Q&A Hero

Q: Which of the following is NOT one of the ways that public officials use their power to integrate the parts of society? a. Passing laws to eliminate barriers among groups b. Working to solve the problems that segment the society c. Providing mediators to help negotiate settlements between such feuding groups as management and labor d. Using the media to foster distrust between the middle class and the poor

Q: When a high official, such as the U.S. president, appoints a member of a dissident group to a policy-making body in order to appease that group, the official is using a technique called a. cooperation. b. co-optation. c. reverse psychology. d. moral authority.

Q: The repeal of the military rule known as "Don"t Ask, Don"t Tell" by Congress in 2011 illustrates the concept of a. planned integration. b. separate but equal. c. societal segmentation. d. forced interaction.

Q: Which of the following represents the attitude of order theorists toward television and the mass media? a. Violent video games cause general moral deterioration. b. Television suppresses creativity. c. The media break down social interaction among young people. d. The media reinforce the values and norms of society.

Q: A society is unified by a national event such as a war only if the threat a. affects only the most powerful members of society. b. happened recently. c. is perceived as real. d. is perceived as having a foreseeable end.

Q: A country club that restricts its membership to include only WASPs and excludes African-Americans and Jewish people is founded on a. heterogeneous principles. b. democratic freedom of association. c. exclusiveness and feelings of superiority. d. inclusiveness and superiority.

Q: _____ organizations that bring together people from differing backgrounds to interact allow members to join in a common cause. a. Heterogeneous b. Homogeneous c. Restricted d. Exclusive

Q: What is demonstrated by people in the United States taking for granted such practices as obeying traffic lights, using credit, and accepting checks instead of currency? a. Social order b. Democracy c. Freedom d. Fairness

Q: Which of the five values that sociologists Wright and Rogers note among most members of U.S. society is expressed by the Supreme Court's decision that stated defiling the U.S. flag is not a crime? a. Fairness b. Freedom c. Democracy d. Efficiency

Q: According to Wright and Rogers, most people in U.S. society affirm which set of five values? a. Freedom, volunteerism, fairness, democracy, efficacy b. Prosperity, property, democracy, freedom, health c. Freedom, prosperity, efficiency, fairness, democracy d. Property, freedom, strength, efficiency, patriotism

Q: According to _____, the social cooperation required to bring together all the elements that make up a pencil is a complex system of order that "emerges without anyone imposing it." a. Durkheim b. Will c. Marx d. Rogers

Q: Written and unwritten rules develop in a society so that different segments can cooperate with each other. This demonstrates a phenomenon noted by Durkheim known as a. functional integration. b. structural functionalism. c. the order/conflict paradox. d. integral functionalism.

Q: According to the fifth assumption of the synthesis model, _____ is a ubiquitous phenomenon in all societies, whether it is gradual or abrupt. a. revolution b. order c. social change d. consensus

Q: The fourth assumption in the synthesis model is that societies are held together by complementary interests, by consensus on cultural values, and by a. democracy. b. folkways. c. consensus. d. coercion.

Q: The third assumption of the synthesis model explains that society is made up of different but interdependent parts that affect each other, creating a structure called a a. social order/disorder paradox. b. societal paradigm. c. social system. d. social boundary structure.

Q: The second assumption of a synthesis approach is that societies are organized, but the process of organization generates conflict. This is because a. scarce resources can be equally distributed but those in power control allocation decisions in their own favor. b. scarce resources can never be equally distributed, and those who have power end up making the allocation decisions. c. those without power always envy those with power, and thus create conflict to level the playing field. d. those without power control the means of production and allocation of resources, but lack the intelligence to distribute resources equitably.

Q: The first assumption of a synthesis approach to understanding order and conflict in society notes an essential paradox, which is that a. societies are always ordered, yet are always changing. b. the means of production depends on those who own them. c. institutions try to change even though it is their nature to remain the same. d. stability and change cannot both exist within a given society.

Q: A conflict theorist would say, "Sport inhibits the potential for protest and revolution by society's have-nots." Which of the following would NOT support that statement? a. If a person fails, it is his or her fault and not that of the system. b. Sport as entertainment diverts attention away from the harsh realities of poverty, unemployment, and dismal life chances. c. Only an extremely small percentage of aspiring athletes ever achieve professional status. d. Sport promotes individual achievement, quick thinking, and physical strength.

Q: Sociologists agree that sport is a mechanism for getting youth to follow orders, work hard, and fit into a social system. Which model argues that this is not necessarily a good thing? a. Order theorists b. Structural functionalists c. Conflict theorists d. Synthesis approach

Q: Which term describes the theories of Karl Marx, who said that in every society there is a dynamic tension between those who own the means of production and those who work for them? a. Conflict theory b. Capitalism c. Order theory d. Structural functionalism

Q: Sociologists who use the order model, also called _____, ask fundamental questions about what holds societies together. a. integrative culture model b. structural functionalism c. ethical function model d. social imperatives

Q: What is defined as the "unintended consequences of rules, norms, activities, and social structures"? a. False consciousness b. Consequence polarization c. Functional integration d. Latent consequences

Q: According to Durkheim, sending a criminal to prison with the intention of punishing the crime and deterring future crimes is an example of a. manifest consequences. b. latent consequences. c. manifest destiny. d. latent destiny.

