Deck 2: The Duality of Social Life: Order and Conflict

Question 1

What is demonstrated by people in the United States taking for granted such practices as obeying traffic lights, using credit, and accepting checks instead of currency?

A) Social order
B) Democracy
C) Freedom
D) Fairness

Answer 1

Social order

Question 2

Sociologists agree that sport is a mechanism for getting youth to follow orders, work hard, and fit into a social system. Which model argues that this is not necessarily a good thing?

A) Order theorists
B) Structural functionalists
C) Conflict theorists
D) Synthesis approach

Answer 2

Conflict theorists

Question 3

According to the _____ model, the basic relationships that formed in Sherif's summer camp experiment were based on competition, domination, and subordination.

A) divergence
B) conflict
C) oppositional
D) order

Answer 3

conflict

Question 4

The third assumption of the synthesis model explains that society is made up of different but interdependent parts that affect each other, creating a structure called a

A) social order/disorder paradox.
B) societal paradigm.
C) social system.
D) social boundary structure.

Question 5

Sociologists who use the order model, also called _____, ask fundamental questions about what holds societies together.

A) integrative culture model
B) structural functionalism
C) ethical function model
D) social imperatives

Question 6

One of the characteristics of societies is that they are composed of parts. This is known as

A) segmentation.
B) partition.
C) social organization.
D) cultural relativism.

Question 7

According to _____, the social cooperation required to bring together all the elements that make up a pencil is a complex system of order that "emerges without anyone imposing it."

A) Durkheim
B) Will
C) Marx
D) Rogers

Question 8

According to the fifth assumption of the synthesis model, _____ is a ubiquitous phenomenon in all societies, whether it is gradual or abrupt.

A) revolution
B) order
C) social change
D) consensus

Question 9

Which of the five values that sociologists Wright and Rogers note among most members of U.S. society is expressed by the Supreme Court's decision that stated defiling the U.S. flag is not a crime?

A) Fairness
B) Freedom
C) Democracy
D) Efficiency

Question 10

What is defined as the "unintended consequences of rules, norms, activities, and social structures"?

A) False consciousness
B) Consequence polarization
C) Functional integration
D) Latent consequences

Question 11

The _____ model refers to the model of society in which the different parts cooperate because of similar or complementary interests.

A) conflict
B) cooperation
C) order
D) commonality

Question 12

The fourth assumption in the synthesis model is that societies are held together by complementary interests, by consensus on cultural values, and by

A) democracy.
B) folkways.
C) consensus.
D) coercion.

Question 13

_____ organizations that bring together people from differing backgrounds to interact allow members to join in a common cause.

A) Heterogeneous
B) Homogeneous
C) Restricted
D) Exclusive

Question 14

Which term describes the theories of Karl Marx, who said that in every society there is a dynamic tension between those who own the means of production and those who work for them?

A) Conflict theory
B) Capitalism
C) Order theory
D) Structural functionalism

Question 15

A conflict theorist would say, "Sport inhibits the potential for protest and revolution by society's have-nots." Which of the following would NOT support that statement?

A) If a person fails, it is his or her fault and not that of the system.
B) Sport as entertainment diverts attention away from the harsh realities of poverty, unemployment, and dismal life chances.
C) Only an extremely small percentage of aspiring athletes ever achieve professional status.
D) Sport promotes individual achievement, quick thinking, and physical strength.

Question 16

According to Durkheim, sending a criminal to prison with the intention of punishing the crime and deterring future crimes is an example of

A) manifest consequences.
B) latent consequences.
C) manifest destiny.
D) latent destiny.

Question 17

The first assumption of a synthesis approach to understanding order and conflict in society notes an essential paradox, which is that

A) societies are always ordered, yet are always changing.
B) the means of production depends on those who own them.
C) institutions try to change even though it is their nature to remain the same.
D) stability and change cannot both exist within a given society.

Question 18

Written and unwritten rules develop in a society so that different segments can cooperate with each other. This demonstrates a phenomenon noted by Durkheim known as

A) functional integration.
B) structural functionalism.
C) the order/conflict paradox.
D) integral functionalism.

Question 19

According to Wright and Rogers, most people in U.S. society affirm which set of five values?

A) Freedom, volunteerism, fairness, democracy, efficacy
B) Prosperity, property, democracy, freedom, health
C) Freedom, prosperity, efficiency, fairness, democracy
D) Property, freedom, strength, efficiency, patriotism

Question 20

The second assumption of a synthesis approach is that societies are organized, but the process of organization generates conflict. This is because

A) scarce resources can be equally distributed but those in power control allocation decisions in their own favor.
B) scarce resources can never be equally distributed, and those who have power end up making the allocation decisions.
C) those without power always envy those with power, and thus create conflict to level the playing field.
D) those without power control the means of production and allocation of resources, but lack the intelligence to distribute resources equitably.

Question 21

Which of the following represents the attitude of order theorists toward television and the mass media?

A) Violent video games cause general moral deterioration.
B) Television suppresses creativity.
C) The media break down social interaction among young people.
D) The media reinforce the values and norms of society.

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT identified in the chapter as an indicator of reduced societal cohesion?

A) Increasing polarization
B) Declining trust in societal institutions
C) Diminishing inequality gap
D) Deepening divides over diversity

Question 23

According to critics such as Michael Parenti, the child molestation scandal in the Catholic Church threatens trust of societal institutions because

A) it reveals not only the acts of flawed individuals but the self-serving corruption of a religious organization.
B) religious freedom protects churches from being investigated by the government.
C) it exposes financial fraud that left homeowners in bankruptcy.
D) it exposes the limits of individual freedom to support social institutions.

