Social Problems Final Exam

Front 1

The growing disparity between the fortunes of the "haves" and "have-nots" is increasingly cited throughout the world as the outstanding problem, along with global warming, confronting human species.

Back 1

True

Front 2

Conflict theory is associated with Karl Marx who viewed society as being in constant tension between those who are well off, the "haves" and those who are not well off, the "have nots."

Back 2

True

Front 3

An "open society" is one based primarily on ascribed status. In other words, it is a society based on merit.

Back 3

False

achieved

Front 4

The age of "enlightenment" occurred in the 18th century and had a tremendous impact on the contemporary world. It is often said that the U.S. Constitution is highly influenced by the enlightenment philosophers.

Back 4

True

Front 5

Before the age of enlightenment, people tended to believe that social problems (homelessness, hunger, racism, poverty) were only natural and nothing could be done to alleviate these problems.

Back 5

True

Front 6

Social institutions can be characterized by their resistance to change.

Back 6

True

Front 7

Gesellschaft societies are characterized by (?).

Back 7

the predominance of secondary group associations

Front 8

Sociologist distinguish between two types of status. (?) are those who we can control and they reflect hard work, talent, and motivation, while (?) are those we have no control over.

Back 8

achieved; ascribed

Front 9

Mores and folkways make up what sociologists and anthropologists call the normative system. Of these two, (?) are the most serious while (?) are not as serious and tend to solicit minor sanctions.

Back 9

mores; folkways

Front 10

Which of the following statements are components of the definition of social problems provided by our text?

Back 10

all of the above are components of social problems:

A social problem exists when enough people in a society agree that a condition exists.

The problematic condition threatens the quality of life and cherished values.

People agree that something should be done about this condition.

Front 11

Sociology is driven by three main theories. Two of them are "macro" theories while one is a "micro" theory. The macro theories are (?) and (?) and the micro theory is (?).

Back 11

functionalism, conflict, symbolic interactionism

Front 12

The enlightenment thinkers believed that (?) was possible because human beings were (?) creatures capable of improving the world and its social conditions by discovering and understanding the (?) that shape the universe.

Back 12

progress, reasoning/rational, natural laws

Front 13

Women in the U.S. did not have the right to vote until (?).

Back 13

1920

Front 14

Which of the following social conditions are said to be manifestations of social disorganization?

Back 14

normlessness, culture conflict, breakdown

Front 15

Every society has a social structure. This social structure consists of (?).

Back 15

status, roles, groups, institutions

Front 16

From the functionalist approach, the term (?) is most closely related to social problems.

Back 16

disequilibrium

Front 17

In a social experiment, one group is "left alone," that is, not exposed to treatment. This is called the (?) group.

Back 17

control

Front 18

According to the functionalist perspective on social problems, the main reason for the existence of social problems is that (?).

Back 18

societies sometimes fail to adapt successfully to change and new conditions

Front 19

Suicide rates among young people have reached "epidemic" levels according to many social scientists. Among the disturbing data related to suicide is that young-adult suicide has increased by about 20 percent in the last fifty years.

Back 19

False

Front 20

During the 1950s, the development of psychotropic drugs changed the way mental patients were treated. Shortly after the wide spread use of these drugs, the U.S. began the process of deinstitutionalization. Data revealed this dramatic trent. For example, in 1955 there were some 559,000 public mental hospital beds. Today, there are about 110,000 mental hospital beds.

Back 20

True

Front 21

The parity movement in mental healthcare advocates legislation that would end practices whereby insurance companies discriminate against people with mental illnesses and/or chemical dependencies.

Back 21

True

Front 22

Among the major contributors to the high cost of health care in the U.S. are the health needs of the aging "baby boom" generation.

Back 22

True

Front 23

The well-known White Hall Studies show a strong and significant relationship between class and health. One's placement in the social structure is the best predictor of health and well-being.

Back 23

True

Front 24

At the end of 2012, the leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. was the inability to pay medical bills.

Back 24

True

Front 25

High levels of stress over long periods of time can lead to a variety of health problems. Recent research indicates that cortisol levels tend to remain higher for longer periods of time for those with low socioeconomic status. This pattern continues throughout the socioeconomic structure and we also see that those int he middle class have poorer health outcomes than someone who is independently wealthy.

Back 25

True

Front 26

Otto von Bismarck developed and implemented a system of universal health care for everyone in Germany during the 1880s. The Bismark model is still used today in several countries around the world.

Back 26

True

Front 27

In the U.S., the life expectancy rate for African American males is almost four years shorter than for white males.

Back 27

False

Front 28

Among the many reasons for the exceedingly high cost of health care in the U.S. is trend toward specialization. It is estimated that about 18% of all medical degrees are issued to general practitioners.

Back 28

False

Front 29

According to our text, the rising cost of prescription drugs now accounts for 45% of the annual increase in health care.

Back 29

True

Front 30

In the U.S., our comparatively poor health is due largely to two social conditions: growing inequality and lifestyle problems.

