Question 1

Two professional journals of death and dying today are
A)Death Education and Death and Life.
B)Alpha and Omega.
C)Omega and Death Studies.
D)Thanatology Studies and Death and Dying.

Accepted Answer

Omega and Death Studies are two professional journals that focus on the topics of death and dying, providing scholarly articles and research in the field.

Question 2

Emphasizing the organization of the funeral industry and its relationship with other social structures in a society would be important in which of these conceptual frameworks?
A)Social conflict
B)Structural‑functional
C)Social exchange
D)Symbolic interaction

Accepted Answer

The structural-functional approach focuses on how different parts of a society function together to maintain stability and order. Emphasizing the organization of the funeral industry and its relationship with other social structures fits this perspective, as it looks at how this industry contributes to the overall functioning and cohesion of society.

Question 3

A sociological study of death is likely to include
A)an effort to determine whether certain death‑related behavior is moral or ethical.
B)a consideration of how biological organs function to produce death.
C)a consideration of how humans originally became subject to death.
D)a consideration of how social factors influence biological factors related to death.

Accepted Answer

Sociology focuses on the study of social behavior and society, including how social factors influence various aspects of life, such as death.

Question 4

A popular 1990s book about a professor dying of ALS and written by his former student is titled
A)Fridays with Fred.
B)Tuesdays with Morrie.
C)Saturdays with Sarah.
D)Dying of ALS.

Accepted Answer

"Tuesdays with Morrie" is the correct answer. It is a non-fiction book by Mitch Albom that recounts his time spent with his 78-year-old sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz, who was dying from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Question 5

The primary cause of death in the United States today is
A)accidents.
B)old age.
C)cardiovascular disease.
D)pneumonia.

Accepted Answer

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, including conditions such as heart disease and stroke.

Question 6

Regarding death anxiety and death education, thanatologists
A)agree that death education relieves death anxiety.
B)agree that death education does not relieve death anxiety.
C)agree that there has been a decrease in fear and less concern about dying due to an increase in education.
D)agree that death education increases death anxiety

Accepted Answer

Thanatologists agree that there has been a decrease in fear and less concern about dying due to an increase in education.

Question 7

Death etiology refers to
A)the causes of death.
B)a contagious disease.
C)a new type of AIDS.
D)death with dignity.

Accepted Answer

Death etiology refers to the study or investigation of the causes of death.

Question 8

The ISAS interpretation of death‑related behavior emphasizes that
A)use of any given meaning for some item of behavior always has the same consequences.
B)any given behavior pattern always stems from the same biological condition.
C)all individuals experience death in the same way.
D)the meaning of death may change even though the biological aspects do not change.

Accepted Answer

The ISAS (Interpretive Social and Affective Symbolism) interpretation of death-related behavior suggests that the significance or meaning attributed to death can vary among different individuals or cultures, even if the biological aspects of death remain constant. This perspective emphasizes the variability in how death is understood and experienced, rather than suggesting a uniform biological, experiential, or consequential approach to death.

Question 9

The "suicide physician" in Michigan who assisted with individual deaths in the 1990s was
A)Michael DeBakey.
B)Elisabeth Kubler-Ross.
C)Earl Grollman.
D)Jack Kevorkian.

Accepted Answer

Jack Kevorkian was known for his role in assisting terminally ill patients with ending their lives, which earned him the nickname "Dr. Death." He was a controversial figure in the 1990s for his advocacy of euthanasia and his direct involvement in assisted suicides.

Question 10

Which theoretical framework would investigate the following research question: "Are adult children who care for their elderly parents more likely to receive a greater share of their parents' inheritance than children who do not participate in the terminal care?"
A)Social conflict
B)Structural‑functional
C)Social exchange
D)Symbolic interaction

Accepted Answer

Social exchange theory is most relevant to this research question because it analyzes social behavior in the interaction of two parties that implement a cost-benefit analysis to determine risks and benefits. This theory would examine the "exchange" between adult children caring for their elderly parents and the potential "reward" of receiving a greater share of the inheritance, framing the care as an investment with expected returns.

Question 11

Which theoretical framework would investigate the following research question: "How do funerals help to promote relationships between kinship groups (grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc.)?"
A)Social conflict
B)Structural‑functional
C)Social exchange
D)Symbolic interaction

Accepted Answer

The structural-functional approach is most appropriate for investigating how funerals promote relationships between kinship groups because it focuses on how social institutions and practices serve to maintain social order and cohesion, including the ways in which rituals like funerals contribute to the integration and stability of society by reinforcing bonds among family members and kinship groups.

