Sociology Flashcards
Which of the following is the best example of ethnocentrism?
( (A) We travel to another country and realize their practice of worshipping many gods is both primitive and ignorant.
(B) We travel to a new society and find it difficult to adjust to the
new food and language.
(C) We find the practice of eating raw fish by the Japanese as unappealing.
(D) People move to a new state expecting to find more job opportunities. When they arrive and discover it does not work out that
way, they become frustrated.
(E) John meets a student from Brazil and finds the student’s culture
fascinating.
(A) Ethnocentric means to judge another culture by the standards of
your own and to place yours as superior. Seeing another’s practice of worshipping many gods as primitive and ignorant is judging the practice and
seeing it as inferior. (B) is not an example of ethnocentrism because having
difficulty adjusting to new food and a new language is not judging the
practice as inferior. (C) is incorrect. One cannot find a practice unappealing
without deeming it inferior. (D) is not an example of ethnocentrism because
one does not encounter an entirely new culture when moving across states.
(E) is incorrect. Rather than judging Brazilian culture as inferior, John demonstrates an enthusiasm and fascination with this culture.
Sally, who comes from a poor black family, finished college and
graduate school to become a nuclear physicist. For Sally, being a
nuclear physicist is a(n)
(A) master status. (D) ascribed status.
(B) ‘achieved status. (E) status hierarchy.
(C) status attainment.
(B) An achieved status is a social position based largely on one’s
merit. In this scenario, Sally has become a nuclear physicist, which requires individual merit to achieve. (A) is incorrect. A master status refers
to one’s central defining characteristic. Although this characteristic is often one’s occupation, in our society, race is a more centrally defining
characteristic. (C) Status attainment refers to the process by which individuals come to hold a certain position in the stratification system, which
is unrelated to this example. (D) is incorrect. An ascribed status refers to a
social position based on involuntary characteristics, such as sex, age, and
race. In this example, being black and female are Sally’s ascribed characteristics. (E) is incorrect, as status hierarchy is not a sociological term.
Stephanie, a plastic surgeon, finds time in her busy schedule to play On a soccer team and attend weekly church functions. Her church and
soccer activities make up her
(A) subordinate statuses. (D) ascribed statuses.
(B) master statuses. (E) None of the above.
(C) role inconsistencies.
(A) Subordinate statuses refer to the statuses one occupies that are
not the master status. For Stephanie, her status as a soccer player and
churchgoer are secondary to her status as a plastic surgeon.
Concerning the density of social networks, studies suggest that
I. dense social networks are positively related to mental and physical health.
IJ. dense social networks are positively related to self-esteem.
II. loose social networks are causally related to poor health.
IV. gender is causally related to dense social networks.
(A) lonly. (D) Land II only.
(B) Hl only. (E) I, Il, and III only.
(C) IV only.
(D) Density of social networks has been shown to be health promoting, both mentally and physically, and a positive influence on self concept. People reporting numerous close friends have better subjective and objective health ratings.
The most radical and complete resocialization is achieved in
(A) a total institution. (D) asubculture.
(B) a bureaucracy. (E) None of the above.
(C) late adolescence.
(A) In a total institution, such as a prison or mental hospital, all
aspects of an individual’s life are controlled, in order to strip down and
rebuild the self.
Which of the following is the best example of Durkheim’s theory of
anomic suicide?
(A) After divorcing his wife and moving away from his family, feeling lonely and depressed, Tom decides to kill himself.
(B) The massive political and economic changes accompanying the
breakup of the Soviet Union has resulted in an increased number
of suicides among Russian citizens.
(C) Bob, a captured terrorist, chooses to commit suicide rather than
reveal the secrets of his organization.
(D) Feeling isolated and lonely her first year away at college, Jane
decides to kill herself.
(E) Susan, a member of the Branch Davidian cult, commits mass
suicide with the other members of her organization.
(B) Durkheim believed that anomic suicide resulted from normlessness. When the norms of a society are suddenly altered, it may result
in people’s being confused about the boundaries of their society.
The ____________ perspective would probably try to understand a
problem like drug abuse by looking to the power relations between
those who abuse drugs and those who do not.
(A) conflict (D) capitalist
(B) functionalist (E) socialist
(C) sociological
(A) The conflict perspective views society as being unequal in
terms of power. In this example, the power relations between groups and
individuals are being questioned.
In order to find out more about seatbelt-wearing behavior, John
stands unnoticed on a corner and marks down the sex and car type of
those who do and do not wear seat belts. He is conducting
(A) asurvey.
(B) obtrusive research.
(C) unobtrusive research.
(D) experimental research.
(E) participant-observation research.
rcher and the subject under study. The research in no way attempts to
influence the behavior or response of the subject. In this case, John has
absolutely no contact with his subjects.
