Question 1

The scientific study of social life, social change, and social causes and consequences of human behavior is ______.
A) psychology
B) anthropology
C) biology
D) sociology

Accepted Answer

Sociology is the scientific study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior.

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of a dyad?
A) two students studying for an exam
B) a family and a neighborhood
C) the Republican and Democratic national parties
D) Google and Facebook

Accepted Answer

A dyad refers to a group of two entities, individuals, or units that are in some form of relationship or interaction. In this case, two students studying for an exam represent a dyad because it involves two people directly interacting with each other in a specific context.

Question 3

The entire world is becoming interconnected in a process known as ______.
A) socialization
B) globalization
C) interaction
D) assimilation

Accepted Answer

Globalization refers to the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale, leading to the interconnectedness of the world's economies, cultures, and populations.

Question 4

Which of the following is an underlying assumption of sociology?
A) People are antisocial by nature.
B) The processes of conflict and change are dysfunctional and avoidable.
C) Interactions between individuals and groups are a two-way process.
D) There is little continuity and recurrent behavior in human interactions.

Accepted Answer

Sociology fundamentally assumes that interactions between individuals and groups are reciprocal, meaning they influence each other. This perspective is essential for understanding social dynamics and structures.

Question 5

Though research shows that biological factors play a part in the behaviors of men and women, the ______ that people learn as they grow up determines how those biological tendencies are played out.
A) culture
B) commonsense beliefs
C) levels of analysis
D) environment

Accepted Answer

Culture shapes how biological tendencies are expressed by providing norms, values, and expectations that individuals learn and follow as they grow up.

Question 6

Sociological findings indicate that racial groupings are ______.
A) based on biological differences among people
B) consistent across cultures
C) socially constructed
D) static

Accepted Answer

Racial groupings are not based on inherent biological differences but are socially constructed, meaning societies define and give meaning to race in various ways. These constructions can change over time and differ across cultures, indicating that racial categories are not consistent or static.

Question 7

Which of the following statements is supported by sociological findings?
A) Most marriages in the United States do not last.
B) Those who marry at age 19 or after, have more education, and have higher levels of income than the average person have the highest divorce rates.
C) Those who are in the working class or lower tend to have more stable marriages.
D) Divorce rates average below 45% depending on demographic variables.

Accepted Answer

Divorce rates vary significantly based on factors such as education, income, and age at marriage, but on average, they are below 45%. This reflects the complexity of marital stability and the influence of socioeconomic factors.

Question 8

Which of the following definitions best describes the sociological imagination?
A) the ability to understand the relationship between individual experiences and public issues
B) the ability to assess the accuracy of commonsense assumptions about the social world
C) the ability to ask questions that are answerable through research
D) the ability to analyze the interconnected parts that make up our social world

Accepted Answer

The sociological imagination is a concept introduced by C. Wright Mills that describes the ability to see the connection between personal experiences and larger social and historical forces. It involves understanding how personal issues are often rooted in broader social problems.

Question 9

Gabriella's roommate dropped out of college. Though she didn't tell Gabriella why she chose to leave school, Gabriella knows that her roommate struggled financially after both her parents lost their manufacturing jobs. Instead of blaming her roommate for her academic issues, Gabriella considers how her roommate's life has been affected by economic factors beyond her control. Sociologists would say that Gabriella is using ______ to view her roommate's problem.
A) a sociological imagination
B) counterfactual thinking
C) the social world model
D) her commonsense beliefs

Accepted Answer

Gabriella is using a sociological imagination, a concept that allows individuals to see the relationship between personal experiences and larger social influences, in this case, understanding her roommate's academic issues in the context of broader economic problems.

Question 10

The types of questions sociologists ask ______.
A) focus on issues that can be studied objectively and scientifically
B) make ethical judgments about individual values and beliefs
C) are unanswerable philosophical musings
D) are aimed at determining the right or wrong answers to value-driven opinions

Accepted Answer

Sociologists aim to study social behavior, structures, and functions in an objective and scientific manner. They focus on gathering and analyzing data to understand how societies operate rather than making ethical judgments or seeking right or wrong answers to value-driven opinions.

Question 11

Which of the following questions might sociologists ask themselves as they conduct research?
A) What are the ethical implications of abortion?
B) Is abortion right or wrong?
C) Are there specific instances in which abortion is acceptable or unacceptable?
D) Why are opinions about abortion changing in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Sociologists focus on understanding social behaviors and trends, so they would be interested in exploring why opinions about abortion are changing in the United States.

