Question 1

What do sociologists mean when they employ the term status?

Accepted Answer

When sociologists use the term status, they are referring to a socially defined position within a group that comes with certain expectations, duties, and rights. This can refer to a person's social, economic, or professional standing within a society.

Question 2

The text points out that people sometimes prioritize their roles or compartmentalize their lives.Why is such behaviour likely?

Accepted Answer

Role conflict occurs when individuals are faced with incompatible demands from different roles they hold. In order to cope with this conflict, individuals may prioritize one role over another or compartmentalize different aspects of their lives. This allows them to temporarily alleviate the tension caused by role conflict.

Question 3

Annie is born into a Chinese family.What kind of statuses are her gender and ethnicity?

Accepted Answer

Gender and ethnicity are both examples of ascribed statuses because they are assigned to a person at birth and are not based on individual achievement or occupation.

Question 4

According to Goffman,what kind of behaviour is someone displaying when they show they are aware that others are present but do not make them the object of their attention?

Accepted Answer

Civil inattention is the behavior Goffman describes when someone acknowledges the presence of others around them without making them the object of their attention. It involves brief eye contact, but not staring or engaging in conversation. It is a way of showing respect for others' presence without intruding into their personal space. Selective attention involves actively choosing to focus on some individuals or objects while ignoring others. Passive rudeness suggests an intentional lack of consideration or respect for others, while reserved non-attention implies a deliberate decision to avoid any interaction with others.

Question 5

The Universities of Ottawa and British Columbia and the government of Newfoundland and Labrador are examples of what?

Accepted Answer

The universities and government are formal organizations, as they have a defined structure, goals, and hierarchy. They are not simply groups of people, social organizations, or working groups, which lack the formal characteristics of a true organization.

Question 6

Alex has just moved out of his parent's house for the first time.He hasn't sorted out with his parents who pays for groceries or when they spend time together.What would a sociologist suggest is happening to Alex?

Accepted Answer

Alex is experiencing role ambiguity, as he is unsure about his role in regards to paying for groceries and spending time with his parents. Role ambiguity occurs when an individual is unsure about the expectations and responsibilities of their role.

Question 7

Tim and his dad see a protest march as they are driving home from the grocery store.Tim sees the protesters as fighting for their rights.His dad,however,sees them as ungrateful trouble makers.What sociological concept would help explain what happened here?

Accepted Answer

The sociological concept that would help explain what happened here is the definition of the situation. Tim and his dad have different interpretations of what the protesters' actions mean, based on their own beliefs and experiences. This demonstrates how individuals construct their own definitions of situations and events, which can differ from one another.

Question 8

Shiva,Tina,and Sam have been best friends since Grade 3.What are they an example of?

Accepted Answer

They have a strong personal connection and have known each other for a long time, indicating that they are in a primary social group.

Question 9

Which of the following best reflects the potential negative effects of emotional labour?

Accepted Answer

The potential negative effects of emotional labour include the alienation and commercialization of feelings, where individuals may feel that they are displaying fake or inauthentic emotions in order to satisfy the demands of their job or customers. This can lead to a sense of disconnection from one's own emotions and a feeling of being used for commercial gain. Choices A, B, and D do not accurately reflect the potential negative effects of emotional labour.

Question 10

Which of the following best reflects the text's discussion of roles?

Accepted Answer

The text discusses how role expectations can differ from actual performance, indicating that people may not always meet the specific expectations set for their roles. This is reflected in option A. Option B is incorrect because the text notes that role expectations can vary in terms of specificity. Option C is also incorrect, as the text does not suggest that role expectations are always strictly defined. Option D is incorrect because the text acknowledges that role expectations can be influenced by the expectations for others in similar roles.

Question 11

As an employee at a local grocery store,Sohail sometimes stocks shelves with canned goods.What term would we use to refer to his stocking the shelves?

Accepted Answer

The term "role" refers to the behavior expected of an individual in a particular social position or job. In this case, Sohail's role as an employee at the grocery store includes stocking the shelves with canned goods.

Question 12

In what perspective are both the ethnomethodological and dramaturgical approaches strongly rooted?

Accepted Answer

Both the ethnomethodological and dramaturgical approaches are strongly rooted in the symbolic interactionist perspective which emphasizes the importance of symbols and interactions in shaping social reality.

Question 13

What is the process by which people act toward or respond to other people,which is also the foundation for all relationships and groups in society?

Accepted Answer

Social interaction is the process by which people act toward or respond to other people, and it forms the foundation for all relationships and groups in society. Social structure refers to the patterns of relationships and organization in a society, while group interaction specifically pertains to the ways that individuals interact within a group. Structurally patterned behavior refers to the ways in which societal norms and expectations shape individual behavior.

Question 14

Ramandeep is a student,a daughter,a niece,a friend and an employee.How would we refer to this list?

Accepted Answer

Ramandeep's list refers to a status set, which is a collection of all the statuses she holds in society, including both achieved and ascribed statuses. The other options do not encompass all of the statuses that Ramandeep holds. Social infrastructure refers to the physical and organizational structures that support a community, while master statuses are highly influential statuses that are often used to categorize individuals (such as race or gender). Role set refers to the collection of roles that an individual holds within a particular status.

Question 15

Susan is a doctor who volunteers at a free clinic.What kind of status is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

Susan's status as a doctor is an achieved status, because it is based on her education and professional qualifications. It is not an ascribed status, such as being born into a wealthy or poor family, and it is not necessarily directly linked to her socioeconomic status. While being a doctor is generally considered a valued status, this is not a specific category of status.

Question 16

Sven has been living in Canada for two years.He often finds himself straddling the cultures of his birth country and his adopted country.What term captures this state?

Accepted Answer

Social marginality refers to the state of being caught between two or more cultures or social groups, and feeling disconnected or excluded from both. Sven's experienced could be characterized by this term. The other choices do not accurately describe his situation - role identity refers to one's sense of self in relation to specific roles they occupy, socioeconomic position refers to one's place in the social hierarchy based on factors such as income and education, and role diagram is not a commonly used sociological term.

Question 17

According to the structural functional perspective,why are social institutions necessary?

Accepted Answer

According to the structural functional perspective, social institutions are necessary because they perform essential tasks that meet society's needs. These institutions help maintain social order, provide stability, and ensure the smooth functioning of society. Examples of social institutions include the family, government, and education systems.

Question 18

Which term refers to the transfer of information between persons without the use of speech?

Accepted Answer

Nonverbal communication refers to the transfer of information between persons without the use of speech, through body language, gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and other forms of nonverbal cues. On-stage dramatization refers to the performance of scripted or rehearsed actions in front of an audience. Emotional interaction refers to the exchange of emotions between individuals, which can be expressed through verbal and nonverbal cues. Backstage implication is not a term commonly used in communication studies.

Question 19

Susan is a teacher,a mother,a wife,a volunteer,and a gardener.What is this collection of socially defined positions called?

Accepted Answer

A status set refers to an individual's collection of socially defined positions or statuses, such as being a teacher, a mother, a wife, a volunteer, and a gardener.

Question 20

What term is used for the process by which our perception of reality is shaped largely by the subjective meaning that we give to an experience?

Accepted Answer

The term used for the process by which our perception of reality is shaped largely by the subjective meaning that we give to an experience is the social construction of reality. This concept suggests that our understanding of reality is socially constructed and shaped by our interpretations and interactions with others in society.

Quiz 5: Society, social Structure, and Interaction