Social stratification is a profoundly important subject because
I. almost every aspect of our lives, from family size to occupational aspirations to eating habits, is linked to our position in the
social hierarchy.
II. most societies are committed to the elimination of structured
inequality.
III. a significant reduction in our life chances will occur if we are |
members of the social hierarchy.
IV. people in pre-industrial societies are less status-conscious ae
people in post-industrial societies.
(A) Tonly. (D) I and IV only.
(B) I only. (E) I, Il, and IV only.
(C) Land III only.
(A) Social stratification, or structured inequality, is so vital to understand because every aspect of our lives is influenced by where we fall
in the hierarchical system. Our access to socially valued goods and rewards (i.e., money, education) is dependent upon our place in the stratification system.
In some groups where the practice of infanticide has resulted in a shortage of eligible female marriage partners, the practice of __________
is relatively common.
(A) polyandry (D) polygyny
(B) polygamy (E) monogamy
(C) exogamy
(A) Polyandry is the practice of one woman marrying more than
one man. In societies where there are fewer women than men, either
through warfare or infanticide, the women will be shared by the men.
According to Paula, the norms and values of her culture are more
rational and advanced than the norms and values of other cultures she
has come into contact with. Paula is
(A) stereotyping another culture.
(B) expressing prejudice.
(C) being ethnocentric.
(D) expressing individual discrimination.
(E) selectively perceiving those events which reinforce her stereotype.
(C) Ethnocentric means to judge another culture by the standards
of one’s own. By seeing all other cultures she has come into contact with as inferior, Paula is being ethnocentric.
A lawyer whose client is convicted of selling marijuana argues
against sending the first time offender to prison because of the likelihood of his learning more about crime. Which theory of deviance
best supports his argument?
(A) Strain theory
(B) Labeling theory
(C) Control theory
(D) Cultural transmission theory
(E) Deviance theory
(D) Cultural transmission theory contends that crime is learned
through cultural and subcultural norms. The lawyer is afraid his client will
learn more about crime via the subcultural norms of prison.
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis suggests that speakers of different languages
(A) are predisposed to holding contrasting ideals and behaviors due
to their divergent linguistic backgrounds.
(B) can perceive the world in identical ways.
(C) hold the same ideas and values due to the cognitive process of
learning language.
(D) are predisposed to certain attitudes and interpretations of reality
through language.
(E) None of the above.
(D) The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis says that people think through language. Language is not just the vehicle through which we express ourselves;
language also shapes our thoughts.
Research on children in isolation suggests that
(A) with little or no interaction, children can develop fairly normally.
(B) socialization plays a role in human development.
(C) continual human interaction is necessary for normal human development.
(D) genetics is almost wholly responsible for human development.
(E) None of the above.
(C) Research on children raised in isolation suggests that in order
to develop and be fully human, people need continual interaction.
According to Goffman, a professor presenting herself to her students
as competent and knowledgeable is involved in
(A) status inconsistency.
(B) impression management activities.
(C) skilled cooperation.
(D) status performance.
(E) None of the above.
(B) Impression management refers to the conscious manipulation
of role performance. The professor in this example is manipulating her
role performance in order to impress her students.
According to sociologists, an important difference between folkways
and mores is that
(A) violation of a folkway leads to severe punishment.
(B) mores are found only among the upper classes.
(C) folkways include customary behaviors.
(D) violations of mores are not considered crimes.
(E) folkways apply only to sexual behavior.
(C) Folkways are social norms governing less important areas of
behavior such as table manners or proper attire for events. Mores are
social norms which concern more serious issues such as laws against
murder or incest.
During pre-modern times when agricultural societies prevailed, in
order to increase the supply of labor, couples often had many children. Because today large families are an economic burden rather
than an economic asset, couples have fewer children. This explanation of family size is most consistent with the theory
in sociology.
(A) conflict (D) micro
(B) functional (E) institutional
(C) symbolic interaction
(B) A functionalist argument is based on the assumption that
society’s complex systems work together to maintain stability. In this
example, family size is explained as part of a system that is maintaining its
stability.
Studies show that as one’s education level increases, prejudice decreases, illustrating a relationship between education and prejudice.
(A) spurious (D) positive correlation
(B) definitive (E) negative correlation
(C) causal
(E) A negative correlation is an association between two variables
so that as one increases the other decreases, as is the case with education
and prejudice in this example.
A researcher studying the diaries of Holocaust victims would be using which method to carry out her research?
(A) A survey (D) Content analysis
(B) Participant observation (E) None of the above.
(C) Obtrusive research
(D) Content analysis is a method in which the researcher uses artifacts and existing data. In this example, the researcher uses a diary to understand more about social behavior. Other examples might be the use of newspapers or song lyrics.
