Sociology Final

Why did no one come to Kitty Genovese's aid when she was murdered, while thousands of people came to help when the Twin Towers were attacked on September 11, 2001?

It was clear what was happening on September 11.

How do sociologists define race?

a social category based on real or perceived biological differences

What does Jean Baudrillard call an image in the media that people can no longer distinguish from the reality that it is supposed to represent?

simulacrum

What would a symbolic interactionist studying the family be most interested in?

the way that gift giving within an extended family makes some bonds more important than others

In a capitalist system, what do workers have available to sell?

their own labor

If a couple were fighting, which of the following statements would make bystanders more likely to intervene?

"Get away from me, I don't know you."

In 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau defined the poverty threshold for a family of four at:

$21,954

The Environmental Protection Agency claims that the United States has one of the safest supplies of drinking water in the world, but:

10 percent of U.S. water systems don't meet EPA standards.

In 1987 the emigration rate in Ireland was 40.0 and the immigration rate was 19.0. What was the net migration rate?

21.0

In the early 1900s, what percentage of Americans lived in cities?

40 percent

What developments have changed the way that leisure time is used?

All of the above

Which of the following population groups are NOT associated with higher rates of poverty?

Asian Americans

Around 12,000 years ago, in what we now call the Middle East, people began to domesticate grain, a process that slowly spread around the world over the next 6,000 to 7,000 years. In 1984, 8 percent of U.S. households had a computer; by 2008 that number was estimated to be above 70 percent. How do these two things relate to social change?

Both are examples of social change, occurring at different rates.

In the past, bank tellers were overwhelmingly male, but today they are mostly female. Which of the following could explain this shift?

Changes in technology made the work easier and less important, which drove down wages and prestige accorded to the job.

Where did the Industrial Revolution begin?

England

In 1848 Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott convened the Seneca Falls Conference to address women's liberation. The Declaration of Sentiments that they issued began, "When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of man to assume among the people of the earth a position different from that which they have hitherto occupied." Today no feminist would use the word "man" like this, so how can we still call Stanton and Mott feminists?

Feminist concepts and goals are not static, but are always focused on bringing about greater gender equality in a particular time and place.

How does the academic achievement of homeschooled students compare to that of public school students?

Homeschooled students perform significantly better, on average, than public school students.

In 1991 an enormous controversy erupted after five Los Angeles police officers were caught on tape beating a motorist named Rodney King. Although there continues to be much controversy over the event, many people see it as a blatant act of discrimination. Under what circumstances would this beating be considered institutional discrimination?

If the leadership of the Los Angeles police department condoned or encouraged this type of behavior on a regular basis, it would be considered institutional discrimination.

How is institutional discrimination different from individual discrimination?

Institutional discrimination is more systematic and widespread.

Earth First describes itself as a global organization, but its website contains links to local chapters in Montreal, the Netherlands, and Humbolt and Santa Cruz, California. What does this suggest about the organization?

It believes in grassroots environmentalism

In 1994, after filming Schindler's List, Stephen Spielberg founded the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. What does this foundation do?

It documents the experiences of Holocaust survivors.

What effect did the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 have on unions?

It instituted limits on secondary strikes and boycotts.

In what way is the family responsible for the reproduction of society?

It produces and socializes children.

Hero of Alexander, a mathematician who lived in Rome, invented a steam engine in the first century CE. What does this say about William Ogburn's theory of technological determinism?

It suggests that technological determinism can't always explain social change.

In 2009 there were only five African Americans who were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, or 1 percent of the total number of Fortune 500 CEOs. Given that African Americans make up more than 11 percent of the U.S. population, what does this tell you?

Jobs are not distributed regardless of racial or ethnic identity.

A majority of Americans believe that poverty is a big problem, but addressing it is not a priority for most. Why not?

Many people believe that poor people simply don't try hard enough.

Although they make very little money, priests, ministers, rabbis, imams, and clergy are often very prestigious members of their communities. Which social theorist first suggested that this is an important element of class status?

Max Weber

Damage to tropical rainforests is causing the extinction of many rainforest species, but it is also detrimental to human life. Why?

Rainforests absorb carbon dioxide and provide valuable plants.

How do most sociologists differentiate between sex and gender?

Sex is biological; gender is social.

The Mall of America has more than 10,000 workers, occupies more than 4 million square feet, and receives more than 40 million visitors each year. However, the mall offers more than just shopping. Concerts, plays, story times for children, flight simulators, and an indoor aquarium are just a few of the elements of what the mall calls its "retail experience." What point does this illustrate?

Shopping is now as much about entertainment as it is about purchasing things.

What is the relationship between social class and race, ethnicity, gender, and age in the United States today?

Strictly speaking, social class is determined by socioeconomic status, but there is often overlap between class and these other variables.

How could telecommuting increase worker productivity?

Telecommuters must provide a concrete measure of their accomplishments, not just show up.

How did Marshall McLuhan believe that the world would turn into a "global village"?

Television and other media technology would link people all over the world.

