Sociology and the Real World Answer Key

Sociology and the Real World MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. Sociologists observe society by a. studying the various parts of a society and the ways they interact and influence one another. b. studying society as if it were a concrete object, in the same way a geologist studies rocks. c. comparing the past and present, with a focus on the past. d. studying the relationship between individuals and society, specializing in internal states of mind. ANS: A 2. Even though we are not all trained academically as sociologists, we can all be considered “everyday actors” because a. sociology is a part of human nature. b. our parents taught us to be sociologists even before they sent us to school. c. we are all members of society and have background knowledge about how society works. d. sociologists are really just everyday observers of conventional wisdom. ANS: C 3. Unlike sociologists, the knowledge that most people possess about the world can be described as a. academic. b. systemic, clear, and consistent. c. practical. d. scientific. ANS: C 4. Sociology can be defined as the systematic and scientific study of human society and social behavior, from ________ to ________. a. large-scale institutions; individual interactions b. practical knowledge; scientific knowledge c. individual interactions; small groups d. economics; political science ANS: A 5. Howard Becker said that sociology can best be understood as the study of people “doing things together.” This definition reminds us that a. only large-scale interactions that involve many people can be understood by sociologists. b. sociology is only interested in the way people act, not in the way they think. c. neither society nor the individual exists in isolation; each is dependent on the other. d. individuals exist independently of society and can be understood without considering social influence. ANS: C 6. Sociology can be approached from both a microsociological and a macrosociological perspective. Which is more useful? a. The macrosociological perspective is more useful because it explains how large-scale social institutions influence individuals. b. The microsociological perspective is more useful because it explains how individuals shape and c. d. create large-scale social institutions. Both are useful and any study that uses only one or the other will be unable to explain anything useful about society. Both are useful in different ways because they each provide different types of information about the same object of study. ANS: D 7. Which of the following statements best characterizes microsociology? a. It is an approach that examines interactions between individuals and how those interactions reflect larger societal patterns. b. It is an approach that examines institutional interactions that occur over time. c. It is an approach that quantifies data about social structures so they can be analyzed statistically. d. It is an approach that focuses exclusively on gender and power as they manifest themselves socially. ANS: A 8. Researcher Pam Fishman studied the conversations of heterosexual couples to determine how power is created and maintained through everyday, face-to-face interactions. How would you describe her approach? a. macrosociological b. historical c. microsociological d. comparative ANS: C 9. Sociologists assert that there is a close relationship between the individual and society. How does Pam Fishman’s research on gender and power in heterosexual couples characterize this relationship? a. Fishman’s data show how macro-level phenomena like gender and power manifest themselves in everyday interactions. b. It doesn’t because Fishman’s data only show how individuals act. c. Fishman’s data show that micro-level and macro-level phenomena are largely independent of each other. d. Fishman’s research shows that there is no relationship between the individual and society. ANS: A 10. Which of the following statements best describes the approach taken by macrosociologists? a. Macrosociology concentrates on the way large social institutions are created through individual interactions. b. Macrosociology examines large-scale social structure to see how it affects individual lives. c. Macrosociology focuses on creating a beginner’s mind in contrast to microsociology, which uses an expert’s mind. d. Unlike microsociology, macrosociology focuses on creating scientific knowledge of the world, rather than practical knowledge. ANS: B 11. Researcher Christine Williams looked at patterns of occupational sex segregation by examining the ways large-scale social structures create the constraints within which individuals live their lives. Her work would be characterized as what kind of sociology? a. microsociology b. c. d. symbolic interactionist Chicago School macrosociology ANS: D 12. Macrosociology and microsociology approach the study of society from different perspectives. How does the discipline of sociology deal with these two very different approaches? a. Most sociologists are macrosociologists; microsociologists are only a small minority. b. These two perspectives are on a continuum with each other and sociologists can adopt the perspective most useful for a particular problem. c. Although the field is fairly evenly split between these two perspectives, almost every sociologist feels strongly that his or her perspective is the correct one. d. Microsociology used to dominate the field, but more recently macrosociology has become the dominant perspective. ANS: B 13. Regardless of their various approaches to social phenomena, what are all sociologists trying to do? a. illuminate the connection between the individual and society b. explain why poverty and inequality still exist