Deck 1: The Essence of Sociology

Question 1

Sociologists take a view when they focus on how people interact with each other.

A) macro
B) historical
C) micro
D) psychological

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Auguste Comte sought to develop a science of society by focusing on the interplay between

A) biology and society.
B) religion and science.
C) conflict and consensus.
D) social statics and social dynamics.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A system of domination with men exercising power over women is called

A) patriarchy.
B) matriarchy.
C) class conflict.
D) social consensus.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Nineteenth century social philosophers were influenced by the natural sciences because those sciences

A) served as a model to understand and control the social world.
B) had more prestige and rewards than the social sciences.
C) were more keyed to the Industrial Revolution.
D) were properly grounded in philosophy.

Question 5

The first sociologist to use formal scientific methods and observations was

A) Max Weber.
B) Karl Marx.
C) Auguste Comte.
D) Emile Durkheim.

Question 6

Emile Durkheimʹs classic study of suicide makes the sociological point that

A) divorced and widowed people have the same rate of suicide as married people.
B) social facts are unrelated to the rates of suicide.
C) suicide rates can increase as a result of excessive isolation from people.
D) high suicide rates are caused by poor mental health.

Question 7

Participation in war often promotes social solidarity and stimulates scientific development. These outcomes are examples of functions of war.

A) manifest
B) latent
C) contradictory
D) symbolic

Question 8

Critics of the feminist theory criticize the theory because it

A) does not take a critical approach to society.
B) overemphasizes the oppressiveness of patriarchy.
C) overemphasizes the positive aspects of society.
D) does not really show much interest in the nature of society.

Question 9

According to the functionalist perspective, each part of society

A) contributes something to the society as a whole.
B) may or may not help society to properly function.
C) is in conflict with other parts of society.
D) is symbolically represented in language.

Question 10

Symbolic Interaction theory has been criticized for ignoring macro issues and

A) being more objective than other theories.
B) viewing humans as more than complex animals.
C) for being a uniquely American perspective.
D) the influence of groups and institutions.

Question 11

Sociology is the

A) study of other cultures and preliterate societies.
B) study of human economic decisions and the creation of economies.
C) systematic, scientific study of human society.
D) science of helping others and solving social problems.

Question 12

Edna is a sociologist. She is organizing a study of young people who join cults because she believes that they mostly come from broken homes. Her belief is called her

A) theory.
B) research result.
C) perspective.
D) hypothesis.

Question 13

When people in a society perform a variety of specialized jobs and depend on one another, Durkheim called this social cohesion

A) organic solidarity.
B) primary solidarity.
C) mechanical solidarity.
D) secondary solidarity.

Question 14

Sociology can help us understand events such as the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001 because it

A) studies human society scientifically
B) probes the causes of human motivations
C) focuses on one type of economic behavior
D) studies a variety of historical and prehistorical events

Question 15

U.S. sociology was reshaped during the 1960s by renewed awareness of

A) poverty and other social ills.
B) religion and out-of-body experiences.
C) health and physical fitness.
D) childrenʹs learning disabilities.

Question 16

The text states that, by studying and appreciating social diversity, we ultimately

A) develop prejudices toward other ethnic groups.
B) discover ways to make others more like ourselves.
C) develop a better understanding of ourselves.
D) can solve the problems of racial and ethnic tensions.

Question 17

Economic globalization is

A) a place in Europe where many of the worldʹs leaders regularly meet to discuss the worldʹs problems.
B) the spread of U.S. goods around the world.
C) a term used to describe the spread of technology and communication around the world.
D) the interrelationships among the world economies.

Question 18

A scientific theory is

A) beyond the research of most sociologists because their data is too subjective and soft.
B) too abstract to be very useful.
C) always open to revision, but only after a major shift in scientific thinking.
D) always open to revision in the light of new evidence.

Question 19

Karl Marx argued that the difference between owners and workers is rooted in

A) the economic system.
B) economic globalization.
C) social stability.
D) social evolution.

Question 20

A condition in which most members of society agree on what would be good for everyone and cooperate to achieve it is called

A) social change.
B) social function.
C) social consensus.
D) social conflict.

