Deck 1: Discover Sociology

Question 1

Students of parents who are well educated and economically prosperous have a position in the class structure that is ______ while students from poor families with no college background experience a class structure that is ______.

A)enabling; constraining
B)constraining; enabling
C)high; low
D)advantaged; disadvantaged

Answer 1

A

Question 2

College students who graduated during the height of the recession and were not able to find a job but recognized that it was not due to any fault of their own but to larger structural forces were employing ______.

A)sociology
B)social embeddedness
C)the sociological imagination
D)agency

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is the best example of structure?

A)President Barack Obama publicly announcing his support for gay marriage
B)a women's rights activist marching in a protest
C)a bisexual teenager coming out to his or her friends and family
D)laws against women's entry into higher education and the paid labor force in the early 1900s

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is most closely associated with the concept of free will?

A)structure
B)agency
C)critical thinking
D)sociological imagination

Question 5

Which of the following does critical thinking require?

A)accepting all arguments as equally valid
B)being open-minded
C)rejecting inconvenient facts
D)understanding something is true because it is consistent with our beliefs

Question 6

Which of the following is a characteristic of critical thinking?

A)recognizing weak arguments
B)using anecdotal evidence
C)relying on intuitive thought
D)accepting common truisms

Question 7

______ is a central part of U.S.culture in which people tend to believe that each person creates his or her life's path and largely disregards the social context in which this happens.

A)Imagination
B)Individualism
C)Collectivism
D)Racism

Question 8

Critical thinking rejects statements not supported by ______ evidence.

A)sociological
B)empirical
C)anecdotal
D)circumstantial

Question 9

Which of the following is not one of the social forces that is ignored in blaming the poor for their poverty and suggesting that they work harder and "pull themselves up by their bootstraps?"

A)racial and ethnic discrimination
B)the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs
C)the dire state of public education in distressed rural and urban areas
D)individual choice or agency

Question 10

Which of the following is the best example of agency?

A)a student's socioeconomic position
B)the quality of a student's public high school
C)a student's race
D)a student's ability to advocate for himself

Question 11

______ is the ability of individuals and groups to make social changes on a small and large scale.

A)Structure
B)Agency
C)Power
D)Social control

Question 12

Social patterns that impose obstacles on us or afford us opportunities are referred to as ______.

A)structure
B)institutions
C)free will
D)socialization

Question 13

The relationship between agency and structure is ______, as ______.

A)one-sided; agency influences structure
B)one-sided; structure enables or constrains agency
C)reciprocal; they both have an effect on one another
D)nonexistent; there is no relationship between the two

Question 14

Thinking critically involves which of the following?

A)absorbing all of the information that surrounds us
B)becoming pessimistic about the amount of information that surrounds us
C)rejecting the information that surrounds us
D)becoming critical consumers of the information that surrounds us

Question 15

______ is the pattern of social arrangements that impact agency and are effected by agency.

A)Power
B)Privilege
C)Social control
D)Structure

Question 16

Amina rides the NYC subway for the first time and her train breaks down.She tweets about the dismal state of public transportation in New York.Although her frustration is understandable, which of the following rules of critical thinking has she broken?

A)be willing to ask any question, no matter how difficult
B)be willing to admit when you are wrong or uncertain about your results
C)avoid anecdotal evidence
D)think about the assumptions and biases--including your own--that underlie all studies

Question 17

Which sociological concept uncovers the relationship between personal troubles and public issues?

A)race
B)gender
C)class
D)sociological imagination

Question 18

The key knowledge to sociological inquiry is to acknowledge ______.

A)all facts
B)opinions
C)inconvenient facts
D)falsehoods

Question 19

Evan is deciding on medical coverage.Which of these possible decisions reflects the use of critical thinking?

A)He goes with the coverage he has had in the past out of convenience.
B)He takes the recommendation of a friend who is in good health.
C)He chooses the most popular coverage option.
D)He examines all options before making a decision.

Question 20

The ability to evaluate claims about truth by using reason and evidence is referred to as ______.

A)critical thinking
B)the sociological imagination
C)deduction
D)common sense

Question 21

Émile Durkheim established the first rules for conducting sociological research and examined the impact of modern society on social ______.

A)solidarity
B)justice
C)dynamics
D)rules

Question 22

What effect did industrialization have on cities?

A)It made farming obsolete.
B)It improved the quality of life in cities.
C)It encouraged people to move away from cities.
D)It fostered the growth of cities.

Question 23

Accepted social behaviors and beliefs are referred to as ______.

A)norms
B)culture
C)social status
D)values

Question 24

What does being critical consumers of information entail?

A)rejecting information posted on social media
B)paying attention to the sources of information we encounter
C)seeking out sources of information that rely on anecdotal evidence
D)avoiding sources of information that tackle controversial topics

Question 25

Which 19th-century sociologist is credited with founding sociology?

