Deck 5: Social Interaction, Groups, and Social Structure

Question 1

Jan, Randy, and Terry are science majors, and when they graduate from college, they find jobs as a nurse, a midwife, and a hospital administrator, respectively. These new positions are examples of

A) statuses.
B) social roles.
C) groups.
D) social networks.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is an achieved status?

A) race
B) gender
C) occupation
D) age

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is true regarding marriage in Japan?

A) Most husbands do not call their wife by name.
B) Husbands say "I love you" more often than other nationalities.
C) Most married Japanese couples do not actually love one another.
D) Marriage is considered more a relationship than a social status.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following terms refers to the way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships?

A) socialization
B) social structure
C) social interaction
D) culture

Question 5

An achieved status is a social position

A) attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts.
B) "assigned" to a person by society without regard for the person's unique talents or characteristics.
C) that is assigned to an individual at birth.
D) that is given to an individual based upon his or her age, race, or gender.

Question 6

When Malcolm X's eighth grade teacher dismissed Malcolm's desired career goal of lawyer and instead suggested he become a carpenter, the teacher was viewing Malcolm's race as a(n)

A) achieved status.
B) master status.
C) ascribed status.
D) assigned status.

Question 7

Which sociological perspective is especially interested in ascribed statuses because they often confer privileges or reflect a person's membership in a subordinate group?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) global perspective

Question 8

An individual can acquire an achieved status by

A) attending school.
B) establishing a friendship.
C) inventing a new product.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 9

One crucial aspect of the relationship between dominant and subordinate groups is the ability of the dominant group to

A) define a society's values.
B) define social reality.
C) mold the "definition of the situation."
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 10

A master status is a

A) category used by sociologists for any of the full range of socially defined positions within a large group or society.
B) social position attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts.
C) status that dominates others and thereby determines a person's general position within society.
D) series of social relationships linking a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.

Question 11

Social interaction is

A) the process of learning norms, values, beliefs, and other requirements for effective participation in social groups.
B) the way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships.
C) the ways in which people respond to one another.
D) a series of relationships linking a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.

Question 12

Ascribed statuses may be based on an individual's

A) race.
B) gender.
C) age.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 13

According to Herbert Blumer, a distinctive characteristic of human interaction is that

A) the reality of humans is shaped by our perceptions and evaluations.
B) humans respond to behavior based on the meaning we attach to the actions of others.
C) humans interpret or define each other's actions.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 14

You walk into your women's studies class, and you look at the person sitting to your left. He is the only male in the class; he is about 20 years old, wears a wedding ring, and carries a bag with a tennis racquet. Which of his characteristics is most likely his master status in the context of this class?

A) his age
B) his marital status
C) his gender
D) his interest in tennis

Question 15

William I. Thomas wrote from which perspective when observing that people respond not only to the objective features of a person or situation but also to the meaning that person or situation has for them?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 16

Which of the following statements about an ascribed status is correct?

A) It is easy to change when an individual becomes older.
B) It has the same social meaning in every society.
C) It is based on an individual's skills.
D) It is generally biological in origin, but significant mainly because of the social meanings attached to it within a given culture.

Question 17

An ascribed status is a social position

A) attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts.
B) "assigned" to a person by society without regard for the person's unique talents or characteristics.
C) that is earned.
D) that is reached as a result of negotiation.

Question 18

Ray is an African American who is currently enrolled at a four-year university where he is studying social work. Which of the following is his achieved status?

A) social worker
B) male
C) African American
D) college student

Question 19

Which term is used by sociologists to refer to any of the full range of socially defined positions within a large group or society?

A) status
B) culture
C) social structure
D) Gemeinschaft

Question 20

Philip Zimbardo's study of a simulated prison environment that used college students as prisoners and prison guards

A) indicated that it is impossible to replicate a "real life" situation in a laboratory.
B) demonstrated that a social structure can influence the type of social interactions that occur.
C) indicated that social interactions are not influenced by social structure characteristics.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 21

A(n) ________ is any number of people with similar norms, values, and expectations who regularly and consciously interact.

