Deck 6: Supporting Identity: the Presentation of Self

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT one of Goffman's three types of stigma?

A)defects of the body
B)defects of dramaturgy
C)defects of character
D)membership in devalued social groups

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Research shows that women of which ethnoracial group are the most likely to worry about their weight?

A)Latina
B)White
C)African American
D)Asian

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which activity does NOT happen back stage?

A)dirty work
B)preparations for performing front stage
C)impression management
D)letting down one's guard

Answer 3

C

Question 4

What is a beauty premium?

A)the high price of "aspirational" brand cosmetics
B)a disease associated with spending too much money on beauty products
C)the negative reputation experienced by beautiful women in Malawi
D)the economic advantages associated with being physically attractive

Question 5

How do aligning actions restore social order?

A)They reassure the audience that the actor knows the social rules.
B)They restructure the rules of social interaction.
C)They ostracize the person who has violated social rules.
D)They construct a new social reality for a particular situation.

Question 6

According to Goffman,it is essential that the front and back stages are

A)accessible to everyone.
B)kept separate.
C)managed equally.
D)understood by all parties.

Question 7

In which of the following locations would a fast food company choose to build a new restaurant?

A)a poor,inner city neighborhood
B)an affluent suburb with heavy traffic
C)a heavily populated east coast suburb
D)a rural southern community

Question 8

Which remedy for spoiled identities is given before the unacceptable behavior has occurred?

A)an account
B)a disclaimer
C)an alternative
D)a cooling off

Question 9

A performance team is made up of people who,above all,must

A)like each other.
B)agree with each other.
C)live together.
D)trust each other.

Question 10

According to Goffman,everyday life is a series of social interactions in which people are motivated to

A)present a false image to others.
B)sell a preferred identity to others.
C)adopt other people's identities.
D)seek their authentic selves.

Question 11

In which process are people persuaded to accept less desirable identities than they had originally hoped for?

A)stigma
B)dramaturgy
C)aligning action
D)cooling out

Question 12

Clothing and body adornment differ from other attributes such as age,race,or gender because they

A)do not affect how others perceive us.
B)are not unique to a particular person.
C)can be manipulated to influence others' impressions of us.
D)are often overlooked in many cultures.

Question 13

Disclaimers and accounts are aspects of

A)stigma.
B)dramaturgy.
C)aligning action.
D)cooling out.

Question 14

According to Elijah Anderson,who is responsible for maintaining social order in microinteractions between young black men and others on the streets of Philadelphia?

A)the police
B)the young black men
C)the people who are afraid of the men
D)all participants equally

Question 15

A characteristic or trait that is deeply discrediting and is seen as an impediment to being morally trustworthy is referred to as

A)a stigma.
B)a dramaturgical nodule.
C)an aligning action.
D)a cooled out identity.

Question 16

Which theory argues that personal props are an important part of establishing an identity?

A)stigma
B)dramaturgy
C)aligning action
D)cooling out

Question 17

Which of the following statements is a definition of an account?

A)a statement designed to explain embarrassing or unacceptable behavior after the behavior has occurred
B)a statement designed to explain embarrassing or unacceptable behavior before the behavior has occurred
C)the act of persuading someone to accept a less desirable alternative identity
D)the act of persuading someone to aim for a more desirable identity

Question 18

Why is the back stage especially important for performance teams?

A)Most of the team's time is spent back stage.
B)The team needs to practice its performance.
C)The team needs the audience to appreciate its backstage efforts.
D)The team's performance takes place there.

Question 19

Strategies such as selective disclosure and self-deprecating humor are used to cope with

A)stigmatizing conditions.
B)embarrassment.
C)cooling out periods.
D)pratfalls.

Question 20

Comparing social interaction to theater is a key element of

A)social construction.
B)the symbolic interactionist approach.
C)presentation analysis.
D)the dramaturgical approach.

Question 21

Which of the following social trends is related to impression management?

A)increases in educational attainment
B)changes in religious affiliation
C)increases in cosmetic surgery
D)decreases in infant mortality

Question 22

Shay and Sam Yates are a married couple who have been arguing in front of their two children,Sela,age 15,and Bronx,age 4.The doorbell rings and the couple's dinner guests arrive.Which family member would not be a good performance team mate during dinner?

