Question 1

What do sociologists call the entire cluster of statuses occupied by an individual?

Accepted Answer

Sociologists call the entire cluster of statuses occupied by an individual a "status set." Status set refers to all of the statuses that an individual can hold at one time, including their position in society, social roles, and relationships with others.

Question 2

Joy has two children. She behaves abusively toward them and neglects to provide for their emotional and physical needs. From a sociological perspective, what is happening when she behaves this way?

Accepted Answer

In society, mothers are expected to fulfill certain roles in caring for their children. Joy's abusive behavior and neglect disregard the expectations and duties associated with the role of mother, leading to negative consequences for her children. However, it is important to note that this behavior may also violate social structures and the process of socialization.

Question 3

What is the term used for the three building blocks of social interaction?

Accepted Answer

Norms, roles, and statuses are the three building blocks of social interaction. Norms are the expected behaviors in a particular situation, roles are the behaviors expected of a person occupying a particular status, and statuses are the socially defined positions that people occupy.

Question 4

What is the basis for the expectation that people should mourn a parent's death?

Accepted Answer

The expectation that people should mourn a parent's death is based on the idea that people should demonstrate emotion management. Emotion management refers to the social and cultural expectations for people to express and regulate their feelings in socially acceptable ways. Mourning a parent's death is a socially recognized expression of grief, and failing to do so may be seen as socially unacceptable.

Question 5

According to research conducted by Charles Derber, what do North Americans usually turn their conversations toward?

Accepted Answer

According to Charles Derber's research, North Americans usually turn their conversations toward themselves.

Question 6

What is occurring in the following conversation, had by two people while watching television? Jane: "I am tired."
Dick: "Did you see that?"
Jane: "Yes, but I am really tired."
Dick: "Oh, but that act on TV looks so interesting!"

Accepted Answer

The conversation is centered around a competition for attention, with Dick trying to divert Jane's attention from her tiredness towards the interesting act on TV.

Question 7

Lucille and Lisa are lying in bed chatting. Every time Lucille tries to say how she feels about their upcoming wedding, Lisa interrupts her and interjects with statements about how terrible her work situation is. According to Charles Derber, what is Lisa doing?

Accepted Answer

Lisa is engaging in a conversational behavior where she shifts the focus of the conversation to herself, thereby winning the competition for attention according to Charles Derber's analysis of conversational dynamics.

Question 8

According to the textbook, which of the following determines the management of emotions?

Accepted Answer

The textbook states that cultural scripts determine the management of emotions. These scripts are beliefs about which emotions are appropriate to express in particular situations or with certain people, and they vary by culture.

Question 9

Tony is having a conversation with his boss, Peter. Peter tells a story that Tony has already heard several times. At the appropriate point in the story, Tony laughs, even though he knew the ending of the story. What does a sociological analysis of this social interaction show?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Tony is having a conversation with his...

Question 10

Sitting beside Benjamin at the movie theatre on their third date, Shoshanna feels the overwhelming urge to kiss him but instead waits for him to make the first move. Which of the following is she doing?

Accepted Answer

Shoshanna is following a cultural script that dictates that it is the man's role to initiate physical intimacy.

Question 11

What is the term used for a recognized position in an interaction?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the term used for a...

Question 12

Carol works as a general floor manager in a high-end restaurant, ensuring that all customers are happy with the service and content by the end of their meals. What is she engaged in?

Accepted Answer

Carol is engaged in emotion labour, which refers to the effort expended by workers to manage their emotions in order to meet the expectations of their job. In her role as a floor manager, she is responsible for ensuring that customers are satisfied and this often requires her to manage her emotions in a way that is appropriate for the situation.

Question 13

When Candida, a government employee who issues building permits, deals with the unreasonable behaviour of a customer, which of the following is she performing?

Accepted Answer

Candida is performing emotional labour, which refers to the act of managing one's emotions in response to customers or clients in order to meet organizational expectations or goals. In this case, she is dealing with an unreasonable customer and is expected to remain calm and professional, even though it may be difficult to do so. This is an example of emotional labour. The other choices do not accurately describe the situation. Role conflict refers to conflicts between different roles that an individual occupies, but there is no indication that this is happening in the scenario. Dramaturgical analysis refers to the idea that individuals are always performing in social situations, and there is no indication that Candida is analyzing her own performance. Role strain refers to difficulties that arise from trying to meet the expectations of a single role, but there is no indication that Candida is experiencing this.

Question 14

People have conventional expectations about what they should feel, how much they should feel, how long they should feel an emotion, and with whom they should share their feelings. What are emotions and their expression governed by?

Accepted Answer

Emotions and their expression are governed by norms of emotional life, which are the shared expectations about what emotions are appropriate in specific situations, how intensely they should be experienced, and how they should be expressed in public or private settings. These norms are shaped by cultural, social, and historical factors. They can vary across different societies and social groups, and they can change over time. Role expectations and status expectations may influence how people experience and express their emotions, but they are themselves embedded in the broader norms of emotional life. Emotional prerogatives refer to the degree of control that individuals have over their own emotions, which can also vary depending on cultural and social context.

Question 15

In today's economy, nearly half the jobs women do involve substantial amounts of emotion labour. More women than men do emotion labour because they are better socialized to undertake nurturing roles. What does this component of their occupation require?

Accepted Answer

Emotion labour is the component of their occupation that requires women to invest in people skills, such as showing empathy, active listening, and responding appropriately to the emotional needs of others. It requires emotional labor, which is the process of managing and regulating one's own emotions as well as those of others. Emotion labour includes both surface acting (displaying emotions that are not genuinely felt) and deep acting (managing genuine emotions in response to a situation). Emotional detachment and smiling (option B) are not necessarily required or even effective in all emotion labor roles. Emotional truancy (option D) is not a commonly used term in relation to this concept.

Question 16

Kahlil holds the door open for another university student, who is following closely behind him and carrying a large stack of books. What is Kahlil engaged in?

Accepted Answer

Kahlil is following a norm of politeness and consideration towards others by holding the door open for someone who is walking closely behind him and carrying a heavy load.

Question 17

Laughter is not as spontaneous as people might think. What does a sociological analysis of laughter show?

Accepted Answer

A sociological analysis of laughter often reveals social structural patterns of dominance and subservience, as laughter can be used to reinforce social hierarchies and power dynamics within groups.

Question 18

People's expectations concerning a mother's behaviour defines which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The expectations concerning a mother's behaviour define her role, which relates to the set of behaviours, duties, and expectations associated with a particular social position. A mother's role involves nurturing, caregiving, and protecting her children. It is shaped by social norms, but her authority and status are not defined solely by her motherhood, and they may vary based on other factors such as education, occupation, and social class.

Question 19

Which of the following best describes most conversations, according to Charles Derber's research?

Accepted Answer

According to Charles Derber's research, most conversations can be seen as competitions for attention, where individuals often vie to speak about their own experiences or viewpoints.

Question 20

According to the textbook, which of the following people is most likely to laugh more in a conversation?

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that women tend to laugh more than men in conversations, especially when interacting with the opposite sex.

Quiz 4: From Social Interaction to Social Organizations