Deck 1: Thinking Like a Sociologist

Question 1

Before the 1960s women's movement in the United States, very few sociologists published anything about gender roles.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Conflict theorists disagree with functionalists that many societal arrangements are functional.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Functionalism often glosses over the widespread inequality that a handful of powerful people create and maintain.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Macrosociology examines the patterns of individuals' social interaction in specific settings.

Question 5

Émile Durkheim is known as the "father of sociology."

Question 6

Recognizing and understanding diversity is one of sociology's central themes.

Question 7

Microsociology and macrosociology differ conceptually, but are interrelated.

Question 8

Microsociology focuses on large-scale patterns and processes that characterize society as a whole.

Question 9

The sociological perspective analyzes how social context influences people's lives.

Question 10

The sociological imagination emphasizes the connection between men and women.

Question 11

A researcher who is value free is one who separates her or his personal values, opinions, ideology, and beliefs from scientific research.

Question 12

Conflict theorists see disagreement and the resulting changes in society as natural, inevitable, and even desirable.

Question 13

Sociology goes well beyond conventional wisdom, what we call common sense, in several ways. See 1-1: What is Sociology?

Question 14

Social dynamics investigates how principles of social order explain a particular society, as well as the interconnections between institutions.

Question 15

Social statics explores how individuals and societies change over time.

Question 16

Sociology is subjective.

Question 17

Feminist scholars disagree with contemporary conflict theorists' view that much of society is characterized by tension and struggle.

Question 18

The "sociological imagination" is at the center of the sociological perspective.

Question 19

George Herbert Mead's proposal that the human mind and self arise in the process of social communication became the foundation of the symbolic interaction schools of thought in sociology and social psychology.

Question 20

Conflict theorists see society as cooperative and harmonious.

Question 21

A sociologist is conducting a study on a small group of poverty-stricken individuals. She understands that an individual's impoverished status results from larger economic situations and unemployment rates in the local community rather than the individual's personal problems. The ability to see the relationship between the personal troubles of the group and the larger economic situations is known as:

A) social stratification.
B) microsociology.
C) the enigmatic perspective.
D) conventional wisdom.
E) sociological imagination.

Question 22

Auguste Comte maintained that the study of society must be _____.

A) personal
B) spiritual
C) empirical
D) ideological
E) intuitive

Question 23

Which of the following is a difference between social statics and social dynamics?

A) Social statics investigates how principles of social order explain a particular society, while social dynamics explores how individuals and societies change over time.
B) Social statics investigates ideology, religion, intuition, or conventional wisdom, while social dynamics investigates the interconnections between institutions.
C) Social statics examines the patterns of individuals' social interactions in specific settings, while social dynamics focuses on large-scale patterns and processes that characterize society as a whole.
D) Social statics is subjective, while social dynamics is nonsubjective.
E) Social statics focuses on a single point of view, while social dynamics considers many points of view.

Question 24

Which of the following statements is true of sociology?

A) Sociology can help people make more informed decisions.
B) Sociology makes people's thinking subjective and irrational.
C) Sociology strengthens people's faith in myths and misconceptions.
D) Sociology is based solely on conventional wisdom.
E) Sociology ignores facts.

Question 25

Thomas is conducting a study on the work patterns and personal habits of his family members. He shadows them each day to record their daily interactions with each other and with the outside world-be it at school, work, or even the supermarket. In this scenario, such a study of the everyday interactions of people is most likely part of _____.

A) microsociology
B) macrosociology
C) psychoanalysis
D) gender studies
E) environmental studies

Question 26

Émile Durkheim agreed with Comte that:

A) sociology is the scientific study of social statics.
B) social solidarity can be maintained by a division of labor .
C) sociological research should be subjective.
D) sociology is the scientific study of social dynamics.
E) societies are characterized by unity and cohesion .

Question 27

Sociologist C. Wright Mills called the ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and larger social influences the _____.