A)Auguste Comte
B)Harriet Martineau
C)Émile Durkheim
D)Max Weber

Question 26

Auguste Comte argued that society goes through three stages: theological, ______, and positivist.

A)patriarchal
B)industrial
C)metaphysical
D)scientific reasoning

Question 27

Karl Marx believe that human history should be understood as the product of ______.

A)social cohesion
B)class conflict
C)anomie
D)revolution

Question 28

Profit-driven manufacturing based in factories replaced small-scale production during ______.

A)urbanization
B)the scientific revolution
C)the industrial revolution
D)the Enlightenment

Question 29

According to Auguste Comte, what does it mean for sociology to be a positivist discipline?

A)It is characterized by abstract speculation.
B)It requires a sociological imagination.
C)It involves critical thinking.
D)It is based on facts alone.

Question 30

Modern sociological concepts and research methods emerged in the ______ century after the ______ Revolution.

A)18th; Agricultural
B)18th; Information
C)19th; Industrial
D)19th; Urban

Question 31

Durkheim argued that Industrialization would have which of the following effects?

A)Industrialization would reinforce shared culture and norms.
B)Industrialization would cause people to feel less confused and anxious.
C)Industrialization would increase anomie.
D)Industrialization would make city populations more homogenous.

Question 32

Which of the following are considered Enlightenment ideals?

A)equality, liberty, and human rights
B)hard work, prosperity, and power
C)atheism, critical thinking, and logic
D)individualism, intelligence, and intuition

Question 33

Harriet Martineau believed for a society to evolve, it must ensure social ______.

A)dynamics
B)cohesion
C)statics
D)justice

Question 34

With regard to social solidarity, Émile Durkheim's primary concern was how modern society would be held together without ______ solidarity.

A)normative
B)mental
C)mechanical
D)physical

Question 35

Social ______ are laws that dictate social change.

A)statics
B)dynamics
C)status
D)facts

Question 36

Karl Marx condemned the ______'s exploitation of the ______.

A)proletariat; means of production
B)proletariat; bourgeoisie
C)bourgeoisie; collective conscience
D)bourgeoisie; proletariat

Question 37

People experience ______ when they lose sight of the shared rules and values that give order and meaning to their lives.

A)social statics
B)positivism
C)norms
D)anomie

Question 38

Social ______ refer to the way society is held together.

A)dynamics
B)rules
C)interactions
D)statics

Question 39

Karl Marx made which of the following predictions?

A)The bourgeoisie would grow considerably in size.
B)The ownership of the means of production would come to be less concentrated.
C)Capitalism would lead to a devaluing of technology.
D)Class inequality would ultimately disappear and be replaced by a utopia of equality.

Question 40

Émile Durkheim believed that social facts can only be explained by ______.

A)anomie
B)other social facts
C)social justice
D)the sociological imagination

Question 41

Talcott Parsons argued that men were socialized into instrumental roles to be rational workers, whereas women were socialized into expressive roles to be emotional and sensitive caretakers.Which perspective does this statement reflect?

A)symbolic interactionism
B)the social conflict paradigm
C)structural functionalism
D)feminism

Question 42

How would Marx propose power is distributed?

A)The wealthy act to maintain power.
B)The working class has the highest population and most power.
C)The proletariat holds most power and wealth through inheritance.
D)The bourgeoisie work to gain power from the proletariat.

Question 43

How might a conflict theorist explain the marginalization of female sociologists and theorists, especially African American females?

A)a lack of education and scientific knowledge
B)a historical legacy of discrimination based on gender and race
C)an economical need for women to remain in the home
D)a failure of women to seek positions of power

Question 44

Which of the following is a critique of structural functionalism?

A)It emphasizes conflict and competition.
B)It seeks to explain the functions of various social structures.
C)It recognizes manifest functions as well as latent functions.
D)It justifies inequality.

Question 45

What is a sociological theory?

A)the obvious and intended functions of a phenomenon or institution
B)a logical, rigorous framework for the interpretation of social life that makes particular assumptions and asks particular questions about the social world
C)a law that governs social change
D)a quality of a group that is external to the individual yet constrains his or her thinking and behavior

Question 46

Elementary schools serve as childcare institutions, allowing more parents to participate in the workforce.Which perspective does this statement reflect?

A)symbolic interactionism
B)the social conflict paradigm
C)structural functionalism
D)feminism

Question 47

What is the key question posed by the functionalist perspective?

A)What are the functions of an institution or phenomenon that are not recognized or expected?
B)Who benefits from the way social institutions and relationships are structured? Who loses?
C)What function does a particular institution, phenomenon, or social group serve for the maintenance of society?
D)How do people acquire a sense of who they are through interaction with others?

