Deck 1: What Is Sociology

Question 1

Consider a society in which anyone is allowed to go to any school they can qualify and pay for. A young adult wishes to go to a costly private university but cannot afford the cost of tuition. This would be an example of the concept of __________.

A) anomie
B) social constraint
C) capitalism
D) division of labor

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The significance of a sociological imagination is that:

A) sociology should be considered a philosophy rather than a science
B) sociologists are primarily interested in predicting the unobservable
C) sociology attempts to connect individual experiences to a conception of a larger social structure
D) sociology is rarely concerned with empirical verification of theories

Answer 2

C

Question 3

According to Émile Durkheim, sociologists must study social facts, which are:

A) the ways in which people cooperate
B) what people report as the reasons for their behavior
C) aspects of social life that shape our individual actions
D) individual opinions

Answer 3

C

Question 4

A child's father is likely to tell the child to "say thank-you" when the child receives a gift. This is an example of:

A) social construction
B) rationalization
C) socialization
D) social structure

Question 5

We can say that something is socially constructed when it occurs through:

A) anomie
B) rationalization
C) social intelligence
D) social interactions

Question 6

What should knowledge of society be based on, according to Auguste Comte?

A) authority
B) imagination
C) scientific evidence
D) tradition

Question 7

The norms, beliefs, and values that we learn through socialization make __________ possible.

A) agency
B) power struggles
C) social order
D) bureaucracy

Question 8

The idea of a sociological imagination originated with:

A) Anthony Giddens
B) C. Wright Mills
C) Émile Durkheim
D) Karl Marx

Question 9

Sociologists recognize that when a group of people agree on an idea or practice, it becomes a taken-for-granted reality. This is called __________.

A) rationalization
B) social construction
C) social constraint
D) latent function

Question 10

In their 2002 study comparing the average yearly income of students who had been admitted to and attended an Ivy League college with the average yearly income of students who had been admitted to but did not attend an Ivy League college, Alan Krueger and Stacy Dale found that:

A) the individual matters despite an apparent disparity in opportunities between Ivy League and non-Ivy League colleges
B) highly motivated students are far less likely to succeed if they attend a non-Ivy League college
C) institutional structures are always a greater determinant of success than personal ambition
D) non-Ivy League college graduates have a significantly higher average income than graduates of Ivy League colleges

Question 11

Early sociological theorists often differed in their analyses of social behavior and social institutions. Nevertheless, Auguste Comte, Émile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber strove to explain the new relationships that emerged as an outgrowth of the:

A) American Revolution
B) French Revolution
C) Russian Revolution
D) Industrial Revolution

Question 12

According to Émile Durkheim, societies must have organic solidarity based on cooperation and a general agreement on basic values and customs in order to:

A) persist over time
B) survive in the face of globalization
C) have a functional division of labor
D) limit social conflict

Question 13

According to the sociological perspective, people's behavior is:

A) mostly a result of their personality
B) entirely determined by the social context
C) mostly a result of their genes
D) influenced by the social context

Question 14

Which of the following social thinkers argued that it is preferable for social development to come from individual achievement rather than assistance from the state?

A) Herbert Spencer
B) Karl Marx
C) Émile Durkheim
D) George Herbert Mead

Question 15

Organic solidarity is:

A) how society operates naturally
B) when people disagree on basic values and customs but work together anyway
C) a source of social conflict in society
D) when the institutions of society function together as a whole

Question 16

Sociologists often observe individual people's behavior, even though they are typically these observations for how they reveal patterns or regularities of social behaviors beyond the individuals themselves. This relates to sociology's focus on ___________.

A) socialization
B) anomie
C) bureaucracy
D) social structure

Question 17

Which sociological theorist first used the word sociology to describe the science that seeks to understand human behavior?

