Ch. 1 - The Sociological Imagination

Question 1

the ties between people, groups, and organizations

Answer 1

social networks

Question 2

a large group of people who live in the same area and participate in a common culture

Answer 2

society

Question 3

the study of societies and the social worlds that individuals inhabit within them; study of how we live together

Answer 3

sociology

Question 4

the capacity to think systematically about how things we experience as personal problems

Answer 4

sociological imagination

Question 5

a simplified generalization about a group that is often false or exaggerated. Stereotypes are most often negative, although positive stereotypes can sometimes be found

Answer 5

stereotype

Question 6

the social environments, including economic and cultural conditions, that influence people’s lives

Answer 6

social context

Question 7

the social characteristics and group affiliations an individual has

Answer 7

identities

Question 8

the way people act together, including how they modify and alter their behavior in response to the presence of others; governed by norms

Answer 8

social interaction

Question 9

basic rules of society that help us know what is not appropriate to do in any situation

Answer 9

norms

Question 10

the external forces, most notably social hierarchy, norms, and institutions, that provide the context for the individual and group action

Answer 10

social structure

Question 11

any relationship between individuals or groups that is unequal and provides one person or group with more status and power than another

Answer 11

social hierarchy

Question 12

structured and enduring practices of human life that are built around well established rules and norms or are centered in important organizations like the government, legal courts, churches, schools or the military

Answer 12

institutions

Question 13

a process of economic change characterized by the decline of farming and the growth of factories and large scale goods production

Answer 13

industrialization

Question 14

the growth of cities

Answer 14

urbanization

Question 15

a geographical area with a high population (1,000 people per square mile)

Answer 15

urban areas

Question 16

a method of research that integrates ideas, theories, and data from different academic fields

Answer 16

interdisciplinary research

Question 17

Tam is able to attend a highly competitive college because his parents have enough income to pay the tuition. Lai is only able to attend night classes at a less competitive college because she has to work during the day to pay tuition.

Answer 17

Tam and Lai are experiencing different social contexts

Question 18

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between individuals and social institutions?

Answer 18

a role is a position within an institution or organization with specific social expectations for how to behave and be treated

Question 19

Which of the following statements best reflects the relationship between sociology and other social sciences disciplines?

Answer 19

sociology has given birth to a number of other disciplines, including African American studies, gender studies, demography, and criminology

Question 20

Which of the following best explains the relationship between a sociological imagination and stereotypes?

Answer 20

a sociological imagination challenges stereotypes by raising questions about where they come from

Question 21

A good sociological question will help a researcher do more than make generalizations about people. What is a good sociological question?

Answer 21

does being born into poverty increase the chances that a person will stay in poverty?

Question 22

A parent tells a child he is not supposed to eat food off the ground. example of _______.

Answer 22

a norm

Question 23

Family, marriage, education, government, and religion are all examples of _______.

Answer 23

social institutions

Question 24

Which of the following questions asks a person to identify his or her social identity?

Answer 24

do you practice a religion, and if so, what religion?

Question 25

Baby Alyssa is born in a hospital with a lot of resources, staff, and modern equipment. Baby Brandi is born in a hospital with older equipment, few staff, and little resources. What best describes this scenario?

Answer 25

the two babies are born into two different social contexts

Question 26

How did urbanization lead to the development of sociology?

Answer 26

urbanization caused various social problems, and people wanted to study these patterns

Question 27

Several major social science groups and associations were first founded in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. What does this show?

Answer 27

the rapid industrialization and urbanization of the time resulted in the need to study society and its groups

Question 28

An example of a stereotype:

Answer 28

most wealthy children are spoiled

Question 29

definition of the term “institution”

Answer 29

an important practice that society has followed for a long time

Question 30

A sociological imagination requires that we look at the world around us and _______.

Answer 30

ask deep and meaningful questions

Question 31

A teen notices that he prefers action movies whereas his sister prefers to watch comedies. What sort of sociological question could be based on this teen’s personal experience?

Answer 31

do more men than women prefer action movies?

Question 32

Which of the statements best reflects the connection between a sociological imagination and effective sociology?

Answer 32

Only when we develop this ability can we start to see a larger trend in the world around us.

Question 33

Which of the following best describes how people commonly develop stereotypes about a group?

Answer 33

People will develop generalizations about a group based on little to no information.

Question 34

Sociologists can ask a broad array of questions. What do these questions have in common?

Answer 34

All sociological questions consider how social contexts matter.

Question 35

Sociologists C. Wright Mills suggested that the sociological imagination is a concept that lets us think systematically about the relationship between the personal and the social. How might you apply your sociological imagination to understand how the personal issue of unemployment is tied to greater social issues in the world?

Answer 35

A person will face unemployment due to the recent recession, which resulted in fewer available job openings for job seekers in their field.

Question 36

A student notices that his mother tends to clean more around the house than his father. What sort of sociological question could be based on this personal experience?

Answer 36

How much more time do women spend cleaning than men?

Question 37

The color of our skin, our sex, whether or not we have a physical disability, and our socioeconomic class are all aspects of our ______.

Answer 37

identities

Question 38

Which of the following statements best reflects the relationship between norms and whether or not the individual “fits into” society?

Answer 38

Norms are the rules about what is and isn’t acceptable in our community and must be followed to “fit in.”

Question 39

Jackson joined the Marine Corps. Before going to basic training, Jackson thinks of himself as “American.” Upon completing basic training, he says he is “a Marine.” What does this change reveal?

Answer 39

how the institutions we are connected to can change our sense of identity

Question 40

The displacement of many jobs once done in the US now being done by workers in other countries is an example of how _______ shape our understanding and experiences in the world.

Answer 40

social and historical contexts

Question 41

Edward is introduced to Jessah and intends to kiss Jessah’s cheek in greeting. Inadvertently, Edward ends up kissing Jessah’s nose. Which of the following conclusions can be drawn based on this scenario?

Answer 41

Edward’s mistake was a violation of social norms.

Question 42

In the 1800’s the US went through a period where there was a pronounced growth in factories known as _______.

Answer 42

industrialization

Question 43

The field of sociology has spawned other areas of study. Which of the following is an area spawned by sociology?

Answer 43

gender studies

Question 44

Relative to its sibling disciplines, sociology _______ draws on interdisciplinary research.

Answer 44

is most likely discipline to

Question 45

Who coined the term sociology?

Answer 45

Auguste Comte

Question 46

Which of the following statements best reflects the relationship between units of analysis and the scientific study of society?

Answer 46

The phenomenon studied has a great impact on the unit of analysis, and access to certain units of analysis may shape research questions.