A) group
B) negotiation team
C) organic solidarity
D) aggregate

Question 22

In Ebaugh's four stages of the process of role exit, which of the following is a core element of the first stage?

A) searching for alternatives
B) identity creation
C) doubt
D) action

Question 23

Role exit is defined as

A) the process of disengagement from a role that is central to one's self-identity and the re-establishment of an identity in a new role.
B) a difficulty that occurs when incompatible expectations arise from two or more social positions held by the same person.
C) a difficulty that occurs when incompatible expectations arise within one social position occupied by an individual.
D) a set of expectations of people who occupy a given social position.

Question 24

Which term is used by sociologists to refer to a set of expectations for people who occupy a given social position or status?

A) social role
B) structural role
C) achieved role
D) ascribed role

Question 25

Helen Rose Fuchs Ebaugh studied

A) role conflict among internal affairs officers in police departments.
B) role exit.
C) social networking among Black businesswomen.
D) sociocultural evolution.

Question 26

A primary group is a small group that is

A) characterized by impersonality, with little intimacy or mutual understanding.
B) characterized by intimate, face-to-face association and cooperation.
C) used as a standard for evaluating oneself and one's behavior.
D) characterized by impersonality and face-to-face associations.

Question 27

Elaine is a clinical sociologist who practices marriage and family therapy. She is also a college professor. One of her current students asks her if she can make an appointment for a therapy session. Elaine tells the student that she will refer her to a colleague because she feels that holding therapy sessions with a student might create

A) role strain.
B) role conflict.
C) role exit.
D) status displacement.

Question 28

Proper behavior for the in-group is often viewed as unacceptable behavior for the out-group. Sociologist Robert Merton describes this process as the conversion of "in-group virtues" into

A) "in-group vices."
B) "out-group virtues."
C) "out-group vices."
D) goal displacement.

Question 29

Which of the following is likely to be a primary group?

A) all of the players in the National Hockey League
B) the American Civil Liberties Union
C) the members of a neighborhood softball team
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 30

Which term is used to refer to incompatible expectations that arise when the same person holds two or more social positions?

A) role strain
B) role conflict
C) role ambiguity
D) role exit

Question 31

Any group or category to which people feel they belong is called a(n)

A) dyad.
B) triad.
C) in-group.
D) out-group.

Question 32

The distinction between "in-groups" and "out-groups" was first made by

A) Erving Goffman.
B) Philip Zimbardo.
C) William Graham Sumner.
D) Charles Horton Cooley.

Question 33

Which of the following statements about social roles is correct?

A) The roles that belong to a social status are always performed in the same manner.
B) Social roles are always performed in the same manner by those holding ascribed, but not achieved, statuses.
C) Actual performance of a role varies from individual to individual.
D) Role expectations and actual role performances never vary.

Question 34

Which type of group is most important for socialization?

A) primary groups
B) coalitions
C) out groups
D) All of these groups are critical for socialization.

Question 35

Which sociological perspective emphasizes that social roles contribute to a society's stability by enabling members to anticipate the behavior of others and to pattern their own actions accordingly?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 36

Which of the following is most likely to be a secondary group?

A) the members of a small weekly seminar class in cultural diversity
B) the members of a small commune in Idaho
C) the members of the United Nations General Assembly
D) the members of a family

Question 37

The difficulty that arises when the same social position imposes conflicting demands and expectations is known as

A) role conflict.
B) role strain.
C) role exit.
D) resocialization.

Question 38

Which term is used to refer to a formal, impersonal group in which there is little social intimacy or mutual understanding?

A) primary group
B) secondary group
C) tertiary group
D) reference group

Question 39

A group to which people feel they do not belong is called a(n)

A) social network.
B) primary group.
C) reference group.
D) out-group.

Question 40

Which type of group plays a pivotal role in the socialization process and the development of roles and statuses?

A) secondary groups
B) primary groups
C) aggregates
D) formal organizations

Question 41

Which of the following functional prerequisites was NOT fulfilled by the religious sect known as the Shakers?

A) replacing personnel
B) teaching new recruits
C) producing and distributing goods and services
D) preserving order

Question 42

Studies have shown that which of the following is true in terms of the use of social networks for job searching and career advancement?

