Chapter.10 Religion And Race Full Test Bank 6th Edition - Religion Sociology Perspective 6e Complete Test Bank by Keith A. Roberts. DOCX document preview.
Chapter 10
Religion and Race
Essay Questions
When it comes to essay questions, students sometimes write poorly because they are guessing about what the instructor wants, even if the question seems to be perfectly clear. For that reason we strongly recommend provision of an audience (so students know how much to assume in use of sociological vocabulary as well as how much must be made explicit) and criteria for evaluation (which is information that any writer needs to know.) Below are two sample statements that might be used as part of an essay question.
A. This essay calls for presentation and defense of an informed opinion. You should write for a well-educated reader, but one unfamiliar with sociological approaches to the study of religion. You will be graded on a) provision of a clearly stated thesis, b) the clarity and sophistication of your rationale, and c) the ability to support your argument with strong evidence. Sophistication of rationale refers to awareness of the complexity of the issues. The side of the argument that you support is irrelevant to the grading criteria.
B. Your audience for this essay should be senior sociology majors who know sociological vocabulary, but have never specifically studied the sociology of religion. The criteria for evaluation will be 1) accuracy of explanation, 2) clarity of illustrations or examples, and 3) thoroughness in exploring all dimensions of the issue.
Since some of these questions call for careful reflection, you might consider giving students a list of these and other essay questions in advance.
- Sociologist Michael Emerson says of the connection between religion and race: “Forget the color line. When it comes to religion in the United States, we have a color wall.” Support or refute his statement using the sociological data we have examined in this class.
- Write an analysis of racial and ethnic segregation by religious group, presenting the data that support the assertion of segregation and the explanations of what causes it.
3 Analyze the relationship between Christianity and racism by showing how a religion can contribute to both to tolerance/understanding and to racism at the same time.
4. How can the institutional subsystem of religion condone racism and encourage inaction, even though the official policy of the church is opposed to racism?
5. George Kelsey argues that racism is a religion and that many Americans are polytheists.
a.) Summarize his argument,
b.) Formulate your own opinion as to whether you agree with him,
c.) Provide rationale for your opinion.
6. How might Christian doctrines related to sin and salvation, moral perfection, and freewill determinism contribute to prejudice and racism?
7. How might belonging factors that serve to increase commitment levels among religious group members also contribute to prejudice within society?
8. What is unique about a sociological analysis of Christian racism? What issues does a sociological exploration raise that would not likely be explored by other disciplinary approaches?
9. What, in your opinion, are the four most important factors in the existence of racism among Christians? Explain how these factors work and provide your rationale for why you think these are the most important variables.
10. In the textbook, the authors discussed racism directed by white Christians against blacks. How might the causes of religious prejudice against Jews or Muslims be different? Which theories might become more relevant for understanding this bigotry? Why? Which might be less relevant? Why?
Multiple Choice Test Questions
- Research indicates that religious groups in the United States are, for the most part,
a.. less segregated by race and ethnicity than the larger society.
b. more segregated by race and ethnicity than the larger society.
c. no different in segregation than most social institutions.
d. more segregated at the organizational (denominational) level than the larger society and less so at the level of local congregations.
- In trying to assess the segregation of congregations, a “continuous” approach develops a “heterogeneity index”. This index indicates
a. that a congregation either is, or is not, segregated.
b. that 37 percent of congregations are multiracial.
c. that there is a certain a “probability”—rated on a 0.0 to 1.0 scale—that any two randomly selected members will be of different racial groups.
d. that no congregations in the United States are multicultural.
e. which denominations are most segregated.
- A researcher argues that a congregation has very high levels of homophily. This means
a. that the congregation is multiracial.
b. that the congregation is made up of two predominant ethnic groups of about the same size.
c. that the congregation is nondenominational.
d. that people in the congregation seem to be attracted to people like themselves—that birds of a feather flock together .
e. that the congregation rejects homosexuals and bars them from membership
4. In accord with George Kelsey's argument, your textbook says that racism and Christianity are philosophically
a. incompatible because racism involves an implicit worship of one's genes and an understanding of human worth that is contrary to Christianity.
b. incompatible because the Declaration of Independence says everyone is "created equal."
c. incompatible because he believes that Jesus was black.
d. compatible because the Bible endorses the idea of hierarchical relationships between people.
e. compatible because the Bible says Ham, whose skin was dark, was the rejected son.
5. At first, white masters in North America refused to allow missionaries to preach to their slaves because most denominations
a. did not want blacks in their churches.
b. charged plantation owners heavily for the service.
c. taught that blacks were related to chimpanzees and not fully human; therefore they could not be converted to Christianity.
d. maintained that a Christian could not own another Christian; thus black converts would have to be freed.
e. all of the above.
6. Which of the following was NOT among the cultural meaning factors associated with racism?
a. Color symbolism.
b. The doctrine of free-will individualism.
c. Particularism.
d. The doctrine of predestination.
