Deck 4: Macro-Sociological Perspectives: The Order and Conflict Models

Question 1

According to conflict theorists stratification exists because:

A) It meets the needs of society as a whole
B) Some people fill more important jobs than other people
C) It serves the interests of the dominant group
D) It promotes the self-interests of the poor

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is an assumption of the conflict perspective?

A) Stability is built into society
B) Competing interest groups often have unequal power
C) Consensus naturally appears in societies
D) Conflict in society is a bad thing

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT generally a sociological approach to explaining majority-minority relations?

A) Studying the basis of the economic production of a society
B) Studying the personality characteristics of individuals
C) Studying the political system of the society
D) Studying the predominate culture of the society

Answer 3

B

Question 4

According to Marx and his followers,the pattern of a subordinate group's acceptance of an ideology that goes against its own self-interest is called:

A) False consciousness
B) Ignorance
C) Ideology
D) The power of positive thinking

Question 5

Which of the following is an assumption of functionalist perspective?

A) Society is made up of independent parts
B) Societies tend toward conflict and change
C) Conflict is necessary for cooperation
D) Society tends towards consensus

Question 6

Davis and Moore presented a theory of stratification in 1945,arguing that its existence is necessary to create incentives for people to work hard.Some jobs are more critical to the functioning of society and require more and longer training than others so it makes sense they get paid more.This represents which kind of theory?

A) Marxist theory
B) Small groups theory
C) Economic theory
D) Order theory

Question 7

According to Marx what one has to own or control to produce things of economic value is called:

A) Ideology
B) False consciousness
C) Capital
D) The means of production

Question 8

Wealth,income,and power are:

A) Public goods
B) Equally distributed in the United States
C) Easily redistributed
D) Examples of scarce resources

Question 9

What is the perspective called that is based on the premise that society is made up of groups with conflicting self-interests?

A) The conflict perspective
B) The order perspective
C) The functionalist perspective
D) The sociological perspective

Question 10

Any system that distributes scarce resources on an unequal basis according to race or ethnicity is called:

A) Racism
B) Prejudice
C) Ethnic stratification or ethnic inequality
D) Race exploitation

Question 11

The process whereby minorities are integrated into the system and become culturally similar to the majority group is called:

A) Assimilation
B) Pluralism
C) Race uplift
D) Ethnic stratification

Question 12

In general,functionalist sociologists tend to be most concerned about majority-minority relations because:

A) The minority group is disadvantaged
B) Of their potential for serious disruption of society
C) The minority group position may be improved through conflict
D) Of their potential for change

Question 13

A sociologist states that a group is disadvantaged because its members lack the necessary skills to perform jobs,which are rewarded by society.The sociologist is operating from the:

A) Functionalist perspective
B) Conflict perspective
C) Economic perspective
D) Symbolic interaction perspective

Question 14

Conflict theorists argue that economic stratification cannot act as an incentive to get people to work hard and acquire more training or skills because:

A) Some people don't want to learn more skills
B) Much social inequality is inherited rather than earned
C) Few people care enough to try to get into jobs that are highly skilled
D) It is in the interests of the dominant group to treat all workers equally

Question 15

The order (functionalist)perspective developed largely from the theories of:

A) Karl Marx
B) Emile Durkheim
C) C.W. Mills
D) Ralf Dahrendorf

Question 16

One of the best illustrations of the function of ethnocentrism is:

A) Poverty among children
B) Characterization of "the enemy" in times of war
C) Foreign foods
D) Marriage patterns

Question 17

A central assumption of Marxist theory is that the distribution of wealth by and large determines other aspects of society,such as the political system and the culture,including social norms,values,and beliefs,which Marx called:

A) The society
B) The means of production
C) Ideology
D) Religion

Question 18

A sociologist argues that the only thing that will work to effectively combat racism is to make fundamental changes in the institutions that are the source of racism.The sociologist is working from the:

A) Functionalist perspective
B) Conflict perspective
C) Economic perspective
D) Symbolic interaction perspective

Question 19

Which of the following is true of the order (functionalist)perspective?