Question 24

As of 2013, the richest 1% of U.S. households owned _____ the combined wealth of the bottom 90%.

A) less than half as much as
B) almost as much as
C) an amount equal to
D) more than

Question 25

A society is unified by a national event such as a war only if the threat

A) affects only the most powerful members of society.
B) happened recently.
C) is perceived as real.
D) is perceived as having a foreseeable end.

Question 26

Contrary to the idea of the United States as a "melting pot," the different groups in the United States continue to remain separate, which may make _____ inevitable.

A) conflict
B) assimilation
C) social cohesion
D) co-optation

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways that public officials use their power to integrate the parts of society?

A) Passing laws to eliminate barriers among groups
B) Working to solve the problems that segment the society
C) Providing mediators to help negotiate settlements between such feuding groups as management and labor
D) Using the media to foster distrust between the middle class and the poor

Question 28

Items such as the national flag and the Constitution are held in high esteem because they are

A) products of dissidence.
B) symbols of privilege.
C) unifying symbols.
D) civic pride objects.

Question 29

In 2013, the top 20% of U.S. households owned _____ of the national income.

A) 3.4%
B) 20%
C) 50%
D) 99%

Question 30

The earnings gap between the top 5% of earners and the bottom 20%, as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau, is now

A) the greatest since 1947.
B) equal to the gap during the Great Depression.
C) the smallest in the history of the nation.
D) greater than in the 1950s but smaller than the 1990s.

Question 31

The repeal of the military rule known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" by Congress in 2011 illustrates the concept of

A) planned integration.
B) separate but equal.
C) societal segmentation.
D) forced interaction.

Question 32

The violence and terrorism that have affected three states in India (Punjab, Kashmire, and Gujarat) over the years are all examples of _____ violence, one of the many types of violence that affect this region.

A) political
B) linguistic
C) religious
D) caste

Question 33

In the past, discourse between Republicans and Democrats was _____, although they held opposing beliefs. Today this has become increasingly rare.

A) hostile
B) secretive
C) demonizing
D) civil

Question 34

What did former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich say posed "the largest single threat to our strength as a society"?

A) Global terrorism
B) Widening split between the have-mores and have-lessers
C) Loss of faith in religious institutions
D) Loss of faith in government to solve problems

Question 35

When a high official, such as the U.S. president, appoints a member of a dissident group to a policy-making body in order to appease that group, the official is using a technique called

A) cooperation.
B) co-optation.
C) reverse psychology.
D) moral authority.

Question 36

Many people in the United States who have few material blessings still see themselves as "could-be haves" rather than "have nots," which Marx would have identified as

A) false consciousness.
B) class consciousness.
C) bootstrapping.
D) wishful thinking.

Question 37

A country club that restricts its membership to include only WASPs and excludes African-Americans and Jewish people is founded on

A) heterogeneous principles.
B) democratic freedom of association.
C) exclusiveness and feelings of superiority.
D) inclusiveness and superiority.

Question 38

The tendency for people to take extreme positions in the direction they were already inclined due to group membership is known as

A) social identification.
B) false consciousness.
C) group polarization.
D) social unity.

Question 39

What is threatened when events such as fraudulent business practices or scandals in religious groups come to light?

A) Personal freedom
B) Trust in social institutions
C) Second Amendment
D) First Amendment

Question 40

Who developed the theory of false consciousness, the idea that oppressed people hold beliefs damaging to their interests?

A) George Will
B) Karl Marx
C) Carl Jung
D) Joel Rogers

Question 41

Conflict theorists disagree with order theorists' focus on deviants, saying it

A) is blaming the victim.
B) prevents criminals from making restitution.
C) unfairly targets society's institutions.
D) does not address the problems caused by noncomforists.

Question 42

Which of the following is an example of societal fragmentation along racial lines taking place in the United States?

A) Dominance of the National Congress party
B) State borders redrawn along linguistic lines
C) High costs of in-state college tuition
D) "White flight" from high-immigration areas

Question 43

To conflict theorists, _____ is the primary source of social problems, not _____, and therefore should be reformed.

A) the individual; the system
B) the system; the individual
C) the political system; religion
D) religion; the political system

Question 44

In 2010, 47.3% of hate crimes reported to the FBI involved

A) religion.
B) race.
C) sexual orientation.
D) linguistic bias.

Question 45

_____ are societally induced conditions that harm any segment of the population, or acts or conditions that violate the norms and values of society.

A) Manifest consequences
B) Latent consequences
C) Structural functionalisms
D) Social problems

Question 46

The _____ model for understanding society contains an implicit acceptance of the status quo.

A) order
B) conflict
C) synthesis
D) synthetic

Question 47

Sociologists study societies rather than individuals, therefore they tend to believe that

A) social problems come from social systems.
B) individuals have a negative effect on social systems.
C) societies would be improved by individuals taking more personal responsibility for what happens to them.
D) social problems are too deeply entrenched to ever be solved.

Question 48

While the order perspective assumes that the social structure is basically right and proper because it serves the fundamental function of maintaining society, the conflict perspective raises the question of

A) whether social class outweighs social integrity.
B) personal responsibility.
C) who benefits under these arrangements and who does not.
D) how to maintain the current rules and customs.

Question 49

When considering social problems, the order perspective focuses on _____, those who somehow do not conform to the standards of the dominant group.

A) conformists
B) groups
C) systems
D) deviants

Question 50

Conflicts that arise between people based on race and gender inequality, poverty and homelessness, and discrimination can all be considered _____ problems.

A) deviance
B) partisan
C) social
D) caste