Back 30

True

Front 31

Over the past decades, an increasing proportion of Americans are receiving treatment for one or more mental disorders. Recent statistics show that in the 1990s some (?) of all Americans received mental health treatment while today about (?) of all Americans are getting treatment for a mental disorder.

Back 31

20%; 33%

Front 32

Medicare and Medicaid are the two largest health-care providers run by the U.S. government. (?) is aimed at the poor and (?) is aimed at the elderly.

Back 32

medicaid; medicare

Front 33

Approximately (?) percent of the world's 444 million mentally disabled people live in developing and poor nations that spend almost nothing on health care for the mentally ill.

Back 33

80%

Front 34

The American Psychiatric Association's standard manual of mental disorders is entitled the (?).

Back 34

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

Front 35

According to the data from the World Health Organization (WHO) the number one killer of people worldwide is attributable to the lack of clean water and the subsequent waterborne illnesses. Each year about (?) people die from unsafe drinking water.

Back 35

1 billion

Front 36

The Spanish flue of 1918 killed about (?) people.

Back 36

40 million

Front 37

Data from the statistical abstract of 2010 indicate that about (?) percent of the GDP of the U.S. goes to health care. This is a sharp increase since 2003 when American's spend some (?) of the GDP on healthcare.

Back 37

25%; 15%

Front 38

Recent data on life expectancy indicates that an African American woman can expect to live about (?) than a white American woman.

Back 38

4 years shorter

Front 39

The concept of (?) helps us explain the wealth-health gradient. It argues that the power you have over the circumstances of your life helps predict your health.

Back 39

control of destiny

Front 40

It is said that the mentally ill suffer twice. This means that people affected suffer both (?).

Back 40

illness and rejection

Front 41

Around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that suicide is responsible for (?) percent of all deaths. This percentage is higher than deaths attributed to both war and terrorism combined.

Back 41

2%

Front 42

Rates of incarceration in the U.S. are to a large extent a reflection of the war on drugs. For example, nearly one in four inmates in federal and state prisons is there because of drug-related offenses, most of them nonviolent.

Back 42

True

Front 43

While the U.S. comprises about 10 percent of the world's population, it consumes nearly 30 percent of the world's illegal drugs.

Back 43

False

Front 44

While the number of people killed in alcohol related traffic fatalities has gone down in recent decades, weekend drinking and driving remains a major problem. Statistics indicate that weekend drunk driving fatalities remain high.

Back 44

True

Front 45

A greater number of American teenagers (52%) are now finishing high school without ever trying an illegal drug. However, among the minority who do try and use those drugs, there are alarming increases in the use of prescription drugs and amphetamines.

Back 45

True

Front 46

According to the recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), the criteria for alcohol dependence focuses on cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and other behavioral measures, the criteria for alcohol abuse include drinking despite recurrent social, interpersonal, and legal problems resulting from alcohol use.

Back 46

True

Front 47

According to the FBI's Crime Clock, one murder occurs in the U.S. every 31 minutes.

Back 47

True

Front 48

While overall crime rates have gone down in recent years, incidents such as road rage, fights at sporting events, rates of family violence, and workplace violence have increased.

Back 48

True

Front 49

With approximately (?) people in its prisons, a disproportionate number of whom are members of racial or ethnic minorities, the U.S. continues to lead the world in rates of imprisonment.

Back 49

1.5 million

Front 50

Since 1980, incarceration rates in the U.S. have (?).

Back 50

quadrupled

Front 51

An annual survey of U.S. households by the U.S. Department of Justice asks respondents detailed questions about their experiences with crime. This survey, known as the (?) consistently indicates higher crime rates than the official crime rates.

Back 51

National Crime Victimization Survey

Front 52

According to the Uniform Crime Reports in 2006, about (?) percent of white murder victims were slain by white offenders, and about (?) percent of black victims were slain by black offenders.

Back 52

85; 90

Front 53

(?) or theft from one's employer, is usually committed by otherwise law-abiding people during the course of their employment.

Back 53

embezzlement

Front 54

Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics from 1930 to 1963, (?) led the movement to make marijuana and other drugs illegal and he set the tone for what would eventually culminate in the current war on drugs.

Back 54

Harry Anslinger

Front 55

It is estimated that the U.S. spends about (?) annually to fight the war on drugs.

Back 55

$30 billion

Front 56

Once called the "Noble Experiment" the era of prohibition in the U.S. lasted from (?) until (?).

Back 56

1920-1933

Front 57

According to our text, the word (?) is used to describe physical dependence while (?) occurs when a user needs a drug for the feeling of well-being that it (the drug) produces.

Back 57

addiction; psychological dependence

Front 58

The sociological study of stratification (sometimes termed differentiation) attempts to answer the questions: Who gets what and why?

Back 58

True

Front 59

The number of Americans who are working full time but still fall below the poverty threshold (the working poor) has remained steady in recent years.