Newpark is a diverse town, both ethnically and racially. The distribution of wealth and earnings among the town members tends to be
similar, regardless of race or ethnicity. In Newpark prejudice is
(A) likely to develop due to the competitive atmosphere.
(B) likely to develop due to the presence of many racial and ethnic
groups.
(C) less likely to develop due to the inequality existing among
groups.
(D) less likely to develop due to the economic parity and equality
among the groups.
(E) None of the above.
(D) Research on prejudice suggests that in a non-competitive atmosphere, when individuals from different ethnic backgrounds come together, there is likely to be little conflict. In an economically competitive
atmosphere, conflict is likely to ensue.
After centuries of occupying a subordinate status and being exploited
by the “Plorn,” the “Zorn” attempt to form their own country, separate from the “Plorn.” Their movement can be classified as
(A) pluralist. (D) expulsion.
(B) assimilationist. (E) None of the above.
(C) segregationist.
(E) By attempting to create their own country, the “Zorn” movement can be classified as secessionist, which is not an answer choice.
An informal sanction of shoplifting would be
(A) receiving a fine from the store.
(B) a judge requiring you to perform 20 hours of community service.
(C) your date Friday night canceling because he doesn’t want to be
seen with a thief.
(D) imprisonment for a week.
(E) All of the above.
(C) An informal sanction is direct social pressure from those
around us to conform. The term “informal” suggests that the pressure is
not coming from a formal or legal institution such as the criminal justice system. Instead the pressure to conform may be coming from our family
or peer group. If your date cancels, the pressure to conform is informal.
Dr. Shaw is an expert on African religions. She finds the widespread
religious practice of performing clitoridectomies on young girls to be
disturbing, but believes it can be studied and understood, given the
social norms and values of the society. Dr. Shaw is adopting an
attitude of
(A) cultural relativism. (D) ideal ritualism.
(B) multiculturalism. (E) None of the above.
(C) ethnocentrism.
(A) Cultural relativism is the attempt on the part of researchers to
not judge another culture by the standards of one’s own. By trying to
understand the practice of performing clitoridectomies, without judging
the practice as bad, or the culture as inferior, Dr. Shaw is adopting an
attitude of cultural relativism.
A widespread desire to own toys and dolls based on a particular
television show is an example of a
(A) social movement. (D) fad.
(B) fashion. (E) None of the above.
(C) mob.
(D) A fad is an unconventional social pattern that people engage in
briefly but enthusiastically.
Studies concerning human instincts suggest that
(A) many aspects of culture are transmitted genetically in the form
of instincts.
(B) human beings do not inherit complex patterns of social behavior
and, therefore, have no true instincts.
(C) among people of primitive societies, instincts can be observed.
(D) humans are instinctively aggressive.
(E) sexual behavior is the only genetically transmitted instinct.
(B) The variation in behavior cross-culturally suggests that culture
and patterns of behavior are not instinctual, or transmitted genetically.
Researchers decide to test the correlation between the effects of a
film on race relations with students’ level of prejudice. In this case,
the level of prejudice is the variable.
(A) dependent (D) spurious
(B) independent (E) None of the above.
(C) control
(A) The dependent variable is the one we are trying to explain. In this question, we are trying to explain the level of prejudice; therefore, it is the dependent variable.
In order to learn about a particular social phenomenon, Max Weber believed one needed to understand the point of view of the subject.
The term used to describe this method is
(A) social view. (D) verstehen.
(B) the looking-glass self. (E) social statics.
(C) symbolic interaction.
(D) Verstehen was the term Weber used to describe his method for
analyzing a particular social phenomenon.
Which of the following perspectives would focus on how the prosecution and defense interpret each other’s actions in a criminal trial?
(A) Structural functionalism (D) Socialization
(B) Social conflict (E) Symbolic interactionism
(C) Ethnocentrism
(E) The symbolic interaction perspective looks to individual interaction and interpretation to explain social behavior. In the example, individual lawyers for the prosecution and defense interpret each others actions and reactions.
Which of the following are forms of institutional discrimination?
I. A geographic mismatch between workers and jobs following the
move of a company from the inner-city.
II. A landlord’s distaste for Latino tenants causes him to reject all
applicants with Hispanic surnames.
Ill. During an economic downturn, a policy of “last hired = first
fired” has resulted in a disproportionate layoff of women and
minorities.
IV. The administration of IQ and other standardized tests.
(A) I only. (D) I, Ill, and IV only.
(B) Land II only. (E) I, IL, Ill, and IV.
(C) Wand II only.
(D) _ Institutional discrimination occurs when inequalities are built
into institutions and disproportionately disadvantages an entire category of
people based on nothing more than their group membership. Institutional
discrimination is unintended and carried out by institutions, not individuals.
Which of the following is true of welfare recipients?
(A) The majority are women who have many children.
(B) Most are males who are unwilling to work.
(C) Most are children. |
(D) Few ever get off welfare.
