Question 1

Which of the following would be the best example of a total institution?

Accepted Answer

A convent is a total institution because it is a closed community that regulates all aspects of life for its members, including their behavior, dress, and daily activities. The members live, work, and socialize exclusively within the convent and are subject to strict rules and discipline. In contrast, a Boy Scout troop, political party, or sports team may have certain rules or expectations, but they do not control all aspects of a person's life in the same way that a total institution does.

Question 2

Joaquin is a child diagnosed with ADHD.His school counselor says it is genetic; thus,Joaquin must be medicated.Psychiatrist Fadi Haddad might see social factors also at play,such as:

Accepted Answer

While genetics may play a role in ADHD, it is not the sole factor. Social factors, such as school expectations, can also contribute to a child's behavior. In this case, Joaquin's individuality may not fall within the norms expected by the school, leading to his diagnosis.

Question 3

A single mother who is experiencing incompatibility within her status,such as not having enough time to both get adequate sleep and spend quality time with her children,may be experiencing which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Role strain is the difficulty in fulfilling multiple roles. In this case, the single mother is experiencing role strain because she is having difficulty fulfilling her roles as a mother and as a worker.

Question 4

Janet has a paper due in her English class,a test in her psychology class,and field notes due in her anthropology class this week.On top of it all,she needs to meet with her advisor to plan out classes for next semester.Janet feels pressured.She is experiencing:

Accepted Answer

Janet is experiencing role strain, which is the tension and stress that comes from the competing demands of a single role. In this case, her roles as a student in multiple classes and as a advisee are causing her stress and pressure to balance all of her responsibilities. Role conflict is when the demands of multiple roles conflict with each other, which is not the case here. Resocialization and status pressure also do not apply to this situation.

Question 5

Venus Williams is one of the top women's tennis players in the world.Because this status overrides all her other statuses,it is known as her:

Accepted Answer

Venus Williams' status as one of the top women's tennis players in the world is her master status because it overrides all her other statuses, such as her race, gender, and educational background. It is the most salient and significant status that defines how she is perceived by others and how she perceives herself.

Question 6

Studies have shown that people interact with babies differently based on whether the babies are boys or girls.Using role theory,we could argue that:

Accepted Answer

According to role theory, certain statuses are considered more important or "master" statuses than others. In our society, sex (male or female) is often considered a master status, meaning it has a significant impact on how individuals are perceived and treated. This is reflected in the way people interact with babies differently based on their sex, which suggests that sex/gender is a master status that influences social roles and expectations.

Question 7

An ascribed status is one that:

Accepted Answer

Ascribed status refers to the status that an individual receives at birth or involuntarily assumes later in life. In other words, it is a status that a person has little or no control over, such as age, race, gender, and family background. Therefore, option B is the correct choice.

Question 8

Expectations that define appropriate or inappropriate behavior for the occupants of a particular status are called:

Accepted Answer

Expectations that define appropriate or inappropriate behavior for the occupants of a particular status are known as roles. Roles are a set of norms, behaviors, and expectations associated with a particular status in a society. In other words, roles help define how people are supposed to behave based on their social position. For example, the behavior expected of a student is different from that of a teacher or a doctor.

Question 9

Which of the following is the best example of an achieved status?

Accepted Answer

Achieved status refers to a social position that a person attains voluntarily, usually through personal merit or hard work. Being a minister in a Pentecostal church is an example of an achieved status because it is a position that a person earns through the development of their skills, knowledge, and abilities. The other options, such as ethnicity or disability, are examples of ascribed statuses that are assigned to individuals at birth and are outside of their control. The baptism of a baby into a religious affiliation is also an ascribed status, determined by the religion of their parents or guardians, rather than by personal achievement.

Question 10

Who developed role theory as a way to examine social interaction?

Accepted Answer

Robert Merton is credited with developing role theory, which examines how individuals fulfill the expectations of their social roles.

Question 11

The sociological significance of roles is that they:

Accepted Answer

Roles lay out what is expected of people in a particular social context, shaping how individuals interact with others and influencing their behaviors and attitudes. Sociologically, roles are significant because they help us understand how social structures and institutions operate and how individuals are situated within them. While some roles may be common across societies, others may be unique to specific cultural contexts or historical periods. Additionally, the expectations and requirements associated with a particular role may vary from one setting to another.