c. compare the present with the past d. understand how our society is different from other cultures and other times ANS: A 14. According to C. Wright Mills, what one quality of mind do all great sociologists possess? a. open-mindedness b. sociological imagination c. praxis d. attention to detail ANS: B 15. What is the sociological imagination? a. a characteristic of society that ensures people remain ignorant of the connections between their lives and social change b. a particular way of understanding the criminal mind such as that of a serial killer c. the ability to understand the connections between biography and history or the self and the world d. the sociological approach that assumes individual decisions and interactions are independent of larger social institutions ANS: C 16. Why did C. Wright Mills think that it is important for everyone, even people who will never take a sociology class, to develop a sociological imagination? a. It will help create more jobs for sociologists. b. Many people are unaware of the connections between their own lives and the larger course of history. c. The sociological perspective is innately understood by nearly everyone, but we rarely acknowledge it. d. It will encourage growth in the field of microsociology. ANS: B 17. Why would culture shock be a useful state of mind for a sociologist? a. It makes us unable to function even in simple, everyday ways. b. It requires us to travel, which helps us grow as human beings. c. It shows us that people in foreign cultures have a way of life that seems strange to us. d. It makes us realize we lack an understanding of our surroundings so we can perceive what is right in front of us. ANS: D 18. In order to verify what the everyday actor might just accept or assume to be true, the social analyst must take the perspective of the a. social worker. b. native. c. stranger. d. insider. ANS: C 19. Taking the sociological approach to everyday life has strengths and weaknesses. One of the weaknesses of this approach is that it a. accepts many things as true that cannot be verified or confirmed. b. labors to grasp things that everyday actors understand implicitly. c. is a practical approach, rather than a scientific approach. d. requires one to travel in order to feel culture shock. ANS: B 20. When it comes to understanding everyday life, one of the weaknesses of being an everyday actor is that you a. are forced to see everything from the perspective of a stranger. b. must labor to grasp even simple, common occurrences. c. can only see things from a historical perspective. d. make assumptions and fail to investigate or verify those assumptions. ANS: D 21. Many everyday cultural practices such as greeting a friend, giving someone flowers, or using the thumbs-up sign seem like natural ways of acting. Why does having an awareness of how these practices vary across cultures demonstrate a healthy sociological imagination? a. It reminds us that everyday interactions are connected to larger societies and norms. b. It helps us economically when we do business in different countries. c. It lets us understand how immigrants perceive America when they move here. d. It shows us that cultures are not as different as we sometimes think they are. ANS: A 22. Together and in groups, people organize their lives and social interactions to produce a real and meaningful world. Sociologists can study this because a. they are interested in all aspects of human psychology. b. people organize their lives in patterned ways. c. sociology understands the importance of human psychology. d. we often assign characteristics to an entire group based on experience with a single group member. ANS: B 23. Why are there disagreements among sociologists about how to define sociology? a. Society is always changing. b. Sociologists are trained to be everyday actors. c. There is no disagreement among sociologists about how to define the discipline. d. Sociology encompasses a large intellectual territory. ANS: D 24. Metaphorically, what part of sociology is a zoom lens on a camera most like? a. qualitative research b. microsociology c. quantitative research d. macrosociology ANS: B 25. Researcher Pam Fishman noticed that, within heterosexual couples, women are more likely than men to use questions in conversation. Why is this finding sociologically important? a. Questions are more likely used by the partner with less power, so Fishman’s research connects social structures and individual behaviors. b. Fishman’s research on conversation styles shows a biological basis for larger social structures. c. Asking questions is important in maintaining a healthy relationship, as demonstrated by Fishman’s research. d. Questions are more likely to be used by the partner who is kinder and emotional, so Fishman’s research helps explain gender roles. ANS: A 26. A reality television show called Wife Swap exchanged the mothers from two very different families and filmed the result as the participants are exposed to radically different ways of life. Although the television network was simply trying to be entertaining, the show also demonstrates the sociological principle of a. the sociological imagination. b. globalization. c. quantitative methods. d. culture shock. ANS: D 27. Which best describes the research goals of sociologists who use a macrosociological approach and the research goals of sociologists who use a microsociological approach? a. Sociologists using a microsociological approach focus only on local concerns. b. Sociologists using a macrosociological approach are much more likely to be worried about globalization. c. No matter what approach they take, all sociologists aim to illuminate the connection between the individual and society. d. Regardless of which