Deck 14: Understanding Institutions: Religion

Question 1

Regarding religion, Emile Durkheim posited the dichotomy of the ______, or everyday life and the ______, things that inspire reverence.

A) pious; mundane
B) profane; sacred
C) mundane; pious
D) sacred; profane

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The level of a person's ______ includes one's religious activities, practices, and beliefs.

A) spirituality
B) religiosity
C) functionalism
D) religious diffusion

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A set of beliefs and practices that have been socially constructed as sacred refers to ______.

A) education
B) social norms
C) religion
D) family

Answer 3

C

Question 4

How does spirituality connect with organized religion?

A) It is the basis for the boundaries of organized religion.
B) It is a constant that acts as counterpoint to the fluidity of religion.
C) It does not exist without organized religion.
D) It is a search of the sacred that does not necessarily end in organized religion.

Question 5

A young woman practices mediation and yoga daily. She tells her friends that she is trying to find meaning and a purpose in her life. This is an example of ______.

A) mysticism
B) dharma
C) religion
D) spirituality

Question 6

The sociological imagination also allows us to see how religion ______ other major social institutions such as the family and the educational system.

A) intersects with
B) overcomes
C) runs parallel to
D) interferes with

Question 7

What is one way schools are getting around the Supreme Court's prohibition of school prayer?

A) Sports teams are praying in the locker room before they take the field.
B) School prayers in the classroom are considered optional.
C) Schools have adopted moments of silence instead of verbal prayers.
D) Each day a prayer from a different religion is broadcast so as not to leave anyone out.

Question 8

Current trends in American religious participation show ______.

A) a rise in Christian faiths
B) an increase in fundamentalism
C) more diversity in religious affiliation and participation than in previous decades
D) a decrease in non-Christian faith

Question 9

A society that is composed of different religious belief systems refers to ______ pluralism.

A) secular
B) religious
C) profane
D) spiritual

Question 10

Historically, immigrant groups coming to the United States from Europe brought with them which religious tradition(s)?

A) Christianity and Judaism
B) Agnosticism and Atheism
C) Islam
D) Hinduism and Buddhism

Question 11

What is a result of higher levels of religious pluralism in the United States?

A) less religious tolerance
B) more interreligious marriages
C) more religious choices, but fewer spiritual options
D) more religious participation

Question 12

A country is seeing an increase of immigrants of a different religion. How would the religious community in this country deal with this situation using religious pluralism?

A) by speaking against these new religions as dangerous to our society
B) by sectioning off areas of the country where these religions can be practiced
C) by allowing these religions to co-exist with existing religions
D) by identifying practices the new immigrants cannot participate in while in this country

Question 13

The Pew Research Center for Religious Studies has indicated that there has been an increase in the percentage of people indicating no religious affiliation in the United States. This move away from religious values and institutions is called ______.

A) atheism
B) agnosticism
C) secularization
D) a religious crisis

Question 14

The influence of religion in ______ declines with urbanization, migration, developments in science and technology, and mass participation in the political process.

A) education
B) family life
C) governmental matters
D) changing demographics

Question 15

When individuals believe that there is no God, they are identifying as ______.

A) agnostic
B) secular
C) atheist
D) spiritual

Question 16

Which statement best describes agnosticism?

A) A person who identifies as religious and attends church every Sunday, but their actions do not reflect their religious doctrine
B) A person who argues that there is no God and that religion is a social construct only
C) A person who embraces spiritual practices and beliefs, but does not identify as religious
D) A person who does not disbelieve in a God, but argues that nothing can be known about God

Question 17

Tasha isn't sure if she believes in God, but she does believe that people can be moral and righteous without religion or a divine God. Tasha is an example of ______.

A) an atheist
B) a secular humanist
C) spiritually independent
D) religiously unaffiliated

Question 18

The connection between religion and ______may affect some people's perceptions of organized religion and their likelihood of identifying with a particular, or any, religious affiliation.

A) immigration
B) politics
C) urbanization
D) technology

Question 19

Based on secularization theory, how would modernization impact religious organizations in a technologically advanced country?

A) by increasing congregation members online
B) by reducing the influence religion has on society
C) by promoting religion to all areas of the world
D) by increasing acceptance of different religions

Question 20

Which generation is the least likely to identify as religious?

A) the Silent Generation
B) Generation X
C) Millennials
D) the Baby Boomers

Question 21

A smaller country goes through the process of modernization and organized religion becomes less significant in peoples' lives. Which theory explains this?

