Verified Test Bank Sociology In A Changing World Chapter 1

Experience Sociology, 4e (Croteau)

Chapter 1 Sociology in a Changing World

1) Which concept describes the processes of seeing and understanding the connections between individuals and the broader social contexts in which they live?

A) structural-functionalist theory

B) social viewpoint

C) sociology

D) sociological perspective

2) Sally grew up in the middle class. For school, she volunteered at a soup kitchen and, for the first time, met individuals her own age who had grown up in poverty. Instead of dismissing these individuals as lazy, she sought to understand what social forces worked to shape her life differently from those she met at the soup kitchen. This is an example of

A) everyday sociology.

B) the sociological perspective.

C) a social viewpoint.

D) doing sociology.

3) A sociologist would understand the phenomena of poverty by examining

A) why individuals fail to find jobs that pay more.

B) the ways that employment is structured.

C) the race, class, and gender of individuals.

D) the neighborhood an individual lives in.

4) A sociological understanding of homelessness would include all of the following EXCEPT

A) an individual's social status.

B) the local employment structure.

C) an individual's personal failures at locating work.

D) stratification in the society an individual lived in.

5) Who used the term "sociological imagination" to describe a way of viewing the connections individuals have to their social worlds?

A) Karl Marx

B) Max Weber

C) Emile Durkheim

D) Wright Mills

6) The systematic study of the relationship between individuals and society is called

A) psychology.

B) anthropology.

C) sociology.

D) political science.

7) Which of the following statements regarding sociology is NOT true?

A) We need a systematic way to comprehend the processes that make up social life.

B) We need to understand not only how we make sense of the world, but how other people do so as well.

C) The idea that people must play the cards they are dealt in life is consistent with a sociological perspective.

D) You have to be a professional sociologist to look at the world from a sociological perspective.

8) In order to understand our lives, sociologists would argue that we need to

A) examine the contexts in which we live.

B) explore the motives behind our actions.

C) examine the way we interact with others.

D) explore the ways in which other people live.

9) Sociologists would study all of these topics EXCEPT for

A) why people commit crimes.

B) how children learn about gender.

C) how personality develops.

D) why homelessness exists.

10) Julian and his friends like to watch movies together. One movie focused on a young black man who rose out of poverty by playing basketball. His friend N'Cola commented that there would be no poverty if poor people simply tried to find employment. Julian said that the solution to poverty was not that simple and that N'Cola's understanding of how poverty worked was mistaken. What is the problem with N'Cola's argument?

A) It ignores the context of broader social conditions.

B) It uses the sociological perspective.

C) It ignores the rules of sociology as a discipline.

D) It views an individual problem as a social problem.

11) Maria wants to write a paper for her college class that explores how married couples divide household chores. She wants to argue that gender shapes how couples share housework. Given her topic and argument, her class is a part of what discipline?

A) psychology

B) sociology

C) statistics

D) economics

12) To what group of research-based disciplines does sociology belong?

A) the research sciences

B) the humanities

C) the hard sciences

D) the social sciences

13) Which of the following questions would a sociologist ask?

A) How does collecting government assistance impact future employment?

B) How can politicians use government assistance policies in their campaigns?

C) What are the personalities of individuals on public assistance?

D) How do different societies define and respond to crime?

14) Which of the following was NOT identified as a key advantage to majoring in sociology?

A) A sociology degree is flexible.

B) Sociology focuses on the study of people.

C) Sociology provides insights into diversity.

D) Sociology explores the source of social problems.

15) Which of the following research questions would a sociologist ask?

A) How does being homeless impact people's ability to find work?

B) Does being homeless change someone's personality?

C) How do anti-poverty policies influence voting behaviors?

D) Is gender related to homelessness?

16) All of the following are parts of the move toward modernity EXCEPT for

A) the growth of democracy.

B) the shift to an urban industrial economy.

C) an increased reliance on science and reasons to explain the natural and social worlds.

D) an increased confidence in religion.

17) The historical period marked by a shift to urban industrial economies and increased faith in science and reason is known as

A) modernity.

B) postmodernity.

C) industrialization.

D) democracy.

18) Maria lives in a society where physical illness is viewed as being caused by germs and unsanitary conditions and does not occur as the product of a curse or spell. In what historical context is she living?

A) modernity

B) capitalism

C) the early modern period

D) the Middle Ages

19) Which concept describes how logic and the systematic collection of evidence are used to support theories about the natural and social world?