Q: According to the _____ model, the basic relationships that formed in Sherif's summer camp experiment were based on competition, domination, and subordination. a. divergence b. conflict c. oppositional d. order

Q: The _____ model refers to the model of society in which the different parts cooperate because of similar or complementary interests. a. conflict b. cooperation c. order d. commonality

Q: One of the characteristics of societies is that they are composed of parts. This is known as a. segmentation. b. partition. c. social organization. d. cultural relativism.

Q: Compare Marx's theory of social class and political power with Weber's theory.

Q: Discuss the reasons people may find sociology to be uncomfortable or even frightening.

Q: Discuss the four types of sociological questions and the role each type plays in helping us gather reliable data and make valid conclusions.

Q: Compare Comte's emphasis on positivism with Durkheim's focus on social facts.

Q: Discuss the four basic assumptions of the sociological perspective.

Q: _____ of a society sensitizes the individual to the inconsistencies present in that society.a. Nonparticipant observationb. The social determinismc. The value neutralityd. Critical examination

Q: Which of the following is the kind of question that sociologists ask and that might make people uncomfortable? a. How many people live in this community? b. How many children are in each grade in this school? c. Who benefits under the existing social arrangements, and who does not? d. How many people should be included in the sample size to obtain reliable results?

Q: Which of the following represents the underlying assumption of the sociologist? a. Things are not as they seem. b. Human behavior is individually determined. c. Prediction is always possible, with the right data. d, Society must be fundamentally changed.

Q: A fundamental problem with sociology is that a. there is only one right answer to any question. b. all outcomes have already been accurately predicted. c. people do not always act the way we expect them to. d. sociologists tend to theorize without data.

Q: Sociology can be seen as subversive because it a. questions all social arrangements. b. seeks to overthrow existing government structures. c. represents a tendency of human beings to be chaotic. d. represents a desire to initiate discontent.

Q: Which of the following describes the task of sociologists to recognize bias so that it does not invalidate their findings? a. Scientific integrity b. Sociological theory c. Non-scientific analysis d. Positivism

Q: What is defined as being absolutely free of bias in research? a. False consciousness b. Value neutrality c. Non-scientific analysis d. Human agency

Q: If a social researcher studying the condition of Native Americans contacts the government and social service agencies for statistics about the various communities being studied, he is taking advantage of a. existing prejudices. b. experimental results. c. participant observation. d. existing data.

Q: The goal of nonparticipant observation as a research tool is to a. fully understand a society's behavior by becoming a part of the group. b. maintain a superior distance in order to judge the society accurately. c. observe events and social interactions in their natural environment. d. effect social change from within the society being studied.

Q: To study a religious group, a sociologist might join the group and take part in ceremonies while studying their beliefs. This would be an example of which kind of research? a. Survey research b. Indirect experiments c. Experimental observation d. Participant observation

Q: The independent variable is the one that a. is influenced by another variable. b. may influence another variable. c. is not included in the experiment. d. applies only to the control group.

Q: Which of the following variables is influenced by changes in another variable? a. Experimental b. Independent c. Dependent d. Control

Q: Which of the following groups consist of subjects exposed to the independent variable? a. Experimental b. Treatment c. Factual d. Control

Q: The control group is defined as a. research subjects who are exposed to the independent variable. b. research subjects who arenot exposed to the independent variable. c. the researchers who are in control of the experiment d. the government agency to which the experimental results must be reported.

Q: Which of the following is something that can be changed, such as a characteristic, value, or belief? a. Theory b. Variable c. Constant d. Survey

Q: A sociologist who wants to track changes within a particular group of people over time would be likely to use which type of research instrument? a. Control group b. Latitude questionnaire c. Random sample d. Longitudinal survey

Q: Which of the following refers to a subset of the group to be studied? a. Population b. Variable c. Value d. Sample

Q: Which of the following research methods would a sociologist use to gather data by means of personal interviews or written questionnaires? a. Observation b. Experiment c. Survey d. Existing data

Q: Which of the following would be considered an acceptable source of data for sociological research?a. Generalizing from personal experiencesb. Making assumptions from a single casec. Using census data as the basis for findingsd. Using some authority such as the media or the Bible

Q: When sociologists consider the reasons certain conditions exist within a society, they are likely to be asking which type of questions?a. Factualb. Comparativec. Historicald. Theoretical

Q: Which type of questions look for trends and changes within a society over time? a. Factual b. Comparative c. Historical d. Theoretical

Q: A sociologist who is studying the differences between two societies is likely to ask which kind of questions? a.Factual generalizing from personal experiences. b. Comparative making assumptions from a single case. c. Historical using census data as the basis for their findings. d. Theoretical using some authority such as the media or the Bible.

