Chapter 1: Understanding Sociology

Which sociological perspective has as its central tenet that gender inequality is central to all behavior and organization? a.) feminist b.) transgender c.) functionalist d.) misogynist

a.) feminist

An element or a process of a society that may actually disrupt the social system or reduce its stability is known as a.) conflict perspective. b.) manifest function. c.) dysfunction. d.) latent function.

c.) dysfunction.

Microsociology example:

Examining how a family goes on after the death of a loved one

True or false: People use verbal and nonverbal symbols in social interaction.

True

W. E. B. DuBois advocated research on the lives of which group of people? a.) Blacks b.) religious leaders c.) Asians d.) wealthy White farmers

a.) Blacks

Which of the following would best describe clinical sociology? a.) It facilitates change through practices such as family therapy or the reorganization of a medical center. b.) It makes it possible for abstract theorists to gather the data they need to develop their theories. c.) It is sociology practiced by medical professionals. d.) It combines the conflict and interactionist view to evaluate social issues.

a.) It facilitates change through practices such as family therapy or the reorganization of a medical center.

Which of the following best describes the interactionist perspective? a.) It generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction in order to explain society as a whole. b.) It uses research data focused on ethnic groups. c.) It analyzes large-scale, society-wide patterns of behavior. d.) It analyzes patterns of human behavior viewing humans as independent, individual beings.

a.) It generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction in order to explain society as a whole.

Although sociologists draw on all approaches for various purposes, they do tend to favor one particular perspective over others. Which of the following statements about this tendency is true? a.) It influences their choice of what to study and how to study it. b.) It creates irrelevant research results. c.) It results in a broad and general view with no specifics. d.) It favors the functionalist perspective.

a.) It influences their choice of what to study and how to study it.

Select all that apply Which of the following illustrate the level of globalization in our world today? a.) Rock songs by Australian artists recorded by American record companies owned by Japanese corporations b.) An American chain restaurant putting local diners out of business in a small U.S. small-town c.) Unemployment in the U.S. caused by production shifting overseas d.) Worldwide economic downturn in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks e.) Changes in U.S. gas prices caused by oil production fluctuations in the Middle East

a.) Rock songs by Australian artists recorded by American record companies owned by Japanese corporations c.) Unemployment in the U.S. caused by production shifting overseas d.) Worldwide economic downturn in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks e.) Changes in U.S. gas prices caused by oil production fluctuations in the Middle East

Durkheim believed that the growing division of labor in industrial societies caused laborers to become more specialized in their tasks, leading to a loss of direction he called a.) anomie. b.) functionalism. c.) capitalism. d.) verstehen

a.) anomie.

Select all that apply Natural science is the study of the physical features of nature and the ways in which they interact and change. Which of the following are examples of natural science? a.) biology b.) anthropology c.) geology d.) history

a.) biology c.) geology

Common sense a.) cannot always be relied upon to discover the truth of a situation b.) is a completely ineffective way of viewing the world c.) always leads a person to the facts of a situation d.) is the only tool we really have to understand the world around us

a.) cannot always be relied upon to discover the truth of a situation

Select all that apply If sociologists were studying the social ranking of women in a sorority using Weber's verstehen, they would likely do which of the following? a.) consider the women's beliefs and attitudes b.) examine nightmares the women experienced during childhood c.) examine the women's grades, social skills, or seniority within the sorority d.) learn how sorority members relate to other members of differing status

a.) consider the women's beliefs and attitudes c.) examine the women's grades, social skills, or seniority within the sorority d.) learn how sorority members relate to other members of differing status

The theory that explains the methods individuals use to "put on a show" in order to manage how others view them is called a.) dramaturgy. b.) sociological theory. c.) conflict theory. d.) sociological imagination.

a.) dramaturgy.

Charles Horton Cooley studied society from a sociological perspective but focused on a.) families and other small groups. b.) large, abstract social institutions. c.) conflict between the social classes. d.) functions and dysfunctions.

a.) families and other small groups.

What does Robert Merton call someone who engages in deviant behavior in order to achieve socially approved goals? a.) innovators b.) ritualists c.) retreatists d.) rebels

a.) innovators

Marx's view of society describes social institutions as a means of a.) keeping some groups subservient to others. b.) distributing power equally throughout society c.) improving society gradually over time d.) maintaining functional social order

a.) keeping some groups subservient to others.

When you are offered a job because your uncle's best friend owns the company, you are benefiting from what sociologist Pierre Bourdieu referred to as a.) social capital. b.) double consciousness. c.) cultural capital. d.) micro-level capital.

a.) social capital.