Question 12

Which theoretical framework would investigate the following research question: "What are the dysfunctional consequences of parental inheritance bequests for relationships between children?"
A)Social conflict
B)Structural‑functional
C)Social exchange
D)Symbolic interaction

Accepted Answer

Social conflict theory focuses on how wealth and power disparities, such as those arising from parental inheritance, can lead to tensions and conflicts within social relationships, including those between siblings.

Question 13

The interdisciplinary study of death-related behavior is known as
A)death etiology.
B)thanatology.
C)anthropometry.
D)gerontology.

Accepted Answer

Thanatology is the study of death and the practices associated with it, including the study of the needs of the terminally ill and their families.

Question 14

Published in 1963, this book was most critical of the funeral industry.
A)Jessica Mitford's The American Way of Death
B)Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's On Death and Dying
C)Herman Feifel's The Meaning of Death
D)Ernest Becker's The Denial of Death

Accepted Answer

Jessica Mitford's "The American Way of Death" is a groundbreaking critique of the funeral industry in the United States, exposing its practices and profit motives.

Question 15

Television specials on death and dying first emerged in the
A)1940s.
B)1950s.
C)1960s.
D)1970s.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Television specials on death and dying first...

Question 16

Most people dying in the United States today die
A)at home.
B)on the highways.
C)in a hospital or a nursing home.
D)on city streets.

Accepted Answer

Most people in the United States today die in a hospital or a nursing home, reflecting the trend of medicalized end-of-life care and the prevalence of long-term care facilities for the elderly and terminally ill.

Question 17

The best-selling book on death and dying published in 1969 is
A)Jessica Mitford's The American Way of Death.
B)Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's On Death and Dying.
C)Herman Feifel's The Meaning of Death.
D)Ernest Becker's The Denial of Death.

Accepted Answer

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's "On Death and Dying" is the best-selling book on the subject published in 1969, introducing the five stages of grief model.

Question 18

Conflict theory
A)emphasizes the undesirability of social change.
B)represents an equilibrium theory.
C)is focused on competition, conflict, and dissension resulting from individuals and/or groups competing for limited societal resources.
D)is focused on collaboration, agreement, and mutual consent resulting from individuals and/or groups working together for societal resources.

Accepted Answer

Conflict theory is centered on the idea that social life is a competition, and thus focuses on the distribution of resources, power, and inequality. It posits that social structures and relationships are characterized by conflict due to competition over limited resources.

Question 19

Courses on death and dying began to flourish in the United States in the
A)1930s.
B)1950s.
C)1970s.
D)1990s.

Accepted Answer

Courses on death and dying began to flourish in the United States in the 1970s, influenced by the hospice movement and changing attitudes towards death.

Question 20

The ISAS paradigm for doing research in the social sciences, especially sociology, is the shorthand formula for
A)structural functionalism.
B)the conflict perspective.
C)social exchange.
D)symbolic interactionism.

Accepted Answer

The ISAS paradigm, which stands for "Idiographic Sensitivity and Analytical Specificity," is closely aligned with symbolic interactionism. This approach emphasizes understanding the subjective meanings that people attach to their social actions and interactions, a core principle of symbolic interactionism.

Quiz 1: Studying Dying Death and Bereavement

Two professional journals of death and dying today are

Emphasizing the organization of the funeral industry and its relationship with other social structures in a society would be important in which of these conceptual frameworks?

A sociological study of death is likely to include

A popular 1990s book about a professor dying of ALS and written by his former student is titled

The primary cause of death in the United States today is

Regarding death anxiety and death education, thanatologists

Death etiology refers to

The ISAS interpretation of death‑related behavior emphasizes that

The "suicide physician" in Michigan who assisted with individual deaths in the 1990s was

Which theoretical framework would investigate the following research question: "Are adult children who care for their elderly parents more likely to receive a greater share of their parents' inheritance than children who do not participate in the terminal care?"

Which theoretical framework would investigate the following research question: "How do funerals help to promote relationships between kinship groups (grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc.) ?"

Which theoretical framework would investigate the following research question: "What are the dysfunctional consequences of parental inheritance bequests for relationships between children?"

The interdisciplinary study of death-related behavior is known as

Published in 1963, this book was most critical of the funeral industry.

Television specials on death and dying first emerged in the

Most people dying in the United States today die

The best-selling book on death and dying published in 1969 is

Conflict theory

Courses on death and dying began to flourish in the United States in the

The ISAS paradigm for doing research in the social sciences, especially sociology, is the shorthand formula for