Deck 1: Thinking About Social Problems

Question 1

Society's structure is made up of

A)the people who share a culture.
B)institutions, social groups, norms, and symbols.
C)beliefs, values, norms, and symbols.
D)institutions, social groups, statuses, and roles.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

An established pattern of relationships constitutes a(n)

A)institution.
B)culture.
C)social complex.
D)social element.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Modern society includes the __________ of science and technology, mass media, medicine, sports and the military.

A)social groups
B)institutions
C)statuses
D)roles

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The belief that a social condition harms society is the _____________ element of the social problem.

A)objective
B)subjective
C)operational
D)theoretical

Question 5

Which of the following is one of the five traditional social institutions?

A)A university
B)Religion
C)A hospital
D)A prison

Question 6

The objective element of a social problem refers to

A)our attitudes about the social conditions.
B)the existence of a social condition.
C)the only part of a problem that can be measured.
D)our beliefs about the importance of a condition.

Question 7

Roles

A)help us predict behaviors.
B)tell us what is true or false.
C)are general ideas about what is important.
D)refer to the positions within a social group.

Question 8

Definitions of social problems

A)remain consistent and accurate throughout history.
B)vary across societies and over time.
C)are determined by a society's governing structure.
D)are determined by academic intellectuals.

Question 9

The ____________ of society refers to the way society is organized.

A)structure
B)culture
C)ethos
D)sociological imagination

Question 10

Which of the following is a social group?

A)All of the people in your favorite shopping mall at noon Saturday
B)People who usually watch NBC nightly news
C)Your college sociology class
D)Fans of the Yankee baseball team

Question 11

Edward is an African American male, age 26, who married his high school sweetheart after he graduated from college. He is now the father of two children and employed as a chemical engineer. Which of the following is one of Edward's achieved statuses?

A)African American
B)Male
C)Chemical engineer
D)Adult

Question 12

Which is the best example of the objective element of a social problem?

A)In 2012, over 650,000 daytime drivers operated an electronic device while driving.
B)Surveyed Americans most frequently selected inequality as the greatest social problem in the world.
C)Some husbands believe they have a right to discipline and control their wives.
D)Europeans are less likely than Asians to consider pollution the greatest social problem in the world.

Question 13

Which of the following best illustrates the subjective element of a social problem?

A)U.S. Census statistics showing the percentage of the United States population living in poverty
B)Reports that show the percentage of people who have lost their jobs due to the closing of factories in the United States
C)The percentage of Americans who believe availability of child pornography on the Internet is harmful to society
D)World Health Organization estimates of the number of people in the world who have died of the AIDS virus in the last five years

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of a secondary group?

A)A single mother and her children
B)A large corporation
C)Maria, George, and Felice who have been friends since high school
D)The siblings in a family

Question 15

Which of the following is an ascribed status?

A)Native American
B)Single parent
C)High school graduate
D)Football player

Question 16

Sociologists refer to the position a person holds in a group as his or her

A)status.
B)folkway.
C)institution.
D)role.

Question 17

Which of the following illustrates part of the social structure of a society?

A)The health care system
B)A belief in God
C)The value placed on education
D)The primary language used

Question 18

Which of the following is more likely to be found in primary rather than secondary groups?

A)Task-oriented actions
B)Impersonal interaction
C)Intimate relationships
D)Formal statuses and roles

Question 19

Which of the following illustrates a primary group?

A)A husband, wife, and child
B)Your sociology class
C)The college or university you are attending
D)Your hometown

Question 20

What type of status is assigned on the basis of some characteristic or behavior over which the individual has some control?

A)Ascribed
B)Elementary
C)Achieved
D)Rational

Question 21

Cheating on a spouse is a violation of a

A)folkway.
B)more.
C)value.
D)belief.

Question 22

Rose was caught speeding and given a fine. The fine is an example of a(n)

A)value.
B)folkway.
C)informal sanction.
D)formal sanction.

Question 23

A ___________ is something that represents something else.

A)sanction
B)more
C)folkway
D)symbol

Question 24

Social consequences for conforming to or violating norms are

A)values.
B)folkways.
C)mores.
D)sanctions.

Question 25

________ are norms that are formalized and backed by political authority.

A)Folkways
B)Mores
C)Laws
D)Values

Question 26

Which term refers to ideas about what is desirable in a social setting?

A)Norms
B)Values
C)Roles
D)Beliefs

Question 27

Carl left his child inside his car on a hot sunny day. Carl

A)violated a more.
B)violated a folkway.
C)underscored a value.
D)performed a sanction.

Question 28

Loreli dieted and worked out resulting in significant reduction in size and weight. Which of the following is an informal positive sanction?

A)She feels much better about herself than she did before the weight loss.
B)Friends tell her she looks great.
C)She lost twenty-five pounds.
D)She fits into a much smaller size in jeans.

Question 29

Interrupting others violates a

A)value.
B)folkway.
C)more.
D)law.

Question 30

Janet receives disapproving looks from strangers for singing loudly while walking down the street. The disapproving looks Janet receives are examples of

A)values.
B)folkways.
C)informal sanctions.
D)formal sanctions.