(E) None of the above.
(C) The majority of welfare dollars go to children, who are the
biggest group falling below the poverty line.
Regarding segregation, studies indicate that
I. blacks show a preference for segregation and prefer to live in
predominantly black neighborhoods.
II. whites prefer to maintain a segregated system in terms of public
accommodations and housing.
Ill. blacks, more than whites, prefer to live in integrated neighborhoods.
IV. whites, more than blacks, prefer to live in integrated neighborhoods.
(A) Ionly. (D) I and II only.
(B) Il only. (E) None of the above.
(C) Il only.
(C) Interviews with both blacks and whites suggest that blacks,
more than whites, desire integrated neighborhoods. Blacks prefer to live in
neighborhoods that are racially mixed, although most express a fear of
being the first black family in a white neighborhood.
Which of the following is best explained by the Strain theory?
(A) Voyeurism (D) Speeding
(B) Marijuana use (E) Jaywalking
(C) Robbery
(C) Strain theory asserts that people commit crimes when their
means for achievement are obstructed. According to this theory, all of us
desire the “American Dream” but only some of us are put in positions to
achieve that dream. The consequence is that those people blocked from
achievement find illegitimate means to succeed. This theory, therefore, is
best at explaining crime among the less advantaged. Committing robbery,
according to this theory, suggests that a disadvantaged individual is stealing because he may acquire goods and possessions that we all desire.
One reason lower class youth are more often arrested than individuals
of other social classes is that
(A) they commit more dangerous crimes.
(B) there are greater numbers of police in their neighborhoods.
(C) police are guided by particular status cues such as demeanor,
dress, and race.
(D) they are more likely to commit crimes that are reported.
(E) they commit more of all types of crimes.
(C) Studies suggest that police take race and class cues into ac- count in the arrest process.
A professor has certain rights and obligations associated with her
status, such as meeting with her students and preparing lectures.
These rights and obligations associated with a status are known as
(A) master statuses. (D) roles.
(B) ascribed statuses. (E) impression management.
(C) achieved statuses.
(D) A role is a behavior expected of a certain status. The expected
behaviors of a professor are to meet with her students and prepare lectures.
Cindy and Bobby, two siblings playing house, pretend they are their
parents. According to George Herbert Mead, Cindy and Bobby are learning to internalize the values of their parents and are therefore
taking on the role of the
(A) instinctual being. (D) verstehen.
(B) socialized other. (E) generalized other.
(C) looking-glass self.
(E) The generalized other is Mead’s term for the cultural norms and
values we use as references when evaluating ourselves. That the children are
able to internalize these norms and values suggests they are capable of
understanding another’s position.
A general difficulty confronted in doing social research is that
I. ethical considerations prevent certain types of research from taking place.
II. it deals with subjects who are self-aware and whose behavior is
not always predictable.
III. social researchers are part of the phenomenon they study.
IV. the methods of social research are more advanced than those of
other disciplines.
(A) I only. (D) I and II only.
(B) Il only. (E) I, Il, and III only.
(C) IV only.
(E) Social research is more difficult to perform than other forms of
research for a variety of reasons. Firstly, objectivity is impossible because
social researchers are studying the same species as themselves. Secondly,
humans, as opposed to other animals, are self-aware and are capable of
manipulating their behavior under study conditions. For example, an individual may give a researcher the answer she thinks is desired. Finally,
operations performed on animals or molecules cannot be performed on humans for ethical reasons.
In order to get a sample of Los Angeles residents for a survey on
political attitudes, Carmen selects every 1000th person from the Los
Angeles city phone book. This is an example of __________ sampling.
(A) random (D) stratified
(B) systematic (E) non-representative
(C) cluster
(B) A systematic sample is when the researcher selects every element for the sample.
Sally, a social researcher studying education level and condom use,
finds subjects who graduate from college are no more likely to use
condoms than those who do not graduate from college. Her findings
suggest that
(A) education and condom use are positively correlated.
(B) education and condom use are negatively correlated.
(C) a cause-and-effect relationship exists between education level
and condom use.
(D) no apparent relationship exists between the two variables.
(E) a spurious relationship exists between the two variables.
(D) That education level has no bearing on whether or not someone
uses condoms suggests that no relationship exists between these two variables.
The sociologist’s interest in race is due to the fact that
I. race, as a biological fact, helps to determine and explain
people’s behavior.
II. stratification on the basis of race predates all other forms of
stratification.
III. people attach meaning and values to real or imagined group
differences.
IV. race is the basis for discrimination against all minority groups.
(A) Tonly. (D) I and IV only.
(B) Ii only. (E) None of the above.
(C) Land II only.
(B) Race is not a biological fact, but a social construction. The
sociologist’s interest in race, then, is how meaning and value are attached
to differences, both real and perceived, between groups.