What are the benefits of third places, or hangouts, for society as a whole?

The feeling of public spirit generated in them can strengthen civil society.

One reason women are more likely than men to live in poverty is the expense of childcare. How can this connection between poverty rates and childcare costs be explained?

There are more single women than single men with sole financial responsibility for their children.

What does Karl Marx claim is true about class conflict?

There has always been class conflict.

Mike Davis has described the chupacabra as a: notoriously ill-tempered creature, with its bottomless appetite for cabra, gallina, and pato (not to mention the odd Doberman pinscher or two) . . . an apparition 'just like the Devil . . . four or five feet tall with red eyes and a hideous forked tongue.' A month later, the chupacabra grew a horn, which a mechanic, attacked by the creature just before Christmas 1995, amended to long, spiked hair or fur. Its body was portrayed as a hideous combination of a rat and kangaroo . . . Analyze the story of the chupacabra as an urban legend. Why does the creature have red eyes and a forked tongue?

They add affective punch.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, since 2004 Texas has had a minority population of at least 11.3 million, comprising 50.2 percent of its total population of 22.5 million. The primary minority group is Mexican Americans. However, despite this numerical prominence, Texas has never had a Mexican American governor, and the percentage of Mexican Americans in its state House has never been higher than 26. Why would a sociologist still call Mexican Americans a minority group?

They are denied access to power and resources.

Why are the poor and minorities more likely to suffer health problems that result from exposure to pollution?

They are disproportionately exposed to pollution.

What are the positive consequences of racial and ethnic categories?

They create a sense of identity and lead to feelings of solidarity.

Why are blogs, zines, and even daytime talk shows like Montel Williams valuable?

They provide an opportunity for disenfranchised, nonmainstream individuals to be heard.

According to Angela Davis, why are African American teenage girls disproportionately likely to have children?

They see few opportunities for education or work and choose motherhood instead.

How did the G.I. Bill of Rights, which provided funds for home loans, affect African Americans?

Though it was written to help all veterans regardless of race, African Americans were typically excluded from home ownership.

Which of these workers would be most typical of the economy in America today?

a 30-year-old woman who works as a customer service representative for a cell phone company

The English Premier League broadcasts its games to hundreds of millions of households in more than 200 countries and is reportedly watched by more than a billion people each week. This is what Marshall McLuhan would call:

a global village.

How do sociologists define a minority group?

a group whose members suffer from unequal treatment

The "Asian Brown Cloud" is the name given to:

a layer of pollution that hangs over China and India.

How did "Agnes," a person born with male genitals and raised as a boy before undergoing sex reassignment surgery, manage to pass as female while in public?

all of the above

In the United States, which of the following groups usually do not have a choice about displaying their race or ethnicity?

all of the above

What general predictions can be made about a person's life chances if all that is known is her social class?

all of the above

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:

at least partially socialist.

Kim Jong Il inherited control of North Korea from his father, Kim Il Sung. Both men ruled the country in absolute terms, to the extent that when North Koreans do manage to escape the country, which they are not legally allowed to leave, they are shocked to discover that the history they have been taught is full of distortions and lies. What type of government does North Korea have?

authoritarian

If an urban neighborhood were to suddenly develop an assortment of upscale restaurants, coffee shops, hip boutiques, and art galleries, then the neighborhood is:

becoming gentrified.

Which of the following is NOT an example of discrimination?

believing that African Americans are better dancers than white people

According to Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol, how do schools reinforce inequality?

by using local property taxes to fund public schools, trapping poor children in poor schools

The information in Figure 13.1 shows how media ____________, where the number of companies producing and distributing particular commodities decreases has occurred.

concentration

An agglomeration of men presents new characteristics very different from those of the individuals composing it. The sentiments and ideas of all the persons in the gathering take one and the same direction, and their conscious personality vanishes. A collective mind is formed, doubtless transitory, but presenting very clearly defined characteristics. The gathering has thus become what, in the absence of a better expression, I will call an organized crowd . . . . It forms a single being . . . Which theory describes this quote?

contagion theory

The political theorist Benjamin Barber argues that exported American movies aren't just mindless entertainment because they sell American values and ideals. What term or concept could describe these exports?

cultural imperialism

Which of the following disorders occurs more often in women than in men?

depression

An action or behavior that results in the unequal treatment of an individual because of his membership in a racial or ethnic group is called:

discrimination.

According to Karl Marx, what social relations matter most in a capitalist system?

economic relations

What is the maximum length of time a family can collect welfare based on the welfare reforms provided in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act?

five years

When schools fail to make any mention of gays or lesbians in the curriculum, what message is being sent?

gays and lesbians aren't full members of society

The roles, traits, and behaviors that are associated with a particular gender are called:

gender identity.

Reading children bedtime stories is an important task in many families. What part of reading the bedtime story is an instrumental task?

getting children into pajamas, tucked into bed, and then to sleep

What do sociologists ask you to consider regarding health and illness?

how health and illness are shaped by social factors

The belief that the experiences of women and men differ as a result of differences in anatomy is called:

human sexual dimorphism.

