Key theories and propositions

Question 1

Relative age effect

Answer 1

the relatively older individuals are, compared to their peers, more often selected for the best sport team

Question 2

Durkheim’s integration-suicide theory

Answer 2

the more cohesive the group, the more strongly people in that group conform to the norm which prohibits suicide, and the lower the suicide rate in that group

Question 3

Social learning theory

Answer 3

In the social learning theory it is stated that learning from others is motivated by the idea to get a more accurate picture of reality

Question 4

Social control theory

Answer 4

according to the social control theory, people adhere to social norms, because deviations from social norms can be answered by social sanctions

Question 5

P. social control theory

Answer 5

The higher people’s expected social sanctions in a group in case of norm-deviance, and the higher their expected social approval in case of norm-compliance, the more likely they conform to the social norms of that group

Question 6

P. Strength-of-weak-ties

Answer 6

weak ties more often create bridges to other communities than do strong ties

Question 7

P. Loss-of-community

Answer 7

over time, people have become less-strongly embedded in communities

Question 8

P. Network closure-norms

Answer 8

the degree of closure in a certain network has a positive effect on the conformity to the social norms of that network

Question 9

P. Tie strength-trust

Answer 9

the more positive the relationship between ego and alter, the more they trust each other

Question 10

P. Network closure-trust

Answer 10

the higher the degree of closure in the network shared by ego and alter, the more ego and alter trust each other

Question 11

P. Social ties-generalized trust

Answer 11

the more social interactions people have with friends, family members and other community members, the stronger their generalized trust

Question 12

P. Network cohesion-health

Answer 12

the higher someone’s network cohesion, the better their health and well-being

Question 13

P. Network health-health

Answer 13

the better the health and well-being of people’s network ties, the better their own health and well-being

Question 14

Structural opportunity theory

Answer 14

argues that group segregation arises as a result of (unequal) meeting opportunities between members of different groups

Question 15

Homophily theory

Answer 15

states that people prefer those who are the same as themselves

Question 16

Third party theory

Answer 16

relationships are not made in a social vacuum: there are other actors (hence, the label ‘third’ party) that interfere with the relationship between two persons

Question 17

Social identity theory

Answer 17

assumes that people strive to maintain or enhance their self-esteem, that, in other words, they strive for a positive self-concept

Question 18

Group threat theory

Answer 18

the more actual competition between groups, the weaker the intergroup cohesion

Question 19

P. Human capital-job outcomes

Answer 19

The higher people’s human capital, the better their labour market position

Question 20

P. Tie strength-job information

Answer 20

weaker ties have more useful, less redundant job-information than strong ties

Question 21

P. Strength-of-strong-ties

Answer 21

a single strong tie is more important in getting a job than a single weak tie

Question 22

P. Brokerage-job outcomes

Answer 22

people who have a brokerage position in the social network of an organization, have more favourable job outcomes

Question 23

P. Social resources-job outcomes

Answer 23

the more people’s social resources, the better their labour market position

Question 24

Statistical discrimination theory

Answer 24

argues that discrimination arises from poor information that employers have when it comes to the candidates’ knowledge and skills.

Question 25

P. Discrimination-job outcomes

Answer 25

the more strongly the groups to which people belong are discriminated against in the labour market, the worse their labour market position

Question 26

P. Career ambitions-job outcomes

Answer 26

the higher people’s career ambitions, and the more strongly these ambitions are approved in their environment, the better their labour market position

Question 27

P. Immigrant integration

Answer 27

with increasing length of stay of an ethnic minority group in a certain country, this ethnic minority group becomes more integrated

Question 28

P. Immigrant assimilation

Answer 28

over time the ethnic minority and majority groups become indistinguishable, fully ‘assimilated’, and eventually ethnic group affiliation is no longer a meaningful social categorization

Question 29

Selective integration theory

Answer 29

the three dimensions of integration (cultural, social and economic) may work out rather independently, and this may even be true for indicators that belong to the same dimension

Question 30

Integration spillover effect

Answer 30

sometimes, there are interdependencies between certain integration dimensions, in which case stronger integration in one dimension (or indicators thereof) goes hand-in-hand with other dimensions (or indicators)

Question 31

Human capital theory

Answer 31

precisely because education is a ‘resource’, ‘capital’ and it is such an important determinant for getting a (good) job in the labour market, people deliberately make investments in their educational resources.

Question 32

Trickle-down theory

Answer 32

The trickle-down theory argues that descriptive norms can change due to dynamics between group distinction and imitation