Q: When a sociologist gathers data on a particular group of people, such as current statistics on income, housing, or education, she must ask which type of questions? a. Factual b. Comparative c. Historical d. Theoretical

Q: The term _____ refers to a set of ideas that explains a range of human behavior and a variety of social and societal events. a. historical account b. sociological theory c. non-scientific analysis d. positivist approach

Q: Sociological research depends on reliable scientific data and a. empathy toward other people. b. logical reasoning. c. social change. d. a charismatic personality.

Q: Who wrote The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, which demonstrates how the Protestant belief system made capitalism possible? a. Auguste Comte b. Max Weber c. Karl Marx d. Emile Durkheim

Q: Which of the following three spheres did Max Weber believe form the basic structure of society? a. Cultural, political, and familial b. Economic, cultural, and personal c. Political, economic, and cultural d. Political, economic, and organizational

Q: Class consciousness, according to Marx, occurs when the working class a. recognizes their class interests and common oppression, and who their oppressors are. b. believes in ideas that are not in their own best interest but in the interest of the capitalist class. c. understands social factors that exist external to individuals. d. bases their knowledge on systematic observation, experiment, and comparison.

Q: According to Marx, the working class often exhibits _____, meaning they adopt ideologies that support the interests of the capitalist class of owners rather than their own interests. a. false consciousness b. altruism c. class consciousness d. human agency

Q: Which of the following believed that a society's economic structure shapes its social structures? a. Auguste Comte b. Karl Marx c. Emile Durkheim d. Max Weber

Q: Durkheim was interested in _____, the way societies are held together by belief systems, deviant labels, and the division of labor. a. positivism b. class conciousness c. class integration d. social integration

Q: Whose classic study of suicide (1897) demonstrates how social factors explain individual behavior? a. Auguste Comte b. Karl Marx c. Emile Durkheim d. Max Weber

Q: Emile Durkheim provided the rationale for sociology by emphasizing social facts, which are a. individual experiences. b. social factors external to the individual. c. belief systems that bind people together. d. shared traditions that conflict with individual beliefs.

Q: _____ is the Enlightenment philosophy that states knowledge should be based on systematic principles, experiments, and comparison. a. Social physics b. Social determinism c. Positivism d. Value neutrality

Q: Auguste Comte's first name for sociology was _____, which reflected his desire to establish the field as a science, free of religious arguments. a. social positivism b. societal athiesm c. scientific socialism d. social physics

Q: _____ is considered the founder of sociology, and coined the term "sociology." a. Auguste Comte b. Emile Durkheim c. Karl Marx d. Max Weber

Q: After the upheaval of events like the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution, people began to believe that a. religious dogma was the only safety. b. human beings could solve their social problems. c. royalty should be obeyed. d. society could not truly be analyzed rationally.

Q: Sociology emerged in Western Europe in the _____ century during the period known as the Enlightment or the Age of Reason. a. early 17th b. late 17th c. early 18th d. late 18th

Q: Sociological imagination lets us see that the solution to social problems involves a willingness to a. change individuals directly, rather than change the structure of society. b. become our best selves, within the context of our society. c. change the structure of society rather than change people. d. build the best society by changing the individuals within it.

Q: According to Mills, sociological imagination is stimulated by the ability to view the social world a. as the product of millennia of research and planning. b. as inherently sacred. c. as a zero-sum game. d. from the perspective of others.

Q: One implication of the belief that people create their own societies, which then influence and control them, is that a. social organizations are imperfect. b. the ways of other societies should not be questioned. c. positivist role models are important in any society. d. non-scientific ways of thinking are as important as scientific ones.

Q: . _____ refers to the fact that individuals actively shape social life by adapting to, negotiating with, and changing social structures. a. Sociological imagination b. Human agency c. Social determinism d. Value neutrality

Q: While a person's genes determine his or her individual physiology and potential, which of the following determines how those characteristics will be evaluated? a. Social environment b. Person's attractiveness c. Physical environment d. Individual's self-determination

Q: . _____ is the assumption that human behavior is explained exclusively by social factors. a. Positivism b. Social determinism c. Value neutrality d. Sociological imagination

Q: The most significant impact parents can have on their children is by acting as a. social instructors, teaching religious and political views. b. cultural agents, passing on the ways of society. c. cultural watchdogs, transmitting attitudes about how others should be judged. d. societal boundaries, diminishing the effect of the peer group on the child.

Q: The capability of human beings to pursue collective action is evidence of which sociological assumption? a. Individuals are by nature social beings. b. Individuals are for the most part socially determined. c. Individuals create, sustain, and change the social forms within which they conduct their lives. d. Individuals have sociological imaginations.

Q: One reason for the sociological assumption that individuals are social beings is the a. biological impulse of human beings. b. total dependence of human infants on others for survival. c. historical tendency of people to be in conflict with each other. d. inability of people to become part of social groups.

Q: All of the following are key assumptions of the sociological perspective EXCEPT a. individuals' psyches are the source of human behavior. b. individuals are by nature social beings. c. individuals are socially determined. d. individuals create, sustain, and change the social forms within which they conduct their lives.

Q: 2) The insights of sociology are important because they a. can be used to ensure that people comply with societal expectations. b. explain everything about human nature. c. help us understand why we behave the way we do. d. can be used to ensure correct political and social phenomena.