Deck 6: Sexuality and Society

Question 1

Which of the following did Peter Bearman discover about sexually active high school students when investigating why the rates of STIs were so high?

A) Most young people have a sufficient understanding of sexuality to make good choices.
B) The pregnancy rate among teenagers in North America is much lower than the rate observed in European countries.
C) Early sexual activity is unrelated to the risk of exposure to sexually transmitted diseases.
D) Half of the sexually active high school students were linked to each other through common partners.
E) Few women are victims of sexual violence in North America.

Answer 1

Half of the sexually active high school students were linked to each other through common partners.

Question 2

In terms of sexuality, sociologists are interested in:

A) the various ways societies define sex.
B) how much sexuality is a part of most waking moments for humans.
C) how society shapes our sexuality.
D) how much society represses human sexuality.
E) how biology interacts with environment to influence sexuality.

Answer 2

the various ways societies define sex.

Question 3

A child's sex is determined biologically

A) at four weeks' development.
B) at the moment of conception.
C) by the mother's X chromosome.
D) at birth.
E) by the father's X or Y chromosome.

Answer 3

at the moment of conception.

Question 4

Bodily development, apart from the genitals, that distinguishes biologically mature females and males is termed

A) primary sex characteristics.
B) tertiary sex characteristics.
C) secondary sex characteristics.
D) secondary gender characteristics.
E) primary gender characteristics.

Question 5

Which of the following is true regarding the term gender?

A) It refers to the biological traits that distinguish females and males.
B) It is an element of biology.
C) It is a term that has the same meaning as the word sex.
D) It is a term that is used to describe females but not males.
E) It refers to personal traits and patterns of behaviour that a culture attaches to being female or male.

Question 6

What is the term for humans who have some combination of female and male genitalia?

A) sex-contradictory
B) transsexuals
C) sex-ambiguous
D) amorphics
E) intersexed people

Question 7

Which of the following is true regarding intersexed people?

A) Some cultures view intersexed people as having the full potential of both the female and the male.
B) Most North Americans respond to intersexed people with admiration and respect.
C) People from all cultures respond to intersexed people with dismay and disgust.
D) There are less than 100 intersexed people in North America.
E) Intersexed people feel they are one sex even though biologically they are the other.

Question 8

________ feel they are "trapped in a body of the wrong sex."

A) Hermaphrodites
B) Transvestites
C) Homosexuals
D) Transsexuals
E) Amorphics

Question 9

What is the one cultural universal-an element found in every society-regarding sexual behaviour?

A) restrictive sexuality
B) incest taboo
C) social mores
D) birth control
E) sexual modesty

Question 10

Which Canadian province has the highest percentage of the population involved in common law unions?

A) Prince Edward Island
B) Nunavut
C) Ontario
D) Quebec
E) British Columbia

Question 11

Which of the following is an explanation for the universal nature of the incest taboo?

A) It enhances sexual competition in families by restricting sex to intimate partners.
B) It reduces the ability to define people's rights and obligations toward each other.
C) It allows hopeless confusion of kinship lines.
D) It limits the expansion of families, helping to avoid integration into the larger society.
E) It reduces the odds of producing offspring with mental or physical problems.

Question 12

The urbanization movement early in the twentieth century, illustrated by millions moving from farms and small towns to the rapidly growing cities, led to:

A) the "Roaring Twenties."
B) Prohibition.
C) the Great Depression.
D) turn of the century promiscuity.
E) the double standard.

Question 13

Which event set the stage for the "sexual revolution"?

A) Masters and Johnson's publication of their research on sex in the early 1960s
B) Kinsey's publication of the first study of sexuality in the U.S.A. in 1948
C) the discovery of LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs
D) greater understanding of sexually transmitted diseases
E) World War II

Question 14

Why did Kinsey's books encourage the sexual revolution?

A) The promotional managers of the book were tireless.
B) The books revealed that people were tired of traditional sexual hypocrisy.
C) The books contained a thinly veiled message that people were being too open about sex, which brought about an unexpected backlash.
D) The books revealed so much about sexual practices that people were anxious to experiment.
E) The revelations in the books fostered a new openness toward sexuality.