Back 59

False

Front 60

In recent years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of the population considered severely poor has reached a 32 year high.

Back 60

True

Front 61

While urban poverty is probably more familiar to most people, about one-fifth of poor people in the U.S. live in rural areas and another third in suburban areas.

Back 61

True

Front 62

Per capita expenditures on education are higher in the U.S. than in any other nation. Additionally, the U.S. educates more children than any other country with about 99% of all American children between the ages of 5 to 19 enrolled in school.

Back 62

True

Front 63

In 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education case. The Court ruled in 2007 that it was illegal to assign students to schools based on race.

Back 63

True

Front 64

The gap in educational attainment between African American students and white American students has grown significantly in recent years.

Back 64

False

Front 65

In many metropolitan areas of the U.S. more than 90% of the students in public schools are minority students. The result is a highly segregated public school system.

Back 65

True

Front 66

America's public schools have been the target of blame and criticism for many decades.

Back 66

True

Front 67

Over the past several decades the process of globalization has had a strong, negative impact on American workers.

Back 67

True

Front 68

When sociologists refer to "social rewards" they are typically speaking of (?).

Back 68

power, property, prestige

Front 69

(?) worth, a frequently used measure of wealth, refers to the value of savings and checking accounts, real estate, automobiles, stocks and bonds, and other assets, minus debts.

Back 69

net

Front 70

In 2006, the poorest 20 percent of the U.S. population received less than (?) percent of all national income.

Back 70

5

Front 71

The U.S. government attempts to "officially" define the poverty line by utilizing which factor?

Back 71

the calculation of a minimum family "market basket"

Front 72

A recent analysis of national survey and census data found that about (?) children in the U.S. are homeless.

Back 72

1.35 million

Front 73

Surveys by the Federal Reserve Board suggest that the richest 1 percent of all U.S. households hold over (?) of all personal wealth.

Back 73

one-third

Front 74

Sociologists often consider (?) people or households to be those living at less than 50% of the poverty threshold.

Back 74

severely poor

Front 75

When the government provides subsidies for the rich, for example, when it rescues failing corporations such as the banks, railroads, or aerospace industry, sociologists call this (?).

Back 75

wealthfare

Front 76

The type of poverty that can result from the loss of a job, pregnancy, or marital discord is often termed (?).

Back 76

event poverty

Front 77

In 2001, the Bush administration developed a program known as (?) which aimed at developing national achievement tests, encouraged failing students to accept tutoring, and punished schools and school districts in which students did poorly on student test scores.

Back 77

no child left behind

Front 78

The percentage of high school graduates in the U.S. has risen dramatically the past several decades. For example, in 1940 about (?) percent of all Americans were high school graduates. More recent statistics indicate that today about (?) of all Americans are high school graduates.

Back 78

22%; 86%

Front 79

There have been two periods in the history of the U.S. when the federal government enacted programs aimed at helping to provide a minimum level of security for all Americans. These two programs are often called (?).

Back 79

The New Deal programs of the 1930s and the Great Society programs of the 1960s.

Front 80

Among the "master trends" in the U.S. economy has been the growth in service sector jobs in the advanced economies and the continued export of manufacturing jobs to regions with lower wages. This trend is especially problematic in that the new service jobs tend to pay much lower wages and they tend not to offer benefits.

Back 80

True

Front 81

Statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show the huge loss of manufacturing jobs. For example, in 1960 over 28% of all U.S. workers were employed in manufacturing jobs. By 2008, this figure had dropped to 10.9%.

Back 81

True

Front 82

An oligopoly exists when a few large companies control an entire industry or market and are therefore, able to artificially inflate prices.

Back 82

True

Front 83

Which of the following is/are not among the types of capitalism practiced around the world today?

Back 83

all of these are among the forms of capitalism practiced today:

corporate

cooperative

state

Front 84

Now about halfway through its economic transformation from an agrarian to an industrial society, China manufactures a large proportion of the lower-cost consumer goods purchased in the U.S. Total trade between the two nations has increased form about (?) billion in 1980 to over (?) billion in 2010.

Back 84

$4 billion; $380 billion

Front 85

A capitalist who creates a new business venture is known as a/an (?).

Back 85

entrepreneur

Front 86

U.S. multinational corporations have located plants producing goods for American markets in low wage, third world nations. This phenomenon is called (?).

Back 86

outsourcing

Front 87

The Nike Corporation subcontracts with local employers for about 75,000 Asian workers to make Nike shoes, which are sold in the U.S. for more than $80 per pair. In some instances, 11 year old workers earn about (?) a day producing these shoes.

Back 87

$2.20

Front 88

In 1960, at the height of union influence in the U.S., about 27 percent of the employees in the private sector were members of trade unions. Today about (?) percent are union members.

Back 88

7.6%

Front 89

Social scientists tend to define the process of (?) as the tendency for goods and services to be produced in one nation or region and consumed in another and for the companies that produce those goods and services to engage in business activities in many different regions of the world.

Back 89

economic globalization