A) sociological imagination
B) social predilection
C) enigmatic perspective
D) enigmatic behavior
E) conventional wisdom

Question 28

Jennifer is studying how welfare policies affect working families. She has paid several visits to families that have agreed to participate in her study and has interviewed them. She has also requested them to fill a questionnaire about the issues in their daily lives, such as the household budget and marital harmony. With this information, Jennifer is trying to link the effects of welfare policies to these family issues. The study conducted by Jennifer is part of:

A) microsociology.
B) macrosociology.
C) physiology.
D) gender studies.
E) psychoanalysis.

Question 29

Our actions are based on social interaction in the sense that people take each other into account in their own behavior.

Question 30

According to a study in 1992 by Ritzer, why is sociology a powerful tool in understanding people's behavior and society at large?

A) Because it involves examining micro, macro, and micro-macro forces
B) Because it is based solely on conventional wisdom
C) Because it focuses exclusively on studying everyday interactions among people
D) Because it focuses on a single point of view
E) Because it uses tools that are subjective in nature

Question 31

_____ coined the term sociology and is often described as the "father of sociology."

A) Auguste Comte
B) É mile Durkheim
C) Karl Marx
D) Charles Wright Mills
E) Max Weber

Question 32

Which of the following best describes the term sociology?

A) Sociology is the enigmatic study of social interaction at the micro level.
B) Sociology is the enigmatic study of psychological interactions of criminals with other people in the society.
C) Sociology is the enigmatic study of environmental changes that affect a society.
D) Sociology is the systematic study of human behavior in society.
E) Sociology is the systematic study of the physiological changes that people encounter in a society.

Question 33

Sociologist C. Wright Mills states that the _____ emphasizes the connection between personal troubles and structural issues.

A) historical perspective
B) sociological imagination
C) enigmatic perspective
D) enigmatic behavior
E) conventional wisdom

Question 34

Auguste Comte saw sociology as the scientific study of two aspects of society, namely:

A) social statics and social dynamics.
B) history and biography.
C) conventional wisdom and facts.
D) ideology and intuition.
E) self-assessment and self-realization.

Question 35

Which of the following statements is true of theories?

A) Theories remain constant and do not keep changing with time.
B) Theories produce knowledge, guide our research, and help us analyze our findings.
C) Theories offer explanations that can greatly disrupt the quality of one's everyday life.
D) Theories are proposed explanations, which are made on the basis of limited evidence.
E) Theories are known and proved to be true in all cases.

Question 36

According to sociologist James White, which of the following best describes theories?

A) Theories are "tools" that don't profess to know "the truth" but "may need replacing" over time as our understanding of society becomes more sophisticated.
B) Theories refer to the ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and larger social influences.
C) Theories offer explanations that can greatly improve the quality of one's everyday life and overall behavior.
D) Theories are proposed explanations, which are made on the basis of limited evidence.
E) Theories are known and proved to be true in all cases.

Question 37

_____ are aspects of social life, external to the individual, that can be measured.

A) Social perspectives
B) Enigmatic perspectives
C) Behavioral facts
D) Social facts
E) Social statics

Question 38

Because common sense is _____, it ignores facts that challenge cherished beliefs.

A) subjective
B) realistic
C) unaffected
D) logical
E) rational

Question 39

Unlike Auguste Comte, Émile Durkheim:

A) saw sociology as the scientific study of two aspects of society: social statics and social dynamics.
B) stressed the importance of microsociology .
C) not only acknowledged the importance of scientific methods to study society but also used them.
D) stressed the importance of macrosociology .
E) merely acknowledged the importance of using scientific methods to study society.

Question 40

According to C. Wright Mills, a person's behavior is influenced by _____.

A) social factors such as religion, ethnicity, and politics
B) social factors such as conventional wisdom and psychological interactions
C) genetics
D) random thoughts
E) greed

Question 41

Karl Marx, like Auguste Comte and Émile Durkheim, tried to explain the changes that were taking place in society during _____.

A) the Enlightenment
B) the Discovery of the New World
C) the French Revolution
D) the Industrial Revolution
E) the Great World War

Question 42

For Marx, _____ is a class system in which conflict between the classes is common and society is anything but cohesive.

