Deck 3: Major Theoretical Perspectives

Question 1

Which sociological perspective would view society as a living organism in which each part of the organism contributes to its survival and stability?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)All of these answers are correct.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The state of Ohio has a dwindling population.In an effort to increase the birthrate in the state,Ohio offers a $5,000.00 bonus to all families giving birth in the state for the next three years.Which of the following is the latent function?

A)an increase in the birth rate for the state of Ohio
B)an increase in the population in the state of Ohio
C)an increase in the need for teachers as a result of more children in the Ohio educational system
D)All of these are latent functions.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which sociological perspective generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction in order to understand society as a whole?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)All of these answers are correct.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which sociological perspective would suggest that if an aspect of social life does not contribute to a society's stability,then it does not serve a useful function?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 5

Which sociologist saw society as a vast network of connected parts,each of which helps to maintain the system as a whole?

A)Karl Marx
B)Erving Goffman
C)Max Weber
D)Talcott Parsons

Question 6

A sociologist who studies the unequal economic reality between men and women would probably be following which of the these perspectives?

A)functionalism
B)interactionism
C)conflict
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 7

Which sociological perspective is most concerned with macro-level analysis?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)both the functionalist and conflict perspectives

Question 8

Which of the following could be a manifest function of colleges?

A)They are a place to meet future husbands or wives.
B)They sometimes fail to teach students how to read or write effectively.
C)They help to maintain the economic status quo in the U.S.
D)They prepare students for post-college careers.

Question 9

An element or a process of society that may actually disrupt a social system or lead to a decrease in stability is known as a

A)latent function.
B)manifest function.
C)dysfunction.
D)conflict function.

Question 10

Critics of television often suggest that executives of major television networks and movie corporations are wealthy White males who decide which programs or movies will be produced and which directors and actors will obtain jobs in the industry.This analysis reflects the

A)functionalist perspective.
B)conflict perspective.
C)interactionist perspective.
D)global perspective.

Question 11

Which sociological approach focuses on the macro level and would tend to view inequality in gender as central to behavior and organization?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)feminist perspective

Question 12

Which sociological perspective would be most likely to argue that the existence of big-city political machines suggests that these political organizations satisfy certain basic social needs?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)global perspective

Question 13

Contemporary conflict theorists are concerned with the conflict between

A)women and men.
B)cities and suburbs.
C)Blacks and Whites.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 14

Which sociologist explored what it meant to be female and Black living in the U.S.?

A)Jane Addams
B)Ida Wells-Barnett
C)Harriet Martineau
D)Meda Chesney-Lind

Question 15

Which sociological perspective sees the social world as being in continual struggle?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)global perspective

Question 16

According to the functionalist perspective,an aspect of social life would be passed on from one generation to the next if it

A)can be used by one group to subjugate another group.
B)enhances impression management.
C)promotes value consensus among members of a society.
D)is dysfunctional.

Question 17

Children who experience divorce in their family are more likely to experience divorce themselves when they are adults.This could be considered an example of a

A)dysfunction of families.
B)latent function of families.
C)manifest function of families.
D)proactive function of families.

Question 18

Inequality,capitalism,and stratification are key concepts of which theoretical perspective?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 19

Which sociological perspective holds the view that people create their social worlds through interaction and manipulation of symbols?

A)functionalist
B)conflict
C)interactionist
D)global

Question 20

Theorist Eve Sedgwick (1990)argues that any analysis of society is incomplete if it does not include

A)both macro- and micro-level views of the subject of study.
B)a consideration of the patriarchal nature of government and business management systems.
C)the spectrum of sexual identities that people embrace.
D)comprehensive data on the common symbology that society has adopted.

Question 21

Which perspective would state that people are formed through the way in which they interact with and react to their social world?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)feminist perspective

Question 22

Which sociological perspective would view sports as a form of big business in which profits are more important than the health and safety of athletes?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)None of these answers is correct.

Question 23

Which sociological perspective would suggest that sports participants may work together harmoniously and abandon previously held stereotypes and prejudices despite class,racial,and religious differences?

A)functionalist perspective
B)queer theory
C)interactionist perspective
D)feminist perspective

Question 24

Which sociological perspective would highlight the reluctance among professional athletes to display any sexual identity other than heterosexuality in public?

A)interactionist perspective
B)queer theory
C)feminist perspective
D)functionalist perspective

Question 25

The view that laws are set up to assist those who are in positions of power is most consistent with the

A)functionalist perspective.
B)conflict perspective.
C)interactionist perspective.
D)feminist perspective.

Question 26

The conflict perspective considers how laws reinforce the position of those in power.

Question 27

Having a grandmother who sits on the board of trustees for your college and helps you gain entrance is an example of social capital.

Question 28

Which sociological approach would view sports as an agent for defining people's social positions as players,coaches,and referees as a result of their performances and reputations?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)feminist perspective

Question 29

Despite their differences,functionalists,conflict theorists,and interactionists would all agree that there is much more to sports than exercise or recreation.

Question 30

Which sociological perspective would view sports as serving as a safety valve for both participants and spectators,allowing them to shed tension and aggressive energy in a socially acceptable way?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)feminist perspective

Question 31

Which sociological perspective would most likely argue that the social order is based on coercion and exploitation?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)global perspective

Question 32

Explain the similarities and differences among the three major sociological perspectives of functionalism,conflict theory,and symbolic interactionism.Identify which perspectives use a macro-level or a micro-level of analysis.

Question 33

In the middle of the twentieth century,the focus of sociology shifted from theorizing and information gathering to a more active interest in transforming society.

Question 34

Identify a social change that has had both manifest and latent functions.List and explain the manifest and latent functions that resulted.

Question 35

The conflict perspective emphasizes the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability.

Question 36

Which sociological perspective would most likely suggest that sports help to maintain people's physical well-being?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)feminist perspective

Question 37

Knowledge of Van Gogh,Rembrandt,and the works of other celebrated painters would be an example of cultural capital.

Question 38

The view that sports serve as an "opiate" for social injustices and distract people from focusing on the reality of personal problems and social issues would most likely be held by

A)functionalists.
B)conflict theorists.
C)interactionists.
D)global sociologists.

Question 39

One of Robert Merton's most significant contributions to sociology was the attempt to merge the micro-level and macro-level approaches to the study of society.

Question 40

In examining any aspect of society,which sociological perspective emphasizes the contribution that aspect makes to overall social stability?

A)functionalist perspective
B)conflict perspective
C)interactionist perspective
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 41

Describe how queer theory has challenged some long-standing assumptions about the nature of sexual identity and the ways in which it is understood or referenced at the macro level of society.

Question 42

Describe the similarities and differences between conflict theory and the feminist perspective.