A) Auguste Comte
B) Émile Durkheim
C) Karl Marx
D) Max Weber

Question 18

When sociologists visit college campuses, they witness a variety of behaviors and social relationships that are not necessarily immediately apparent to the members of the college community because this community is unlikely to be focusing on how the college context connects to the larger social framework. The ability to interpret all the events taking place within the campus context is referred to as:

A) theory
B) macrosociology
C) feminism
D) sociological imagination

Question 19

The way in which social structure limits the range of activities and opportunities in individuals' lives is called:

A) division of labor
B) anomie
C) rationalization
D) social constraint

Question 20

Which sociologist argued that social factors exert a fundamental influence on suicidal behavior?

A) Anthony Giddens
B) Émile Durkheim
C) George Herbert Mead
D) Robert K. Merton

Question 21

Karl Marx differs from Émile Durkheim in that Marx:

A) concentrated on postindustrial society as opposed to industrial society
B) argued that social change is caused by economic influences as opposed to values and ideas
C) argued for a social physics and scientific
D) argued that social change causes anomie

Question 22

Which type of organization causes problems for effective democratic participation, according to Max Weber?

A) government
B) capitalism
C) rationalization
D) bureaucracy

Question 23

In Marxian analysis, which group makes up the largest component of society?

A) the ruling class
B) capitalists
C) wage workers
D) the aristocracy

Question 24

Which of the following was a focus of Max Weber's research?

A) class struggles
B) the influence of cultural ideas and values on social change and individual behavior
C) a belief in the superiority of Western culture
D) the sense of aimlessness provoked by modern social life

Question 25

Max Weber contended that a bureaucratic structure is the most efficient organizational type. Which of the following best exemplifies a bureaucratic organization?

A) the Beta chapter of Delta Gamma sorority
B) a block party in celebration of Independence Day
C) an introductory sociology class
D) the college or university you attend

Question 26

What played the fundamental role in developing the capitalistic outlook, according to Max Weber?

A) organic solidarity
B) specialization
C) religious values
D) symbolic interaction

Question 27

According to Max Weber, economic factors are important to social change in society. However, he also argued that ____________ is/are just as important for social change.

A) ideas and values
B) cohesion
C) government
D) the ability to accept social change

Question 28

According to W. E.

A) organic solidarity
B) Du Bois, African Americans' sense of self and identity are greatly influenced by the experiences of slavery and, after emancipation, segregation. Du Bois labeled this idea:
B) rationalization
C) dialectical materialism
D) double consciousness

Question 29

Émile Durkheim analyzed the social changes transforming society in his lifetime in terms of:

A) "social physics"
B) the materialist conception of history
C) the rationalization of social and economic life
D) the division of labor

Question 30

The foundational figures in sociology developed theories to address social inequality, exploitation, and stratification, but at the same time they:

A) neglected to examine industrialization
B) ignored women and minorities
C) forgot to examine values and beliefs
D) ignored the role of religion in society

Question 31

According to Émile Durkheim, the following would gradually replace religion as the source of social cohesion in society:

A) science
B) love
C) the division of labor
D) capitalism

Question 32

Who was the first sociologist to look at previously ignored issues, such as domestic life and race relations?

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Emily Dickinson
C) Harriet Martineau
D) Jean Baudrillard

Question 33

According to Karl Marx, the modern era is shaped primarily by:

A) anomie
B) bureaucracy
C) division of labor
D) capitalism

Question 34

Minzee has just been promoted to head assistant of Technology Innovations for the Department of Sociology. She now reports directly to the chairperson of the Technology Committee. Minzee is in charge of digitizing movie clips and sending them to the chairperson, who then loads the clips onto the department website. This chain of command is an example of:

A) capitalism
B) social structure
C) socialization
D) bureaucracy

Question 35

According to Émile Durkheim, the rapid process of social change gives rise to many social difficulties that he linked to:

A) anomie
B) social conflict
C) increased social constraint
D) the economy

Question 36

Harriet Martineau is significant to sociologists today for insisting that an analysis of society must include:

A) a focus on culture
B) an examination of economic factors
C) all of society's members, including women
D) the most powerful figures in a society

Question 37

The economic system in which conflict is inevitable because it is in the interest of the ruling class to exploit the working class and in the interest of workers to overcome that exploitation is called:

A) socialism
B) Marxism
C) communism
D) capitalism

Question 38

In the classical period of sociology, _________ were rarely allowed to hold academic positions or to do sociological research, so their contributions have been neglected.