A) secularization theory
B) modernization theory
C) industrialization theory
D) cultural diffusion theory

Question 22

In sociology, ______ are also called newly formed religious movements (NRMs).

A) fundamentalist movements
B) doctrinal schisms
C) denominations
D) cults

Question 23

Which of these best describes sects?

A) major religious organizations
B) groups that require secret membership
C) subgroups that branch off from larger religions
D) religious groups that advocate violence

Question 24

Every religious movement at one point in time was considered ______.

A) a sect
B) fundamentalist
C) a newly formed religious movement
D) radical

Question 25

Heaven's Gate, the Branch Davidians, and Jonestown are all examples of ______.

A) orthodox sects
B) fundamentalist Christian churches
C) cults
D) radical religious movements

Question 26

Which two things are needed for fundamentalism to occur?

A) organized religion and spirituality
B) religion and secularization
C) modernization and secularization
D) social change and resistance

Question 27

In the 1800s, religious fundamentalism was originally associated with ______.

A) conservative Protestants
B) devout Catholics
C) Islamic extremists
D) orthodox Judaism

Question 28

A person who is very resistant to societal change and holds conservative values and traditional religious practices would be labeled as a ______.

A) religious affiliate
B) strict religious adherent
C) fundamentalist
D) cult member

Question 29

What is a characteristic of fundamentalist groups and movements?

A) flexible beliefs
B) tolerance for other religions
C) religious liberalism
D) conformity to religious scriptures

Question 30

Research on violent acts and protests by fundamentalist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, indicates that religion ______.

A) is dogmatic and serves only to harm minority groups.
B) serves as a lens through which people view the world and make decisions.
C) creates social problems rather than alleviating societal anxiety.
D) is an organization comprised of elite members of society.

Question 31

A fear or dislike of all or most Muslims refers to ______.

A) Islamophobia
B) xenophobia
C) agoraphobia
D) shairaphobia

Question 32

Religious groups that turn to violence also tend to be influenced by ______.

A) modernization
B) urbanization
C) patriarchy
D) mysticism

Question 33

How is Islamophobia connected to religious fundamentalism in the United States?

A) Islamophobia decreases as fundamentalism increases.
B) Fundamentalism decreases as islamophobia increases.
C) Fundamentalism is fueled by the portrayal of Americans as Islamophobes.
D) Islamophobia is fueled by the portrayal of Muslims and Arabs as violent fundamentalists.

Question 34

As secularization occurs in the United States, more churches rely on ______ to become members of their churches.

A) families
B) females
C) immigrants
D) young people

Question 35

Among Christian religious groups, ______ are more likely to report religious affiliation, while among Muslim and Orthodox Jews, ______ are more likely to attend religious services.

A) women; men
B) men; women
C) families; men
D) men; families

Question 36

Which religion is most likely to have women serving as clergy?

A) Catholic
B) Jewish
C) evangelical Protestant
D) Muslim

Question 37

Globally, which religion is the most widely practiced?

A) Judaism
B) Hinduism
C) Christianity
D) Buddhism

Question 38

A researcher wants to graph trends in populations and religion. How would age impact this graph?

A) Religions with higher numbers of older members will likely see a decrease in adherents.
B) Religions with younger members will likely see more members drop out.
C) Religions with older populations will be able to bring in more new members.
D) Religions with more members who are younger are less stable.

Question 39

The process of religion spreading throughout the world is known as ______ diffusion.

A) assimilative
B) social
C) transnational
D) cultural

Question 40

In a ______ society, smaller groups within a larger society maintain their distinct cultural and religious identities.

A) pluralistic
B) secular
C) diverse
D) diffuse

Question 41

______ noted that religion allows for social integration and therefore lowers suicide rates, but also cautioned that when people experience extreme religious integration and conformity, higher rates of mass suicide can occur.

A) Emile Durkheim
B) Karl Marx
C) Max Weber
D) Michel Foucault

Question 42

When religion dictates everything a person does and controls their everyday behaviors, religion becomes ______.

A) social functionalism
B) extremism
C) totalism
D) violent

Question 43

Which major sociological theory understands religion to be an institution that creates norms, customs, and practices that maintain social order?

A) conflict theory
B) symbolic interactionism
C) structural functionalism
D) critical theory

Question 44

How did Durkheim see the role of religion in society?