A)Joe
B)Pete
C)Sela
D)Bronx

Question 23

Cari just bought a house and has invited friends over for a housewarming party.Before her guests arrive,she puts fresh hand towels in the lavatory,arranges flowers in a vase on the kitchen counter,and sets the table with her best dishes.According to the dramaturgical perspective,the towels,flowers,and dishes are

A)props.
B)bourgeois affectations.
C)impressions.
D)impression objects.

Question 24

Areas with high concentrations of low-income and minority residents often do not have large national chain grocery stores that carry a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.Instead,these areas have convenience stores and fast food outlets,which tend to offer less nutritious choices and a few select high-priced healthy foods.These areas are referred to as

A)burger barrios.
B)food deserts.
C)wastelands.
D)McCities.

Question 25

Why is embarrassment sociologically important?

A)It can potentially destroy the orderliness of a social situation.
B)It encourages rebellion among members of social groups.
C)It causes high blood pressure among all participants in the situation.
D)It results in deviant behavior on the part of the victim.

Question 26

Which country has the highest plastic surgery rate per capita?

A)South Korea
B)United States
C)China
D)Brazil

Question 27

Which statement is most accurate concerning Elijah Anderson's research findings about Village Northton's white and black communities?

A)Some young black men felt the need to maintain social order by putting whites at ease.
B)All of the black men adopted swaggers and menacing looks to intimidate white pedestrians.
C)Other blacks,not whites,were the most fearful of young black men.
D)The majority of whites attempted to evoke fear in young black men when faced with them on the street.

Question 28

The process by which we define others based on observable cues such as ascribed status characteristics and individual attributes is called

A)impression formation.
B)controlled projection.
C)assumption formation.
D)formulaic reputation.

Question 29

According to the concept of impression management,a young man meeting a date for the first time will most likely try to

A)present another person's identity to impress his date.
B)adopt his date's personality as his own.
C)present an accurate impression of himself.
D)present a favorable impression of himself.

Question 30

After waiting on a rude customer,Dina complains to another server in the dining room.The manager overhears this and warns Dina not to do it again.What was Dina's offense?

A)front stage behavior on the back stage
B)back stage behavior on the front stage
C)use of a disclaimer
D)use of an aligning action

Question 31

In Niger,overweight women are considered to be

A)lacking in willpower.
B)beautiful and healthy.
C)poor marriage prospects.
D)morally unfit.

Question 32

Jamie is a recent college graduate who has just started working as a marketing associate on Wall Street.Which behavior would be most likely to stigmatize Jamie and eventually limit his career opportunities?

A)flashing his Rolex watch
B)refusing to drink alcohol with coworkers and clients
C)disclosing that he went to Harvard
D)announcing his engagement to his high school sweetheart

Question 33

Cruz accidently drops his fork while at the dinner table with his girlfriend,her parents,and her younger siblings.Who is responsible for restoring social order in this awkward moment?

A)Cruz because he created the disruption
B)his girlfriend because she invited him to dinner
C)his girlfriend's parents because they are the hosts
D)all of the adults equally,but not the children

Question 34

An academic advisor who tells a student,"You may not have the grades for engineering,but you would be an outstanding elevator operator" is using which type of remedy for spoiled identity?

A)a disclaimer
B)an account
C)impression management
D)cooling out

Question 35

Research shows that most people believe physically attractive people are

A)sensitive and kind.
B)ego-driven and insecure.
C)unpleasant and disrespectful.
D)incompetent and unreliable.

Question 36

According to Peter Ubel's study of "elevator talk" among hospital staff,a comment such as "Mr.Reynolds was readmitted last night with chest pain" would be an example of

A)comments violating patient confidentiality.
B)unprofessional motivations.
C)derogatory comments about patients or their families.
D)comments raising questions about quality of patient care.

Question 37

What is the primary challenge of cooling out?

A)changing the offender's behavior
B)preventing the offender from realizing he or she is being persuaded
C)clarifying the offender's behavior
D)resenting a favorable image of the offender

Question 38

In the long run,how can problems associated with stigma be overcome?

A)by "turning the other cheek" and ignoring insults
B)by helping people with stigmas to change themselves for the better
C)by changing cultural beliefs about the nature of stigma
D)by decreasing the frequency of interactions between nonstigmatized and stigmatized individuals

Question 39

The area of social interaction where people work to present a convincing performance and remain in character is known as the

A)back stage.
B)orchestra level.
C)front stage.
D)encore level.