Question 21

A sample is representative, or random, when all members of the population

A) give identical answers to survey questions.
B) are paid to answer survey questions.
C) volunteer, or self-select, to participate.
D) have the same chance of being selected for the sample.

Question 22

The Industrial Revolution was a major factor in converting some philosophers into sociologists because the rise of industrialization led to

A) the creation of the field of psychology
B) new types of wealth
C) the development of religious beliefs
D) widespread social upheaval and change

Question 23

Which of the following statements is most clearly linked with Herbert Spencerʹs view of society?

A) The primary feature of society is conflict.
B) The primary feature of society is interaction based on symbols.
C) The primary feature of society is its interactive parts that contribute to the function of the whole.
D) The primary feature of society is competition.

Question 24

If you wanted to determine whether there is a gender difference in how often people think about sex, the best research method would be

A) the survey.
B) participant observation.
C) content analysis.
D) interviewing.

Question 25

By using each of the three sociological perspectives, researchers can

A) achieve a total theory of society.
B) become more confused than those who use only one perspective.
C) avoid most forms of research bias.
D) bring more aspects of society into a sharper focus.

Question 26

Jane was able to understand that her friendʹs suicide had to do with isolation from pressures created by family and friends. This understanding shows that Jane probably possesses

A) psychological insight
B) inaccurate ideas about human behavior
C) sociological imagination
D) social work skills

Question 27

Personal interviews may use standard questions or open-ended questions. These types of interviews are called

A) structured interviews or self-administered questionnaires.
B) structured interviews or unstructured interviews.
C) unstructured interviews or telephone interviews.
D) computer-assisted interviews or survey interviews.

Question 28

During an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the independent variable or cause is called the group.

A) spurious
B) experimental
C) control
D) field

Question 29

John did not join groups and felt very different from other students. His separation help him examine and better understand other s on campus. His condition, which can help promote sociological understanding, is called

A) social integration
B) social fragmentation
C) social marginality
D) reality construction

Question 30

A research method that involves asking questions about opinions, beliefs, or behaviors is an) .

A) survey
B) participant observation
C) detached observation
D) experiment

Question 31

To test a hypothesis, researches must first identify what they assume to be affected dependent variable) and the cause, or variable.

A) secondary
B) primary
C) independent
D) control

Question 32

Auguste Comte is sometimes called the father of sociology because he

A) created the word sociology
B) studied suicide and social isolation
C) created the concept of ʺverstehen.ʺ
D) argued for programs to help the poor.

Question 33

A view that focuses on the large social phenomena of society, such as social institutions and inequality is the .

A) latent view
B) macro view
C) micro view
D) manifest view

Question 34

Sociology can help us enjoy a successful and happy life in at least three ways except:

A) It can be used as an intellectual exercise thatʹs pursued for its own sake, for the pleasure of tickling our curiosity, or for producing scientific knowledge.
B) It can be used to pursue a specific career in government or in the private sector.
C) It can be used as a general guide for understanding our social world so that we can function more successfully in it.
D) It can be used to give us familiar and untested ideas.

Question 35

Emile Durkheim is associated with the perspective.

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

Question 36

A theoretical perspective that focuses on change and conflict is the perspective.

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

Question 37

Sociologist Jane Johnson lived with the Kickapoo Indians and studied the tribal membersʹ beliefs. This type of research is called

A) interviewing.
B) ethnography.
C) survey.
D) content analysis.

Question 38

Which of the following statements reflects the conflict perspective on sport?

A) Sport is an integrating force for society.
B) Due to its competitive nature, sport inspires individuals to do their best to succeed.
C) Sport teaches values and norms that contribute to success in other parts of society.
D) Sport acts as an opiate that numbs the massesʹ sense of dissatisfaction.

Question 39

Sociologists study human behavior through books, magazines, letters, songs, etc. This type of research is called

A) observation.
B) interviews.
C) content analysis.
D) applied sociology.

Question 40

According to symbolic interactionists,

A) people respond directly to physical things.
B) people respond to their interpretations of symbols and experiences.
C) people respond only to concrete experiences and signs.
D) people are studied in order to develop large-scale theories of social behavior.

