SOC 105 Exam 1

Definition: Society exists with patterns of inequality and dominance.

conflict theory

Karen thinks that religion is used by powerful people and institutions to control the public. What perspective best describes Karen's views? - conflict theory - structural functionalism - symbolic interactionism - radicalization

conflict theory

Sociologists use which of the following terms to describe a group with values and norms that oppose the dominant culture? - mainstream culture - symbolic culture - counterculture - subculture

counterculture

What is labeling theory?

creating labels based on behavior

Which of the following is an advantage of replicability in experiments? - Experiments allow research subjects to speak in their own voices. - Each experiment is unique and illustrates something new. - Experiments can be performed again and again over time in order to measure change. - Experiments are extremely cheap.

experiments can be performed again and again over time in order to measure change

What are social roles?

A set of behaviors expected from a particular status position (ex. the role of a teacher)

What are bureaucracies?

The agencies of government and their employees responsible for carrying out policies and providing public services approved by elected officials

For a survey to be considered valid, there must be a sufficiently - large pilot study. - large target population. - high response rate. - large number of existing sources

high response rate

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? - share findings - analyze data - provide operational definitions for variables - choose a research design or method

analyze data

Howard Becker said that sociology can best be understood as the study of people "doing things together." This definition reminds us that ... - individuals exist independently of society and can be understood without considering social influence. - only large-scale interactions that involve many people can be understood by sociologists. - neither society nor the individual exists in isolation; each is dependent on the other. - sociology is only interested in the way people act, not in the way they think.

neither society nor the individual exists in isolation; each is dependent on the other.

Durkheim theorized that the rapidly changing conditions of modern life lead to anomie. What is anomie? - normlessness or a loss of connections to the social world - anger and disillusionment with progress - the transfer of destructive urges to socially useful activities - a kind of social solidarity based on interdependence

normlessness or a loss of connections to the social world

Wearing your seat belt is common, and today it is usually a legal requirement. In the 1950s, however, it was not common nor expected. This example demonstrates that what aspect of culture can change over time? - norms - values - folkways - mores

norms

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? - participant observation - surveys - analysis of existing data - experiments

participant observation

"Impression Management"

people's efforts to control the impressions that others receive of them

What is the difference between power and authority?

power: the ability to get people to do stuff they otherwise wouldn't do authority: by traditional rule

A graduate student is almost done with his dissertation when he is informed that twenty years ago someone did a similar project and already demonstrated what he had hoped to be the first to discover. What basic step of the scientific method should have saved him from this problem? - developing an operational definition - selecting a research method - analyzing data - reviewing the literature

reviewing the literature

What are agents of socialization?

social groups/institutions and individuals that provide structured situations in which socialization takes place

In 2007, the richest 1 percent of the American population owned 35 percent of the country's wealth and the bottom 80 percent of the population owned 14 percent. Karl Marx would call this - alienation. - bourgeoisie. - social inequality. - organic solidarity.

social inequality

What is anomie?

state of normlessness, lack of social norms

What are the key characteristics to a bureaucracy?

1. specialization 2. technical competence 3. hierarchy 4. rules and regulations 5. impersonality 6. formal written communication

What is the difference between ascribed and achieved status?

Ascribed: statuses that are given (ex. being a teen) Achieved: a status that is earned (being employed)

What are sanctions?

How we encourage conformity to promote social cohesion

Looking Glass Self Theory

Other people function as a mirror. Based upon the concept of role taking-where you put yourself in someone else's position.

What is a group?

a collection of people who share some attribute, identify with one another, and interact with each other

What is the "Iron Cage" theory?

a concept that describes increased rationalization inherent in social life

What is crime?

a formal sanction, deviance codified into law

What is an out-group?

a group an individual feels opposition to

What is an in-group?

a group an individual identifies with, loyalty to the group

What is a reference group?

a group that provides standards that influence individuals to evaluate their own personal attributes

Which of the following groups is MOST likely to be classified as a counterculture? - a militia group living in Montana - members of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) - New York City taxi drivers - students who belong to a Middle Eastern Studies Club

a militia group living in Montana

What are organizations?

a secondary group: much larger than a group

What does it mean if a sample of sociological research is representative? - The researcher avoided using any double-barreled questions. - The researcher has avoided any overt bias. - A smaller group of people studied can tell us something about a larger group. - The research has been conducted systematically using the scientific method.