7. Joe feels he is not prejudiced against other people. He does not think anyone should be subjugated, humiliated, or demeaned by others. But he doesn't really want to interact with blacks. As long as he does not have to associate with them personally, he has no problem with Americans of African descent. Sociologists would say that Joe's attitude illustrates
a. free-will individualism
b. aversive racism.
c. dominative racism.
d. institutional racism.
e. religious particularism.
8. Among religious abolitionists, which of the following may have been linked to aversive racism, keeping blacks separated and disadvantaged?
a. Color symbolism.
b. The miracle motif.
c. Free will individualism.
d. Aligning actions.
9. A situation in which policies in one aspect of society causes unintended discrimination in another social realm is called
a. aversive discrimination.
b. color symbolism.
c. particularism.
d. indirect institutional discrimination.
e. racial asceticism.
10. Development of we-they prejudice involving religious groups is especially likely in situations where racial, economic, and religious boundaries are
a. cross-cutting.
b. nonexistent.
c. coextensive.
d. blurred.
11. Sentiments expressed by college students toward the Danireans, Pireneans, and Wallonians can likely best be explained by
a. conflict over scarce resources with members of these groups.
b. negative effects of ethnic jokes.
c. stereotypes.
d. institutional discrimination.
e. "we-they" theory.
12. An important reason that clergy in Little Rock did not speak out more forcefully during the school desegregation crisis in that city was that
a. most of them did not support school desegregation.
b. institutional rewards enticed them to go easy and not rock the boat.
c. the official policies of their denominations either supported segregation or were silent on the matter.
d. white "citizens' councils" threatened to burn their homes.
e. all of the above.
13. Several good friends at a church potluck supper complain to each other about characteristics of another ethnic group and laugh at a few ethnic jokes. This is an example of how in a religion can contribute to racism.
a. institutional factors
b. belonging factors
c. meaning factors
d. cognitive development factors
e. anomie
14. Your textbook authors (Roberts and Yamane) believe that the most important issue in racial and ethnic discrimination is
a. religious doctrines.
b. improper socialization.
c. alienation.
d. personality maladjustments in prejudiced people.
e. conflict over scarce resources.
15. A major thesis of the textbook’s chapter on Christianity and racism is that
a. Christianity, like most religions, is intrinsically racist.
b. some Christians are racist, but they are maladjusted individuals who do not represent the majority.
c. discrimination will soon stop because racism within the church is nearly eradicated.
d. religion may contribute to prejudice unintentionally—as in the case of the institutional system or the belonging system rewarding behaviors contrary to the official meaning system of the faith.
e. all of the above.
16. The idea that religious prejudice is a consequence of other social processes and tensions rather than its cause is most forcefully represented in
a. conflict theory.
b. structural functional theory.
c. symbolic interaction theory.
d. rational choice theory.
e. reference group theory.
17. Which of the following is NOT a point made by Roberts and Yamane regarding religious bigotry?
a. One reason for racial prejudice in the churches is that extrinsically religious persons join churches for secular reasons and, thus, are not necessarily committed to the moral teaching of the faith.
b. The symbolic connotation of the colors black and white, which can be traced back many centuries in Western civilization, may be one of the factors that has unwittingly contributed to racism.
c. Christian particularism is highly correlated with anti-Semitism, but not with racial prejudice.
d. Religious prejudice is often a reflection of larger social conflicts rather than their cause.
e. Two-thirds of the major denominations in the U.S. have not spoken out and declared Christianity and racism to be mutually exclusive.
18. Many preachers in Little Rock, AK did not use prophetic ministry to speak out against discrimination in their community. However, Protestant clergy in California were much more likely to preach using prophetic ministry. Which of the following is NOT a factor in determining whether a preacher will follow the ideals of the church and take prophetic stands against racism?
a. Relative liberalism or conservatism of the congregation
b. Size of the congregation
c. Relative liberalism or conservatism of denominational leaders
d. Organization of the denomination
19. Consider the following two statements in relation to the course material: (A) The majority of African American “nones” are atheists or agnostics; and (B) African Americans today are less connected to specific denominations (e.g., Baptist, Catholic) than they have been historically; Which of the following is correct?
a. Only A is an accurate statement
b. Only B is an accurate statement
c. Both A and B are accurate statements
d. Neither A nor B are accurate statements
20. According to data from the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, a majority (58%) of Latinos in the United States identify as:
a. Evangelical Protestants
b. Pentecostals
c. Catholics
d. Unaffiliated
e. None of the above
21. Which of the following racial groups are overrepresented among atheists in the United States?
a. Whites and Latinos
b. Whites and Blacks
c. Whites and Asians
d. Whites and Other/Mixed
Document Information
Connected Book
Religion Sociology Perspective 6e Complete Test Bank
By Keith A. Roberts