differentiate between sex and gender? a. Sex comes from DNA; gender comes from hormones. b. Both relate to genetics, but hormones have a greater influence on gender. c. Gender is biological; sex is social. d. Sex is genetic; gender is about primary and secondary sex characteristics. e. Sex is biological; gender is social.

e

How do the current demographics of California challenge the way the term "minority" has been used in the past? a. California is more tolerant of its ethnic diversity than the rest of the country is. b. Hispanics are a numerical minority but are very socially powerful. c. California has a much wider variety of racial and ethnic groups than the rest of the country. d. There are far fewer African Americans in California than in the rest of the country. e. Whites are now less than half of the population of California.

e

How is Max Weber's idea of social class different from Karl Marx's? a. Weber did not have a theory of social class. b. Weber believed that wealth was the only factor that mattered, regardless of how that wealth was acquired. c. Weber believed that class status was inherited and was an extension of the old feudal system. d. Weber did not believe that owning the means of production mattered in any way. e. Weber believed that wealth, power, and prestige could all affect a person's social class.

e

If a blighted urban neighborhood were to suddenly develop an assortment of upscale restaurants, coffee shops, hip boutiques, and art galleries, then the neighborhood is: a. reacting to the rural rebound. b. growing into an edge city. c. experiencing smart growth. d. changing patterns of gender relations. e. becoming gentrified.

e

In Great Britain, the government owns the British Broadcasting Corporation, or BBC, which is the world's largest television and radio broadcasting service. This tells you that Great Britain is: a. a communist society. b. an example of pure socialism. c. mostly capitalist. d. deregulated. e. at least partially socialist.

e

Jorge has learned that he has a mental illness. Since then, he has begun to act according to the illness, in ways that he thinks others expect someone with a mental illness to act. Which theory of health and illness best explains his situation? a. conflict b. doctor-patient confidentiality c. developmental sociology d. sick role e. symbolic interactionism

e

Sociologists who study gender in rural areas have noticed that, while everyone in a family has to work on the farm, there is only one person, usually a male, called the "farmer"—the position with the most prestige. This means that rural areas are: a. constructionist. b. guilty of forcing women to work the "second shift." c. feminist. d. relatively gender neutral compared to urban areas. e. patriarchal.

e

Some people who have studied gender and sexuality have argued that the term ____________ was useful because it gave a "wrenching sense of recontextualization." As such, it emphasized the importance of difference and rejected the very idea of a single gay or lesbian identity. a. homophobic b. gay c. heteronormative d. continuum e. queer

e

The fact that school schedules are organized around Christmas is evidence: a. that the United States is a secular society. b. of nothing; it's just a coincidence. c. that the United States has universally low levels of religiosity. d. that 99 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas. e. that the United States is not a totally secular society

e

Two people get divorced, and they end up in family court. The mother is an accountant who makes about twice the father's income. They both have bachelor's degrees from a state school, but he spends time volunteering at a local homeless shelter. What makes it more likely that the mother will get sole custody? a. the mother's family background b. the father's occupation c. the mother's education d. the father's contact with the homeless e. the mother's income

e

Under what circumstances are bystanders less likely to attempt to help a stranger who appears to be in danger? a. when the bystander could also be in danger b. when the source of the danger is a mugger or a rapist c. when the danger might lead to legal liability for a bystander who intervenes d. when the danger comes from a natural, rather than a human, source e. when there are lots of bystanders

e

What is the central means by which modern society transmits knowledge, values, and expectations to its members? a. politics b. religion c. homeschooling d. the hidden curriculum e. education

e

What serious social problem might be made worse if more people were encouraged to telecommute? a. intellectual property theft b. racism c. cancer and other new health problems d. poverty e. alienation and loneliness

e

Which of the following people would be most likely to join a social movement? a. an average student who spends a lot of time smoking marijuana and switches majors several times b. a single mother who works nights as a stocker at a grocery store and has relatives both in the Deep South and on the West Coast c. a young man from the lower class who gets a job in a campus cafeteria and notices how well off the students he serves are d. a disaffected loner taking lots of math classes but without a real social life or a good outlet for making friends or forming romantic relationships e. a young woman who attends college and is involved in campus government and volunteers for local and state political campaigns

e

Why did so many people dislike working on assembly lines? a. Assembly lines weren't a very efficient way to produce things. b. Assembly lines forced people from all different racial and ethnic groups to work together. c. Assembly lines made goods more expensive. d. Workers wanted to do more with machines. e. Workers never had the satisfaction of seeing the finished product.

e

Why do politics, education, and religion all appear in the same chapter of your text? a. All three exist only at the macro level. b. They have all come to be increasingly involved in terrorism. c. All three are important to sociologists, but have less effect on everyday life. d. All three exist only at the micro level. e. Political, religious, and educational concerns often overlap in everyday life.

e