A) It arises largely from the theories of Karl Marx
B) It is frequently associated with political liberalism
C) It advocates minor adjustments, not wholesale change
D) It emphasizes conflict and change

Question 20

Approaches to social problems that are sociological focus on:

A) Collectivities of people: groups and societies
B) Socially learned attitudes
C) Individual beliefs
D) The development of negative attitudes against out-groups

Question 21

Which theory looks at three classes: those who own the means of production,higher-paid laborers,and lower-paid laborers?

A) Split labor market theory
B) Internal colonialism theory
C) Culture of poverty theory
D) Marxist theory

Question 22

6.Culture of poverty theory places the blame for poverty on the social structure of a society.

Question 23

The intense debate surrounding the Moynihan Report is a good example of:

A) A situation in which statistics show the presence of a certain pattern, but the meaning of the pattern is subject to interpretation
B) How the lay public can become embroiled in an academic sociological debate
C) How statistics lie
D) How racist powerful, white, Irish guys from New York can be

Question 24

9.In every type of family,blacks and Hispanics have much lower incomes than whites.

Question 25

7.Critics of culture of poverty theory point out that it is akin to "blaming the victim."

Question 26

5.Guest-workers in Germany,such as people from Turkey,became the target of ethnic conflict when the German economy worsened.

Question 27

Which theory sees social inequality as being largely racial and ethnic,resulting from a dominant racial group establishing a system of racial inequality for its own benefit?

A) Split labor market theory
B) Internal colonialism theory
C) Culture of poverty theory
D) Marxist theory

Question 28

8.The number of single-parent families is decreasing for all racial groups.

Question 29

Racial and class differences in teenage pregnancy and childbearing rates are due primarily to:

A) The amount of sexual activity of poor and minority teens as compared to middle class whites
B) Differences in the likelihood that sexual activity will result in a pregnancy
C) Poor and minority teens have greater physical ability to get pregnant because they develop early
D) Moral values of poor and minority teens as compared to middle class whites

Question 30

In general,those who see black family structure as a major cause of poverty operate largely from the:

A) Conflict perspective
B) Order perspective
C) Marxist perspective
D) Split labor market perspective

Question 31

2.Order theory believes that social arrangements exist because they perform some function for society.

Question 32

4.Marx and his followers,see a subordinate group's acceptance of an ideology that goes against its own self-interest as false consciousness.

Question 33

Which theory posits that certain cultural characteristics are predominant among the poor because they enable poor people to adapt to difficulties arising from poverty,but at the same time these characteristics make escape from poverty more difficult?

A) Split labor market theory
B) Internal colonialism theory
C) Culture of poverty theory
D) Marxist theory

Question 34

The Moynihan Report concluded that:

A) High minority unemployment was the cause of black poverty
B) The gender gap in income was the cause of black poverty
C) Growing up in divorced families is not necessarily a disadvantage
D) The structure of the black family was the most important cause of black poverty

Question 35

10.We live in a culture that encourages frank discussions about sex and contraception with teens.

Question 36

1.In the sociological view,individual attitudes are relatively unimportant in shaping patterns of intergroup relations.

Question 37

3.Conflict theory sees society as tending toward equilibrium and stability.

Question 38

The Moynihan Report focused on the high percentage of single-parent households as a factor in the poverty rates in black families,however recent research shows that:

A) In every type of family, African Americans and Hispanics have significantly lower incomes than whites
B) Single parent families actually have higher incomes than two parent families among African Americans
C) Black families of any type have higher incomes than whites
D) Single parent families in all racial groups earn about the same income

Question 39

Conflict theorists:

A) Agree that the family structure (lifestyle choices) of the poor is an important cause of poverty
B) Deny that family structure is related to poverty
C) Argue that poverty is the cause of the family structure in poor families
D) Believe that family structure is inevitably linked to race

Question 40

Which theory maintains that inequality is based mainly on class and considers racism to be a mechanism used by the wealthy to prevent the working class from recognizing its own interests?

A) Split labor market theory
B) Internal colonialism theory
C) Culture of poverty theory
D) Marxist theory

Question 41

1.Briefly outline the way that functionalist and conflict theories look at ethnic stratification.

Question 42

2.Briefly describe the culture of poverty theory.What are some of the criticisms of this theory?

Question 43

3.How do both conflict theory and order theory view the causes of teen pregnancy?