Chapter 12: Education and Society

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Which concept describes the transmission of society’s norms, values, and knowledge base by means of direction instruction?

a. socialization

b. education

c. culture

d. cognition

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. How did education occur during much of human history?

a. privately

b. publicly

c. informally

d. formally

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. Mass education is the extension of which type of schooling?

a. home

b. religious

c. private

d. formal

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Which type of education is the norm in most modern and economically advanced or advancing societies?

a. religious education

b. informal education

c. mass education

d. military education

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Which of the following is a characteristic of mass education?

a. the belief that education is a privilege

b. the exclusion of formal schooling from segments of the population

c. the elimination of private schools

d. the training of workers and citizens

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. Schools were originally established in the United States for which of the following purposes?

a. to train workers in a particular craft

b. to provide religious education

c. to promote critical thinking

d. to teach workplace habits and skills

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. By the 18th century, the goal of education shifted to ______.

a. learning foreign languages

b. fostering critical thinking

c. cultivating practical and productive skills

d. providing religious education

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Which term describes the ability to read and write at a basic level?

a. insight

b. proficiency

c. knowledge

d. literacy

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. Which type of education includes universal education systems provided by the government and funded by tax revenues rather than student fees?

a. public education

b. charter education

c. parochial education

d. municipal education

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Easy10. In which century did public education emerge in the United States?

a. 17th century

b. 18th century

c. 19th century

d. 20th century

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Easy11. Which of the following is true about U.S. education in the 19th and early 20th centuries?

a. Many Native Americans were forcibly sent to boarding schools.

b. Schools were segregated by gender.

c. Girls were prohibited from going to school.

d. Most students completed high school.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Easy12. Which of the following is true of U.S. public education in the 19th century?

a. Schooling was provided for all children.

b. Mass public schooling was segregated by gender and race.

c. Schools were funded by the federal government.

d. Schools for African Americans were segregated by law in all states.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Medium13. When did the U.S. Supreme Court rule that school segregation is unconstitutional?

a. late 19th century

b. early 20th century

c. mid 20th century

d. mid 19th century

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Easy14. Which of the following is an example of a credential?

a. skill

b. intellect

c. a recommendation

d. a certificate

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Hard15. Which of the following is true of a credential society?

a. Access to good jobs depends on the possession of a certificate or a diploma.

b. Intelligence and skills are the most important factors in getting a job.

c. Credentials do not need to be socially validated.

d. Educational credentials have little impact on social and economic mobility.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Medium16. Which of the following is true of Émile Durkheim’s perspective of education?

a. Education, as a complex institution, contributes to low social solidarity in society.

b. Education trains people in the skills and habits demanded by an oppressive economic system.

c. Education reproduces social stratification, limiting the discovery of talent.

d. Education addresses the problem of weak social solidarity by providing moral education.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Functionalist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium17. Which of the following is a manifest function of mass public education?

a. learning to follow rules

b. learning to count

c. learning to show respect for authority

d. learning to organize one’s life according to schedules

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Functionalist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium18. According to contemporary functionalist perspectives, the propagation of norms and values is which of the following functions of education?

a. manifest function

b. primary function

c. latent function

d. secondary function

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Functionalist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium19. Which of the following is a latent function of mass public education?

a. learning to read and write

b. learning to count

c. learning about the history of society

d. learning to organize one’s life according to schedules

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Functionalist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium20. Which of the following is a weakness of functionalist perspectives of education?

a. These ignore the manifest functions of education.

b. These do not explore peer socialization.

c. These overemphasize the extent to which critical thinking can develop a capacity for self-direction in a student.

d. These ignore ways in which education may also function to reproduce social inequality.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Functionalist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium21. On which of the following points do conflict and functionalist theorists agree?

a. Education sometimes undermines societal authority by promoting a critical approach to dominant ideas.

b. Education channels individuals into the positions for which they are best suited.

c. Education trains people in the dominant norms and values of society.

d. Education reproduces social inequality.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Conflict Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium22. Which of the following statements best reflects conflict perspectives of education?

a. Children learn how to become productive members of society.

b. Children are given educational opportunities based on social class.

c. Children are channeled into the positions for which they are best suited.

d. Children have equal opportunities to demonstrate their talents and abilities.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Conflict Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium23. According to conflict theorists, the hidden curriculum does which of the following?

a. It teaches members of the working class important skills for advancement.

b. It socializes members of the working class to accept their class positions.

c. It exposes children of all classes to equal opportunities.

