Sociology Test 1

Front 1

The level(s) of sociological analysis is (are)

Back 1

all of the above.

Front 2

The structural-functionalist paradigm

Back 2

emphasizes the notion of shared ideas.

Front 3

The social-conflict paradigm

Back 3

stresses the domination of some groups by others.

Front 4

Symbolic-interactionism emphasizes

Back 4

person-centered processes.

Front 5

Living and working with a group of migrant farm workers to better understand the issues they face would fit which type of research method?

Back 5

participant observation

Front 6

Polls are an example of which type of research method?

Back 6

survey research

Front 7

Compared with interview questionnaires, self-administered questionnaires

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are all of the above.

Front 8

People who watch themselves being observed or tested and change their behavior because of this observation are undergoing

Back 8

the Hawthorne effect.

Front 9

A problem stated in a form that can be tested by research is called

Back 9

a hypothesis.

Front 10

Examining school textbooks to see whether sexism or racism is present would best fit with which research method?

Back 10

content analysis

Front 11

A simple random sample means that

Back 11

every person in the entire population has an equal chance of being selected.

Front 12

In Peter Berger’s article "Sociology as an Individual Pastime" which of the following is correct?

Back 12

Sociology is often misunderstood.

Front 13

A university that serves as a meeting ground for people seeking lifelong partners is performing

Back 13

a latent function.

Front 14

Which of the following academic disciplines focuses on the social relationships among people and on how societies are established and change?

Back 14

sociology

Front 15

A sociologist thinks about using people’s marital status to measure their satisfaction with life. He should be concerned that this measure may lack

Back 15

validity.

Front 16

The _______approach is concerned with broad social structures that characterize society as a whole.

Back 16

macro-level

Front 17

The first step in any sociological research project is to

Back 17

identify the research problem.

Front 18

You have been awarded a large research grant on the condition that you will be able to generalize your results to the broadest possible population. Which of the following research designs do you choose?

Back 18

survey

Front 19

According to Peter Berger, there is a ________ motif inherent in the sociological consciousness.

Back 19

debunking

Front 20

Peter Berger described using the sociological perspective as seeing the __________in the __________.

Back 20

general; particular

Front 21

Is sociology just common sense? Give four supporting arguments from your text, the syllabus, and the readings.

Back 21

Although we all have familiarity with some aspects of social life, few of us have enough experience to make accurate, systematic generalizations. Sociological research goes beyond common sense because:

* It produces accurate, systematic generalizations.
* It compiles many observations from many people in various situations in a systematic manner.
* It builds theories.
* It tests these theories.

Sociology frequently develops concepts which translate into special applications for everyday ideas. These concepts can provide a more precise analysis than common-sense terms do.

Front 22

What is the "sociological imagination" and why do sociologists try to use it in their work?

Back 22

The "sociological imagination" is a method by which people begin to see that their familiar lives may have elements of "strangeness" in them and that general patterns can be developed out of specific and extraordinary circumstances. Sociologists employ the "sociological imagination" to examine the society around them in a different light. Societies and cultures teach individuals to view the world in a narrow way—we are often "blinded" by these learned responses to the environment. Sociologists are trained, via the use of the sociological imagination, to look beyond those blinders and consider society and people’s interactions within society from other perspectives. This process allows for greater insight into the relationships that exist around us.

Front 23

Why and when do researchers formulate a hypothesis?

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A hypothesis (a formal statement which presents the research question in a manner that can be tested) is based upon observation, experience, or evidence gathered from earlier studies or theories. It is most often stated before a research project is carried out and functions as a predictor of the relationship between two or more variables in the project.

Front 24

How do the social conflict and structural-functionalist perspectives differ?

Back 24

From the conflict perspective, societies undergo constant change. Disharmony accompanies this change. Furthermore, the institutions in society, such as government, education, the economy, and so forth, are organized in such a manner that they benefit the groups which have the most power. Finally, the groups in power are in constant social conflict; they are always struggling over scarce resources

The functionalist perspective, on the other hand, views societies as basically stable, harmonious, and consensual. Functionalists believe agreement exists within any given society as to its structure. While functionalists see some disequilibrium in society, they feel the predominantly harmonious and stable nature of society provides a mechanism for working out problems and quickly returning to equilibrium.