Question 12

A recognizable social position that an individual occupies,such as student or professor,is known as a:

Accepted Answer

A status is a socially defined position that an individual occupies, such as a student or professor. It is an essential element of social structure and influences the behavior, attitudes, and expectations of individuals who occupy a particular status. A role, on the other hand, refers to the set of expectations, rights, and obligations associated with a particular status, such as the role of a professor or a student. Patterns and places are not related to the concept of social status.

Question 13

Because military boot camps and prisons are places that control all of the basics of people's day-to-day lives,they are known as:

Accepted Answer

Military boot camps and prisons are total institutions because they exercise complete control over all aspects of a person's life, including their physical movement, behavior, and communication. In total institutions, individuals are stripped of their individual identity and are forced to conform to strict rules, routines, and expectations. Both military boot camps and prisons are designed to break down the identity of individuals and rebuild them as obedient, disciplined soldiers or inmates.

Question 14

Most people occupy many statuses at a particular point in time (e.g.,student,son or daughter,employee,citizen).This list of statuses is known as the:

Accepted Answer

The list of statuses that a person occupies at any given time is called the status set. It includes all of the statuses someone holds, such as student, son or daughter, employee, and citizen. The term "master status" refers to the most important or prominent status in a person's status set, but it is not the appropriate term for this particular question. The other choices ("total institution" and "set of others") are not relevant in this context.

Question 15

According to Annette Lareau (2003),working-class and poor parents focus on the "accomplishment of natural growth," while middle-class parents are more likely to engage in "concerted cultivation." In the "accomplishment of natural growth," children experience:

Accepted Answer

According to Annette Lareau, working-class and poor parents focus on the "accomplishment of natural growth," which includes long stretches of leisure time and child-initiated play, while middle-class parents are more likely to engage in "concerted cultivation," which involves organized activities and intervention in their children's schoolwork. Option A is incorrect because instruction on interacting with adult authority figures and managing schedules is more common in middle-class families. Option B is incorrect because organized activities are more common in middle-class families. Option D is incorrect because schoolwork assistance and monitoring are more common in middle-class families.

Question 16

Annette Lareau,author of Unequal Childhoods (2003),makes a compelling case for the existence of differences between working-class and middle-class families.Which of the following statements best summarizes what she found?

Accepted Answer

Annette Lareau's research in "Unequal Childhoods" shows that class differences have a significant impact on children's life chances. She found that middle-class parents engage in "concerted cultivation," which involves organizing a child's free time around extracurricular activities and fostering a sense of entitlement, while working-class parents tend to use a "natural growth" approach, which emphasizes obedience and conformity to authority. These class-based differences in parenting strategies can influence a child's future success in areas such as academic achievement, social skills, and employment opportunities. Therefore, the best statement to summarize Lareau's findings is that class differences, played out in the daily routines of parenting, have a powerful impact on children's life chances (D).

Question 17

Rodrigo's boss asked him to work this weekend,but Rodrigo feels obligated to attend a family reunion and has to study for an exam.He is having trouble deciding which activity to let go.Rodrigo is experiencing:

Accepted Answer

Rodrigo is experiencing role conflict because he is facing incompatible demands from different roles he plays in his life (employee, family member, and student), making it difficult for him to fulfill all these obligations simultaneously.

Question 18

The expectations that girls play with Barbie dolls and boys play with G.I.Joe dolls are examples of:

Accepted Answer

The expectations that girls play with Barbie dolls and boys play with G.I.Joe dolls reflect gender roles, which are culturally defined expectations of attitudes and behaviors considered appropriate for each gender. It is a societal construct, not a biological difference. Gendered role conflicts refer to conflicts experienced by individuals who find themselves unable to fulfill the expectations of their assigned gender role. Gendered reference groups refer to the people with whom one interacts and compares oneself in terms of gender identity.

Question 19

Which of the following represents an ascribed status?

Accepted Answer

An ascribed status is one that is assigned to a person based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, gender, and family background. Being an American of Japanese descent is an example of an ascribed status. The other choices are achieved statuses, which are earned or chosen by the individual.

Question 20

The popular television show Sesame Street was created with the explicit purpose of providing educational opportunities for low-income children.Sesame Street has been very successful,showing that:

Accepted Answer

The success of Sesame Street demonstrates the influential role of media in shaping the views and behaviors of children. It shows that the media can be a powerful socializing agent in promoting educational opportunities, even for low-income children. However, it does not necessarily erase the reproduction of inequality in society, as systemic issues and structural barriers may still exist.

Quiz 4: Socialization and the Construction of Reality