d. It places less talented students into lower-level classes.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Conflict Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium24. A student is asked to write an essay on what he would like to be when he grows up. Unlike his parents, who work minimum-wage jobs, the little boy would like to become a doctor to help other low-income families. His teacher tells him that his goal is unrealistic, and he should consider working in the local factory instead. This effect of education best reflects which of the following?

a. functionalist perspectives of education

b. conflict perspectives of education

c. feminist perspectives of education

d. symbolic interactionist perspectives of education

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Conflict Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Hard25. Which statement accurately reflects Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis’ 1976 book, Schooling in Capitalist America?

a. The authors argue that schools do a poor job of preparing people to function well and without complaint in society.

b. The authors used statistical data to show that economic status is passed on to children at least in part through unequal educational opportunity.

c. The authors argue that the modern school system is the product of the evolutionary perfection of democratic pedagogy.

d. The authors exposed inequities in student access to advanced placement classes.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Conflict Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium26. Which of the following is an example of a symbolic interactionist approach to studying education?

a. analyzing data about the relationship between education status and income

b. observing how certain students perform in class after being labeled “exceptional”

c. studying patterns of racial segregation in public education

d. examining the reproduction of inequality in mass education

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Hard

27. Every morning before class the teacher tells each of her students that they are smart and will succeed. As a result, each student tries hard to achieve good grades and eventually graduates. This is an example of which of the following?

a. the functionalist theory of education

b. the conflict theory of education

c. the feminist theory of education

d. the symbolic interactionism theory of education

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Hard28. A teacher in a history class tends to call on certain students over others. The group of students who continue to raise their hands but do not get called on score lower on tests and think they are not as smart as the others. This is an example of which of the following?

a. labeling

b. discrimination

c. self-fulfilling prophecy

d. cultural factors

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Hard29. When students are labeled, which group receives the harshest punishment?

a. Asian American students

b. male students

c. Black students

d. upper-middle-class students

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium30. According to the text, one study showed that ______ students received lower grades than their actual test scores.

a. Latino, Black, and white male

b. Latino, Black, and white female

c. Asian American and female

d. Asian American and Black male

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium31. According to a study, which of the following was true of teacher expectations for Black students when it came to going to college?

a. Black teachers had higher expectations of Black students than of white students.

b. Black teachers and non-Black teachers had the same expectations of Black students and of white students.

c. Non-Black teachers had higher expectations of Black students than of white students.

d. Black teachers and non-Black teachers had higher expectations of white students than of Black students.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium32. According to a study, when it came to going to college, Black teachers’ expectations for Black students were ______ compared to non-Black teachers’ expectations for Black students.

a. slightly lower

b. slightly higher

c. much higher

d. much lower

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium33. Which factor is most predictive of college success?

a. race

b. social class

c. teacher expectations

d. student expectations

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium34. Black students are more likely than their white counterparts to ______.

a. receive after-school tutoring

b. be suspended or expelled

c. place into Advanced Placement classes

d. take unpaid internships

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium

35. Which of the following is a criticism of the symbolic interactionist perspective of education?

a. It ignores the power of labeling.

b. It focuses on macro-level forces, ignoring the power of social relationships.

c. It cannot give us a picture of the role of the educational system in society as a whole.

d. It focuses too intently on structural problems such as the unequal funding of schools.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium

36. Which of the following examples best represents word poverty?

a. a child who grows up in a home with few books

b. a child who grows up in a home filled with books and has parents who are teachers

c. a family where the parents do not speak English

d. a family where one parent is deaf

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Word Poverty and Literacy

Difficulty Level: Hard

37. Which of the following factors is not linked to word poverty among children?

a. economic disadvantage

b. language-impoverished environments

c. limited access to books in the home

d. individual learning challenges, such as dyslexia

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Word Poverty and Literacy

Difficulty Level: Medium

38. Word poverty is significant because it is linked to which of the following?

a. low literacy

b. high literacy

c. low numeracy

d. high numeracy

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Word Poverty and Literacy

Difficulty Level: Medium39. Which of the following is true of school segregation today?

a. It no longer exists.

b. It still exists but is not nearly as persistent of a problem as it was in the past.

c. It still exists at about the same level as it did in the 1950s.

d. It is a problem that is worsening.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Medium40. Until the 1950s, school segregation in the South was a result of which of the following?

a. automation

b. property taxes

c. Jim Crow laws

d. de facto segregation

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Medium41. Which Supreme Court case upheld the states’ rights to segregate public accommodations in 1896?

a. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

b. Plessy v. Ferguson

c. Loving v. Virginia

d. Board of Education of Oklahoma City v. Dowell

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Easy42. The Supreme Court ruled that laws segregating public schools are unconstitutional in which 1954 case?

a. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

b. Plessy v. Ferguson

c. Loving v. Virginia

d. Board of Education of Oklahoma City v. Dowell

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Easy43. On what basis did the Supreme Court rule laws segregating public schools unconstitutional?

a. by showing that segregated schools were not in fact equal

b. by showing that segregated schools violated First Amendment rights

c. by showing that segregated schools were the product of hate speech

d. by showing that segregated schools violated the Equal Protection Clause

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Medium44. Which of the following was a challenge of school integration following Brown v. Board of Education?

a. Brown v. Board of Education did not clearly prohibit purposeful discrimination on the basis of race.

b. Brown v. Board of Education did not provide for specific methods to achieve school integration.

c. Brown v. Board of Education did not achieve enough civil support for it to be enforced.

d. Brown v. Board of Education was not followed by subsequent court decisions.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Medium45. What method of achieving school integration is known for worsening racial conflict in South Boston?

a. the implementation of educational vouchers

b. redistricting

c. revision of school funding formulas

d. mandated school busing

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Easy46. Which of the following contributes to high levels of racial segregation in U.S. schools today?

a. antidiscrimination laws

b. Jim Crow laws

c. de jure segregation

d. residential segregation

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Easy47. Which of the following is true of school segregation in the United States?

a. School busing has been a very successful method of achieving integration.

b. The Supreme Court continues to expand the scope of laws aimed at promoting integration.

c. School segregation is not linked to educational inequality.

d. The movement of middle- and upper-class Whites into suburban or outlying areas has worsened racial segregation.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Medium48. Which of the following is one of the problems facing schools that operate under de facto school segregation?

a. high levels of competition and expectation

b. teachers with long tenures

c. low levels of teen pregnancy

d. peer pressure against academic achievement

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Medium49. Unlike children of a wealthy white family who go to a private school, a young Latinx boy living in an economically disenfranchised neighborhood has fewer academic opportunities because his public school is poorly funded. Which of the following best represents this example?

a. de jure segregation

b. de facto segregation

c. racial zoning

d. the realization of spatial justice

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Hard50. Which of the following racial minority groups is least likely to attend segregated schools?

a. Asian Americans

b. Hispanic Americans

c. African Americans

d. American Indians

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Easy51. In the United States today, about which portion of high school graduates enroll in college?

a. about a quarter

b. just under half

c. slightly more than half

d. about three quarters

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Issues in U.S. Higher Education

Difficulty Level: Easy52. Education is increasingly important for job seekers due in large part to which of the following factors?

a. the transition to a postindustrial economy

b. the decrease in internship opportunities

c. the growth of online education

d. the hidden curriculum of gender norms

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education, Employment, and Earnings

Difficulty Level: Medium53. Which of the following is a reason why educational attainment has grown in importance in the postindustrial economy?

a. Living wage manufacturing jobs are no longer appealing to jobs seekers.

b. Living wage manufacturing jobs require significantly higher levels of educational attainment.

c. Living wage manufacturing jobs have fallen victim to outsourcing and automation.

d. Living wage manufacturing jobs no longer exist.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education, Employment, and Earnings

Difficulty Level: Medium54. The current U.S. labor market is mostly made up of advanced professional occupations that require higher education and low-pay, low-benefit ______ jobs.

a. manufacturing

b. service

c. unionized

d. specialized

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education, Employment, and Earnings

Difficulty Level: Medium

55. Which of the following racial groups is most likely to take on educational debt?

a. Asian Americans

b. Latinos

c. Blacks

d. Whites

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education, Employment, and Earnings

Difficulty Level: Medium

56. Which of the following racial groups experiences the highest levels of postgraduation unemployment?

a. Asian Americans

b. Latinos

c. Blacks

d. Whites

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education, Employment, and Earnings

Difficulty Level: Medium

57. Which of the following is true regarding labor force participation in 2019?

a. Those with less than a high school education had the highest labor force participation rates.

b. Those with just a high school diploma had the highest labor force participation rates.

c. Those with an associate degree had the highest labor force participation rates.

d. Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher had the highest labor force participation rates.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education, Employment, and Earnings

Difficulty Level: Medium

58. A 2014 survey of 43,000 graduating seniors found which of the following?

a. About 10% of graduating seniors have had an internship or a co-op experience in college.

b. About 35% of graduating seniors have had an internship or a co-op experience in college.

