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C273 Unit Assessments (Prep for OA)
1. Whose ideas are the basis for the conflict perspective?: Karl Marx
Explanation: Karl Marx's studies of class conflict are the basis for the conflict perspective in sociology.
2. What is the best summary of George Herbert Mead's theory of social in- teractions?: No one is
born knowing how to communicate with one another, and people have to learn what symbols mean and how to use them. Explanation: Mead's theory about social interactions and symbols created the basis for symbolic interactionism.
3. How might a functionalist classify the popularity and prominence of football in American society?:
Football is almost a religious institution that uses rituals to reinforce common American values, such as competition, and it serves as an outlet for aggression in order to help maintain social cohesion. Explanation: A functionalist would say that football serves a specific purpose in society in order to help it better function.
4. Why are operational definitions of variables necessary for research?: Vari- ables need
established operational definitions so that they can be measured and the data can be analyzed. Explanation: Operational definitions of variables are necessary in research so that the variables can be measured and the data can be analyzed.
5. A researcher tests a sample of elementary school children in the United States on their reading
abilities and also counts the number of books in their homes. He finds that those children who have books in their home have better reading skills. What is this an example of?: correlation Explanation: Although the researcher found that owning more books is related to better reading ability, this does not mean that one causes the other; they are simply correlated. Perhaps wealthier families can both afford to buy more books and give their children other advantages
that improve reading.
6. Which of the following is an advantage of field research?: It can offer a lot of detail about a
topic. Explanation: Field research can lack breadth, it can be very time-consuming, and different researchers might draw different conclusions about what they observed, but unlike other research methods, it offers detail about the situation.
7. If you wanted to compare the attitudes of Virginia residents towards gun control with the attitudes
of Oregon residents, which research method would you choose?: survey Explanation: Surveys are useful for gleaning information from large groups of people and drawing specific comparisons between respondents.
8. The ability to recognize the societal forces that influence individual behavior and attitude is known
as .: sociological imagination Explanation: Sociological imagination requires one to widen his or her perspective to understand the social forces that shape behavior and attitudes.
9. The requirement that all participants in a study be aware of potential risks is known as .:
informed consent Explanation: Informed consent requires that participants in a study are aware of all of the potential risks that could result from their participation in a study.
10. A sociologist analyzing the language of job ads from the early twentieth century looking for
gender bias would be an example of which type of re- search?: content analysis Explanation: Analyzing the language of job ads would be a type of content analysis.
11. Luciana is a sociologist who studies the experience of first-generation Latinx families in St.
Louis. She is asked by a non-profit to consult on how to decrease the stigmatization faced by prisoners upon their release from prison. What ethical issue does Luciana potentially face?: expertise
Explanation: Taboos are actions performed that are forbidden or sacred depending on strong cultural beliefs within a culture.
18. New members of a sorority learn the appropriate behavior and dress at a chapter meeting
through .: enculturation Explanation: Enculturation is the process by which new members of a society learn about the cultural patterns and norms.
19. Radicals or anarchists would be considered members of a .: coun-
terculture Explanation: Counterculture is a culture or subculture with values and customs that are usually opposed to those accepted by most of society.
20. The increasing popularity of meeting via webcam is an example of the
of world culture.: modernization Explanation: Modernization is the unprecedented and rapid change that is technol- ogy-driven and impacts every culture.
21. Which of the following is an example of ethnocentrism?: An American finds it rude when a
Chinese person burps loudly at dinner. Explanation: The American in this example is so used to burping in their own culture being rude that they do not realize that burping has a different cultural meaning for a Chinese person (it typically expresses satisfaction with the meal).
22. At birth, Alex's sex was assigned as "male," but Alex later underwent surgery at 28 years old to
transition to a female body. Alex would be consid- ered a .: transsexual Explanation: Someone who is transsexual identifies as a different sex than the one they were assigned at birth and makes the physical (and surgical) transition to the body they more closely identify as.
23. What does gender have to do with socialization?: A child's gender may determine how they
are treated and essentially affect how they perceive themselves. Explanation: Both in the home and in school, a child's gender may influence the way they are treated, affecting their understanding of how they fit into society.
24. Each culture has certain , or culturally accepted ways of doing things that
apply to everyday life.: norms Explanation: Cultural norms are mandated ways of doing things that apply to everyday life, such as Americans tipping their restaurant servers.
25. Why can't "people with blue eyes" be categorized as an aggregate?: The members of this
group are not necessarily united in time and space. Explanation: Aggregates are a group of people convene without knowing one another in a location temporarily and without frequency. Unless these "people with blue eyes" are in the same place at the same time at random, this category cannot be considered an aggregate. "People with blue eyes" could instead be considered a category.
26. Which quality is required to be members of a primary group?: that the relationship endure
regardless of whether a functional reason to interact exists Explanation: Primary group members do not have to be family. The relationship does not have to be lifelong, and the relationship does not have to be rooted in a functional purpose. However, if there is a functional reason for interaction, the relationship will endure after that reason no longer exists. For example, coworkers that become friends will continue to see one another after each has moved on to a different job.
27. Which is an example of a dysfunction of bureaucracy?: Sanjay has been fairly unmotivated at
work recently. He is on a large team of people, each responsible for a specific piece of a long process. His job is simple, repetitive, and no one looks over his shoulder. Explanation: Sanjay's situation is a typical dysfunction of bureaucracy. When people become
Explanation: Victimless crimes include vagrancy, prostitution, illegal drug use—in short, any crime with no obvious "victim." Embezzling is a white-collar crime and criminal organizations are part of organized crime.