Question 31

Having to attend classes, read assignments, take exams, and write papers illustrates the __________ of a college student.

A)status
B)role
C)institution
D)sanctions

Question 32

The neighbors didn't invite Charlotte to the block barbecue because Charlotte's dog is often on the loose making a mess on their lawns. Not inviting her is an example of a(n)

A)formal positive sanction.
B)informal positive sanction.
C)formal negative sanction.
D)informal negative sanction.

Question 33

"Secondhand smoke harms nonsmokers." This statement is an example of a

A)belief.
B)value.
C)folkway.
D)more.

Question 34

Culture includes

A)norms.
B)groups.
C)institutions.
D)roles.

Question 35

Which of the following is an aspect of the culture, in contrast to the social structure, of a society?

A)Institutions
B)Social groups
C)Values
D)Statuses

Question 36

Which of the following is a violation of a more in American society?

A)Refusing to shake hands with a new acquaintance
B)Sexual abuse of a child
C)Eating peas with your fingers
D)Littering

Question 37

Socially defined rules of behavior are

A)beliefs.
B)values.
C)norms.
D)sanctions.

Question 38

Folkways, laws, and mores are three types of

A)sanctions.
B)norms.
C)values.
D)master statuses.

Question 39

Which of the following is the best example of a value?

A)Equality
B)Being sent to prison
C)A cross on a church
D)Believing that God exists

Question 40

A nurse interacts differently with doctors, nursing assistants, and patients. This is primarily because

A)everyone is a unique individual.
B)many roles are associated with a specific status.
C)institutions are fluid social stuctures.
D)of cultural constraints.

Question 41

Which perspective sees the solution to social problems in slowing down change and strengthening norms?

A)Labeling theory
B)Social evolution theory
C)Social disorganization
D)Social pathology

Question 42

A social theory refers to

A)a prediction or educated guess about how one variable is related to another.
B)the ability to distinguish between "private troubles" and "public issues" and see the connections between the two.
C)interconnected ideas explaining an event or situation.
D)a set of procedures for collecting data about a particular topic.

Question 43

Structural-functionalists

A)emphasize the feelings of powerlessness of workers in industrialized societies.
B)focus on how groups with different interests compete for scarce resources.
C)view society as a system of interconnected parts that work together to maintain balance.
D)focus on how a person's self-concept is formed by his or her interaction with others.

Question 44

Recognized and intended results are called

A)manifest functions.
B)latent functions.
C)dysfunctions.
D)anomies.

Question 45

Contemporary Marxist theories point to the main source of social problems as

A)the weak social norms of capitalist societies.
B)class inequality that is inherent in a capitalistic system.
C)social disorganization that exists in both capitalist and communist societies.
D)lack of social communication among individuals in society.

Question 46

A society is in a state of "anomie" when

A)the standards for behavior are not clear.
B)the major social institutions reinforce the same cultural values.
C)there are more secondary groups than primary groups.
D)some segments of society have more wealth than others.

Question 47

A neon sign advertising beer is an example of a

A)value.
B)belief.
C)symbol.
D)sanction.

Question 48

The sociological imagination allows us to see the connections between private troubles and ________.

A)social institutions
B)sociology
C)social problems
D)public issues

Question 49

Structural-Functionalist theories of social problems include social pathology and

A)social disorganization.
B)labeling theory.
C)non-Marxist conflict theory.
D)social construction of reality.

Question 50

According to social disorganization theory, ______ is an example of the kind of rapid social change that disrupts norms in society.

A)a labor strike
B)the cultural revolution of the 1960s
C)a fashion trend
D)the increasing age of the population

Question 51

Which of the following illustrates a latent function of education?

A)The transmission of knowledge
B)Development of reading and writing skills
C)A source of friends and potential mates
D)The high cost of a college education

Question 52

Which of the following conclusions BEST illustrates use of the sociological imagination?

A)Jody's parents are getting a divorce because they do not love each other anymore.
B)Helen is not attending college because her parents do not have enough money to pay her expenses.
C)Tony's college failure illustrates problems of inner-city children whose schools inadequately prepare them for the rigor of college courses.
D)Megan has to request welfare payments because she lost her job.

Question 53

Which perspective argues that the division of society into the "haves" and "have-nots" will create social problems?

A)Functionalist
B)Interactionist
C)Conflict
D)Anomie

Question 54

According to C. Wright Mills, the ____________ is the ability to see the connections between our personal lives and the social world.

A)functional perspective
B)sociological imagination
C)ascribed status
D)anomie

Question 55

An inner-city youth was caught burglarizing houses. Which of the following explanations views the youth's crime as a public issue?

A)The youth was unable to find a job because most of the factories had moved out of the inner city.
B)The youth dropped out of school because he did not like his teachers
C)The youth's mother did not provide adequate supervision because she was more interested in her boyfriend.
D)The youth thought burglarizing homes would be an easier way to make money than to work in a job.

Question 56

Which of the following is an example of a symbol?

A)The word "jacket"
B)A sneeze
C)The smell of warm toast
D)Shivering when you are cold

Question 57

Which of the following illustrates "corporate violence"?

