Deck 2: Thinking Sociologically

Question 1

Which of the following represents an important difference between a theory of dating generated by a professional sociologist and one proposed by an average person?

A) Sociologists will examine more statistical data than the average person
B) Sociologists read the theories already in the scientific literature
C) Sociologists know formulas for generating new theories
D) Sociologists are less aware of biases than the average person

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Ritzer listed nineteenth century events including political revolutions, the rise of socialism, the growth of science and the movement for women's rights to make what point?

A) The nineteenth century was the most important period of societal development
B) Politics was more important than sociological theory in the nineteenth century
C) Sociological theory promoted many changes, causing upheavals to happen in society
D) Sociological theory did not develop in isolation; it was closely related to societal change

Answer 2

C

Question 3

_________________ focused on the exploitation of workers in capitalist systems.

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Karl Marx
C) Herbert Spencer
D) W.E.B DuBois

Answer 3

B

Question 4

__________ are sets of interrelated ideas that have a wide range of applications, deal with centrally important issues, and have stood the test of time.

A) Social laws
B) Hypotheses
C) Theories
D) Causes

Question 5

Max Weber analyzed capitalism, but his real interest was in the increase of:

A) religion
B) suicide
C) rationalization
D) alienation

Question 6

Marx believed that workers in the factories experienced __________________ as the owners of the factories reaped the vast majority of the rewards.

A) alienation
B) exploitation
C) victimization
D) estrangement

Question 7

Max Weber's best-known piece of work is titled:

A) The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
B) The Communist Manifesto
C) The Origin of the Species
D) Society in America

Question 8

One of the main objectives of Max Weber's works was:

A) to analyze the relationship between workers and the owners
B) to develop theories for further study
C) to analyze the relationship between the economy and religion
D) to focus on the elements of Social Darwinism

Question 9

Karl Marx believed that over time the situation of capitalism would:

A) improve greatly for the workers until society reached full equality
B) improve slightly so long as workers unionized
C) get worse until the inequality gap led to workers overthrowing the system
D) get worse until technology could replace workers, freeing them for other pursuits

Question 10

When individuals are confused and unsure of the norms to follow, they fit with Durkheim's definition of experiencing _____________.

A) exploitation
B) anomie
C) rationalization
D) disorientation

Question 11

_____________ coined the term sociology and was key in the development of a general theory of the social world.

A) Émile Durkheim
B) August Comte
C) Karl Marx
D) Max Weber

Question 12

When applying theories to a certain issue, sociologists differ from the average person by being very ________________ in their approach.

A) systematic
B) casual
C) cursory
D) quantitative

Question 13

Sociologist Randall Collins developed a theory of violence. It applies to:

A) state-sanctioned violence such as war
B) only domestic forms of violence
C) only major criminal acts such as murder or rape
D) all types of violence

Question 14

__________ help sociologists make sense of social phenomena and understand important social issues.

A) Hypotheses
B) Theories
C) Critiques
D) Systems

Question 15

___________________ is a term which refers to awareness the proletariat has about the features of capitalism and their relationship to one other as well as to the capitalists.

A) False consciousness
B) Class Consciousness
C) Sociological awareness
D) Class awareness

Question 16

Émile Durkheim was concerned with macro-level phenomena such as the health care system, which he referred to as __________________.

A) superstructures
B) anomic macrostructures
C) social facts
D) collective conscience

Question 17

The most important early sociological theorists included all EXCEPT which of the following?

A) Randall Collins
B) Auguste Comte
C) Harriet Martineau
D) Herbert Spencer

Question 18

__________________ is best known for her sociological works that pertained to women and feminism.

A) Jane Addams
B) Harriet Tubman
C) Harriet Martineau
D) Susan Thomas

Question 19

According to Émile Durkheim, early forms of society were held together by ______________, in which people were connected because they performed similar types of work and shared similar beliefs and values.

A) organic solidarity
B) mechanical solidarity
C) automatic solidarity
D) structured solidarity

Question 20

Sociological theory emerged during the ____________ century in Europe.

A) Eighteenth
B) Sixteenth
C) Nineteenth
D) Seventeenth

Question 21

The sociologist who focused on the patterns of consumption and how the wealthy display their wealth is:

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Max Weber
C) Thorstein Veblen
D) Karl Marx

Question 22

Structural-functionalism focuses its theories at the ________________ level of analysis.

A) micro
B) macro
C) dual
D) ethnographic

Question 23

_________________ refers to the sense of "two-ness" that arises from being both American and African American, a sense which affects many black Americans according to W.E.B. Du Bois.

A) Double consciousness
B) Double awareness
C) Color line
D) Dual conscience

Question 24

____________ sees society as held together by power and coercion.

A) Structuralism
B) Rational choice theory
C) Conflict theory
D) Exchange theory

Question 25

A ___________________ of our educational system would be that students learn valuable skills, such as learning to schedule their time and the significance of deadlines.