33. The home and front yard of a gay couple, which displays a large gay pride flag, is vandalized with
garbage and spray paint. Which of the following would this crime likely be considered?: hate crime Explanation: A hate crime is one motivated by biases based on characteristics of the victim such as sexual orientation, race, or religion.
34. Which of the following would be considered an act of deviance in the United States?: being
rude and disruptive in class Explanation: Being rude and disruptive during class is deviant and unacceptable behavior.
35. What is a conflict perspective on deviance?: Deviance is defined by the people who are
in control in society. Explanation: Conflict theory states that power relationships are the most important factor in determining who is considered deviant.
36. People used to consider alcoholics morally blameworthy; now they are considered to have an
illness. What is this an example of?: the medicalization of deviance Explanation: The medicalization of deviance looks at some deviant behaviors as medical illnesses rather than simply non-conforming, deviant behavior.
37. Equal pay for women and men is an issue currently being fought for in the United States. Which
one of the following names the issue equal pay will fix?: gender wage gap Explanation: The gender wage gap is the difference between the average earnings by men and the average earning by women.
38. Which of the following is a sociological theory about why boys (on aver- age) get lower grades
than girls (on average)?: Doing poorly in school is a gender norm for boys among their peers. Explanation: One theorist, Amy Hsin, speculated that since Asian-American boys'
grades fell in high school, their peers' social norms for "masculine" behavior might be more influential than the early social norms inculcated by their parents.
39. What sociological observations have led to the term "second shift?": Work- ing women pick up
more of the housework than working men. Explanation: The "second shift" refers to the housework and child rearing that must be done after work, (a "second shift"), and surveys have found that working women on average spend more time on such chores than working men.
40. The conflict perspective argues which of the following about gender?: In- equality in society
stems from the gender roles assigned to and expected from men and women. Explanation: The conflict perspective attributes society's differences in how men and women are treated to inequality, especially now that gender roles are changing.
41. An exchange student from China studying in Massachusetts adopts an English name, eats only
American foods, and joins an intramural football team at his college. Which of the following concepts is this student exemplifying?- : assimilation Explanation: Assimilation is the process by which someone gives up their distinctive culture and adopts the patterns of the dominant culture.
42. What social institution led to the "one drop" rule?: slavery, since the law that said that a child
was a slave if his or her mother was, which eventually led to the idea that a single Black ancestor makes a person Black Explanation: Early Colonial laws stated that any children of slaves were slaves, even if they had White paternity. Over generations, even people whose racial heritage was largely White could still be considered slaves, feeding into the idea that a single Black ancestor made someone Black.
43. Which is an example of systemic racism?: Police officers in the United States, on average,
operating under the "stop and frisk" policy, stop disproportionately more citizens of color.
ascribed status; mother is an achieved status. Explanation: Racial categories are defined by the culture and cannot be changed by the individual while becoming a mother is a status women can control.
49. How did the Green Revolution avert the population bomb scenario?: By increasing crop yields,
the Green Revolution enabled more people to be fed, thereby avoiding mass starvation and social unrest. Explanation: The Green Revolution allowed an increase in food production which averted the overpopulation that would have led to starvation and social unrest.
50. Sweden spends about half the amount the U.S. does on each resident's healthcare and has an
infant mortality rate about half that of the United States. What are two key aspects of the Swedish healthcare system?: Every Swedish resident's major healthcare costs are covered, and the Swedish system is decentralized with local communities providing the healthcare. Explanation: Although Swedish residents pay in part for their healthcare, it is sig- nificantly subsidized by the government, while local communities retain control over both the healthcare provided and the amount of money healthcare providers receive in compensation.
51. What recent study found evidence that disease is socially constructed?-
: Researchers found that Black children were more likely to receive a diagnosis of asthma than White children, even with the same symptoms. Explanation: Researchers found that the race of a child significantly affected whether he or she received a diagnosis of asthma, indicating that more than just disease symptoms were involved.
52. Women noticed that they are not getting the same opportunities and treatment in higher
education and they agitate for law that would protect them against discrimination. What theory might explain this social movement?: rel- ative deprivation theory Explanation: Relative deprivation theory holds that social movements occur when people notice that others seem to have more than they.
53. The anti-obesity movement spearheaded by Michelle Obama would be considered .:
alternative Explanation: The anti-obesity movement seeks to alter one aspect of individuals' lives; therefore, it's alternative.
54. What would symbolic interactionists think would be a good way to posi- tively impact the
environment?: educate people about the climate dangers and socialize them to change their behavior Explanation: Symbolic interactionists would advocate trying to change the way people think about the environment and interact with it.
55. In countries like India and Greece, a matrilocal practice is common. What does that mean?: a
couple lives with or near the parents of the wife Explanation: Matrilocal is the common practice that involves living with or near the wife's parents.
56. When it comes to family violence, sociologists look to understand:: the relationship
between violence and social organization Explanation: Sociology is primarily focused on understanding the relationship be- tween family violence and social organization, rather than examining the individual reasons for committing family violence.
57. Which of the following describes a connection that can be made through ancestry, marriage, or
adoption?: kinship Explanation: Kinship is connections among individuals that are established through ancestry, marriage, or adoption.
58. Lutheranism is a branch of Protestant Christianity based on the teachings of German professor
Martin Luther. Which of the following would Lutheranism be considered?: denomination Explanation: The correct answer is D. A denomination in religion is an independent branch of a