c. About 60% of graduating seniors have had an internship or a co-op experience in college.

d. About 95% of graduating seniors have had an internship or a co-op experience in college.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education, Employment, and Earnings

Difficulty Level: Medium

59. Which of the following is true about internships?

a. It is more difficult for lower-income people to take unpaid internships.

b. Most internships offer stipends or pay.

c. Unpaid internships are being turned into paid entry-level jobs to provide a stepping-stone for students leaving school with degrees.

d. Universities and employers do not benefit from internships.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Internships and Higher Education

Difficulty Level: Medium

60. How do employers view internships?

a. The internship experience is a significant factor in hiring decisions.

b. The internship is not as valuable when it is an unpaid internship.

c. Most employers do not value internships.

d. Most employers would like to replace paid jobs with unpaid internships.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Internships and Higher Education

Difficulty Level: Medium

61. Which of the following is true of college enrollment in the United States?

a. Less than half of high school graduates in the United States today go to college.

b. The number of high school graduates in the United States who go to college has decreased steadily over the years.

c. Students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds are enrolling in college at high rates.

d. Education is less critical for competitiveness in the job market than it has been in the past.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Dropping in, Dropping out: Why Are College Dropout Rates So High?

Difficulty Level: Medium

62. Which of the following is true of college attainment in the United States?

a. With higher levels of college enrollment, college attainment levels have increased accordingly.

b. Despite higher levels of college enrollment, college attainment levels have remained flat.

c. Six-year completion rates are lowest at the most selective schools.

d. Six-year completion rates are highest at open-admission schools.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Dropping in, Dropping out: Why Are College Dropout Rates So High?

Difficulty Level: Medium63. Which schools have the worst college completion rates?

a. community colleges

b. private universities

c. open-admission colleges

d. the most selective colleges

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Dropping in, Dropping out: Why Are College Dropout Rates So High?

Difficulty Level: Easy64. Which of the following is true of remedial classes?

a. Some of these courses are not credit bearing, lengthening the time needed to earn a degree.

b. These courses tend to be more expensive than standard course offerings.

c. These courses are designed to alleviate the cost of education by reducing the time needed to earn a degree.

d. These courses tend to be less expensive than standard course offerings.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Dropping in, Dropping out: Why Are College Dropout Rates So High?

Difficulty Level: Medium

65. How does part-time attendance affect the probability of degree attainment?

a. Part-time attendance increases the probability of degree attainment.

b. Part-time attendance does not affect the probability of degree attainment.

c. Part-time attendance decreases the probability of degree attainment.

d. Researchers are unsure how part-time attendance affects the probability of degree attainment.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Dropping in, Dropping out: Why Are College Dropout Rates So High?

Difficulty Level: Medium

66. Which of the following is true according to an OECD report of the United States’ ranking in college degree attainment among 37 countries?

a. At one time, the United States was ranked at the bottom of the list.

b. At one time, the United States was ranked at the top of the list.

c. The United States is currently ranked near the bottom of the list.

d. The United Sates is currently ranked in the top 10.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Dropping in, Dropping out: Why Are College Dropout Rates So High?

Difficulty Level: Medium

67. According to the OECD, which statement is true?

a. Higher educational attainment correlates with greater employment.

b. In the United States, those with high school diplomas are employed at the highest rates.

c. Work experience during college has no effect on employment rates.

d. Greater education has little correlation with higher pay.

Learning Objective: 12.5: Learn about the importance of higher education globally and the growth of U.S. student contact with other students from around the world.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Higher Education and Job Opportunities

Difficulty Level: Medium

68. Which of the following is true of study abroad programs?

a. The percentage of U.S. students who study abroad has decreased.

b. The number of students from foreign countries coming to the United States to study has increased.

c. The top destinations for U.S. students are China, India, and Israel.

d. There is a decline in interest in the Middle East due to safety issues in the area.