Parsons's functionalist theory rests upon the idea that a.) social components work together to maintain society. b.) sociologists should understand society as a result of small-group interactions. c.) clashes within society result in the strong surviving. d.) those with power constrain those without.

a.) social components work together to maintain society.

The systematic study of human groups and social behavior is referred to as a.) sociology b.) psychology c.) anthropology d.) physics

a.) sociology

Select all that apply Social science is the study of human interaction and change. Which of the following are examples of social science? a.) sociology b.) physics c.) astronomy d.) anthropology

a.) sociology d.) anthropology

Sociology is a science because a.) sociology involves organized, systematic observation b.) the people who study sociology have to go to school for a long time c.) studying individual lifestyles adds to society's problems d.) it was started by physicists

a.) sociology involves organized, systematic observation

Select all that apply What are the views most widely used by sociologists in examining society? a.) the interactionist perspective b.) the liberal perspective c.) the conflict perspective d.) the functionalist perspective e.) the physicalist perspective

a.) the interactionist perspective c.) the conflict perspective d.) the functionalist perspective

Marx and Engels authored The Communist Manifesto, wherein they argued that a.) the proletariat workers should unite and overthrow the capitalists. b.) capitalists should continue to dominate the proletariat. c.) government should continue to dominate the proletariat masses. d.) the weak should perish so that the strong could thrive.

a.) the proletariat workers should unite and overthrow the capitalists.

The ability to recognize the connection between our own lives and larger social trends, including present and past relationships, is called a.) the sociological imagination. b.) anomie. c.) the conflict perspective. d.) the functionalist perspective.

a.) the sociological imagination.

Durkheim believed that understanding human behavior required looking at the behavior a.) within a broader social context. b.) from the perspective of the actor. c.) through rational thinking. d.) on an individual basis.

a.) within a broader social context.

Which of the following early social thinkers created the term sociology? a.) Karl Marx b.) Auguste Comte c.) Emile Durkheim d.) Max Weber

b.) Auguste Comte

In the early 1900s Jane Addams and other female sociologists established settlement houses to care for immigrants who were migrating to a.) coastal areas. b.) cities. c.) farmlands. d.) suburbs.

b.) cities.

Some sociologists, notably Karl Marx, Jane Addams, and Ida Wells-Barnett, have used their understanding of social inequality to advocate for social a.) feminism. b.) justice. c.) dysfunction. d.) Darwinism.

b.) justice.

Studying a society through the lens of large-scale phenomena would be an example of which of the following? a.) microsociology b.) macrosociology c.) megasociology d.) globalization

b.) macrosociology

Sociologists develop _________ in an attempt to explain social problems, actions, or behaviors. a.) common sense b.) theories c.) guesses d.) stereotypes

b.) theories

Which of the following did queer theorist Eve Sedgwick argue? a.) All men and women are heterosexual. b.) Any analysis of society should be limited to heterosexuals. c.) Any analysis of society is incomplete if it does not include the spectrum of sexual identities. d.) Sexual identifications other than heterosexuality should be considered abnormal and invalid.

c.) Any analysis of society is incomplete if it does not include the spectrum of sexual identities.

The concept of the sociological imagination was developed by a.) Max Weber b.) Karl Marx c.) C. Wright Mills d.) W. E. B. Du Bois

c.) C. Wright Mills

Select all that apply Which of the following statements about sociological approaches are true? a.) Sociologists choose their approach based on the results they desire for a particular study. b.) Sociologists tend to attack every approach except the one they prefer. c.) Sociologists draw on all of the approaches for various purposes. d.) No one sociological approach is correct by itself.

c.) Sociologists draw on all of the approaches for various purposes. d.) No one sociological approach is correct by itself.

In general, which of the following best describes the discipline of sociology? a.) Sociology is concerned primarily with understanding the behavior of people who dislike sociological research. b.) Sociology is concerned primarily with understanding the behavior of the wealthy. c.) Sociology is concerned with understanding the experiences of all people. d.) Sociology is concerned primarily with understanding the problems of the poor.

c.) Sociology is concerned with understanding the experiences of all people.

When an immigrant family arrives in a new country and engages in previously functional behavior that no longer serves a social function in the new cultural environment, the functionalist perspective predicts that the a.) behavior will intensify over time. b.) family unit will dissolve. c.) behavior will not be passed on to a new generation. d.) family will return to its country of origin.

c.) behavior will not be passed on to a new generation.