Given that fertility rates in the United States have dropped below the level needed to maintain the population level, why is the population here growing?

immigration

If the pattern of demographic transition that followed the Industrial Revolution in Europe and the United States is repeated in Africa, which of the following would you NOT expect to see happen in the future?

increasing mortality rates

What sort of jobs can support a middle-class lifestyle in America today?

jobs in the service, information, and technology sectors

What subjects were taught in European universities during the Middle Ages?

law, theology, and medicine

Few people today even know that the Milky Way is a spiral arm of our galaxy, containing such a dense cluster of stars that in the past it appeared not as individual points of light, but as a splash of light across the night sky. Why is it no longer visible this way?

light pollution

How do sociologists define patriarchy?

male domination

What sort of laws prohibited the mixing of racial groups through marriage, cohabitation, or sexual contact?

miscegenation laws

Ascribed status is usually involuntary and often assigned at birth. Achieved status is voluntary and often based on merit, ability, or achievement. What sort of status would you expect to find in a closed system?

mostly ascribed status

Barbara Ehrenreich studied the working poor, people with service jobs that paid mostly minimum wage or slightly more. Based on your study of poverty, what do you think that she recommended such workers do to move out of poverty?

nothing, because there's no way for them to move out of poverty

Societies that encourage racial and ethnic diversity have embraced the value of:

pluralism.

Robert is walking down the street late at night in New York City when a man in a ski mask suddenly sticks a gun in his face and takes his wallet. Sociologists would say that Robert's mugger had ____________ but not ____________.

power;authority

A set of beliefs about the superiority of one racial or ethnic group compared to another is:

racism

The World Church of the Creator, founded by Matt Hale, wants to stop both religious and racial integration of America, making it a(n):

regressive social movement.

If a social movement works to resist some kind of social change, or even to roll back elements of a change, it is said to be

regressive.

When we compare the salaries of the worst paid members of a corporation with the salary of the CEO, what sort of measure of poverty are we using?

relative deprivation

Chris McCandless lived on his own in the wilderness because he felt constrained and betrayed by a society that cared so little for its individual members. What term describes the attitude that McCandless objected to?

social atomization

What does Paul Fussell's living room scale attempt to measure?

social class

What system of stratification is commonly used in capitalist societies?

social class

What do sociologists call behaviors that are rational for any given individual, but that lead to disaster for an entire group?

social dilemmas

A sociologist who examines how cities are organized or the migration of human populations is studying:

social ecology.

What does Pierre Bourdieu call the tendency of social class to be passed down from one generation to the next and consequently remain relatively stable over time?

social reproduction

In August of 2009, the Newbury Astronomical Society held a "Twitter Meteorwatch," posting photographs of the Perseid meteor shower, as well as "tweets" (as short posts on Twitter are called) about what was going on in the night sky as it happened. This represented a remarkable new expansion of:

spectatorship

When someone of Irish ancestry who doesn't typically identify as Irish in everyday life puts on a green hat, drinks green beer, and wears a "Kiss me, I'm Irish" t-shirt on St. Patrick's Day, it is an example of:

symbolic ethnicity.

When one media conglomeration is able to market its products across a wide range of media, it is said to have:

synergy

Which of the following would most worry Thomas Malthus?

the U.S. government refusing to fund international agencies that provide family planning services

On July 1, 1908, Theodore Roosevelt signed legislation that created 45 national forests. Roosevelt was a passionate hunter and believed that all the game in America would soon be gone unless something was done to preserve some wild areas. Which era of the environmental movement does this goal belong to?

the conservation era

John Dewey, an American educational reformer, once wrote, "Perhaps the greatest of all pedagogical fallacies is that a person learns only the particular thing he is studying at the time. Collateral learning in the way of formation of enduring attitudes, of likes and dislikes, may be and often is, more important." What is another term for what Dewey calls "collateral learning?"

the hidden curriculum

What social class do "white-collar" workers (workers employed in technical and lower-management positions) belong to?

the middle class

The nature writer Barry Lopez spent time with the Inuit of the Arctic and concluded that hunting societies had different attitudes about the land than industrial ones because "the focus of a hunter in a hunting society was not killing animals but attending to the myriad relationships he understood bound him into the world he occupied with them." What kind of attitude do hunting societies have?

the new ecological paradigm

In 1995 the Philippines passed the Special Economic Zone Act, which established certain areas where corporations could set up factories, import raw materials without paying duties or tariffs, and in some cases avoid paying any taxes for a number of years. What is this an example of?

the race to the bottom

Which of the following would NOT be a family as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau?

three unrelated elderly women who buy a house together and depend on one another for material and emotional support

From a symbolic interactionist perspective, what is the most important way that schools socialize children into their gender identities?

through interactions between teachers and students

According to Chapter 7, what general predictions can sociologists make about a person's life prospects if all that is known is the person's social class?

what quality of education she will receive