Learning Objective: 12.5: Learn about the importance of higher education globally and the growth of U.S. student contact with other students from around the world.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: American and International Students Study Abroad

Difficulty Level: Medium

69. The vast majority of U.S. students who study abroad do so in which region?

a. Western Europe

b. Latin America

c. East Asia

d. Middle East

Learning Objective: 12.5: Learn about the importance of higher education globally and the growth of U.S. student contact with other students from around the world.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: American and International Students Study Abroad

Difficulty Level: Easy

70. The majority of international students in the United States come from which country?

a. United Kingdom

b. China

c. Brazil

d. Mexico

Learning Objective: 12.5: Learn about the importance of higher education globally and the growth of U.S. student contact with other students from around the world.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: American and International Students Study Abroad

Difficulty Level: Easy

True/False

1. Free public education emerged out of demands made by labor unions in the 19th century.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. Literacy is the basic ability to read and write.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. A credential society does not require formal education and a degree for employment.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Schools in the United States typically reinforce traditional gender roles.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Functionalist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Malcolm X advocated moral education.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Conflict Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. Teachers behave differently toward students who are thought to be exceptional.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Although access to books at home and early reading experiences are related to higher performance at the early grade level, the literacy gap is easily closed within the first 2 or 3 years of schooling.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Word Poverty and Literacy

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. Latinx and Black students are more likely to attend segregated schools than in past decades.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. Eighty percent of Black college students take on student loan debt.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education, Employment, and Earnings

Difficulty Level: Medium10. College graduation rates are highest at open-admission colleges.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Dropping in, Dropping out: Why Are College Dropout Rates So High?

Difficulty Level: Easy

Short Answer

1. The United States is a credential society. Explain what is meant by this statement and provide an example of how this plays out in the job market.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Discuss two benefits and two drawbacks of mass education.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society” / Theoretical Perspectives on Education

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Distinguish between formal education, mass education, and public education.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Discuss the role that race plays in teachers’ expectations of students.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Hard

5. What is the self-fulfilling prophecy and how does it impact students’ schooling?

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Briefly discuss Advanced Placement (AP) enrollment in the context of race.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Conflict Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Define the concept word poverty. Discuss why this issue is important in relation to educational success.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Word Poverty and Literacy

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Discuss the relationship between residential location and education. How does one’s location affect one’s access to quality education? Include a reflection about your own experience.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Hard

9. Unpaid internships are often portrayed as being enormously beneficial to the student participant, while minimally beneficial to the employer or university. Use sociological reasoning to debunk this myth and explain how unpaid internships serve as a system of exploitation.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Internships and Higher Education

Difficulty Level: Hard10. What are the benefits of studying abroad during college? Include in your discussion how you personally feel about studying abroad for a semester.

Learning Objective: 12.5: Learn about the importance of higher education globally and the growth of U.S. student contact with other students from around the world.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: American and International Students Study Abroad

Difficulty Level: Hard

Essay

1. Outline the evolution of public education in the United States, from its early colonial roots to changes today. Include a discussion of the relationship between public education and labor, work, and the economy.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Education, Industrialization, and the “Credential Society”

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Identify the manifest and latent functions of education and apply a functionalist perspective to U.S. education. Discuss the weaknesses of this perspective.

Learning Objective: 12.1: Describe the historical and contemporary role of education in society.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Functionalist Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. The source of financing for most U.S. school districts consists of local property taxes. Use the conflict perspective to critique why this system is problematic and incorporate the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in your discussion.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Conflict Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Discuss how education serves as an agent of socialization, particularly regarding class and gender. Critique education socialization using a conflict perspective.

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Conflict Perspectives

Difficulty Level: Hard

5. Suppose someone you know receives private, after-school tutoring in addition to their regular secondary school public education. Apply a conflict and symbolic interactionist perspective to tutoring. How would a symbolic interactionist examine the relationship between tutor and pupil?

Learning Objective: 12.2: Apply conflict, functionalist, and symbolic interactionist theoretical perspectives to the institution of education.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Theoretical Perspectives on Education

Difficulty Level: Hard

6. Discuss the history of racial school segregation in the United States and apply sociological theories to explain why it persists and has even worsened since the 1960s.

Learning Objective: 12.3: Explain how education may function both to reduce and reproduce social inequalities

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: School Segregation

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Student loan debt is higher than at any other point in U.S history. Discuss the relationships between student loan debt, the economy, and the family.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Education, Employment, and Earnings

Difficulty Level: Hard

8. Reflect on your own educational experience. Discuss how race, class, gender, and residential location have affected your quality of education and experiences in the classroom.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Education, Employment, and Earnings

Difficulty Level: Hard

9. Explain the three main factors that contribute to the college dropout phenomenon.

Learning Objective: 12.4: Discuss key issues in U.S. higher education, including the relationship between education and income potential, the debate over college internships, and the college dropout phenomenon.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Dropping in, Dropping out: Why Are College Dropout Rates So High?

Difficulty Level: Medium10. What is the OECD and how has it impacted higher education?

Learning Objective: 12.5: Learn about the importance of higher education globally and the growth of U.S. student contact with other students from around the world.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education in a Global Perspective

Difficulty Level: Medium