Deck 11: Education

Question 1

Education to sociologists is the __________.

A) socialization of children by teachers
B) transfer of knowledge from one generation to another
C) learning that occurs from experience
D) formal setting where learning occurs

Answer 1

transfer of knowledge from one generation to another

Question 2

The systematic training that conveys knowledge, values, and beliefs is considered __________.

A) formal education
B) informal education
C) schooling
D) higher education

Answer 2

formal education

Question 3

Mass education refers to the American belief that everyone has the right to an education and __________.

A) must be willing to pay for it
B) the right to be fairly treated in school
C) the obligation to obtain it
D) there must be equal education for all

Answer 3

the obligation to obtain it

Question 4

What is becoming more important in education as society becomes more fluid?

A) back to the basics education
B) arts and theater education
C) social skills education
D) education on using technology

Question 5

What is unique about the education system in America?

A) The primary responsibility for education lies with the federal government.
B) Teachers are paid by the government.
C) The primary responsibility for education lies with state governments.
D) Higher education is the responsibility of the state.

Question 6

The federal government spends approximately __________ a year on its education agenda.

A) $60 billion
B) $70 billion
C) $80 billion
D) $90 billion

Question 7

The federal government spends approximately __________ a year on its education agenda.

A) $60 billion
B) $70 billion
C) $80 billion
D) $90 billion

Question 8

Where did the concept of "neighborhood schools" come from?

A) To make the transportation of students easier, schools are divided into neighborhoods.
B) Desegregation in the 1960s led to new schools being built in underserved neighborhoods.
C) States delegate responsibility for educating students to local school boards.
D) Thomas Jefferson designed the American school system to be in neighborhoods.

Question 9

On the eve of World War II, 5 percent of the U.S. population had attained a college degree. What is the percentage today?

A) 35 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 75 percent
D) 80 percent

Question 10

One the eve of World War II, the percentage of high school graduates in the United States was 25 percent. What is it today?

A) 30 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 75 percent
D) 90 percent

Question 11

Why is the term "dropout," in a pejorative sense, associated with people who do not finish high school?

A) Mainstream America considers finishing high school a standard requirement for success.
B) The form used for stopping your high school career is called a "dropout" form.
C) Before recordkeeping was critical, attendance was taken by students standing in a line. When someone was no longer attending, it was said that he or she had "dropped out of line."
D) The first U.S. Department of Education director labeled children who did not finish high school as "dropouts."

Question 12

If the amount of money spent per student on education is used as a measure of educational success, the United States falls __________ compared to other countries.

A) at the low end of the scale
B) at the high end of the scale
C) in the middle of the scale
D) at the bottom of the scale

Question 13

When comparing U.S. students' scores on standardized tests to the scores of students in other countries, the United States performs __________.

A) average to below average
B) below average to low
C) average to above average
D) above average to high

Question 14

Although the U.S. education system has been criticized as failing miserably, when __________ are considered, the success of the education system rises.

A) teacher requirements
B) socioeconomic factors
C) prejudices
D) political elements

Question 15

John has a master's degree in engineering. The company looking to hire him requires this degree prior to considering him for the position. This is an example of __________.

A) educational inflation
B) discrimination
C) credentialism
D) standardization

Question 16

When the credentials to obtain a job increase, but the skills necessary to perform the job are the same, it is referred to as __________.

A) educational inflation
B) discrimination
C) credentialism
D) standardization

Question 17

The goal of standardized testing is to measure your __________.

A) likelihood of success in college
B) readiness for the workplace
C) readiness for college
D) likelihood of success in the workplace

Question 18

Some researchers have found that American standardized tests could be biased against non-White cultures. To avoid appearing discriminatory, some colleges have opted for __________.

A) non-test admission procedures
B) use of a college-created admission exam
C) appeals of denied admissions
D) a diverse admission committee

Question 19

What is a positive consequence of tracking in schools?

A) Students are given support for either occupational or college pursuits.
B) Students do not take unnecessary school courses.
C) Students can choose what classes to take.
D) There are no questions of discrimination when tracking is used.

Question 20

What is a negative consequence of tracking in schools?

A) Students are placed on a track for reasons that may not accurately reflect their abilities or desires.
B) Students are not prepared when they do go to college.
C) Student may meet negative expectations of the track they are placed in.
D) Students are not prepared when they go to get a job.

Question 21

What is the overall goal of magnet schools?

A) to provide programs for special-education students
B) to provide programs that attract a diverse student body from the entire school district
C) to provide programs for occupational-tracked students
D) to provide "back to basics" programs for students

Question 22

Which of the following is a criticism of magnet schools?

A) They require more than their share of funding from the district.
B) Only wealthy families can afford to send their kids to magnet schools.
C) The students chosen to participate are from higher socioeconomic groups.
D) Most of the students who attend magnet schools are White.

Question 23

Which of the following is a common source for the management of charter schools?

A) government organizations
B) parents, community, or a management company
C) volunteers or nonprofit organizations
D) religious organizations

Question 24

What does the research say about charter schools?

A) White students tend to benefit from urban charter schools; Black and Hispanic students typically do not.
B) Charter schools take away funding from public schools.
C) Black and Hispanic students tend to benefit from urban charter schools; White students typically do not.
D) The charter school system is a viable option for those who can afford it.

Question 25

Why is it difficult to research the success rate of charter schools?

A) There are so many differences in currently measured variables.
B) Charter schools are not required to provide student scores.
C) Charter schools are politically motivated.
D) Teachers are paid more to work at charter schools.

Question 26

What is the biggest deterrent to increasing the number of charter schools?