Question 15

Which of the following was a contributor to the sexual revolution?

A) the publication of Alfred Kinsey's books
B) culture
C) the renewed belief in the traditional sexual double standard
D) the domination of the gerontocratic culture in public life
E) the condom

Question 16

From a global perspective, there is a general trend:

A) toward greater openness about sexuality in less economically developed countries.
B) toward less openness about sexuality as opportunities for men increase.
C) toward increased sexual activity among men more than women in economically rich countries.
D) toward greater openness about sexuality as opportunities for women increase.
E) away from openness about sexuality as research in this area continues.

Question 17

The sexual revolution came of age in the ________, and the sexual counter-revolution began in the ________.

A) 1940s; 1970
B) 1960s; 1980
C) 1920s; 1960
D) 1960s; 1990
E) 1960s; has not yet begun

Question 18

Politically speaking, the primary purpose of those at the forefront of the sexual counter-revolution was:

A) to further the sexual revolution; the belief was that the revolution had not gone far enough.
B) to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.
C) a return to "family values," by which sexual freedom was to be replaced by sexual responsibility.
D) to increase college and university enrolments.
E) to promote the idea that individuals should decide for themselves when and with whom to have a sexual relationship.

Question 19

Which of the following is accurate regarding public opinion about premarital sex?

A) Premarital sex is not as popular among young people as it was a generation ago.
B) 66 percent of men and 75 percent of women born in the 1970s entered marriage as virgins.
C) The majority of adults report that sex before marriage is almost always wrong.
D) Premarital sex is broadly accepted among young people.
E) More females than males approve of premarital sex.

Question 20

Research on frequency of sexual activity reveals that:

A) single people have sexual relations more often than people in monogamous relationships.
B) people in monogamous relationships have sexual relations more often than singles.
C) single and married people have sexual relations at comparable rates.
D) people in monogamous relationships report lower levels of satisfaction with their partners.
E) sexual activity among Canadian adults is higher today than it was 15 years ago.

Question 21

Which of the following is FALSE regarding adult sexual activity in Canada today?

A) People in monogamous relationships report more sexual activity than single people.
B) Canadian attitudes toward the acceptability of extramarital affairs vary.
C) Extramarital sex is more acceptable in Canada today than it was a decade ago.
D) There is little variation in the frequency of sexual activity in the Canadian population.
E) Most people have extramarital affairs because of loneliness.

Question 22

Sexual ________ refers to a person's preference in terms of sexual partners.

A) orientation
B) individualism
C) experience
D) identity
E) role

Question 23

Susan is sexually attracted to males. Her sexual orientation is

A) heterosexual.
B) homosexual.
C) bisexual.
D) transsexual.
E) asexual.

Question 24

Linda is sexually attracted to females. Her sexual orientation is

A) heterosexual.
B) homosexual.
C) bisexual.
D) transsexual.
E) asexual.

Question 25

The fact that sexual orientation is not often clear-cut points to the importance of a third category, namely:

A) heterosexuality.
B) homosexuality.
C) bisexuality.
D) asexuality.
E) ambiguous sexuality.

Question 26

Which of the following is FALSE regarding sexual orientation?

A) Most societies tolerate homosexuality.
B) Many people experience some attraction to someone of the same sex.
C) Cultural systems value all sexual orientations equally.
D) Throughout the world, heterosexuality is the norm.
E) Sexual attraction is not the same thing as sexual behaviour.

Question 27

If you argued that people in any society construct a set of meanings that lets them make sense of sexuality, which general position on how people come to have a sexual orientation would you be taking?

A) Sexual orientation is a product of society.
B) Sexual orientation is a product of biology.
C) Sexual orientation is a product of both society and biology.
D) Sexual orientation is a product of the physical environment.
E) Sexual orientation is a product of individual behaviour.

Question 28

The observation that patterns of homosexuality differ greatly from one society to another supports the idea that:

A) sexual orientation is a product of society.
B) sexual orientation is a product of biology.
C) sexual orientation is a product of neither society nor biology.
D) sexual orientation is a product of the physical environment.
E) sexual orientation is a product of individual choice.