A) sociology

B) science

C) common sense

D) logic

20) During the Middle Ages, who or what dominated European intellectual life?

A) enlightened monarchs

B) the Church and its clergy

C) science

D) philosophers

21) The rise in scientific thought, the Age of Enlightenment, and the declining influence of religion in everyday life are associated with the ________ revolution.

A) social

B) economic

C) political

D) cultural

22) What is industrialization?

A) the creation of jobs that pay workers by the hour

B) the shift from living on farms to living in cities

C) the use of products in farming to increase crop yield

D) the use of machines to mass produce items for purchase

23) Which term refers to the use of factories and mills to mass produce goods for sale?

A) urbanization

B) capitalism

C) modernity

D) industrialization

24) What was Immanuel Kant describing with the motto "Dare to know"?

A) modernity

B) urbanization

C) industrialization

D) the Enlightenment

25) Enlightenment thinkers believed that open debate and the application of reason and science would promote all of the following EXCEPT for

A) tolerance.

B) equality.

C) socialism.

D) freedom.

26) The movement of individuals from living in rural farming towns to living in centralized cities is known as

A) urbanization.

B) suburbanization.

C) gentrification.

D) industrialization.

27) Monty is a rich man who invests his money in small businesses. He recently purchased a small bakery and hired a new manager to oversee changes to the business to make it more profitable. His investment has paid off, since he now makes more money than he spent to acquire the bakery. What term describes Monty's role in this scenario?

A) industrialist

B) innovator

C) consumer

D) capitalist

28) Historically, which of the following happened first?

A) urbanization

B) industrialization

C) consumerism

D) capitalism

29) All of the following events occurred during the Industrial Revolution EXCEPT for

A) the industrialization of goods.

B) the increased influence of religion.

C) the growth of cities.

D) the rise of capitalism.

30) Sociology emerged from all of the following revolutions EXCEPT the

A) religious.

B) economic.

C) cultural.

D) political.

31) Auguste Comte is associated with which foundation of sociological thought?

A) positivism

B) structural-functionalism

C) conflict

D) postmodernity

32) The principle that true knowledge must be based on the scientific method is known as

A) postmodernity.

B) positivism.

C) science.

D) structural-functionalism.

33) Which of the following is the core belief of positivism?

A) People must do the best for the greater good.

B) Society is shaped by capitalism.

C) Knowledge must be based on evidence.

D) Truth is found in religious faith.

34) Which of the following best summarizes Karl Marx's view of the social world?

A) Society is shaped by the competing interests of workers and capitalists.

B) Religion is the basis of social bonds.

C) Societies' shared values and goals allow for cultural growth.

D) The nature of capitalism creates great wealth and crushing poverty.

35) Which of the following best summarizes Emile Durkheim's view of the social world?

A) Society works because there is a collective understanding of behaviors.

B) Society is shaped by the competing interests of workers and capitalists.

C) Religion is the basis of social bonds.

D) Societies' shared values and goals allow for cultural growth.

36) What term did Emile Durkheim use for how individuals employed specific skills to complete specialized work within a society?

A) rationalization of society

B) rationalization of work

C) capitalism

D) division of labor

37) What did Emile Durkheim mean by the term "division of labor"?

A) Individuals were classified as workers or capitalists.

B) Men and women performed different kinds of work.

C) Individuals specialized in jobs that highlighted their skills.

D) Workers were placed in jobs based on how hard they worked.

38) Kimberly grew up in a close-knit farming community, which values sharing and cooperation. For example, after a fire destroyed some of Kimberly's neighbor's crops, others in the community came to help the family by sharing their own crops so that they would have enough to eat. What is this an example of?

A) mechanical solidarity

B) collective conscience

C) social solidarity

D) organic solidarity

39) In his study of suicide, Emile Durkheim argued that egoistic suicides were the result of

A) too much integration.

B) too little integration.

C) too much regulation.

D) too little regulation.

40) In his study of suicide, Emile Durkheim argued that fatalistic suicides were the result of

A) too much integration.

B) too little integration.

C) too much regulation.

D) too little regulation.

41) Randy's wife of fifty years recently passed away. They had no children and Randy felt isolated and alone. He fell into a depression and committed suicide. According to Emile Durkheim's theory, what type of suicide is this?

A) egoistic

B) altruistic

C) fatalistic

D) anomic

42) In 1997, members of the Heaven's Gate religious cult committed mass suicide because they believed that after death their souls would be transported to a level of existence beyond human. According to Emile Durkheim's theory, what type of suicide did these members commit?