A)Contract killings ordered by organized crime
B)The lack of action by BP prior to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico despite knowledge of unstable seals
C)A fired employee who seeks revenge by murdering his employer and fellow workers
D)The terrorist bombing of a U.S. corporation's factory in a foreign country

Question 58

According to the ___________________________, social problems result from breakdown of the family, religious, economic, educational, or political institutions of a society.

A)symbolic interactionist perspective
B)social pathology model
C)Marxist conflict theory
D)non-Marxist conflict theory

Question 59

Colleges are good places for young adults to meet potential mates. This is an example of

A)a manifest function.
B)a latent function.
C)the sociological imagination.
D)a dysfunction.

Question 60

The two general types of conflict theories are Marxist and

A)dysfunction analysis.
B)social pathology.
C)non-Marxist.
D)alienation.

Question 61

Gender, self-esteem, crime rates, and religiosity are examples of

A)variables.
B)hypotheses.
C)operational definitions.
D)samples.

Question 62

The first stage in conducting a research study is

A)reviewing the literature.
B)formulating a research question.
C)formulating a hypothesis.
D)defining variables.

Question 63

Which of the following social policies is most likely to be advocated by a conflict theorist?

A)Repair weak institutions
B)Assure proper socialization
C)Create an equitable system for the distribution of resources
D)Reduce the pace of social change

Question 64

Which perspective claims our identity or sense of self is shaped by social interaction?

A)Social disorganization
B)Social pathology
C)Symbolic interactionism
D)Non-Marxist conflict theory

Question 65

________ are most likely to see the solution to social problems as solving differences through negotiation or mediation and finding win-win answers.

A)Non-Marxist conflict theorists
B)Marxist conflict theorists
C)Symbolic interactionists
D)Structural functionalists

Question 66

Symbolic interactionist Herbert Blumer said that social problems develop in stages. In the ________ stage, a condition is recognized as a social problem by the larger community, such as media, schools, and churches.

A)objectification
B)social legitimation
C)mobilization
D)implementation

Question 67

Symbolic interactionism emphasizes that

A)societal institutions meet the needs of people in society.
B)institutional inequalities cause social problems.
C)human behavior is influenced by meanings that are created through social interaction.
D)the important symbols of society are distributed unequally.

Question 68

Microsociologists, such as W. I. Thomas, believe that human action is influenced mostly by

A)the social organization of a social situation.
B)definitions of a situation.
C)objective inequalities that exist in a situation.
D)feelings of alienation that occur from lack of power.

Question 69

The ________ perspective often questions the origin and evolution of social problems and examines how research, government agencies, and the media influence the public's view of social problems.

A)labeling
B)social pathology
C)social disorganization
D)social constructionism

Question 70

Max Weber's concept of ________ implies that, in conducting research, social scientists must try to understand others' view of reality and the subjective aspects of their experiences, such as symbols, values, and beliefs.

A)anomie
B)looking-glass self
C)verstehen
D)alienation

Question 71

The dynamics of individuals interacting in small groups is the focus of

A)micro-sociology.
B)macro-sociology.
C)structural-functionalism.
D)the sociological imagination.

Question 72

To reduce the social problem of underage drinking, ______ would recommend a campaign to encourage teenagers to define alcohol consumption as "un-cool."

A)labeling theory
B)social pathology
C)social disorganization
D)conflict theory

Question 73

Conflict theory is more likely than structural-functionalism or symbolic interactionism to view the cause of social problems as

A)rapid social change.
B)different interpretations of social roles.
C)inequality.
D)inadequate socialization.

Question 74

Which of the following topics is most likely to be the topic of study of a social constructionist?

A)Why marijuana use, but not alcohol and nicotine use, are illegal
B)How rapid social change weakened traditional rules about sexual behavior
C)How the economic structure of society influences elections
D)How different social classes view the police

Question 75

Which theoretical perspective emphasizes that a condition must be defined or recognized as a social problem in order to be a social problem?

A)Structural-functionalism
B)Marxist conflict theory
C)Non-Marxist conflict theory
D)Symbolic-Interactionism

Question 76

According to Herbert Blumer the first stage of a social problem is

A)mobilization for action.
B)societal recognition.
C)implementation of a plan.
D)social legitimation.

Question 77

Which perspective is most likely to look at the dynamics of interpersonal relationships in small groups?

A)Conflict theory
B)Structural-functionalism
C)Symbolic interactionism
D)Marxist theory

Question 78

Non-Marxist conflict theories focus on social conflict that results from

A)weak norms.
B)social disorganization.
C)competing values and interests among groups.
D)lack of communication among groups.

Question 79

Magda feels powerless in her job as a warehouse worker. She finds little meaning in her work. According to conflict theorists, Magda is experiencing

A)anomie.
B)dysfunction.
C)alienation.
D)social pathology

Question 80

Which of the following is a major source of alienation in industrial societies, according to Marxist conflict theorists?

A)Lack of socially shared symbols of communication
B)The primary groups to which individuals belong
C)Limited and repetitive tasks of specialized workers
D)Lack of effective sanctions in society