Question 29

If you argued that people come to have a sexual orientation because it is innate, which general position on how people come to have a sexual orientation would you be taking?

A) Sexual orientation is a product of society.
B) Sexual orientation is a product of biology.
C) Sexual orientation is a product of both society and biology.
D) Sexual orientation is a product of the physical environment.
E) Sexual orientation is a product of individual behaviour.

Question 30

Simon LeVay's study of the brain, in which he found a small but important difference in the size of the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that regulates hormones, is evidence for the argument that sexual orientation is a product of:

A) society.
B) biology.
C) both society and biology
D) the physical environment.
E) individual behaviour.

Question 31

Which of the following conclusions regarding sexual orientation is supported by evidence?

A) Sexual orientation is socially constructed.
B) Sexual orientation is a product of biology.
C) Sexual orientation is rooted in biology, but both nature and nurture play a part.
D) Sexual orientation is a product of the physical environment.
E) Sexual orientation is a product of individual behaviour.

Question 32

Which of the following is TRUE regarding estimates of the share of the population that is gay?

A) 1 percent of the population is gay.
B) 20 percent of the population is gay.
C) The estimate depends on how "homosexuality" is defined.
D) No estimate is possible because sexual orientation is impossible to define.
E) More people view themselves as homosexual than bisexual.

Question 33

In Canada, which of the following is TRUE regarding same-sex marriages?

A) It is unlikely that same-sex marriages will ever be permitted in Canada.
B) Most Canadians feel that the issue of same-sex marriage should be reconsidered by Parliament.
C) Canadians have become less supportive of gay "equal" marriage in recent years.
D) Few Canadians express a desire for entering into a same-sex marriage.
E) Canadians have become increasingly supportive of "equal" (gay) marriage.

Question 34

Which of the following is the primary reason for the change in the public attitude toward gays in recent decades?

A) the fact that a very large number of gay people could no longer tolerate being "in the closet"
B) the influence of the American Psychological Association
C) the increasing number of gay people in Canadian society
D) the influence of the gay rights movement
E) the medicalization of homosexuality

Question 35

What is the term for the fear of close personal interaction with people thought to be gay, lesbian, or bisexual?

A) heterophobia
B) homophobia
C) homophilia
D) heterophilia
E) sexual phobia

Question 36

Someone you know refuses to shake hands with or even talk to a homosexual person. He is exhibiting:

A) heterophobia.
B) homophobia.
C) homophilia.
D) heterophilia.
E) sexual phobia.

Question 37

Which of the following statements regarding teenage pregnancy in Canada is FALSE?

A) The rate of teenage pregnancy in the 1950s was higher than the rate today.
B) In the 1950s there were many pregnant teens, but most were married.
C) Today most teens who become pregnant are not married.
D) Most agree that Canada's national plan of action has been effective in reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies.
E) The sexual revolution does not seem to have raised the level of teenage pregnancy.

Question 38

Which of the following statements about pornography in Canada is FALSE?

A) The Canadian Supreme Court gives local communities the power to decide for themselves what violates "community standards" of decency.
B) Critics of pornography focus their objections solely on moral grounds.
C) Pornography is very popular in Canada.
D) Sexually explicit movies, magazines, videos, and 1-900 telephone numbers together constitute a multibillion-dollar-a-year industry.
E) Pressure to restrict pornography is building from an unlikely coalition of conservatives, progressives, and feminists.

Question 39

Critics of easily available pornography argue which of the following?

A) Pornography encourages a reinforcement in morals.
B) Pornography encourages violence against men.
C) Pornography unfairly depicts men as playthings of women.
D) Pornography results in a decline of the double standard.
E) Pornography endorses the cultural ideal of men as legitimate controllers of women.

Question 40

Which of the following statements about prostitution is FALSE?

A) Around the world, prostitution is greatest in the richer countries, where women are free to choose their profession and the men can pay for their services.
B) Often called the world's oldest profession, prostitution has always been widespread.
C) Prostitution is not illegal in Canada.
D) Around the world, prostitution shows tremendous variation.
E) Prostitution in Canada remains biased against women and in favour of men.

Question 41

Elite sex workers-young, attractive, and well educated-are referred to as ________; while ________ are at the bottom of the sex-worker hierarchy.