A) political objections
B) teacher shortages
C) lack of funding
D) decline in population of children

Question 27

According to the functional perspective, which of the following is a manifest function of the educational system?

A) transmit academic knowledge to young people
B) provide a cognitive outlook based on rationality, objectivity, and universalism
C) promote upward social mobility
D) constrain upward social mobility

Question 28

According to the functional perspective, which of the following is a latent function of the educational system?

A) transmit knowledge
B) produce knowledge
C) promote and constrain upward social mobility
D) identify and sort students based on ability

Question 29

According to the conflict perspective, if a man wants to maintain his current status in the societal class structure, he should __________.

A) create a cognitive outlook
B) secure his cultural capital
C) find his hidden curriculum
D) promote his upward mobility

Question 30

Which of the following is an example of cultural capital and habitus at work?

A) affluent parents having children attend private school starting in preschool
B) affluent parents having children tested and then placed in appropriate-level classes at school
C) a school counselor placing a child in a track for occupational development
D) the use of magnet schools in an urban community

Question 31

__________ is an ideology that emphasizes individual choice, talent, and motivation to accomplish goals within a social setting of minimal government regulation and monetary support.

A) Neoliberalism
B) Habitus
C) Cultural capital
D) Free open education

Question 32

At a young age, students learn to share their art supplies. Although this is not part of the official curriculum, it __________.

A) is an element of neoliberalism
B) is part of the hidden curriculum
C) is a value lesson
D) has religious undertones

Question 33

Socialization can occur at school, and it can also confuse children who are expected to act one way with their peer group and in a different manner at school. This is usually due to the teacher __________.

A) lacking skill with students of different cultures
B) being new
C) labeling the child or behavior as inappropriate
D) being nervous around the students

Question 34

After 50 years of public education research, which of the following has been found to have the greatest influence on a child's academic success?

A) geographic location
B) social class of the student's family
C) gender
D) study habits

Question 35

Which practice of public schools is still in effect and contributes to social class?

A) neighborhood schools
B) segregation in schools
C) time in school
D) curriculum taught in school

Question 36

In eighth-grade standardized testing in the United States, which racial/ethnic group achieves the highest scores?

A) Hispanic
B) Asian
C) Black
D) White

Question 37

Which races are still segregated in many schools across the United States due to segregated communities?

A) Asians and Pacific Islanders
B) Blacks and Hispanics
C) Whites and Hispanics
D) Asians and Blacks

Question 38

Why are Asians the only minority group to surpass Whites in standardized testing?

A) Asian cultures focus more on education; thus, they will always surpass the White culture in educational testing.
B) Asians were not as segregated as Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians, so the lower socioeconomic communities do not exist that cause the lower education test scores.
C) Many Asian immigrants came from India or the Philippines as children and already spoke English, so they have not faced the socioeconomic challenges of other immigrant groups.
D) Primarily Asian communities have lower crime rates, so children do not have to worry about safety and can concentrate on education.

Question 39

What does the majority of sociological research reveal about gender and academic performance?

A) Male and female students perform at the same level in all subjects.
B) Females outperform males in all subjects.
C) Males outperform females in all subjects.
D) There are slight differences in some subjects, but for the most part, male and female students perform at similar levels.

Question 40

Mass education in the United States was first carried into higher education with __________.

A) land grant universities
B) junior colleges
C) religious colleges
D) standardized admission testing

Question 41

What is the primary way junior colleges help low-income students get higher education?

A) offering more scholarships than four-year universities
B) offering lower tuition than four-year universities
C) having a "no-test" admission policy
D) providing free tutoring services

Question 42

Higher socioeconomic status often correlates with __________ higher education.

A) lack of
B) refusal to attain
C) high grade point averages in
D) expectations for attending

Question 43

Which two factors intersect to give a person a double disadvantage related to attending higher education?

A) race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status
B) gender and race/ethnicity
C) gender and socioeconomic status
D) physical disability and socioeconomic status

Question 44

Which group is most likely to feel entitled to a higher education?

A) people with lower socioeconomic status
B) people with higher socioeconomic status
C) females
D) males

Question 45

Which of the following is true regarding race/ethnicity or gender and higher education?

A) More males than females earn bachelor's degrees.
B) More females than males earn bachelor's degrees.
C) More Whites than Asians earn bachelor's degrees.
D) More Blacks than Whites earn bachelor's degrees.

Question 46

Which of the following is statistically true about the correlation of money and education level?

A) The higher your salary, the more education you can afford.
B) The higher your education level, the more educational debt you will have.
C) The higher your education level, the higher your potential pay.
D) The less money you make, the more education you can obtain.

Question 47

What is the most likely reason for the increase in higher education enrollment?

A) cultural changes in the number of women, older persons, and minorities attending college
B) government regulations requiring higher education degrees for employment
C) personal desires to have more knowledge
D) changes in technology that require higher education

Question 48

Sociologists believe that __________ is/are as important as the degree obtained in higher education.

A) finding a mate
B) social mobility
C) friendships
D) networking

Question 49

States that perform well in providing social programs also perform well in __________.

A) government oversight
B) sports and recreation
C) educational attainment
D) race relations

Question 50

When it comes to having choice in transferring children to better-quality schools, who is most likely to take advantage of this option?

A) parents with moderate income
B) parents with higher income
C) parents with lower income
D) teachers with children

Question 51

Discuss the possible reasons for the increasing cost of higher education.

Question 52

Explain research findings that male and female academic performance is at similar levels, yet males and females still get "different educations."

Question 53

What does evidence imply is the answer to educational inequality?

Question 54

Distinguish between education, formal education, and schools.

Question 55

Compare the differences in education globally according to costs and quality.