A) men
B) Frenchmen
C) Germans
D) women and minorities

Question 39

According to Karl Marx's materialist conception of history, which of the following would be considered a source of social change in society?

A) democratic political movements
B) the conflict between the working class and the ruling class
C) acceptance of new religions
D) changes in family structure

Question 40

Which early theorist saw class conflict as the main source of social change?

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Harriet Martineau
C) Karl Marx
D) Max Weber

Question 41

The social cohesion that fans feel at a baseball game when their team wins is an example of a(n) __________ function.

A) intended
B) manifest
C) symbolic
D) latent

Question 42

According to George Herbert Mead, what separates human society from the animal kingdom?

A) the ability to interpret the natural world
B) the ability to interpret and understand symbols
C) latent functions
D) organic solidarity

Question 43

With the use of Internet technology, college students are able to more efficiently register for classes, check their grades, and access course material on class websites. Max Weber would say that this is an example of:

A) agency
B) capitalism
C) rationalization
D) division of labor

Question 44

When sociological research and analysis are framed in the context of power and inequality, the reader can assume that the research and analysis are variations of what type of theory?

A) symbolic interactionism
B) Marxism
C) functionalism
D) rationality theory

Question 45

Having a _________ allows one to understand the centrality of gender in the social world.

A) sociological imagination
B) rational choice perspective
C) global perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 46

What would a symbolic interactionist say is involved in nearly all social interactions?

A) a conflict
B) an exchange of functions
C) an exchange of symbols
D) a rational choice

Question 47

In daily life, people rely on cues to determine which behaviors are appropriate or inappropriate in each particular context. Which of the following theories does this statement best represent?

A) functionalism
B) rational choice theory
C) symbolic interactionism
D) Marxism

Question 48

Who said about American society, "The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line"?

A) Émile Durkheim
B) George Herbert Mead
C) Harriet Martineau
D) W. E. B.Du Bois

Question 49

Which of the following is an example of a latent function of education?

A) learn basic skills such as reading and writing
B) learn the skills needed to get a job
C) learn analytical skills such as critical thinking
D) learn to obey authority figures

Question 50

According to Marxist sociologists, ideologies are used to _________.

A) create social cohesion
B) justify the actions of those with power
C) help the disadvantaged
D) reduce cultural inequality

Question 51

According to Robert K. Merton, the intended consequences of a social activity or institution are called:

A) latent functions
B) manifest functions
C) desired functions
D) organic solidarity

Question 52

When one item is used to represent another, it is labeled a(n):

A) concept
B) theory
C) interpretation
D) symbol

Question 53

Drug trafficking and other illegal activities produce jobs and income for some Americans. Illegal activity in turn produces jobs in law enforcement, corrections, and the legal system. Who might say that drug trafficking has a useful place in society?

A) capitalists
B) postmodernists
C) functionalists
D) rational choice theorists

Question 54

A variety of interpretations can be made of a scene at a restaurant where two men are having lunch together, laughing, and being playful with each other. Who among the following would most likely interpret their behavior by watching for subtle signs of affection and eye contact?

A) a structural-functionalist
B) a Marxist
C) a rational choice theorist
D) a symbolic interactionist

Question 55

Which theoretical perspective perceives moral consensus within society as imperative for social integration?

A) functionalism
B) Marxism
C) symbolic interactionism
D) rational choice theory

Question 56

In addition to sociological analysis, Marxist sociologists believe that sociology should also include:

A) political reform
B) focus on individual behavior
C) religious analysis
D) moral analysis

Question 57

A neighborhood has an annual food drive for the purpose of collecting food for disadvantaged families. However, this event also has the effect of creating a stronger sense of community in this neighborhood. The stronger sense of community would be an example of Robert K. Merton's concept of __________.