A) egoistic

B) altruistic

C) fatalistic

D) anomic

43) Which of the following terms refers to the shared values within a society?

A) culture

B) mechanical solidarity

C) organic solidarity

D) collective conscience

44) Collective conscience focuses on

A) individuals' desire to do good for others.

B) how religion organizes a society.

C) shared understandings of how society works.

D) common values shared by members of a society.

45) In the United States, common shared values include social freedom, individualism, and self-sufficiency. What term would sociologists use to define these characteristics?

A) collective conscience

B) culture

C) social values

D) social structure

46) What term did Emile Durkheim use to explain a sense of normlessness?

A) egoism

B) anomie

C) fatalism

D) altruism

47) The argument that social structures moved from being based on tradition to being based on logic and reason is called

A) collective consciousness.

B) the rationalization of society.

C) the industrialization of society.

D) postmodernity.

48) Which of the following social thinkers argued that society is a social organism, much like the human organism?

A) Karl Marx

B) W. E. B. Du Bois

C) Emile Durkheim

D) Herbert Spencer

49) Which social thinker produced ground-breaking research on race in America?

A) W. E. B. Du Bois

B) Harriet Martineau

C) Jane Addams

D) Emile Durkheim

50) Which social thinker focused his or her work on gender discrimination and slavery?

A) Karl Marx

B) Max Weber

C) Emile Durkheim

D) Harriet Martineau

51) Which social thinker believed that social theory and research should be linked to action promoting social change?

A) Karl Marx

B) Harriet Martineau

C) Jane Addams

D) Max Weber

52) Which term do sociologists use for a collection of propositions that work to explain how social phenomena operate?

A) sociology

B) social theory

C) levels of analysis

D) structural theories

53) Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of theories that were identified as important?

A) A theory is not a hunch or personal opinion.

B) Theories evolve and are sometimes rejected.

C) Multiple theories often give us a more complete picture than any single one.

D) All theories are proven.

54) ________ refers to tensions and disputes in society, often resulting from the unequal distribution of scarce resources, which can contribute to social change.

A) Consensus

B) Conflict

C) Subjective conditions

D) Objective conditions

55) ________ are the material aspects of social life, including the physical environment, social networks, and social institutions.

A) Consensus

B) Conflict

C) Subjective conditions

D) Objective conditions

56) Which theory focuses on consensus and cooperative interaction in social life, emphasizing how the different parts of a society contribute to its overall operation?

A) feminist theory

B) conflict theory

C) structural-functionalist theory

D) symbolic interactionist theory

57) Emile Durkheim believed that social norms helped to maintain social order. For example, he explained that suicide is a result of a lack of balance in an individual's social world and not an event that is based on an individual's free will. Into which sociological theory does this best fit?

A) structural-functionalist theory

B) symbolic interactionist theory

C) feminist theory

D) conflict theory

58) Which level of analysis focuses on large social structures?

A) micro

B) meso

C) mini

D) macro

59) Which level of analysis focuses on small social interactions?

A) macro

B) meso

C) mini

D) micro

60) Which level of analysis focuses on areas between large-scale social structures and small-scale interactions?

A) meso

B) mini

C) macro

D) micro

61) Sociologists who study crime statistics for the United States work at which level of analysis?

A) micro

B) meso

C) macro

D) mini

62) Sociologists who study the meanings individuals attach to smiling in various contexts work at which level of analysis?

A) mini

B) meso

C) macro

D) micro

63) Which theory views society as being shaped by competition, the struggle for power, and an unequal distribution of resources?

A) symbolic interactionist theory

B) conflict theory

C) structural-functionalist theory

D) feminist theory

64) Karl Marx believed that society was shaped by the power differences of workers and capitalists. Into which sociological theory does this best fit?

A) conflict theory

B) feminist theory

C) structural-functionalist theory

D) symbolic interactionist theory

65) Which social theories focus on how people use shared symbols and construct society as a result of their everyday interactions?

A) feminist theories

B) symbolic interactionist theories

C) conflict theories

D) structural-functionalist theories

66) Two sociologists explain that individuals "do gender" in their everyday interactions with others in society. They argue that being a "man" or "woman" is not natural but is instead a product of shared meanings of how "men" and "women" interact with others in society. Under which sociological theory does their work best fit?

