Question 1

Rousseau felt that humans were better off in a primitive state, without relying on society.

Accepted Answer

Rousseau argued that humans were noble savages in their primitive state, living a simpler and more peaceful life before the corrupting influences of society and civilization.

Question 2

Durkheim believed that people are born to be social, and society is what makes us human.

Accepted Answer

Durkheim argued that society shapes our desires, beliefs, and even our very nature, suggesting that our social interactions and the collective conscience of society are fundamental to what makes us human.

Question 3

In Mead's role-taking stage, children pretend to do activities associated with their parents.

Accepted Answer

In Mead's theory of social development, the role-taking stage involves children imitating and taking on roles they see in their environment, often mimicking activities of significant others, such as their parents, to understand social perspectives.

Question 4

Mead's generalized other stage features children no longer caring how they are viewed by others.

Accepted Answer

In Mead's generalized other stage, children begin to understand and incorporate the attitudes, viewpoints, and expectations of society as a whole into their behavior, indicating an increased concern for how they are viewed by others.

Question 5

Eating disorders are one example of a criticism of Cooley's looking-glass self-concept.

Accepted Answer

Eating disorders can be seen as a criticism of Cooley's looking-glass self-concept because they exemplify how an individual's self-image, influenced by societal expectations and perceptions, can lead to harmful behaviors and negative self-assessment.

Question 6

Structural functionalism is mainly concerned with how the dominant culture oppresses dissent.

Accepted Answer

Structural functionalism focuses on how various parts of society function together to maintain stability and social order, rather than on how dominant cultures oppress dissent.

Question 7

The feminist perspective is part of the conflict perspective.

Accepted Answer

The feminist perspective, which focuses on the inequalities and power imbalances between genders, is considered a branch of the broader conflict perspective in sociology. This perspective views society through the lens of conflict and struggle between different social groups, including those defined by gender.

Question 8

FBI director J. Edgar Hoover was so afraid of Jane Addams upsetting the status quo that he labeled her dangerous for trying to improve society.

Accepted Answer

J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI director, was concerned about Jane Addams's efforts to improve society and labeled her dangerous because he feared she would disrupt the established order.

Question 9

Melvin Kohn found that parents in different socioeconomic classes teach different basic values to their children.

Accepted Answer

Melvin Kohn's research demonstrated that parents from different socioeconomic classes tend to emphasize different values in their children's upbringing, with working-class parents often stressing conformity and obedience, while middle-class parents tend to emphasize self-direction and creativity.

Question 10

Symbolic interactionism is the only perspective that does NOT feature a top-down structure of socialization.

Accepted Answer

Symbolic interactionism focuses on individual interactions and the meanings people attach to these interactions, rather than a top-down structure of socialization. It emphasizes micro-level analysis, unlike other perspectives that may incorporate more hierarchical models of social structure.

Question 11

An online video blog could be considered an agent of socialization.

Accepted Answer

Online video blogs, by disseminating cultural norms, values, and social practices, can influence individuals' behaviors and perceptions, thus acting as agents of socialization.

Question 12

Latent learning happens when we absorb behavior patterns or information without specifically setting out to do that.

Accepted Answer

Latent learning refers to the process of learning that occurs without any obvious reinforcement of the behavior or associations that are learned. It involves the subconscious or incidental acquisition of knowledge and can manifest later when a situation calls for it.

Question 13

One of Cooley's steps in forming the looking-glass self is imagining how others judge our appearance.

Accepted Answer

Charles Horton Cooley's concept of the looking-glass self includes imagining how we appear to others, which involves considering how others might judge our appearance among other aspects of ourselves.

Question 14

Halfway houses are an example of programs used to ease resocialization.

Accepted Answer

Halfway houses are designed to help individuals transition back into society, often after incarceration or rehabilitation, by providing a structured environment that supports resocialization.

Question 15

Erving Goffman considered the way we project different aspects of ourselves in different situations as evidence of the basic dishonesty of all humans.

Accepted Answer

Erving Goffman described the way we project different aspects of ourselves in different situations as a part of the "presentation of self" in everyday life, not as evidence of dishonesty but as a normal and necessary part of social interaction.

Question 16

Compare the views of Rousseau and Durkheim on human nature. Provide at least three examples to support Rousseau's view, and three examples to support Durkheim's view. Which do you think is true, and why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare the views of Rousseau and Durkheim...

Question 17

Consider the process of gender socialization through consumer goods. Describe the process and any problems associated with it from each of the following perspectives: structural functionalism, conflict theory, and dramaturgical.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Consider the process of gender socialization through...

Question 18

Julie is unhappy when a male colleague gets a promotion that she feels she deserves. Explain possible motivations for this decision using the structural functionalist, feminist, and symbolic interactionist perspectives.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Julie is unhappy when a male colleague...

Question 19

Imagine you are conducting a study similar to Margaret Mead's work in Samoa, but in your hometown when you were a teenager. Based on your own experience and that of people you know, would your results agree or disagree with Mead? Provide examples and details to support your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine you are conducting a study similar...

Question 20

Recall a funny situation from a comedy movie or television show and explain it using Goffman's dramaturgical principles, including front stage, back stage, and impression. If you cannot recall a particular example, create one to satisfy the requirements of the question.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Recall a funny situation from a comedy...

Quiz 2: Socialization and Social Interaction