A) Networking pays off more for white men.
B) Men are more likely to rely on classified advertisements.
C) Networking pays off more for women.
D) More female executives use networking than male executives.

Question 43

A group of businesswomen meet on a monthly basis to assist one another in advancing their careers. They give each other job leads and advice, and they invite business leaders to attend their sessions to provide further assistance. This group is an example of

A) role connection.
B) impression management.
C) status assistance.
D) social networking.

Question 44

Which sociological perspective would emphasize the role of reference groups in setting and enforcing standards of conduct and belief?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 45

Which of the following terms is used to refer to organized patterns of beliefs and behavior centered on basic social needs?

A) social networks
B) social institutions
C) functional prerequisites
D) communities

Question 46

The patriotic behavior of U.S. citizens on January 20, 2009 in coming to witness the Inauguration of President Barack Obama represents what kind of functionalist prerequisite?

A) teaching new recruits
B) preserving order
C) replacing personnel
D) providing and maintaining a sense of purpose

Question 47

Sociological research that maps sexual relationships among high school students is an example of research on

A) ascribed statuses.
B) role exit.
C) social networks.
D) social institutions.

Question 48

A social network is

A) a social structure that derives its existence from the social interactions through which people define and redefine its character.
B) an attempt to reach agreement with others concerning some objective.
C) a series of social relationships that link a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.
D) the way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships.

Question 49

A college law enforcement major watches the behavior of television police detectives with great admiration. These detectives could be considered

A) an out-group.
B) a focus group.
C) a triad.
D) a reference group.

Question 50

The destructive consequences of tensions between in-groups and out-groups would probably be stressed by which sociological perspective?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) global perspective

Question 51

Mitchell Duneier's work regarding social networks operates from which sociological perspective?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 52

Which of the following is true of obesity in regards to social ties?

A) The obese are most frequently in social groups with the non-obese.
B) Weight gain in one person is often related to weight gain of that person's friends and family.
C) Obese people have few social ties.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 53

Functional prerequisites are

A) tasks that a society or relatively permanent group must accomplish if it is to survive.
B) organized patterns of beliefs and behavior centered on basic social needs.
C) social relationships that link a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.
D) attempts to reach agreement with others concerning some objective.

Question 54

A woman who has not attended school in 13 years enrolls for classes at the local community college. She is afraid that her younger classmates might not accept her. On the first day of class, she observes the clothing styles of her classmates, and after school she goes shopping and purchases similar clothes. Her classmates could be considered

A) a reference group.
B) an in-group.
C) a focus group.
D) both a reference group and an in-group.

Question 55

Mitchell Duneier studied the social network and social behavior of whom, as a method of researching the effects of social institutions on them?

A) street corner preachers
B) female word processors
C) warehouse workers
D) tollbooth operators

Question 56

The conflict perspective holds that social institutions

A) maintain the privileges of the powerful individuals and groups within a society.
B) preserve order and equality.
C) train personnel equitably.
D) provide and maintain a sense of basic fairness.

Question 57

Which term is used by sociologists when speaking of any group that individuals use as a standard for evaluating themselves and their own behavior?

A) primary group
B) secondary group
C) tertiary group
D) reference group

Question 58

Which sociological perspective suggests that a society or a relatively permanent group must accomplish certain major tasks if it is to survive?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 59

Which of the following is an example of a social institution?

A) the U.S. government
B) a group of passengers on an inner-city bus
C) the members of a stamp-collecting society
D) a children's playgroup

Question 60

Which of the following statements about social networks is true?

A) Even network connections that are weak may be useful.
B) Social networks consist exclusively of direct ties to others.
C) Networking in the workplace pays off more for women than for men.
D) About 25 percent of male executives find new jobs through social networks.

Question 61

Bureaucratization is

A) an element or process of society that may disrupt a social system or lead to a decrease in stability.
B) organized patterns of beliefs and behavior centered on basic social needs.
C) the process by which a group, organization, or social movement becomes increasingly bureaucratic.
D) the process through which an organization identifies an entirely new objective because its traditional goals have been either realized or denied.