A) streetwalkers; call girls
B) call girls; brothel girls
C) expensive brothel workers; streetwalkers
D) call girls; streetwalkers
E) independents; brothel girls

Question 42

Which of the following statements about prostitution is TRUE?

A) Everyone agrees that prostitution is a victimless crime.
B) All sex workers are heterosexual.
C) Sex workers located in off-street "escort agencies" have safer work conditions than those working on the streets.
D) All sex workers are women.
E) Sex workers have legal avenues to protect themselves when subject to exploitation by their employers.

Question 43

Which of the following is a valid objection to viewing prostitution as a victimless crime?

A) Prostitution subjects many women to abuse and outright violence.
B) Prostitution plays a part in reducing sexually transmitted diseases.
C) The laws are enforced all the time.
D) It is easy for sex workers to receive the same benefits and rights as other workers.
E) Many women engage in prostitution to the benefit of themselves.

Question 44

Today's campus sexual culture is characterized by:

A) courtship rituals.
B) shutting down.
C) moving forward.
D) traditional values.
E) hooking up.

Question 45

Which of the following is TRUE regarding sex on campus?

A) Few colleges and universities agree on the importance of consent in sexual relations.
B) "Hooking up" refers to two people getting together with the intention of beginning a long-term relationship.
C) Drinking alcohol plays a small but relatively insignificant role in sexual relations on campus.
D) Most women are critical of the culture of "hooking up" and express little satisfaction with these encounters.
E) The sexual culture of the campus today is very similar to that observed in the 1960s.

Question 46

Which of the following statements about rape is FALSE?

A) Rape is often not reported to the police.
B) Official rape statistics include only victims who are women.
C) Rape usually occurs between strangers.
D) Sexual assault is actually an expression of power.
E) Females and children constitute the largest number of sexual assault victims.

Question 47

Which of the following is a common myth about rape?

A) Rape is a crime committed between partners.
B) Female rape victims have often avoided their attackers.
C) The motive behind rape is the desire for sex.
D) Rape leaves both physical and psychological scars.
E) Women who are raped have not done something to encourage the man and make him think she wanted to have sex.

Question 48

________ argue that society must regulate sexual behaviour because sexuality is an important element of social life.

A) Structural-functionalists
B) Social-conflict theorists
C) Symbolic-interactionists
D) Queer theory advocates
E) Control theory

Question 49

Which theoretical approach would argue that culture and social institutions regulate with whom and when people reproduce?

A) structural-functionalism
B) social-conflict
C) symbolic-interaction
D) queer theory
E) regulationism

Question 50

If you were to argue that without norms controlling sexual behaviour, which would give the forces of sexual passion free reign, family life and the raising of children would be threatened, with which approach would you be aligned?

A) structural-functionalism
B) social-conflict
C) symbolic-interaction
D) queer theory
E) regulationism

Question 51

Which of the following is a latent function of prostitution?

A) it spreads disease
B) it exploits women and children
C) it increases crime rates
D) it ends relationships
E) it meets the sexual needs of people who do not have ready access to sex

Question 52

Which of the following is a criticism of the structural-functional analysis of sexuality?

A) It is limited by the fact that not everything is as variable as these theorists claim.
B) This approach overlooks the fact that sexuality is not a power issue for everyone.
C) This approach pays little attention to the great diversity of sexual ideas and practices found within every society.
D) The theory pays little attention to strides our society has made toward eliminating injustice between the sexes.
E) It overemphasizes the fact that sexual patterns change over time.

Question 53

________ highlights how, as people interact, they construct everyday reality.

A) Structural-functionalism
B) Social-conflict
C) Symbolic-interactionism
D) Social-materialism
E) Creativism

Question 54

Which of the following statements would be made by a symbolic-interactionist?

A) The process of reality construction is highly static, so that one group's views of sexuality are the same as another's.
B) How people understand sexuality stays the same over time.
C) Around the world, different societies attach similar meanings to sexuality.
D) Sexual practices vary from culture to culture, demonstrating that people "construct" sexuality.
E) Our culture often depicts sexuality in terms of sport, such as men "scoring" with women.

