Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 1 Quiz

Which of the following statements is the best example of a hypothesis?

"Unemployed men are more likely to commit spousal abuse than employed men."

In research, to generalize one's findings to a total population, what is the most important quality that the sample must possess?

It must be representative of the total population.

Which sociological perspectives are best to use in developing an accurate understanding of society?

No single perspective is best, so all three must be utilized.

Weber referred to the self-denying approach to life characterized by people living frugal lives and saving their money as the ________.

Protestant ethic

According to class lecture, which of these is NOT a step/stage in the scientific process?

Questioning authorities

Art has an interest in developing psychological profiles and is an avid student of William Sheldon's work on body types and personality. Art has submitted a research request to repeat Sheldon's classic study on body types to determine if Sheldon's original findings are still valid. This type of research is referred to as ________.

REPLICATION

The notion that only the fittest members of society deserve to survive and that social programs to help the poor will ultimately weaken the social order is a doctrine known as ________.

Social Darwinism

Which of the following statements best describes how stereotypes affect our interaction with others when we first meet?

Stereotypes are the assumptions we make that can become self-fulfilling prophecies.

According to the principles of symbolic interactionism, symbols not only allow relationships to exist, they also allow society to exist.

True

Functionalists refer to how parts of a society fit together to form a whole as ______.

a structure

According to symbolic interactionists, the deciding factor that determines if change in society is good or bad requires ________.

a value framework from which to view the change

The titles Karl Marx used to describe the two classes in society were the ________ and ________.

bourgeoisie; proletaria

According to Max Weber, the Protestant ethic was a central factor in the birth of ________.

capitalism

Karl Marx suggested that the force which drives human history and is at the core of human progress is ________.

class conflict

According to class lecture, results of sociological research should always be interpreted with the following caution:

correlation does not equal causation

As societies grow larger, they divide work among members based on some standardized characteristic such as age or sex. This is referred to as _____.

division of labor

Of the following research topics, which most qualifies as research on the micro level?

doctor-patient relationships

An approach to social interaction in which social life is analyzed in terms of the stage is called _____.

dramaturgy

In addition to choosing the appropriate research method, sociologists must follow research _____ to achieve truth, honesty, and openness.

ethics

The first goal of each scientific discipline is to ________.

explain why something happens

What is another term used to describe the research method called participant observation?

fieldwork

The notion that the mass media represents the varied interests of many groups would reflect a position consistent with _____ theory.

functionalist

College provides a haven for several million potential workers who are classified as "students" rather than "unemployed" which helps stabilize the job market. This situation represents what Merton would describe as a ________.

latent function

Of the following, which variable do sociologists emphasize the most as being the determining motivation for our thinking and behavior?

one's society and social location

According to Durkheim, when a society increases in size, its division of labor becomes more specialized. People begin to depend upon one another and become interdependent. This form of social cohesion was a concept that he termed ____.

organic solidarity

The term "____" refers to the extent to which different studies come up with similar results.

reliability

When sociologists group people into categories based on their age, gender, educational level, job, and income, they are trying to determine ____.

social location

Believing that all football players are academically challenged, that all African Americans are great athletes, and that all women can cook well are examples of _____.

stereotyping

What is the use of objective, systematic observation to test theories often employed by sociologists?

the scientific method

The concept used to describe opening a window into unfamiliar worlds that allows us to understanding human behavior by placing it within its broader social context is called: ________.

the sociological imagination