Front 25

Shared ways of thinking and believing that grow out of a group experience are called

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culture.

Front 26

What is the term for cultural patterns that set apart some segment of a society’s population?

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subculture

Front 27

The shared belief that human life should be preserved at all costs would be called

Back 27

a cultural value.

Front 28

Norms that forbid murder are called

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Mores

Front 29

Culture and social organization

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are interdependent.

Front 30

The dominance of European (particularly English) cultural patterns is known as

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eurocentrism.

Front 31

Cultural universals can be accounted for in which of the following ways?

Back 31

all of the above

Front 32

To judge a culture as neither good nor bad is called

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cultural relativism

Front 33

George Herbert Mead’s theory of the self would best fit which theoretical framework?

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symbolic interactionism

Front 34

Which of the following biological traits makes socialization possible?

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both of the above

Front 35

The spread of cultural elements from one society to another is called

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diffusion.

Front 36

According to Mead, the part of the self that consists of the internalized attitudes of others is called the

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me.

Front 37

According to Freud, the part of the self that is referred to as the voice of the conscience is the

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superego.

Front 38

A person who is part of two cultures but is not completely socialized by either is said to be

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socially marginalized.

Front 39

Select the one true statement from among the following:

Back 39

"Guilt" reflects our understanding of cultural norms.

Front 40

Explain the difference between ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. Give one example of an ethnocentric attitude.

Back 40

Ethnocentrism means that one judges other cultures by the standards of one’s own culture. Cultural relativism, on the other hand, can be thought of as the near opposite of ethnocentrism—in this view one does not judge cultures as "good" or "bad" but instead judges them on their own terms. Individual customs, therefore, according to cultural relativism, must be judged on their value to the entire culture in which the custom exists. It would be ethnocentric to assume that there is something wrong with people who do not celebrate Christmas.

Front 41

How do we develop a sense of ourselves?

Back 41

We develop our "self" through the process of socialization. A new-born baby must rely on parents and the community for identity.

All cultures attempt to give its members a self-concept. Three scholars who have contributed to our understanding of self concept are Charles Horton Cooley, George Herbert Mead, and Sigmund Freud.

Cooley described the self in terms of a looking-glass: we are the way we are in part because of other people’s reactions to us.

George Herbert Mead emphasized the importance of day-to-day socialization through the use of language, social interaction, and role taking in shaping the self. This shaping occurs in two stages. In the first stage, the child relates only to the significant others (parents, siblings, relatives) in their life. In the second stage, the child matures enough to act in response to the generalized other (or the whole community) through organized group activity such as playing a game. Mead further describes the self as consisting of the I and the me. The me is the part of the self that is conventional and socially controlled. The me plays the socially expected roles. The I responds when a person is presented with a unique situation.

Freud emphasized the role of socialization in both group and individual conflict and struggle. Freud viewed the self as divided into the id, ego, and superego—three elements which constantly struggle against one another.

Front 42

With so much difference in the content of cultures, how can we account for cultural universals? Give two examples of such cultural universals.

Back 42

Cultural universals occur because of the similarities that exist in all human beings (the psychic unity of humanity), because of the requirements of group life that allow for survival and growth, and because of our limited solutions to certain situations. Two examples of cultural universals are religious rituals and sexual restrictions.

Front 43

What is gender? Why is gender significant to the socialization process?

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Gender is a culturally and socially constructed difference between females and males. Most often, individuals are socialized according to their biological makeup, or sex. Feminine and masculine characteristics and roles are taught. Because they are so widespread we may come to view them as natural differences.

Because most societies highly value males, gender socialization is very different for male and female children. Parents tend to handle boy children more aggressively and girl children less aggressively. Toys help to socialize children into their gender roles. Gender socialization is important because it often determines later careers and economic stability. In the past, women earned less money than men across the board partly because traditional "feminine" careers yield low pay. In addition, because income often is associated with power and prestige, women tend to be powerless and suffer from low prestige.