A) manifest function
B) latent function
C) dysfunction
D) intentional purpose

Question 26

Sociologist Peter Berger developed the concept of _______________ to describe the task of looking beneath and beyond facades to identify important underlying factors that have enormous effects on human behavior.

A) debunking
B) piggybacking
C) methodizing
D) spelunking

Question 27

____________________ theorists focus on underlying structures with the idea that what transpires below the surface is highly consequential to the shape of society.

A) Conflict
B) Rational choice
C) Structuralist
D) Critical

Question 28

As more states legalize same-sex marriage, laws that pertain to adoption rights for same-sex parents may change as well. This is an example of a(n) __________________.

A) latent function
B) manifest function
C) unanticipated consequence
D) adaptive function

Question 29

Sociologists who use the __________________ framework focus on how societal institutions, such as our governmental system and health care system, are necessary and essential components to any society.

A) conflict
B) interactionist
C) structural-functional
D) institutional

Question 30

Early social theorist Georg Simmel described interactions in his theories by conceptualizing the dimensions of interactions as ____________ and ________________.

A) forms; types
B) forms; functions
C) social class; race
D) types; social facts

Question 31

Today, if John's computer stops operating correctly, he probably calls a computer repair technician to fix it. The computer repair technician depends on people like John who need computers to help earn a livelihood. This is an example of:

A) mechanical solidarity
B) organic solidarity
C) structured solidarity
D) integrated solidarity

Question 32

When a wealthy person's Facebook page is filled with photos of the many weekdays they spend playing golf at expensive golf courses as a hobby instead of in the office, it exemplifies Veblen's concept of:

A) extravagance
B) conspicuous consumption
C) class egotism
D) conspicuous leisure

Question 33

The early sociologist who is best known for his studies pertaining to race, specifically the divisions that existed between blacks and whites, is _____________________.

A) Émile Durkheim
B) Max Weber
C) Karl Marx
D) W.E.B. Du Bois

Question 34

In structural functionalism, an example of a ________________ within the family structure is domestic violence.

A) function
B) dysfunction
C) structure
D) conflict

Question 35

Thorstein Veblen coined the term _________________, which refers to the fact that the wealthy enjoy showing off their wealth, such as driving around their neighborhood in luxury automobiles.

A) conspicuous consumption
B) conspicuous leisure
C) hyperconsumption
D) conscious consumerism

Question 36

Theorist Ralf Dahrendorf describes two basic sides to society: conflict and:

A) power
B) agreement
C) consensus
D) change

Question 37

Durkheim is the author of one of the most famous research studies in the history of sociology, titled _________________.

A) Community and Society
B) Capital
C) Suicide
D) The Social Animal

Question 38

The work of social theorist ______________would be the most useful in trying to explain how a grocery store employee interacts with his boss.

A) Max Weber
B) Émile Durkheim
C) Karl Marx
D) Georg Simmel

Question 39

Friedrich Engels, a frequent collaborator with Karl Marx, believed that female oppression was rooted in an unlikely and hidden place: the private property rights in capitalism. Because he drew connections between underlying systems of gender inequality and private property, Engels could be considered a _________ theorist.

A) conflict
B) structuralist
C) communist
D) postmodern

Question 40

An example of ___________________ is the importance most Americans place on certain freedoms, such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

A) mutuality
B) organic solidarity
C) collective conscience
D) collective norms

Question 41

Exchange theorists focus their study on social behavior between people in which people are seen as:

A) acting out their social roles
B) rational profit seekers
C) basically altruistic and kind
D) emotionally driven

Question 42

What is the relationship of postmodern theory to modern theory?

A) Postmodern theory deconstructs grand narratives of modern theory
B) Postmodern theory expands upon grand narratives of modern theory
C) Postmodern theory largely agrees with modern theory
D) Postmodern theory has no comment on modern theory

Question 43

According to the concept of _____________________ we can't understand the plight of a black woman based on race alone; we must focus on other factors, such as gender, age, and occupation.

A) intersectionality
B) functionalism
C) convergence
D) divergence

Question 44

Proponents of the postmodern theory focus on:

A) scientific approaches to the social world
B) limited and unrelated snapshots of the social world
C) grand narratives
D) responding to theories from classical sociology

Question 45

An ethnomethodologist argues that structures such as courtrooms and hospitals:

A) are settings that individuals negotiate using common sense rules
B) are really abstract and irrelevant to interactions
C) are highly constraining of people and their actions
D) are features of a patriarchal system that should be dismantled

Question 46

An example of a __________________ would be going to Las Vegas and visiting the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Las Vegas hotel and casino.

A) simulation
B) exposition
C) pastiche
D) grand narrative

Question 47

Critical theories of race and racism argue that color blindness is:

A) a good goal for the future
B) already the norm among most people in the developed world
C) little more than a new form of racism
D) a two-way street that must be practiced equally

Question 48

Many ethnomethodologists study:

A) institutions
B) individuals
C) conversations
D) global cultures

Question 49

____________________ is based on the idea that there are no fixed and stable identities that determine who we are.

A) Structural theory
B) Conflict theory
C) Interactionist theory
D) Queer theory

Question 50

What is the importance of the word symbolic in symbolic interactionism?