a smaller group of people studied can tell us something about a larger group

Structural functionalist theory is concerned with the ways in which structures contribute to the stability of society. What is a structure? - a social institution that is stable over time and helps meet the needs of society - any aspect of society that generates conflict or change - a class hierarchy - an informal agreement between people over a wide geographical area

a social institution that is stable over time and helps meet the needs of society

What is a master status?

a status that basically "overrides" other statuses

What is a network?

a web of direct and indirect ties connecting ties an individuals

Which of the following is a subculture? - hacktivists - symbolic culture - bodybuilding - street gangs

bodybuilding

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

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

What is deviance?

breaking norms and receiving negative feedback

The article "Body Ritual among the Nacirema" is useful to sociologists because it - demonstrates how different other cultures are from American culture - presents a striking example of an exotic culture - demonstrates proper fieldwork techniques for studying a different culture - challenges people's inability to observe their own cultures

challenges peoples ability to observe their own cultures

Jai is conducting a sociological research study on differences in interactions between similar and dissimilar co-workers. After reviewing the literature, he developed a hypothesis and has operationalized the variables he will study. What is the next step Jai should take in the scientific method? - identify a problem or ask a question - analyze data - choose a research design or method - collect data

choose a research design or method

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 - ethnocentrism - cultural lag - culture shock - cultural relativism

cultural relativism

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

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

Conflicts within mainstream society about which values and norms should be upheld or shifted are called - symbolic culture - culture wars - counterculture - hegemony

culture wars

You are conducting research on violence in the media. In what part of the research process are you engaged if you are trying to decide whether "violence" includes words as well as actions? - choosing a topic - analyzing the data - defining the variables - reviewing the literature

defining the variables

The tendency to use your own group's way of doing things as the yardstick for judging others is called - self-centeredness. - cultural relativism. - ethnocentrism. - culture shock.

ethnocentrism

When Emily goes on vacation to Ethiopia she sees people eating with their hands instead of with utensils. When Emily calls her parents later that day she describes this way of eating as "abnormal" and "gross." This is an example of - ethnocentrism - cultural relativism - multiculturalism - normlessness

ethnocentrism

Which method of social research might involve shifting between participating in a social situation and being an observer? - interviews - surveys - comparative-historical research - ethnography

ethnography

Which of the following is an advantage of using ethnography to study social life? - Ethnography is a quick and easy form of social science research. - Ethnography requires the researcher to spend little time gaining familiarity with research subjects. - Ethnography allows the researcher to gather abundant data on a small population. - Ethnography requires no training since it is something we all do as human beings.

ethnography allows the researcher to gather abundant data on a small population

Julie Bettie wrote her ethnography Women without Class: Girls, Race, and Identity to examine the role of race and class in the lives of girls in California's Central Valley. She did most of her work at a high school, hanging out with students and writing down her observations. What do ethnographers call her written observations? - interviews - representativeness - nonverbal communication - field notes

field notes

In their ethnography Promises I Can Keep: Why Poor Women Put Motherhood before Marriage, Kathryn Edin and Maria Kefalas studied the realities of single motherhood for poor, urban women. Before beginning their research, they immersed themselves in the community. Edin moved her family to the city and they both volunteered in community programs. Immersing themselves in the community is an example of - gaining access. - field notes. - thick description. - sampling

gaining access

Regardless of their various approaches to social phenomena, what are all sociologists trying to do? - understand how our society is different from other cultures and other times - compare the present with the past - explain why poverty and inequality still exist - illuminate the connection between the individual and society

illuminate the connection between the individual and society

The _____ is the factor that is predicted to cause change in behavior being researched. - present variable - absent variable - independent variable - dependent variable

independent variable

Sociologists who conduct interviews can only gather data from a limited number of people because - it is impossible to find enough people through a random sample. - researchers are only allowed to talk to people who are eighteen and older. - it is extremely difficult to guarantee confidentiality to large groups. - interviews are too time-consuming.

interviews are too time-consuming

Survey research tends to produce quantitative data. One key advantage of this kind of data is that it - includes observations and informal interviews. - allows the researcher to review the literature. - is easy to transmit to the public. - affords easy access to the norms, values, and meanings held by members of a group.