A) as a means of controlling the lower classes
B) ss a means of promoting patriarchy
C) as a means of sharing meaning
D) as a means of guiding our actions

Question 45

Which type of theorist would note that religion helps maintain systems of social stratification and religious figures who hold power use it to exploit disenfranchised populations?

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

Question 46

Who believed religion to be the "opiate of the masses," meaning religion was used by the elite classes to distract the workers?

A) Emile Durkheim
B) Karl Marx
C) Max Weber
D) Erving Goffman

Question 47

A theorist interested in researching the ways in which individuals actively create religions as they construct their social environments based on the meanings they attribute to their actions and interactions, is using which of the sociological perspectives?

A) Structural functionalism
B) Conflict theory
C) Symbolic interactionism
D) Labeling theory

Question 48

According to symbolic interactionism perspective, rituals are ______.

A) the unchanging rules of a religion
B) the acceptance of symbols
C) ceremonial behaviors
D) moral codes

Question 49

A congregation has both upper-class and working-class members. How would the distinction between the classes be explained by the Protestant work ethic?

A) The upper-class members must share their wealth to earn their place in heaven.
B) The working-class members should work harder to gain success.
C) The upper-class members signify capitalism, which is contrary to religion.
D) The working-class members are destined for heaven based on their simple lifestyles.

Question 50

Which theory notes that people seek morally-oriented collective identities that provide members with meaning and a sense of belonging?

A) social identity theory
B) personal identity theory
C) role identity theory
D) subcultural identity theory

Question 51

Johann's church is steeped in traditionalism. He was taught to believe that anyone who belongs to a different church is sinful. In this case, group identity most likely ______.

A) creates divisiveness and disharmony that prevents members from becoming unified.
B) promotes class distinctions and changes in membership.
C) decreases competition between congregations and allows them to exist together.
D) increases cohesion within the congregation.

Question 52

How does the hate group the KKK use religion to promote its agenda?

A) It uses Christianity to justify violence.
B) It avoids religion in order to prevent negative judgment by church members.
C) It recruits religious leaders to help it get its message across.
D) It expresses its faith and plans for social change.

Question 53

On World Day of Peace in 2016, which leader stated that peace is "grounded in the mutual responsibility and interdependence of human beings"?

A) the Pope
B) Donald Trump
C) Justin Trudeau
D) Angela Merkel

Question 54

Which religious group has long stressed the importance of the spiritual relationship between people and the planet?

A) cult religions
B) Christianity
C) indigenous religions
D) Judaism

Question 55

Pope Francis has publicly addressed climate change and the need to take action against it as a religious imperative. This is an example of ______.

A) green sermonizing
B) religious environmentalism
C) spiritual counseling
D) responsible leadership

Question 56

Spirituality occurs as people take part in activities that are sacred and ritualistic.

Question 57

Biblical passages have been used to justify court decisions.

Question 58

Because pluralism suggests a degree of diversity and more religious and spiritual choices, religious pluralism leads to more religious participation.

Question 59

Agnostics do not believe in a God.

Question 60

Secular humanists believe that God guides our behaviors.

Question 61

Fundamentalists resist change in favor of conservative traditional religious views.

Question 62

Sunni and Shia are two sects of Islam.

Question 63

Fundamentalists believe that their religion is the one true religion and is without any flaws.

Question 64

One reason that fundamentalists use violence is to open their membership to others.

Question 65

As secularization increases, churches become more insular and less open to diversity.

Question 66

Religion as an institution is gender neutral.

Question 67

Ethnic enclaves prevent religious pluralism from occurring.

Question 68

The Taliban allows girls to attend school through 8^th grade.

Question 69

Both violent and positive examples of social change can be attributed to religion throughout history.

Question 70

Distinguish between the profane and the sacred. Give an example of each.

Question 71

Explain how Islamophobia started in the United States and what the result has been.

Question 72

Define the characteristics of fundamentalist groups and movements.

Question 73

Discuss how cultural diffusion leads to pluralism and assimilation.

Question 74

Discuss the views of Calvinism as they relate to capitalism.

Question 75

Explain Durkheim's thoughts on the impact of religion on suicide risk.

Question 76

The terms religiosity and spirituality often get confused as people think they are one and the same. Differentiate between these two concepts and provide an example of each.

Question 77

Compare and contrast atheists and agnostics.

Question 78

Discuss fundamentalism and illustrate the concept with a historical example.

Question 79

Explain how religion promotes gender inequality and patriarchy.

Question 80

Compare and contrast views on religion from the structural functionalist, conflict, and symbolic interactionist perspectives.