A) socialism
B) communism
C) capitalism
D) fascism
E) altruism

Question 43

Unlike Karl Marx, Max Weber focused on:

A) social organization, a subjective understanding of behavior, and a value-free sociology.
B) economics as a major factor in explaining society.
C) capitalism and its impact on workers' social behavior.
D) the capitalists and the proletariat.
E) a class system in which conflict between the classes is common.

Question 44

Social solidarity, or social cohesiveness and harmony, according to Émile Durkheim, is maintained by a(n) _____.

A) division of labor
B) enigmatic perspective
C) social perspective
D) sociological imagination
E) social current

Question 45

In his classic study _____, Durkheim relied on extensive data collection to draw conclusions about social integration.

A) Social Issues
B) Social Assimilation
C) Cohesion
D) Suicide
E) Integration

Question 46

According to Durkheim , as the division of labor becomes more specialized, _____.

A) individuals become autonomous and take their own decisions
B) people become increasingly dependent on others for specific goods and services
C) people start believing in myths, misconceptions, and follow conventional wisdom
D) suicide rates increase
E) social unity decreases

Question 47

In _____, a social scientist observes a person's facial expressions, gestures, and listens to his/her words.

A) direct observational understanding
B) explanatory understanding
C) surveillance understanding
D) common understanding
E) dynamic understanding

Question 48

Karl Marx believed that society is divided into:

A) capitalists and proletariat.
B) upper caste and lower caste.
C) developed nations and developing nations.
D) developed nations and underdeveloped nations.
E) groups with a high intelligence quotient and groups with a low intelligence quotient.

Question 49

Sociologists can determine _____ by examining demographic characteristics such as age, place of residence, and population size.

A) material facts
B) social perspectives
C) social statics
D) social dynamics
E) social norms

Question 50

Place of residence is an example of a(n):

A) material fact.
B) social perspective.
C) enigmatic perspective.
D) sociological imagination.
E) empirical fact.

Question 51

For contemporary sociologists, social facts include collecting and analyzing data on _____, such as collective behavior and social movements.

A) nonempirical facts
B) historical perspectives
C) social statics
D) social dynamics
E) social currents

Question 52

According to Karl Marx, history is a series of:

A) class struggles between capitalists and workers.
B) class struggles between men and women.
C) struggle between man and the environment.
D) struggle between religion and science.
E) struggle between atheists and religious leaders.

Question 53

Weber posited that an understanding of society requires a "subjective" understanding of behavior. Such understanding is known as _____.

A) entwicklung
B) gemeinschaft
C) gesellschaft
D) kapitalismu s
E) verstehen

Question 54

Unlike his predecessors and contemporaries, Marx maintained that:

A) social cohesiveness creates disunity.
B) harmony seldom leads to unity in real world.
C) capitalism leads to the downfall of economy.
D) economic issues produce divisiveness rather than social solidarity.
E) the Industrial Revolution brought down social cohesiveness.

Question 55

Matt notices Julie laughing in the school hallway with a friend. He knows that Julie must be feeling happy or joyful. In this scenario, Matt is using Max Weber's _____ to deduce that Julie is happy.

A) direct observational understanding
B) explanatory understanding
C) surveillance understanding
D) common understanding
E) dynamic understanding

Question 56

In _____, a social scientist tries to grasp the intention and context of a person's behavior.

A) direct observational understanding
B) explanatory understanding
C) surveillance understanding
D) common understanding
E) dynamic understanding

Question 57

Sociologists can gauge _____, like communication processes, by observing everyday behavior and how people relate to each other.

A) nonmaterial facts
B) enigmatic perspectives
C) social statics
D) social dynamics
E) nonempirical facts

Question 58

The major focus for capitalists is on:

A) increasing profits as much as possible.
B) feeling "connected" to the products or services they sell.
C) maintaining overall social harmony in their companies.
D) social cohesiveness and social solidarity.
E) employee satisfaction.