According to French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, which of the following refers to noneconomic goods, such as family background and education, which are reflected in a knowledge of language and the arts? a.) theoretical capital b.) social capital c.) cultural capital d.) micro capital

c.) cultural capital

A good theory a.) presents facts that support the theory and disregards evidence that contradicts it. b.) confirms what people already believe. c.) is both explanatory and predictive. d.) is extremely speculative.

c.) is both explanatory and predictive.

Marx's view of society describes social institutions as a means of a.) distributing power equally throughout society. b.) maintaining functional social order. c.) keeping some groups subservient to others. d.) improving society gradually over time.

c.) keeping some groups subservient to others.

According to Durkheim's research, which of the following people are least likely to commit suicide? a.) newly divorced people b.) people who lead more solitary lives c.) people socially connected to others d.) people without religious affiliations

c.) people socially connected to others

Weber used the term verstehen to analyze social behavior. He believed that to understand behavior we must look at how other people view and explain their own behavior from a(n) ______ perspective. a.) objective b.) scientific c.) subjective d.) global

c.) subjective

Robert Merton's contribution to the study of sociology combined a.) surveys and interviews. b.) philosophy and theology. c.) theory and research. d.) activism and social work.

c.) theory and research.

________ refers to a person's opinions formed through life experiences and conversations. a.) Sociological imagination b.) Pure logic c.) Careful research d.) Common sense

d.) Common sense

While Marx lived in exile in Paris, France, he met _____, with whom he formed a lifelong friendship. a.) Herbert Spencer b.) Max Weber c.) Auguste Comte d.) Friedrich Engels

d.) Friedrich Engels

Which of the following refers to Durkheim's notion on the loss of direction felt by individuals when social control becomes ineffective? a.) communion b.) social constraint c.) functionalism d.) anomie

d.) anomie

Using sociology to yield practical applications for human behavior and organizations is better known as a.) sociological theory. b.) sociological perspective. c.) feminist view. d.) applied sociology.

d.) applied sociology.

Unlike other sociological disciplines, ______ sociology is less concerned with practical applications and instead aims for a deeper understanding of the fundamental aspects of social issues. a.) medical b.) clinical c.) applied d.) basic

d.) basic

Which type of sociologists act on and attempt to implement their evaluations? a.) environmental b.) applied c.) medical d.) clinical

d.) clinical

_____________ refers to a person's opinions formed through life experiences and conversations. a.) pure logic b.) careful research c.) sociological imagination d.) common sense

d.) common sense

Karl Marx's view of social classes is best described as part of which of the following sociological perspectives? a.) latent b.) functionalist c.) interactionist d.) conflict

d.) conflict

Which theoretical perspective takes the view that the social world is characterized by continual struggle between competing groups? a.) interactionist b.) functionalist c.) global d.) conflict

d.) conflict

Marx and Engels identified two social classes: the ________ who possess the means of production and __________ who must do all the work. a.) exploited; exploiters b.) liberals; conservatives c.) politicians; executives d.) exploiters; exploited

d.) exploiters; exploited

Ida Wells-Barnett is best known for examining social problems from which perspective? a.) Marxist b.) functionalist c.) interactionist d.) feminist

d.) feminist

The functionalist perspective emphasizes a.) how looking at society from a micro level contributes to understanding. b.) shared understandings of everyday behavior. c.) how social order is based on coercion and exploitation. d.) how parts of a society are structured to maintain stability.

d.) how parts of a society are structured to maintain stability.

The conflict perspective focuses on a.) ways to increase efficiency within corporations. b.) interaction between individuals within society. c.) the interrelated functions of social units. d.) inequality of power and the tension between groups.

d.) inequality of power and the tension between groups.

Which of the following would best describe a manifest function of education? a.) imposing a cost that citizens pay in the form of taxes b.) assuring that students eat lunch c.) providing exercise at recess d.) providing knowledge to students

d.) providing knowledge to students

George Herbert Mead studied social issues from the interactionist point of view, thereby gathering his information from which of the following? a.) deviants b.) social structure c.) census data d.) small groups

d.) small groups

The condition in which members of a society have differing amounts of power, prestige, and wealth is called a.) applied sociology. b.) false consciousness. c.) social capital. d.) social inequality.

d.) social inequality.

Cultural capital refers to the kind of education that is valued by which of the following? a.) manufacturers b.) the poor c.) uneducated immigrants d.) the socially elite

d.) the socially elite

A set of statements that seeks to explain social problems, actions, or behaviors is called a sociological a.) experiment. b.) survey. c.) hypothesis. d.) theory.

d.) theory.

True or false: Although sociology is considered a science, sociologists avoid the careful recording of observations and accumulation of data.

false

Macrosociology example:

studying how different societies educate their children