Question 12

Which of the following social sciences studies humanity in its broadest context?
A) economics
B) anthropology
C) psychology
D) political science

Accepted Answer

Anthropology is the study of humans, human behavior, and societies in the past and present, encompassing both cultural and biological aspects, thus covering humanity in its broadest context.

Question 13

Which of the following is a subfield of anthropology?
A) international relations
B) behavioral genetics
C) game theory
D) linguistics

Accepted Answer

Linguistics is a subfield of anthropology that focuses on the study of human language, its structure, history, and social and cultural contexts. Anthropology broadly explores human societies, cultures, and their development, and linguistics is a crucial part of understanding human communication and social interaction.

Question 14

______ focuses on groups, institutions, and societies, whereas ______ focuses on the behavior and mental processes of individuals.
A) Psychology; anthropology
B) Sociology; anthropology
C) Psychology; sociology
D) Sociology; psychology

Accepted Answer

Sociology focuses on groups, institutions, and societies, while psychology concentrates on the behavior and mental processes of individuals.

Question 15

A sociological perspective allows us to see ______ that others tend to overlook.
A) social institutions
B) biological factors
C) social patterns
D) personal problems

Accepted Answer

A sociological perspective helps us identify and understand social patterns and structures that influence human behavior and society, which might not be immediately obvious to individuals.

Question 16

Graduates with a bachelor's degree in sociology are most likely to find their first job in which of the following fields?
A) engineering
B) social services/counseling
C) medicine
D) teaching

Accepted Answer

Graduates with a bachelor's degree in sociology often find their first jobs in fields that involve working with people and communities, such as social services or counseling, due to their understanding of social behavior and institutions.

Question 17

Which of the following helps us picture the levels of analysis in our social surroundings as an interconnected series of small groups, organizations, institutions, and societies?
A) structural functionalism
B) rational choice theory
C) dramaturgy
D) social world model

Accepted Answer

The social world model helps us visualize the different levels of analysis in our social surroundings as interconnected series of small groups, organizations, institutions, and societies, emphasizing the complexity and interrelation of social structures.

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of a social unit?
A) politics
B) an activist
C) a community advocacy group
D) change

Accepted Answer

A community advocacy group is an example of a social unit because it consists of individuals or organizations that come together to promote or resist changes in society, representing a collective with shared interests or goals.

Question 19

Which of the following is a social institution?
A) a small group of nurses
B) the status of medical professionals in society
C) two doctors who share a medical practice
D) healthcare

Accepted Answer

Healthcare is a social institution because it is an organized system that exists in society to meet the health needs of individuals. It includes hospitals, clinics, and other medical services and is a fundamental part of societal structure, affecting and involving a large portion of the population.

Question 20

Which of the following social processes teaches individuals how to behave in their society?
A) acculturation
B) change
C) conflict
D) socialization

Accepted Answer

Socialization is the process through which individuals learn and internalize the values, beliefs, norms, and social skills necessary to function as members of their society.

Quiz 1: Sociology: a Unique Way to View the World

The scientific study of social life, social change, and social causes and consequences of human behavior is ______.

Which of the following is an example of a dyad?

The entire world is becoming interconnected in a process known as ______.

Which of the following is an underlying assumption of sociology?

Though research shows that biological factors play a part in the behaviors of men and women, the ______ that people learn as they grow up determines how those biological tendencies are played out.

Sociological findings indicate that racial groupings are ______.

Which of the following statements is supported by sociological findings?

Which of the following definitions best describes the sociological imagination?

The types of questions sociologists ask ______.

Which of the following questions might sociologists ask themselves as they conduct research?

Which of the following social sciences studies humanity in its broadest context?

Which of the following is a subfield of anthropology?

focuses on groups, institutions, and societies, whereas focuses on the behavior and mental processes of individuals.

A sociological perspective allows us to see ______ that others tend to overlook.

Graduates with a bachelor's degree in sociology are most likely to find their first job in which of the following fields?

Which of the following helps us picture the levels of analysis in our social surroundings as an interconnected series of small groups, organizations, institutions, and societies?

Which of the following is an example of a social unit?

Which of the following is a social institution?

Which of the following social processes teaches individuals how to behave in their society?