is easy to transmit to the public

In her research for The Second Shift, Arlie Hochschild interviewed married couples to find out how they dealt with changing family roles as more women entered the workforce. What advantages came from her decision to use interviews as a research method? - It allowed her to include a large group of people in the study. - It ensured that the respondents were always honest and forthcoming about their family lives and marital roles. - It allowed her to gather direct quotations and construct an intimate portrait of married couples. - It created both a control group and an experimental group and allowed Hochschild to co

it allowed her to gather direct quotations and construct an intimate portrait of married couples

Which of the following is one of the functions of symbolic culture? - It aids the proliferation of Western media - It provides a history of physical objects - It facilitates the distribution of Western products - It enables people to communicate

it enables people to communicate

Laud Humphreys wrote his dissertation on anonymous homosexual encounters in the men's rooms of public parks. To gather data, he acted as a lookout for his subjects, but he also surreptitiously noted license-plate numbers as the men left so he could get their names and addresses. The next year, he picked about fifty of the men and, claiming to be performing a health survey, interviewed them in their homes. His descriptions of the interviews made it possible for many of the men (and their families) to recognize themselves when the dissertation was published. Why do many sociologists consider this research method to be unethical? - It used terminology that was confusing to the interview subjects. - It put Humphreys at risk for arrest or retaliation. - It harmed the reputation of the city where Humphrey's subjects lived. - It failed to protect the biographical anonymity of his subjects.

it failed to project the biographical anonymity of his subjects

Which of the following statements best characterizes micro sociology? - It is an approach that examines interactions between individuals and how those interactions reflect larger societal patterns. - It is an approach that examines institutional interactions that occur over time. - It is an approach that quantifies data about social structures so they can be analyzed statistically. - It is an approach that focuses exclusively on gender and power as they manifest themselves socially.

it is an approach that examines interactions between individuals and how those interactions reflect larger societal patterns

Which of the following is a DISADVANTAGE of using ethnography as a method of social research? - Participants are self-selected. - Participants are not completely honest when asked to describe their attitudes and behaviors. - It is difficult for another researcher to repeat or replicate any particular ethnography. - Ethnographies tend to have ethical problems that are of central concern to most sociologists.

it is difficult for another researcher to repeat or replicate any particular ethnography

Horace Miner illustrates what point in his famous article, "Body Ritual among the Nacirema" (1956)? - It is very easy to observe culture because it is learned on a daily basis - It is very easy to fail to see one's own culture, precisely because it is taken for granted - Culture is very similar regardless of where a person lives - U.S. culture is pervasive and is taken for granted everywhere

it is very easy to fail to see ones own culture, precisely because it is taken for granted

Why would culture shock be a useful state of mind for a sociologist? - It makes us realize we lack an understanding of our surroundings so we can perceive what is right in front of us. - It shows us that people in foreign cultures have a way of life that seems strange to us. - It requires us to travel, which helps us grow as human beings. - It makes us unable to function even in simple, everyday ways.

it makes us realize we lack an understanding of our surroundings so we can perceive what is right in front of us

What can an institutional review board do if it has reservations about the safety or ethics of a research project? - It may appoint new researchers to complete the project. - It may stop the project from going forward, at least until changes have been made. - It may issue recommendations for future research. - It may provide assistance to any research subjects whose rights have been violated.

it may stop the project from going forward, at least until changes have been made

Many everyday cultural practices such as greeting a friend, giving someone flowers, or using the thumbs-up sign seem like natural ways of acting. Why does having an awareness of how these practices vary across cultures demonstrate a healthy sociological imagination? - It lets us understand how immigrants perceive America when they move here. - It helps us economically when we do business in different countries. - It shows us that cultures are not as different as we sometimes think they are. - It reminds us that everyday interactions are connected to larger societies and norms.

it reminds us that everyday interactions are connected to larger societies and norms

Sociology can be defined as the systematic and scientific study of human society and social behavior, from ________ to ________. - large-scale institutions; individual interactions - practical knowledge; scientific knowledge - economics; political science - individual interactions; small groups

large-scale institutions; individual interactions

A closed-ended question is one that - allows for a wide variety of responses. - encourages respondents to answer creatively. - limits the possible responses. - can only be answered orally.