method they use, the research goal of all sociologists is to prove that individuals are ultimately in control of their own destinies. ANS: C 28. Many Marxist sociologists assume that large-scale economic structures are the most important factors in shaping people’s lives. This assumption is an example of a. microsociology. b. macrosociology. c. rationalization. d. symbolic interactionism. ANS: B 29. Where should you start if you possess a sociological imagination and you are asked to study unemployment rates in a city with fifty million people, of which, fifteen million are unemployed? a. You should consider the economic and political structures of the society. b. You should consider the work ethic of the average citizen. c. You should worry about the intelligence level of the workers who have lost their jobs. d. You should ask the people who are unemployed how much they want to work. ANS: A 30. The divorce rate has steadily increased over time and now more than a quarter of all marriages end within the first four years. What sort of factors would C. Wright Mills suggest investigating to explain this increase? a. religious b. personal c. structural d. psychological ANS: C 31. You are looking over the courses that are offered at your school and you see a class called “The Sociology of Media and Popular Culture.” You don’t think you need this course because you listen to lots of music, watch a wide variety of television, and often go to the movies. What would a sociologist tell you? a. You are a specialist in mass media. b. You should try to watch media from other cultures to really understand popular culture. c. You should take classes in film studies instead. d. You only have “reciped,” or practical knowledge. ANS: D 32. There is a close relationship between sociology and the other social sciences. Given how much overlap there is between these fields, why does sociology still exist as a separate discipline? a. All the other fields are more specialized, but sociology is a field that considers a huge intellectual territory. b. Sociology does not use historical context, which other social sciences do. c. Sociology departments are an academic tradition and would be difficult to disband. d. Political science and economics are more politically conservative and sociology provides a liberal counterbalance. ANS: A 33. What could you determine about Pam Fishman if you didn’t know anything about her except that she studied conversation patterns? a. She is a conflict theorist. b. c. d. She is a macrosociologist. She is a structural functionalist. She is a microsociologist. ANS: D 34. Why might Karl Marx and Émile Durkheim be placed far apart on sociology’s family tree? a. Marx’s work is no longer considered very important. b. Durkheim was more of a psychologist than a sociologist. c. The theoretical approaches they founded are very different. d. Durkheim was French whereas Marx was German. ANS: C 35. Unlike earlier religious traditions that attempted to determine the ultimate cause or source of reality, Auguste Comte developed positivism in order to a. explain how class conflict drove social change. b. argue that symbolic interactions between individuals were the basis for social life. c. justify a particular kind of social system based on hierarchy and privilege. d. identify laws that describe the behavior of a particular reality. ANS: D 36. What is a paradigm? a. an abstract proposition that explains the social world and makes predictions about the future b. a set of assumptions, theories, and perspectives that makes up a way of understanding social reality c. the theory that sense perceptions are the only valid source of knowledge d. the application of the theory of evolution and the notion of “survival of the fittest” to the study of society ANS: B 37. What historical events convinced Auguste Comte that society needed to be guided by thinkers who understood social laws? a. the American Civil War and the battle over slavery b. globalization and the rise of international trade and commerce c. the French Revolution and the instability that followed it d. the age of exploration and the expansion of European powers into Africa ANS: C 38. Harriet Martineau supported many ideas that were radical for her time including a. the liberation of French colonies in Africa. b. international communism and socialism. c. labor unions and the abolition of slavery. d. the French Revolution and the abolition of the monarchy. ANS: C 39. What was probably Harriet Martineau’s MOST important contribution to the development of sociology as a discipline? a. her theory of alienation b. c. d. her translation of the work of Auguste Comte into English her work on an early theory of symbolic interactionism her struggle for women’s rights ANS: B 40. Who coined the phrase “the survival of the fittest”? a. Charles Darwin b. Karl Marx c. Émile Durkheim d. Herbert Spencer ANS: D 41. What economic system emerged during the Industrial Revolution? a. communism b. humanitarianism c. globalization d. capitalism ANS: D 42. Émile Durkheim suggested that in traditional societies, people were bound through mechanical solidarity. What was the basis of these sorts of bonds? a. interdependence and the division of labor b. shared traditions and similar experiences c. a strong ruler who exercised absolute control over the population d. anomie ANS: B 43. On any given day, you probably depend on many strangers to provide electricity, water, natural gas, weather forecasts, and other services. According to Émile Durkheim, this interdependence gives rise to a. mechanical solidarity. b. class consciousness. c. organic solidarity. d. pragmatism. ANS: C 44. Émile Durkheim’s study on suicide found that suicide rates went up when the economy