Question 40

Goffman's back stage is comparable to a

A)sports bar.
B)restaurant kitchen.
C)courtroom drama.
D)presidential campaign.

Question 41

Interactions between nonstigmatized and stigmatized people are called mixed contacts.

Question 42

When entering the library,you accidentally bump another student with your backpack.Realizing what has happened,you turn and say,"I'm sorry." A sociologist would call your verbal response a(n)

A)apologia.
B)defense.
C)aligning action.
D)disclaimer.

Question 43

Federal law mandates that hospital nurses who have obtained their PhDs must refrain from referring to themselves as "doctor."

Question 44

Individual impression management and organizational impression management have different principles.

Question 45

For a stigmatized individual,the objective is to recapture a tarnished identity.

Question 46

Once someone's identity is discredited,the identity cannot be restored.

Question 47

Unlike individuals and small businesses,large corporations do not need to engage in impression management.

Question 48

After class,Roland's professor pulled him aside.She informed Roland that he had been dropped from the class roster.Roland knew the reason: He hadn't paid his tuition."There was a problem with my financial aid paperwork and I couldn't meet the deadline," he explained.Roland's statement is considered a(n)

A)apologia.
B)account.
C)aligning action.
D)disclaimer.

Question 49

In today's economy,economically prosperous individuals must work harder for social respect.

Question 50

Stigmas vary across time and cultures.

Question 51

Talking with friends,Chase remembers a joke about lesbians that he read online.He thinks his friends might find it funny,but is also afraid of being known as someone who finds humor in hurtful stereotypes.Before retelling the joke,he says,"You know I don't have anything against gay people,but ...." Chase's statement is called a(n)

A)apologia.
B)account.
C)aligning action.
D)disclaimer.

Question 52

According to Goffman,a stigma effectively cancels out,or overshadows,an individual's other characteristics and qualities.

Question 53

The restorative action an individual takes after he has done something that that has the potential to damage or discredit his identity is known as a(n)

A)apologia.
B)account.
C)aligning action.
D)disclaimer.

Question 54

The way individuals address each other indicates underlying power differences.

Question 55

A statement intended to explain unanticipated,embarrassing,or unacceptable behavior after the potentially disruptive or discrediting act has occurred is called a(n)

A)apologia.
B)account.
C)aligning action.
D)disclaimer.

Question 56

According to Goffman,a stigmatized individual is one whose identity has been permanently spoiled.

Question 57

The ability to successfully manage one's impression is considered an important survival tactic.

Question 58

All stigmas are voluntary in the sense that the stigmatized individual has committed some act that causes him to be deemed incompetent or unworthy of trust.

Question 59

All stigmas are equally discrediting and discrediting in the same way.

Question 60

Generally speaking,when one has been stigmatized,the objective is to

A)minimize the social damage.
B)prove one's innocence.
C)avoid incarceration.
D)avoid social interaction.

Question 61

Cooling out primarily involves relaxing after an embarrassing incident.

Question 62

Discuss how the meanings of body weight,shape,and size vary across time and culture.

Question 63

Using the dramaturgical perspective,analyze a first date,beginning with the individuals getting ready at their homes.Be sure to use at least three dramaturgical terms or concepts in your answer.

Question 64

Drawing on what you have read in the text,define stigma.

Question 65

Using the dramaturgical perspective,describe embarrassment.Include one example of an embarrassing moment in a social interaction and a possible repair or remedy.

Question 66

What,according to the dramaturgical perspective,is a "performance team"? Provide an illustration or example of this.

Question 67

Describe how organizations deal with crises.What are some possible collective impression management techniques that might be employed by a restaurant chain if faced with a situation such as a food poisoning outbreak? What factors might affect the success of these techniques?

Question 68

What danger can a third party pose to a couple's impression management? Provide an example of this threat and the possible consequences.

Question 69

A businessman accidentally spills his drink all over the expensive clothes of his supervisor.She is annoyed and angry.Who is responsible for restoring social order in this case? How might he go about doing this?

Question 70

Identify Goffman's three types of stigma.For each type,describe one "management" technique that stigmatized individuals might use.