A) manifest functions
B) latent functions
C) microsociology
D) functionalism

Question 58

Who had the greatest influence on the theoretical approach known as symbolic interactionism?

A) Auguste Comte
B) Émile Durkheim
C) Talcott Parsons
D) George Herbert Mead

Question 59

If a person or group is able to make their own concerns or interests count, even if others resist, that individual or group has:

A) power
B) privilege
C) prestige
D) feminism

Question 60

The concept of rationalization, the process by which the social world becomes more precise, efficiently organized, and involves more abstract rules was developed by ___________.

A) Max Weber
B) Émile Durkheim
C) Herbert Spencer
D) Karl Marx

Question 61

The specialization of tasks within a system of production is referred to as the division of labor.

Question 62

Behavior that is oriented toward self-interest is often called:

A) organic solidarity
B) social structure
C) feminism
D) rational action

Question 63

What role do sociologists believe biology has in explaining human behavior?

Question 64

What do Marxism and feminism have in common?

A) Both focus on inequalities and conflict as central features of modern societies.
B) Neither sees advocating social change as an appropriate activity for sociologists.
C) Both reject the idea that subordinate groups are important to study.
D) Marxism and feminism deemphasize political reform.

Question 65

Sociologists believe that the lives of individuals are completely determined by their class, race, and gender.

Question 66

Rational choice theorists would define the behavior of corporate executives who outsource many jobs to countries where the cost of labor is substantially less than in the United States as being:

A) instrumental
B) expressive
C) habitual
D) affective

Question 67

With a sociological imagination, one sees personal troubles, such as divorce, in terms of larger public issues.

Question 68

The study of everyday life and face-to-face interaction is called:

A) microsociology
B) macrosociology
C) biosociology
D) psychosociology

Question 69

Robert K. Merton advocated that sociologists should develop more modest theories that would not attempt to encompass all of society. He termed these types of theories:

A) micro-level theories
B) theories of the middle range
C) rational theories
D) manifest theories

Question 70

Which of the following is an example of microsociology?

A) studying the social interactions in a coffee shop
B) defining the organizational chart for a large corporation
C) studying the positions of responsibility in a school system
D) observing the hierarchical structures within a university

Question 71

One of the latent functions of marriage is to reproduce the class structure of society.

Question 72

Which of the following statements most closely resembles the ideas of a postmodernist?

A) Sociology is a field that produces knowledge of society based on scientific evidence.
B) Sociologists should understand that our subjectivities are being transformed and that we are in transition to a new era.
C) The goal of sociology should be to study the class conflicts between the workers and the owners of the means of production.
D) The goal of sociology should be to examine inequalities in race, class, and gender.

Question 73

An ideology is a:

A) set of laws that enforce the power of one group in society
B) set of moral codes that form social cohesion in society
C) political system that governs in the interest of dominant groups
D) shared set of ideas or beliefs that justify the interest of dominant groups

Question 74

According to postmodernist theory:

A) history is leading us inevitably toward socialism
B) society is becoming increasingly homogenized
C) the nation-state is growing stronger
D) society is highly pluralistic and diverse

Question 75

Explain the concept of social structure in one or two sentences, and give one example of a social structure.

Question 76

Feminism is a major influential movement within sociology today.

Question 77

Approaching marriage as a way to maximize self-interest is an example of analysis that uses what type of theoretical ?

A) Marxism
B) feminist theory
C) rational choice approach
D) functionalism

Question 78

Analysis of large-scale systems and long-term processes is known as:

A) microsociology
B) macrosociology
C) biosociology
D) psychosociology

Question 79

What is the main source of meaning in the postmodern world, according to Jean Baudrillard?

A) images in the media
B) religion
C) habit
D) anomie

Question 80

Feminist theory notes the systematic inequality in social life by gender and seeks political reform to overcome this inequality. These features of feminist theory illustrate its connection to ____________.

A) functionalism
B) symbolic interactionism
C) conflict theory
D) rational choice theory