A) structural-functionalist theory

B) symbolic interactionist theory

C) conflict theory

D) feminist theory

67) Janet believes that two-parent families are the best for society. She notes that having a mother and father helps to define work roles and provides children with strong role models. Which theoretical perspective best matches her views?

A) structural-functionalist theory

B) feminist theory

C) conflict theory

D) symbolic interactionist theory

68) Jennie believes that one's virginity only means as much as the value you attach to it. Which theoretical perspective would best match her view of virginity?

A) symbolic interactionist theory

B) feminist theory

C) structural-functionalist theory

D) conflict theory

69) The intended results of social phenomena are called

A) manifest functions.

B) latent functions.

C) dysfunctions.

D) functions.

70) The unintended results of social phenomena are called

A) manifest functions.

B) latent functions.

C) dysfunctions.

D) functions.

71) Which of the following types of theories focuses on inequality between women and men and could be considered in the tradition of conflict theories?

A) conflict theories

B) feminist theories

C) symbolic interactionist theories

D) structural-functionalist theories

72) A society's values, knowledge, language, interactions, and material objects reflect its

A) culture.

B) structure.

C) power.

D) organization.

73) Persistent patterns in how people act in society are called

A) power.

B) culture.

C) structure.

D) functions.

74) The rules we use to understand the relationship we have with our girlfriends or boyfriends reflect ________ in our lives.

A) power

B) structure

C) function

D) culture

75) Which of the following statements best summarizes the relationship between individuals and social structure?

A) Social structures create and limit an individual's actions.

B) Individuals recreate social structure through their everyday interactions.

C) Individuals and social structures work together to shape an individual's life experience.

D) There is no relationship between individuals and social structures.

76) All of the following were identified by Hirsch and his colleagues as factors that contributed to homelessness EXCEPT for

A) the reduction in affordable housing.

B) policy changes that reduced or eliminated financial assistance for single unemployed individuals.

C) the inefficiency of agencies which were established to protect at-risk individuals.

D) long-term stagnant or falling incomes for low-wage workers.

77) A person's ability to bring about an intended outcome, even when opposed by others is referred to as

A) power.

B) culture.

C) structure.

D) function.

78) Inequalities based on race and gender in American society are the result of ________ differences.

A) cultural

B) functional

C) structural

D) power

79) ________ is used to allocate resources.

A) Social structure

B) Culture

C) Power

D) Conflict

80) All of the following characteristics are associated with postmodernity in advanced economies EXCEPT for

A) political cynicism.

B) service-oriented economies.

C) multicultural societies.

D) unified culture.

81) Service-oriented economies, the development of mega-cities, and disengagement and cynicism in politics are characteristics of what type of society?

A) modern

B) postmodern

C) premodern

D) bimodern

82) Which historical period is marked by increased multiculturalism, a shift toward information-based economies, and the emergence of mega-cities?

A) postmodernity

B) modernity

C) industrial

D) premodernity

83) Shelby has a diverse group of friends who feel disconnected from the American political system. Many of them work at a customer service call center and do not feel that better opportunities are available. They are not involved in politics because they believe that the vote of working-class Americans is overlooked by the upper-class leaders of society. In what historical period does Shelby live?

A) postmodernity

B) modernity

C) premodernity

D) industrial

84) Which of the following is a key feature of postmodernity?

A) disengagement cynicism

B) agricultural economy

C) democracy

D) rationality and science-dominated culture

85) Sociology views individuals as free agents who are able to make choices about their lives independent of society.

86) The sociological perspective focuses on exploring the relationship between individuals and the social worlds in which they live.

87) Modernity is marked by an increase in religious beliefs.

88) Science is a method of creating knowledge though the use of logic and the systematic collection of evidence to support knowledge claims.

89) Industrialization refers to the historical period in which there was a substantial growth in cities.

90) Positivism is a belief that individuals must act in ways that benefit the greatest number of people in society.

91) Max Weber is best known for his work on social solidarity.

92) The term social solidarity refers to the collective bonds that connect individuals.

93) A manifest function of crime is the creation of law enforcement jobs.

94) A system that is limited in its abilities or that contains disruptive elements is called dysfunctional.

95) Symbolic interactionist theories focus on how society emerges from people's use of shared symbols in the course of their everyday interactions.

96) Structure refers to how societies and institutions are organized.

97) Conflict theories focus on inequality between women and men and could be considered in the tradition of conflict theories.

98) Art, gestures, and language are all components of culture.

99) Addressing how to help the aging population is a sociological challenge.