limits the possible responses

Researcher Christine Williams looked at patterns of occupational sex segregation by examining the ways large-scale social structures create the constraints within which individuals live their lives. Her work would be characterized as what kind of sociology? - microsociology - symbolic interactionist - Chicago School - macrosociology

macrosociology

Which of the following statements best describes the approach taken by macrosociologists? - Macrosociology concentrates on the way large social institutions are created through individual interactions. - Macrosociology examines large-scale social structure to see how it affects individual lives. - Macrosociology focuses on creating a beginner's mind in contrast to microsociology, which uses an expert's mind. - Unlike microsociology, macrosociology focuses on creating scientific knowledge of the world, rather than practical knowledge.

macrosociology examines large-scale social structure to see how it affects individual lives

Why did C. Wright Mills think that it is important for everyone, even people who will never take a sociology class, to develop a sociological imagination? - It will encourage growth in the field of micro sociology. - Many people are unaware of the connections between their own lives and the larger course of history. - The sociological perspective is innately understood by nearly everyone, but we rarely acknowledge it. - It will help create more jobs for sociologists.

many people are unaware of the connections between their own lives and the large course of history

The Nielsen Company gathers data on what products people use as well as how they feel about them. This company uses sociological research methods as one of the leaders in what field? - product design - business administration - basic research - market research

market research

Designer labels on purses and logos on shirts are both examples of - material culture - values - counterculture - cultural essentials

material culture

Symbolic interactionism argues that people act toward things on the basis of their meaning. According to this perspective, how does meaning arise? - Meaning is inherent in objects and actions. - Meaning is learned through the study of philosophy and history. - Meaning is negotiated through interaction with others. - Meaning is learned through the study of science and nature.

meaning is negotiated through interaction with others

Metaphorically, what part of sociology is a zoom lens on a camera most like? - qualitative research - microsociology - quantitative research - macrosociology

microsociology

Imagine that you are trying to rewrite a survey. You find a multiple-choice question that asks, "What is your favorite recreational activity?" and gives three response options: watching television, shopping, or sports. You add a fourth response option, "other," and invite respondents to write an activity of their choice. What kind of question have you just made? - closed-ended - reductionist - quantitative - open-ended

open-ended

What kind of question usually produces a wide variety of responses by allowing respondents to answer in whatever way seems appropriate to them? - closed-ended - open-ended - double-barreled - leading

open-ended

Which of the following statements about quantitative and qualitative research is correct? - Qualitative research looks for cause-and-effect relationships using the scientific method. - Quantitative research is the only kind of research that actually produces scientific results. - Qualitative research works with nonnumerical data and interprets the results. - Qualitative research works with numerical data and interprets the results.

qualitative research works with nonnumerical data and interprets the results

Christopher researches the changes in rates of homeownership in the state of Washington over the past ten years to better understand the statewide impact of the recent economic downturn. What type of research method is Christopher using? - correlated - qualitative - quantitative - independent

quantitative

In her ethnography Wheeling & Dealing, Patricia Adler investigates the social and professional worlds of midlevel cocaine and marijuana smugglers. Her research started unexpectedly when she discovered that her next-door neighbor and friend was a drug smuggler. This was a huge advantage for her because it meant that she already had ________ with one of her informants. - informed consent - rapport - sampling - causation

rapport

What is the "McDonaldization" theory?

refers to the standardization of the system and how common it is in our everyday lives

Countercultural groups such as the hippies of the 1960s - actually had a lifestyle that was similar to that of the mainstream culture - were considered members of the popular culture - are now seen as members of a subculture - rejected the norms of the dominant culture

rejected the norms of the dominant culture

What will a good researcher always do after formulating a general research question? - review the literature relevant to his or her topic - clearly define his or her variables - look for correlations between at least two phenomena - form a hypothesis

review the literature relevant to his or her topic

Alejandra believes that religion is the basis for good values and that promoting religion in society promotes social order. What perspective best describes Alejandra's views? - conflict theory - structural functionalism - symbolic interactionism - promote a fashion brand

structural functionalism

Definition: Society is orderly and is a unified system.

structural functionalism

What school of social theory believes that society is a stable system of structures, which contribute to the equilibrium of the whole? - symbolic interactionism - dramaturgy - structural functionalism - conflict theory

structural functionalism

Sociologists observe society by - studying the various parts of a society and the ways they interact and influence one another. - studying society as if it were a concrete object, in the same way a geologist studies rocks. - studying the relationship between individuals and society, specializing in internal states of mind. - comparing the past and present, with a focus on the past.