slumped, but they also increased when the economy boomed. Which of Durkheim’s concepts explains why both positive and negative economic conditions could increase suicide rates? a. alienation b. anomie c. mechanical solidarity d. organic solidarity ANS: B 45. According to Émile Durkheim, industrialized societies function via organic solidarity. What is the basis for organic solidarity? a. b. c. d. religion and tradition shared experiences and similar beliefs globalization, mass communications, and technology difference, interdependence, and individual rights ANS: D 46. Durkheim theorized that the rapidly changing conditions of modern life lead to anomie. What is anomie? a. normlessness or a loss of connections to the social world b. anger and disillusionment with progress c. the transfer of destructive urges to socially useful activities d. a kind of social solidarity based on interdependence ANS: A 47. In The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, Émile Durkheim argued that religion was a powerful source of social solidarity because a. religion established authorities who had control over entire societies. b. different religions were constantly appearing and disappearing. c. there were many arguments about which religion represented the truth. d. religion reinforced collective bonds and cultivated shared moral values. ANS: D 48. According to the theoretical position developed by Karl Marx, what is the engine of social change? a. conflict between social groups b. exploration beyond the boundaries of a given society c. development of technology d. shared moral values ANS: A 49. According to Karl Marx, the most important factor in social life is a person’s a. race or ethnicity. b. religious beliefs. c. relationship to the means of production. d. level of education. ANS: C 50. What does Marx see as the primary tool for the oppression of the lower social classes in modern society? a. increasing power of the police state b. religious authorities c. aristocracy d. industrial capitalism ANS: D 51. What term did Karl Marx use to describe the fact that most of the population accepts inequality even when it does not benefit them personally? a. class consciousness b. existentialism c. d. ethnomethodology false consciousness ANS: D 52. The ________ of white supremacy in the United States was a system of beliefs and attitudes that maintained the status quo of racism. a. praxis b. antithesis c. false consciousness d. ideology ANS: D 53. What was Marx criticizing when he said that religion is “the opiate of the masses”? a. the way religion defines what is sacred and what is profane b. the way religion increases anomie among the working class c. the use of religion by the ruling class to oppress the working class d. the way individuals use religion to support their actions ANS: C 54. After studying the indigenous peoples of Australia, ________ concluded that any form of religion is united in its definition of what is considered to be ________ and ________. a. Talcott Parsons; manifest functions; latent functions b. Émile Durkheim; sacred; profane c. Karl Max; manifest functions; latent functions d. Robert Merton; sacred; profane ANS: B 55. According to Karl Marx, how could a belief in heaven as a reward for earthly suffering serve the interests of the ruling class? a. by keeping the lower classes from demanding better treatment in this life b. by distracting the lower classes with fantastic spectacles c. by using the church as a means to extract economic resources from the poor d. by keeping working classes busy with religious activities and with no time to organize ANS: A 56. What did Karl Marx think the lower classes needed to develop in order to end their oppression? a. a critical theory of gender b. a stronger sense of verstehen c. class consciousness d. false consciousness ANS: C 57. According to Karl Marx, how is class consciousness, or revolutionary consciousness, developed? a. by a eurocentric party leading a violent revolution b. through a religious awakening c. by achieving perfect industrial production so that most workers are unemployed d. by the lower classes recognizing how society works and challenging those in power ANS: D 58. Karl Marx’s thought intellectuals should engage in praxis, meaning that they should a. constantly practice and develop the craft of social analysis. b. not just theorize about the world but change it. c. evaluate ideas based on their usefulness in everyday life. d. analyze and give meaning to every action. ANS: B 59. In 2007, the richest 1 percent of the American population owned 35 percent of the country’s wealth and the bottom 80 percent of the population owned 14 percent. Karl Marx would call this a. alienation. b. bourgeoisie. c. social inequality. d. organic solidarity. ANS: C 60. In eighteenth-century Great Britain, a series of Enclosure Acts were established by Parliament that broke up small farms, forced many small farmers to move to large cities in search of wage labor, and increased agricultural profits for landowners. Of what large-scale social system was this a part? a. socialism b. agrarian utopianism c. feudalism d. capitalism ANS: D 61. If someone has no way to make money but to sell his or her own labor, then he or she must be a member of what social group? a. bureaucrats b. proletariat c. bourgeoisie d. capitalists ANS: B 62. The Egg McMuffin is a vastly more efficient version of eggs Benedict. Egg McMuffins are cheaper, ready almost instantly at drive-through windows, and can be eaten with one hand while driving. However, they do not improve on the taste of or experience eating eggs Benedict. Max Weber might have described the Egg McMuffin as the ________ of breakfast. a. iron cage b. alienation c. praxis d. rationalization ANS: D