A) Symbols refers mainly to language, because it is made up of symbols
B) Symbols are important because they can be interpreted in many different ways
C) Symbols matter because they are a fixed part of the structures in which we interact
D) This means we mostly interact for symbolic purposes

Question 51

Given a chance to study the homeless population in Chicago, symbolic interactionists would focus primarily on:

A) the struggles that exist between the different social classes
B) the societal institutions that play a role in homelessness
C) the daily interactions between the homeless
D) the role of the economy on the rates of homelessness

Question 52

____________ is a term for the creation of movies, TV shows, and Internet content by organizations that are inauthentic, phony, predictable, and uncritical art intended for mass consumption.

A) Art world
B) Culture industry
C) Artificial culture
D) Commercialism

Question 53

Words, gestures, and even objects that stand in for things are called:

A) signs
B) signals
C) symbols
D) representations

Question 54

According to exchange theory, "hooking up":

A) shows how emotions and drives are the basis of interactions
B) is only likely among those who have not yet taken on adult roles
C) rarely develops in isolation from other exchange relationships
D) is a deviant type of exchange in a relationship

Question 55

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Critical theorists are concerned with mass culture for which of the following reasons:

A) Culture should come from the people to represent real experience, but mass culture presents falsified versions of reality
B) Mass culture suggests that riches and fame are reserved for rare and special people
C) Mass culture is meant to make people less likely to pursue social change
D) Mass culture gives rise to corporate brands that reinforce social class hierarchy

Question 56

___________________ believe that culture has become more important than the economic system.

A) Feminists
B) Queer theorists
C) Structural-functionalist theorists
D) Critical theorists

Question 57

Peter and Mary have been married for several years. Peter has been unhappy for several months and is thinking about initiating a divorce. He decides to make a list of the benefits and costs of the relationship. Peter is using a form of which theory?

A) Conflict theory
B) Exchange theory
C) Symbolic interactionist theory
D) Structural-functional theory

Question 58

According to Dahrendorf, authority resides in _______________ not ___________.

A) the past; the present
B) the societal level; the individual level
C) functions; structures
D) positions; specific individuals

Question 59

Proponents of the feminist theory focus on how ideas pertaining to gender have been ______________________, rather than ______________________.

A) biologically determined; socially constructed
B) socially constructed; biologically determined
C) adaptively constructed; socially constructed
D) naturally constructed; biologically constructed

Question 60

Modernity can be described in terms of ____________, but postmodernity cannot.

A) the economy
B) rationality
C) exploitation
D) solidarity

Question 61

Feminist theorists focus on issues pertaining to women, especially in societies where a patriarchal system is present.

Question 62

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. These theories focus on the micro level of individuals and groups.

A) Rational choice theory
B) Functionalism
C) Ethnomethodology
D) Critical theory

Question 63

The premise of the rational choice theory is:

A) There are rewards and costs that determine a person's choices
B) People act intentionally in order to achieve goals
C) Coercion is the driving force behind all decisions
D) Individual choices are only limited by self-generated constraints

Question 64

According to the rational choice theory, people are aware of their actions and their behaviors have meaning and purpose.

Question 65

W.E.B. Du Bois is best known for his studies which focused on race relations and double consciousness.

Question 66

Sociological theories, once created, usually only apply to a specific subject area such as religion, sports, or work.

Question 67

Because it only studies modern society, earlier theories from other fields had little relevance for sociology.

Question 68

Once sociological theories have been created, they can be broadly applied to many different subjects, such as religion, economy, or organizations.

Question 69

Rational choice theorists believe that institutions act rationally, but people rarely do.

Question 70

Conflict theorists focus on the power struggles that exist between different groups in society.

Question 71

Ethnomethodologists are concerned with how people think, not what people do.

Question 72

Karl Marx describes capitalist systems as "exploitive." Briefly describe the main feature of capitalism that Marx uses to explains this-who exploits whom, and how?

Question 73

Karl Marx created communism as it was practiced by the Soviet Union and other countries in the twentieth century.

Question 74

All sociologists theorize.

Question 75

According to Karl Marx, workers experience "alienation" in the workplace. What does it mean to say they are "alienated"? Name two of the three ways they are alienated, based on your reading of Ritzer's text.

Question 76

George Homans was the main figure in exchange theory.

Question 77

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of these theory groups is considered a part of conflict/critical theories?

A) Functionalism
B) Queer theory
C) Symbolic interactionism
D) Feminist theory

Question 78

When Randall Collins developed his theory about the causes of violence, it really could only be applied to serious criminal acts, and did not relate to common, minor acts of violence that go unreported.

Question 79

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Max Weber had the following in common with Karl Marx:

A) They were both leading academics of their day
B) They both devoted great attention to the economy
C) They both treated capitalism as centrally important
D) They both saw the role of religion as a minor force in determining societal outcomes

Question 80

Max Weber focused on the intersection between religion and the family.