Question 55

The changing importance of virginity over the last century in our society is a topic one would associate with:

A) structural-functionalism.
B) the social-conflict approach.
C) creativism.
D) constructive interactionism.
E) symbolic-interactionism.

Question 56

Which of the following statements is part of the symbolic-interaction paradigm regarding sexuality?

A) It helps us understand men's power over women.
B) It contributes to the rising public concern about sexual harassment.
C) It reveals the constructed character of familiar social patterns and thus brings about a better appreciation of the variety of sexual practices found around the world.
D) It helps us to understand how culture and social institutions regulate with whom and when people reproduce.
E) It highlights how sexuality reflects inequality.

Question 57

The observation that police are more likely to arrest sex workers than their male clients is consistent with which theoretical analysis of sexuality?

A) symbolic-interactionist
B) structural-functionalist
C) social-conflict
D) sociobiological
E) micro-level

Question 58

If Susie, in a discussion of sexuality, continually points out how sexuality both reflects patterns of social inequality and helps to create them, on which theoretical approach is she relying?

A) structural-functionalism
B) social-conflict
C) symbolic-interaction
D) queer theory
E) constructive interactionism

Question 59

Which of the following statements would be consistent with the social-conflict approach?

A) The process of reality construction is highly variable, so that one group's views of sexuality may well differ from another's.
B) Defining women in sexual terms amounts to devaluing them from full human beings into objects of men's interest and attention.
C) North American culture often depicts sexuality in terms of sport and violence, such as speaking of men "scoring" with women, and men "hitting on" women.
D) When police enforce laws against prostitution, the person most likely to be arrested is the prostitute, not her male "client."
E) Sexuality tends to enhance women in patriarchal societies.

Question 60

________ refers to a growing body of research findings that challenges the heterosexual bias in North American society.

A) structural-functionalism
B) social-conflict
C) symbolic-interaction
D) queer theory
E) heterorelational theory

Question 61

Which of the following is a criticism of the social-conflict view of sexuality?

A) This approach overlooks the fact that sexuality is not a power issue for everyone.
B) It is limited by the fact that not everything is as variable as these theorists claim.
C) This approach pays little attention to the great diversity of sexual ideas and practices found within every society.
D) The theory helps us to understand men's power over women and heterosexual people's domination of homosexual people.
E) The theory fails to examine how sexuality is both a cause and an effect of inequality.

Question 62

In Bearman's study, more than half of the sexually active high school students interviewed were linked to each other through common partners.

Question 63

When studying sexuality, sociologists are primarily concerned with discovering how human sexual behaviour is so similar across all cultures.

Question 64

There are few areas of life in which sexuality does not play a part.

Question 65

The Canadian cultural taboo regarding sex has been so strong that researchers did not begin to conduct studies on sexuality until the middle of the twentieth century.

Question 66

Gender refers to the biological distinction between females and males.

Question 67

Many transgendered people live with their sexual ambiguity and choose not to change their genitals.

Question 68

Since sexuality has a biological foundation, it is not considered to be a cultural issue.

Question 69

The belief that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"suggests the importance of culture in setting standards of attractiveness.

Question 70

Almost any sexual practice shows considerable variation from one society to another.

Question 71

The views of sexual behaviours and practices vary so much around the world that sociologists have found no cultural universals.

Question 72

In Canada, people's cultural orientation toward sexuality has always been consistent.

Question 73

During the last century, Canada witnessed profound changes in sexual attitudes and practices.

Question 74

The publication of Kinsey's first book in 1948 caused a stir primarily due to the fact that scientists were studying sex.

Question 75

The baby boom generation became the first cohort in Canadian history to grow up with the idea that sex was part of everyone's life, whether one was married or not.

Question 76

The sexual revolution changed behaviour among men more than among women.

Question 77

As opportunities in a society increase for women, there is a greater openness about sexuality.

Question 78

The sexual counter-revolution called for an increase in sexual freedom.

Question 79

The sexual counter-revolution greatly changed the idea that individuals should decide for themselves when and with whom to have a sexual relationship.

Question 80

Survey research reveals that even though the public remains divided on the issue, public opinion is more accepting of premarital sex today than it was a generation ago.