Question 41

A major contributor to the establishment of such governmental programs as Social Security and Workers Compensation was U.S. Sociologists

A) W.E.B. DuBois
B) Herbert Spencer
C) Jane Adams
D) Max Weber

Question 42

A set of general assumptions about the nature of society is called a .

A) theoretical perspective
B) theory
C) sample
D) hypothesis

Question 43

Economic globalization is a closely knit community of all the worldʹs societies.

Question 44

Sociology is the systematic, scientific study of human society.

Question 45

The early sociologist who focused on the improvement of society and the racial problems of the United States was

A) W.E.B. DuBois
B) Jane Addams
C) Max Weber
D) C. Wright Mills

Question 46

Not interested in developing large-scale social theories, early sociologists concentrated on

A) developing a basic science unifying psychology, anthropology, and sociology
B) solving their countryʹs social problems
C) forming a professionally recognized discipline
D) more historical studies of past societies.

Question 47

Participant observation is a research method that involves asking questions about opinions, beliefs, or behaviors.

Question 48

A method of observation in which the researcher takes part in the activities if the group being studied is .

A) detached observation
B) survey
C) participant observation
D) experiment

Question 49

Karl Marx is associated with the perspective.

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

Question 50

is a research operation in which the researcher manipulates variables so that their influence can be determined

A) Experiment
B) Participant observation
C) Detached observation
D) survey

Question 51

In the past, when elderly Inuit committed suicide, the cause was usually extreme social integration.

Question 52

Latent function is unintended and often unrecognized.

Question 53

A theoretical perspective that focuses on social order is the perspective.

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

Question 54

Content analysis is searching for specific words or ideas and then turning them into numbers.

Question 55

A view that focuses on the immediate social situation in which people interact with one another.

A) micro view
B) latent view
C) macro view
D) manifest view

Question 56

Feminist theory is a form of conflict theory that explains human life in terms of the experiences of women

Question 57

Patriarchy is a system of domination in which women exercise power over women.

Question 58

A method of observation in which the researcher observes as an outsider, from a distance, without getting involved is an)

A) experiment
B) participant observation
C) detached observation
D) survey

Question 59

The conflict perspective is a theoretical perspective that focuses on social order.

Question 60

Class conflict is Durkheimʹs terms for the struggle between the capitalists, who own the means of production, and the proletariat, who do not.

Question 61

is the only sociologist ever to have received a Nobel prize.

Question 62

According to the text, can help us enjoy a successful and happy life in at least three ways.

Question 63

A macro view focuses on the immediate social situations in which people interact with one another.

Question 64

Scientific findings are always subject to verification or refutation by other scientists.

Question 65

is Max Weberʹs term for the subjective method that requires sociologists to practice empathy toward their subjects.

Question 66

is the systematic, mostly scientific study of human social behavior.

Question 67

Functionalist perspective emphasizes societyʹs stability, the perspective portrays society as always changing and always marked by conflict.

Question 68

Social cohesion that develops when people have similar beliefs and values is known as
.

Question 69

In , the sociologists searches for new knowledge in the data collected earlier by another researcher.

Question 70

W.E.B. DuBois was the first African American to receive a doctorate from .

Question 71

With , the researcher analyzes peopleʹs lives from their own perspective.

Question 72

The perspective that views society as a set of interdependent parts working together to provide social order is known as the perspective.

Question 73

The degree to which people are tied to a social group is called social .

Question 74

Today, the world has become a community of all societies, also called a .

Question 75

To functionalists, sports help athletes develop such qualities as skill and ability, diligence and self-discipline, metal alertness, and physical fitness which in turn help athletes be successful in the larger society.

Question 76

According to the text, Postmodernist theory looks like a hybrid of the conflict and the symbolic interactionist perspectives.

Question 77

C. Wright Mills called the ability to see the impact of social forces on individuals the .

Question 78

Detached observation is one method of gathering data.

Question 79

is regarded as the ʺfather of sociology.ʺ

Question 80

Feminist theory suggests that differences shape our lives.