studying the various parts of a society and the ways they interact and influence one another

A cultural group that exists harmoniously within a larger, dominant culture is called a - counterculture - subculture - subdominant culture - cultural spin-off

subculture

In a Pennsylvania town, there is a large neighborhood primarily consisting of Amish people. They live harmoniously with their non-Amish neighbors. They are distinctive because of the clothes they wear and the horses and buggies they drive in the neighborhood. The Amish people in this town are an example of a - subculture - counterculture - cultural dichotomy - dominant culture

subculture

A flag, a religious icon, and a hand "OK" sign are all examples of what? - symbolic culture - relativistic culture - material culture - ethnocentric culture

symbolic culture

Definition: Meanings are created and interpreted through interaction.

symbolic interactionism

Sameer thinks that religion consists of meaningful displays of values and norms that are created, maintained, and changed through social interaction. What perspective best describes Sameer's views? - radicalization - conflict theory - structural functionalism - symbolic interactionism

symbolic interactionism

Which social theory focuses on micro-level interactions? - symbolic interactionism - structural functionalism - conflict theory - pragmatism

symbolic interactionism

What is a crowd?

temporary gatherings of closely interacting people with a common focus, more than most likely won't meet again

Changes in marijuana laws over the course of U.S. history illustrate - that American society has consistently moved toward embracing greater amounts of personal freedom - that the United States has always adopted a punitive approach toward this substance - that norms change over time and across contexts, and that changes in such norms are not always predictable - that "elites" (such as politicians and wealthy business owners) apply different standards to others' personal behaviors than they do to their own

that norms change over time and across contexts, and that changes in such norms are not always predictable

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

the ability to understand the connections between biography and history or the self and the world

What is resocialization?

the adjustment of new norms and values due to new circumstances

A researcher must identify a target population before engaging in sampling. What is the target population? - the group of people whose behavior he or she wishes to change - the group of people from whom he or she will gather data - the group of people least often studied in the past - the larger group of people about whom he or she wishes to generalize

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

socialization

the process by which individuals internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of a given society and learn to function as members of that society

Survey researchers often use Likert scales to construct the possible answers when they write closed-ended questions. How do Likert scales allow respondents to answer? They allow respondents to answer with their own opinions. They encourage respondents to include detailed responses. They allow respondents to answer simply such as true/false or yes/no. They allow respondents to answer along a continuum from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree."

they allow respondents to answer along a continuum for "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree"

What is the thinking of functionalists?

they believe that crime and deviant acts can be beneficial and promote social cohesion

What is the thinking of conflict theorists?

they express the concern for the inequality in the system of punishment

What is the thinking of symbolic interactionalists?

they focus on the perspective of interpersonal relationships and everyday interactions

Which of the following is an advantage of using interviews as a research method? - They allow the researcher to maintain strict control of the data-collection process. - They reveal attitudes and beliefs not accessible by any other means. - They can affirm preconceptions and stereotypes. - They allow researchers to analyze data statistically and draw correlations.

they reveal attitudes about beliefs not accessible by any other means

Why do ethnocentric people tend to view other cultures as abnormal? - They are part of a counterculture. - They use their own culture as a standard of judgment. - They have values and beliefs that are universally recognized. - They are practicing cultural relativism.

they use their own culture as a standard of judgement

What are the three main types of authority?

traditional authority: divine right authority legal-rational authority: based on laws and rules charismatic authority: based on individual characteristics

Even though we are not all trained academically as sociologists, we can all be considered "everyday actors" because - sociologists are really just everyday observers of conventional wisdom. - sociology is a part of human nature. - our parents taught us to be sociologists even before they sent us to school. - we are all members of society and have background knowledge about how society works.

we are all members off society and have background knowledge about how society works

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

we learn values and beliefs slowly and incrementally

Where should you start if you possess a sociological imagination and you are asked to study unemployment rates in a city with fifty million people, of which, fifteen million are unemployed? - You should consider the work ethic of the average citizen. - You should ask the people who are unemployed how much they want to work. - You should worry about the intelligence level of the workers who have lost their jobs. - You should consider the economic and political structures of the society.

you should consider the economic and political structures of the society