Question 48

How would Merton view the rise in popularity of a mayor after a natural disaster?

A)as a manifest function based on his duty to care for the residents
B)as a manifest function based on his hard work and care for the injured
C)as a latent function based on his intention of keeping everyone safe
D)as a latent function based on his hard work to keep everyone safe

Question 49

Weber used the method of ______ to understand the meaning of what people say and do.

A)theories
B)rationality
C)anomie
D)Verstehen

Question 50

Which is a characteristic of class conflict?

A)conflict between workers for more overtime
B)companies competing with each other over profit
C)capitalists keeping wealth from workers
D)the proletariat maintaining wealth and power

Question 51

Conservative politicians oppose gun control reform because they receive contributions from wealthy progun lobbyists.Which perspective does this statement reflect?

A)symbolic interactionism
B)the social conflict paradigm
C)structural functionalism
D)feminism

Question 52

Which of the following is not characteristic of conflict theory?

A)explains social organization in terms of conflict and competition
B)can be used to understand class, gender, and racial inequality
C)addresses the question of who benefits and who loses in a given situation
D)focuses on microlevel interactions

Question 53

Robert Ezra Park pioneered the study of which of the following?

A)social cohesion and class conflict
B)feminism and intersectionality
C)formal rationality and bureaucracies
D)urban sociology and race relations

Question 54

______ paradigms are concerned with social relations and interactions in specific, individual situations.

A)Macro-level
B)Microlevel
C)Symbolic
D)Sociological

Question 55

Which perspective focuses on the labels and meanings we place on things such as the wink of an eye?

A)feminism
B)the social conflict paradigm
C)structural functionalism
D)symbolic interactionism

Question 56

Which of the following did Marx Weber predict?

A)the irrational consequences of the bureaucratization of society
B)the humanization of modern bureaucracies
C)the customer-focused orientation of modern bureaucracies
D)the informal rationality of the bureaucratization of society

Question 57

Sociologist ______ authored the Yellow Wallpaper (1892), a story that highlights women's lack of autonomy in marriage.

A)Jane Addams
B)Mary Wollstonecraft
C)Charlotte Perkins Gilman
D)Harriet Martineau

Question 58

Which of the following is a latent function of war?

A)to vanquish an enemy
B)to defend territory
C)to increase profits of military contractors
D)to expand territory

Question 59

Robert K.Merton is best known for which of the following?

A)his theory of deviance, his work on the sociology of science, and his iteration of the distinction between latent and manifest functions
B)his pioneering of urban sociology and race relations
C)his description of the sociological imagination, the imperative in sociology to see the connection between private and public issues
D)his theories of social and economic organization

Question 60

According to Max Weber, ______ systems produce bureaucracies.

A)traditional
B)informal
C)formally rational
D)interpretive

Question 61

Gilman and Weber first described the concept of double consciousness.

Question 62

Latent functions and manifest functions yield the same outcomes in institutions.

Question 63

In what way is functionalism considered conservative?

Question 64

Define the term bureaucracy and illustrate it with an example.

Question 65

Which of the following is characterized as an ability to succeed with plans in spite of resistance by others?

A)power
B)anomie
C)inequality
D)conflict

Question 66

Karl Marx believed capitalism would disappear and be replaced by a utopian society of equality.

Question 67

An American who believes that sexism does not exist in U.S.culture, but is horrified by arranged marriages and the treatment of women in other cultures is practicing ______.

A)globalization
B)ethnocentrism
C)social diversity
D)the sociological imagination

Question 68

Discuss why anecdotal evidence should be avoided when using critical thinking skills.

Question 69

With critical thinking, it is important to avoid sensitive subjects and debates.

Question 70

Discuss why it is important to not overlook our biases and assumptions.

Question 71

Explain the concept of the sociological imagination.Choose a particular phenomenon that could be understood as a private trouble and explain it in terms of public issues.

Question 72

Critical thinkers examine common knowledge rather than accepting it as fact.

Question 73

Explain W. E.B.Du Bois's idea of double consciousness.

Question 74

Agency can transform structure.

Question 75

How has globalization impacted social diversity?

A)Greater contact leads to greater diversity.
B)Competition for trade has led to ethnocentrism.
C)Differences become more pronounced as nationalism increases.
D)Groups become more polarized.

Question 76

One of the rules of critical thinking is to think about the assumptions and biases that may underlie a study.Imagine you are conducting a study that examines the relationship between race and income.Identify how your own assumptions and biases might come into play.

Question 77

The sociological imagination helps us examine history and biography together.

Question 78

Identify and define Comte's three stages of society.

Question 79

Discuss the bootstrap mentality and why it is a misnomer in the United States.

Question 80

The choices we make as individuals have no effect on larger economic, political, and cultural structures.