Chapter 4: Social Structure and Interaction

The social construction of reality is based on __________. A. role performance B. interactions with others C. subjective interpretation D. very strong norms

B. interactions with others

Which of the following sociologically explains why Amish female grocery clerks in Indiana refused to make eye contact with male customers? A. Men in the United States interpreted their behavior in a way the women did not intend. B. Extended eye contact has become a body language code for terrorism. C. It is against their cultural norms to make extended eye contact. D. Women in the United States are not supposed to use their front stage performances for corporate profit.

A. Men in the United States interpreted their behavior in a way the women did not intend.

College football is a good example of social structure because ___________. A. a position in football is like a person's social status B. people on a team have impersonal associations C. society functions like a team D. most players on a team are only self-interested

A. a position in football is like a person's social status

Organic solidarity places greater importance on __________ than does mechanical solidarity. A. personal connections B. long-term commitments C. responsibilities to neighbors D. performing similar tasks

A. personal connections

By examining only the macrosociology of a group, __________ would be missed from the analysis, providing an incomplete picture of social life. A. personal interactions B. status sets C. functionalist perspectives D. organic solidarity

A. personal interactions

Regardless of our feelings at any particular moment, social __________ guides our actions and behaviors. A. structure B. institution C. class D. status

A. structure

Marly has Asperger's syndrome. Symbolic interactionists would be particularly concerned about her ability to interpret __________. A. mechanical solidarity B. facial expressions and gestures C. role conflict D. social integration

B. facial expressions and gestures

Sociologists would agree with which of the following statements? A. Groups do not have significant effects on our beliefs and behaviors. B. The only group that affects individuals is one's family. C. By belonging to a group, we assume an obligation to affirm the group's values, interests, and norms. D. Our personality will usually outweigh the influence of a group.

C. By belonging to a group, we assume an obligation to affirm the group's values, interests, and norms.

As society has changed so that people are less personally connected and more reliant on formal, impersonal social institutions, we have moved toward __________. A. mechanical solidarity B. Gemeinschaft C. Gesellschaft D. organic solidarity

C. Gesellschaft

__________ divides people according to income, education, and occupation. A. Prestige B. Social capital C. Social class D. Cultural capital

C. Social class

When a faculty member's students were washing dollar bills at a laundomat, they were testing people's __________. A. socialization B. backstage performances C. background assumptions D. front stage performances

C. background assumptions

In the developed town of Midtern, some people mine gold, others turn it into jewelry, and still others sell it. This __________ disperses people into different interest groups where they develop different ideas about life. A. forced solidarity B. Gemeinschaft C. division of labor D. Gesellschaft

C. division of labor

North Americans tend to expect more __________ than South Americans during face-to-face conversations. A. social status B. smiling C. personal space D. hand gestures

C. personal space

To communicate information about the self, we use three types of __________: the social setting, our appearance, and our manner. A. front stages B. dramaturgies C. sign-vehicles D. back stages

C. sign-vehicles

A wedding ring or a uniform is an example of a __________. A. status inconsistency B. role grouping C. status symbol D. master status

C. status symbol

Assumptions about a person based on their physical characteristics are usually a product of __________. A. body language B. inborn ideas C. stereotypes D. status symbols

C. stereotypes

The author of your text writes that it is not the reality of a thing that impresses itself on us, but society that impresses the reality of that thing on us. This perspective is known as __________. A. dramaturgy B. social psychology C. the definition of the situation (also known as the Thomas theorem) D. symbolic interaction

C. the definition of the situation (also known as the Thomas theorem)

__________ is the study of how people use commonsense understandings to make sense of life. A. Dramaturgy B. Survey design C. Anthropology D. Ethnomethodology

D. Ethnomethodology

Which of the following statements describes German people's reactions to Walmart's policy that their employees smile at customers? A. German customers enjoyed the smiling. B. German customers considered the smiling to be threatening. C. German employees refused to comply. D. German customers were offended.

D. German customers were offended.

What is one advantage of having a higher social class that is seen through the combination of macrosociology and microsociology? A. Individuals with higher social status are already seen as disreputable, and can get away with more unacceptable behaviors. B. Individuals with higher social status have higher intelligence scores, leading to better-paying jobs. C. Individuals with higher social status are not inclined to commit crimes due to their good reputations. D. Individuals with higher social status can manipulate their good reputations to get away with socially unacceptable behaviors.

D. Individuals with higher social status can manipulate their good reputations to get away with socially unacceptable behaviors.

The status inherited by a baby born into a royal family is considered a(n) __________. A. status symbol B. achieved status C. master status D. ascribed status

D. ascribed status

Jose is trained to apply symbolic interactionism. He focuses on________ to identify suspected terrorists who are attempting to board airplanes. A. identification documents B. dramaturgy C. status inconsistencies D. body language

D. body language

Image consultants are career coaches who assist individuals with their __________. A. personal space B. stereotypes C. speech patterns D. impression management

D. impression management

Bernard is a sociologist focusing on macrosociology. What is he most likely to analyze? A. communication styles on college campuses B. the isolation felt by patients in mental institutions C. the interaction between employees in the workplace D. parolees and where they fall within the U.S. social class system

D. parolees and where they fall within the U.S. social class system

Which of the following is a functional requisite of each society? A. creating jobs B. disciplining outcasts C. separating males and females into different activities D. preserving order

D. preserving order

Which of the following is an example of a value that is transmitted through the social institution of the economy? A. wearing appropriate clothing at formal occasions B. not breaking the law C. saluting the flag D. producing efficiently

D. producing efficiently

Even if two groups of teenagers engage in similar delinquent behaviors, their __________ will greatly affect their futures. A. relative resentments B. role conflict C. role tensions D. reputations

D. reputations

Occasionally, what is expected of us in one status (our role) is incompatible with what is expected of us in another status. This problem is known as __________. A. role strain B. dramaturgy C. sign-vehicles D. role conflict

D. role conflict

Conflict theorists believe the primary purpose of __________ is to preserve the social order. A. scientific innovations B. social class C. status inconsistencies D. social institutions

D. social institutions

Macrosociology focuses on broad features of society while microsociology focuses on __________. A. social class B. mechanical solidarity C. social status D. social interaction

D. social interaction

Sociologists use the term __________ to refer to all the statuses or positions that you occupy. A. class location B. social group C. achieved statuses D. status set

D. status set

When Sam is at a family gathering, he always laughs at his father's jokes, even when they aren't funny. This is an example of __________. A. back stages B. sign-vehicles C. front stages D. teamwork

D. teamwork