Question 62

Which one of the following is a typical ascribed status that influences people's self-images within formal organizations?

A) gender
B) college education
C) job title
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 63

A domestic abuse counselor fails to listen to an injured woman because the woman has no valid proof of U.S. citizenship. This is an example of

A) goal displacement.
B) goal multiplication.
C) trained incapacity.
D) hierarchy of authority.

Question 64

Which of the following does Marx and conflict theorists believe is weakened by restricting workers to very small tasks?

A) job security
B) family values
C) economic positions
D) hierarchy of control

Question 65

A bureaucracy is a(n)

A) two-member group.
B) small group in which there is little intimacy or mutual understanding and in which relationships are impersonal.
C) organization established on the basis of common interest whose members volunteer or even pay to participate.
D) component of formal organization that uses rules and hierarchical ranking to achieve efficiency.

Question 66

The tendency of workers in a bureaucracy to become so specialized that they develop blind spots and fail to notice obvious problems is known as

A) goal displacement.
B) oligarchy.
C) manifest destiny.
D) trained incapacity.

Question 67

Which of these comments about a bureaucracy is correct?

A) The division of labor has the positive consequence of producing efficiency in large-scale organizations.
B) The hierarchy of authority has the negative consequence for the individual of depriving employees of a voice in decision making.
C) An organization's written rules and regulations have the negative consequence of leading to goal displacement.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 68

A construct or model that serves as a measuring rod against which specific cases can be evaluated is called a(n)

A) coalition.
B) ideal type.
C) metaphor.
D) questionnaire.

Question 69

Formal organizations may vary in

A) size.
B) degree of efficiency.
C) specificity of goals.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 70

Special-purpose groups designed and structured in the interests of maximum efficiency are known as

A) informal organizations.
B) formal organizations.
C) coalitions.
D) primary groups.

Question 71

In The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels charged that the capitalist system reduces workers to a mere "appendage of the machine," which leads to extreme

A) motion sickness.
B) alienation.
C) anomie.
D) goal displacement.

Question 72

Which sociologist emphasized the basic similarity of structure and process found in the otherwise dissimilar enterprises of religion, government, education, and business?

A) Max Weber
B) Suzanne Staggenborg
C) David Sills
D) Norman Denzin

Question 73

By working at a specific task, people are more likely to become highly skilled and carry out a job with maximum efficiency. This is the rationale for the bureaucratic characteristic of

A) employment based on technical qualifications.
B) hierarchy of authority.
C) division of labor.
D) written rules and regulations.

Question 74

A college is run by a board of trustees, which hires a president, who in turn selects vice presidents, deans, and other administrators. This is an example of the bureaucratic characteristic of

A) written rules and regulations.
B) division of labor.
C) impersonality.
D) hierarchy of authority.

Question 75

Which sociological perspective might observe the division of labor among the staff members in a hospital emergency room and focus on how the allocation of responsibilities affects their social behavior?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) global perspective

Question 76

As explained in the text, the public attention given the failure of various government intelligence-gathering organizations to detect the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, illustrates which poorly functioning aspect of government bureaucracy?

A) division of labor
B) hierarchy of authority
C) impersonality
D) employment based on technical qualifications

Question 77

Which of the following is an example of a negative consequence of bureaucratization?

A) the Peter principle
B) employees deprived of a voice in decision making
C) the stifling of initiative and imagination
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 78

Which of the following is an example of a formal organization?

A) a community college basketball team
B) the people in a New York City subway car
C) the General Motors Corporation
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 79

Goal displacement is

A) the tendency for workers in a bureaucracy to become so specialized that they develop blind spots and fail to notice obvious problems.
B) a principal of organizational life according to which each individual within a hierarchy tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence.
C) overzealous conformity to official regulations within a bureaucracy.
D) the process by which a group, organization, or social movement becomes increasingly bureaucratic.

Question 80

The notion that every employee within a hierarchy tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence is referred to as

A) goal displacement.
B) the Peter principle.
C) trained incapacity.
D) bureaucracy.