Sociology 1A Quiz 1

Regardless of which methodology they use, what are all sociologists trying to do? A. explain why poverty and inequality still exist B. compare the present with the past C. explain why social change happens D. illuminate the connection between the individual and society

Harriet Martineau supported many ideas that were radical for her time, including: A. the liberation of French colonies in Africa. B. labor unions and the abolition of slavery. C. social Darwinism. D. the French Revolution and the abolition of the monarchy.

Social theory is Eurocentric and privileges Western thought. True False

Which of the following best characterizes microsociology? A. It is an approach that examines interactions between individuals and the ways those interactions reflect larger patterns within a society. B. It is an approach that examines large-scale social structures in order to see how they affect individual lives. C. It is an approach that quantifies data on the social world so that it can be analyzed statistically. D. It is an approach that examines interactions that occur over time.

Although everyday cultural practices, such as greeting a friend, giving flowers, or using the thumbs-up sign, seem like natural ways of acting, why does an awareness of how they vary across cultures demonstrate a healthy sociological imagination? A. It ensures that we don't accidentally make a faux pas. B. It helps us economically when we do business in different countries. C. It lets us understand how immigrants perceived America when they move here. D. It reminds us that everyday interactions are connected to larger social structures.

The social sciences are all those disciplines that study: A. the human, or social, world. B. the physical universe. C. communication. D. the natural world.

What is the sociological imagination? A. a particular way of understanding the criminal mind, such as that of a serial killer B. a property of society that ensures that people remain ignorant of the connections between their lives and social change C. the sociological approach that assumes that large-scale social institutions structure individual interactions D. the ability to understand the connections between biography and history, or the interplay of the self and the world

Which of the following theories views society as a whole unit, made up of interrelated parts that work together? A. structural functionalism B. psychoanalysis C. symbolic interactionism D. conflict theory

Emile Durkheim suggested that, in traditional societies, people were bound together through mechanical solidarity. What was the basis of these sorts of bonds? A. superstition B. interdependence and the division of labor C. shared traditions and similar experiences D. a strong ruler who exercised absolute control over the population

The divorce rate has steadily increased over time, and now more than a quarter of all marriages end within the first four years. What sort of factors would C. Wright Mills suggest investigating to explain this increase? A. personal issues B. C. Wright Mills wouldn't be concerned with marriage because he's a sociologist. C. religious issues D. structural issues

In Emile Durkheim's work Suicide, he reported that suicide rates went up when the economy slumped, but also spiked when the economy boomed. Which of Durkheim's concepts from Chapter 1 explain why both positive and negative economic conditions could increase suicide rates? A. anomie B. organic solidarity C. alienation D. mechanical solidarity

Who coined the phrase "the survival of the fittest"? A. Karl Marx B. Emile Durkheim C. Charles Darwin D. Herbert Spencer

Why would culture shock be a useful state of mind for a sociologist? A. It makes us realize we lack an understanding of our surroundings, so we are able to truly perceive what is right in front of us. B. It makes us doubt our ability to function even in simple, everyday ways. C. It requires us to travel, which helps us grow as human beings. D. It scares us, and a sense of fear is a healthy thing for sociologists to have.

Which of the following statements best describes the approach taken by macrosociologists? A. Macrosociology concentrates on the way that large social institutions are created through individual interactions. B. Macrosociology focuses on non-numerical data like texts, images, and recordings. C. Macrosociology directly examines large-scale social structures in order to see how they affect individual lives. D. Macrosociology focuses on creating a "beginner's mind," in contrast to microsociology, which uses an "expert's mind."

According to Karl Marx, how is class consciousness, or revolutionary consciousness, developed? A. when a vanguard party leads a violent revolution B. when the lower classes come to recognize how society works and challenge those in power. C. through the further development of false consciousness D. through a religious awakening

According to the theoretical position developed by Karl Marx, what is the engine of social change? A. exploration beyond the boundaries of a given society B. cooperation between social groups C. development of technology D. conflict between social groups

What economic system emerged during the Industrial Revolution? A. socialism B. globalization C. capitalism D. humanitarianism

What does Max Weber mean when he says that modern people are trapped in an "iron cage"? A. More and more people live under totalitarian dictators and so lose basic rights and freedoms. B. Increasingly, we live and work in smaller and smaller physical locations, as if crammed in a cage. C. Increasingly, modern society has more laws and uses them to incarcerate more people in prison. D. Most aspects of life are increasingly controlled through rigid rules and rationalization.

Together and in groups people organize their lives and their social interactions to produce a real and meaningful world. Sociologists can study this because: A. they are interested in all aspects of human psychology. B. sociology understands the importance of human psychology. C. doing sociology is a radical undertaking. D. such organization is done in patterned ways.

Howard Becker said that sociology can be best understood as the study of people "doing things together." This definition reminds us that: A. people must have some knowledge of each other before they can really do anything together. B. neither society nor the individual exists in isolation; each is dependent on the other. C. mass culture and large only large-scale interactions that involve many people can be understood by sociologists. D. sociology is only interested in the way people act, not in the way they think.

Unlike sociologists, most people base their knowledge of the world on: A. the opinions of their parents and other family members. B. expert knowledge based on surveys and interviews. C. conventional wisdom, background knowledge, and personal experience. D. journals and other publications that summarize the conclusions of professional researchers.

On any given day, within ten minutes of waking up, you probably depend on more than 100 strangers to provide electricity, water, natural gas, weather forecasts, and more. This interdependence gives rise to: A. organic solidarity B. conflict C. mechanical solidarity D. class consciousness

Sociologists observe society: A. by studying the shape and boundaries of society as a whole. B. by utilizing the preconceptions, assumptions, and beliefs that come from living in a society. C. by studying society as if it were a concrete object, in the same way that a geologist studies rocks. D. by studying the various parts of a society and the ways they interact and influence each other.

It is the responsibility of a sociologist to question everything that the everyday person would take for granted. True False

Why can doing sociology be described as a radical undertaking? A. Sociology requires people to suspend their preconceptions, assumptions, and beliefs about the world. B. Sociology comes with a built-in political bias toward radical political causes. C. There is a large amount of material that must be mastered in order to be a sociologist. D. All sociologists are political radicals and activists.

Sociology allows you to see the world in a new light. Does this mean you have to reevaluate old opinions? A. sometimes, but only if you got most of your information from mass media B. no C. yes D. only on certain subjects

Unlike earlier religious traditions, which attempted to determine the ultimate cause or source of reality, Auguste Comte developed positivism in order to: A. justify a particular kind of social system based on hierarchy and privilege. B. identify laws that describe the behavior of a particular reality. C. explain how class conflict drove social change. D. argue that symbolic interactions between individuals were the basis for social life.

There is only one correct theoretical explanation for any particular social phenomenon. True False

Jane Addams was an early advocate of applied sociology. As a result, she did not just do research, she also: A. tried to address the problems she researched through hands-on activity in the communities that she researched. B. reported illegal activities to the proper authorities. C. wrote extensively on the communities that she researched. D. compared the communities that she studied to communities from others cultures. E. examined the hstorical origins of the phenomena that she researched.

Humans are essentially social beings. True False