Question 59

In industrial capitalist systems, workers feel _____ because they don't own or control either the means of production or the product.

A) alienated
B) united
C) harmonious
D) socially static
E) socially dynamic

Question 60

Communication processes are examples of:

A) nonmaterial facts.
B) social perspectives.
C) enigmatic perspectives.
D) social dynamics.
E) nonempirical facts.

Question 61

Which of the following statements is true of conflict theory?

A) Society is composed of interrelated parts that work to maintain society's cohesion.
B) It examines how and why groups disagree, struggle over power, and compete for scarce resources.
C) Gender inequality is the major source of inequality in society.
D) It acts on the basis of the interpreted meanings attached to interaction with others.
E) People always separate their personal values, opinions, ideology, and beliefs from scientific research.

Question 62

What are social facts?

Question 63

One of the common criticisms of the functionalist theory is that it:

A) is so focused on order and stability that it often ignores social change.
B) is too focused on social change and often ignores social cohesion.
C) often ignores the contribution of gender in understanding social change.
D) often focuses too much on discrimination and inequality.
E) is too focused on micro-level factors.

Question 64

Who is described as the "father of sociology"? Explain how he contributed to the field of sociology.

Question 65

Which of the following statements is true of the views supported by symbolic interaction theory?

A) Society is composed of interrelated parts that work to maintain society's cohesion.
B) Society as a whole should be kept at the center of sociological research.
C) Gender inequality is the major source of inequality in society.
D) People act on the basis of the meaning they attribute to others.
E) People always separate their personal values, opinions, ideology, and beliefs from scientific research.

Question 66

Briefly explain microsociology.

Question 67

The _____ of the purchase of a new car is to satisfy the requirement of transportation.

A) latent function
B) manifest function
C) peripheral function
D) underlying function
E) secondary function

Question 68

Some criminologists suggest that criminals learn more about being a criminal in prison than they might learn on streets. This situation represents a(n) _____.

A) intentional function
B) beneficial function
C) manifest function
D) latent function
E) dysfunction

Question 69

How is a sociological imagination helpful?

Question 70

How does studying sociology shape social and public policies and practices?

Question 71

Define petit bourgeoisie and proletariat.

Question 72

Matt notices Julie laughing in the school hallway with a friend. Matt knows that Julie probably just heard a joke or saw something funny in the hallway. Matt is using Max Weber's verstehen of :

A) direct observational understanding.
B) explanatory understanding.
C) surveillance understanding.
D) common understanding.
E) dynamic understanding.

Question 73

_____ are unintended and unrecognized; they're present but not immediately obvious.

A) Manifest functions
B) Latent functions
C) Basic functions
D) Necessary functions
E) Mandatory functions

Question 74

Explain the concept of dysfunctions with an example.

Question 75

What are the two aspects of society according to Auguste Comte?

Question 76

Which of the following statements is true of feminist theories?

A) They emphasize order, stability, cohesion, and consensus.
B) They maintain that women often suffer injustice primarily because of their low educational levels.
C) They emphasize that women should be freed from traditionally oppressive expectations, constraints, roles, and behavior .
D) They see the changes in society as natural, inevitable, and even desirable.
E) They demand that women should be given a higher status in society than men as they have been suppressed for so long.

Question 77

Which of the following statements is true of the views supported by the functionalist theory?

A) Society is a complex system of interdependent parts that work together to ensure a society's survival.
B) Society has separate sections that work independently.
C) Gender inequality is the major source of inequality in society.
D) People act on the basis of the interpreted meanings attached to interaction with others.
E) People always separate their personal values, opinions, ideology, and beliefs from scientific research.

Question 78

_____ are intended and recognized; they're present and clearly evident.

A) Manifest functions
B) Latent functions
C) Dysfunctions
D) Underlying functions
E) Criticisms

Question 79

Is common sense subjective? Explain with an example.

Question 80

Many people purchase an expensive car because it serves as a status symbol. The car's service as a status symbol is an example of a:

A) latent function
B) manifest function
C) dysfunction
D) basic function
E) critical function