CHAPTER ONE
THE STUDY OF SOCIETY
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Sociologists are most inclined to explain behavior in terms of:
a. individual personality characteristics.
b. roles and social structures.
c. the biological differences between people.
d. individual attitudes.
ANS: b REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Conceptual OBJ: 1.1
2. Sociology is defined in your text as the systematic study of:
a. mental cognition.
b. the biological difference between individuals.
c. human social interaction.
d. individual human behavior.
ANS: c REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Conceptual OBJ: 1.1
3. The ability to see the intimate realities of our own lives in the context of common social
structures is what C. Wright Mills refers to as:
a. common human drama.
b. the family.
, c. the sociological imagination.
d. a social script.
ANS: c REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Factual OBJ: 1.1
4. Public issues are different from personal troubles in that issues affect a:
a. few people and require personal adjustments.
b. few people and require structural adjustments.
c. large number of people and require personal adjustments.
d. large number of people and require structural adjustments.
ANS: d REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Factual OBJ: 1.1
5. According to C. Wright Mills, the difficulties that John and Mary experience in their
marriage represent a personal trouble. The fact that 250 out of every 1000 marriages ends in
divorce within the first 4 years, however, is:
a. a public issue.
b. a sign of moral collapse.
c. a latent dysfunction of marriage.
d. meaningless.
ANS: a REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Applied OBJ: 1.1
6. The sociological imagination does all of the following EXCEPT:
a. offer a new way to look at social issues.
b. offer a new way to solve social issues.
c. suggest the benefit of considering the impact of social forces as well as personal choices.
, d. suggest that individuals bear no responsibility for their choices.
ANS: d REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Factual OBJ: 1.1
7. According to your text, what distinguishes social sciences from fields such as journalism,
medicine, or the law?
a. Social sciences are interested in human behavior.
b. Social sciences use a critical and systematic examination of evidence before reaching any
conclusion.
c. Social sciences try to approach each research question from a position of moral
neutrality.
d. Social sciences are interested in society, not individuals.
ANS: b REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Conceptual OBJ: 1.1
8. The social sciences rely on empirical research. This means that they:
a. are very philosophical.
b. are less scientific that other fields such as journalism and medicine.
c. are based on systematic examination of evidence.
d. use research methods that are very different from those used in the sciences.
ANS: c REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Conceptual OBJ: 1.1
9. Which of the following is NOT a reason for the emergence of sociology as a field of study?
a. political changes
b. changing gender roles
c. economic change
d. intellectual upheavals
, ANS: b REF: The Emergence of Sociology DIF: Factual OBJ: 1.1
10. Which of these conditions contributed to the early development of sociology?
a. a period of stability that gave people time to reflect about society
b. changes brought by the Industrial Revolution
c. the need for reconstruction in the South following the Civil War
d. social and economic prosperity in Europe and America
ANS: b REF: The Emergence of Sociology DIF: Factual OBJ: 1.1
11. The credit for founding the discipline of sociology is given to:
a. Thomas Hobbes.
b. Émile Durkheim.
c. Auguste Comte.
d. Herbert Spencer.
ANS: c REF: The Emergence of Sociology DIF: Factual OBJ: 1.2
12. According to Comte, understanding society requires recognizing forces for stability and
order, as well as change. Today, sociologists refer to these using the terms:
a. social structure and social process.
b. continuity and change.
c. social conflict and social order.
d. symbolic interaction and social interaction.
THE STUDY OF SOCIETY
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Sociologists are most inclined to explain behavior in terms of:
a. individual personality characteristics.
b. roles and social structures.
c. the biological differences between people.
d. individual attitudes.
ANS: b REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Conceptual OBJ: 1.1
2. Sociology is defined in your text as the systematic study of:
a. mental cognition.
b. the biological difference between individuals.
c. human social interaction.
d. individual human behavior.
ANS: c REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Conceptual OBJ: 1.1
3. The ability to see the intimate realities of our own lives in the context of common social
structures is what C. Wright Mills refers to as:
a. common human drama.
b. the family.
, c. the sociological imagination.
d. a social script.
ANS: c REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Factual OBJ: 1.1
4. Public issues are different from personal troubles in that issues affect a:
a. few people and require personal adjustments.
b. few people and require structural adjustments.
c. large number of people and require personal adjustments.
d. large number of people and require structural adjustments.
ANS: d REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Factual OBJ: 1.1
5. According to C. Wright Mills, the difficulties that John and Mary experience in their
marriage represent a personal trouble. The fact that 250 out of every 1000 marriages ends in
divorce within the first 4 years, however, is:
a. a public issue.
b. a sign of moral collapse.
c. a latent dysfunction of marriage.
d. meaningless.
ANS: a REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Applied OBJ: 1.1
6. The sociological imagination does all of the following EXCEPT:
a. offer a new way to look at social issues.
b. offer a new way to solve social issues.
c. suggest the benefit of considering the impact of social forces as well as personal choices.
, d. suggest that individuals bear no responsibility for their choices.
ANS: d REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Factual OBJ: 1.1
7. According to your text, what distinguishes social sciences from fields such as journalism,
medicine, or the law?
a. Social sciences are interested in human behavior.
b. Social sciences use a critical and systematic examination of evidence before reaching any
conclusion.
c. Social sciences try to approach each research question from a position of moral
neutrality.
d. Social sciences are interested in society, not individuals.
ANS: b REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Conceptual OBJ: 1.1
8. The social sciences rely on empirical research. This means that they:
a. are very philosophical.
b. are less scientific that other fields such as journalism and medicine.
c. are based on systematic examination of evidence.
d. use research methods that are very different from those used in the sciences.
ANS: c REF: What is Sociology? DIF: Conceptual OBJ: 1.1
9. Which of the following is NOT a reason for the emergence of sociology as a field of study?
a. political changes
b. changing gender roles
c. economic change
d. intellectual upheavals
, ANS: b REF: The Emergence of Sociology DIF: Factual OBJ: 1.1
10. Which of these conditions contributed to the early development of sociology?
a. a period of stability that gave people time to reflect about society
b. changes brought by the Industrial Revolution
c. the need for reconstruction in the South following the Civil War
d. social and economic prosperity in Europe and America
ANS: b REF: The Emergence of Sociology DIF: Factual OBJ: 1.1
11. The credit for founding the discipline of sociology is given to:
a. Thomas Hobbes.
b. Émile Durkheim.
c. Auguste Comte.
d. Herbert Spencer.
ANS: c REF: The Emergence of Sociology DIF: Factual OBJ: 1.2
12. According to Comte, understanding society requires recognizing forces for stability and
order, as well as change. Today, sociologists refer to these using the terms:
a. social structure and social process.
b. continuity and change.
c. social conflict and social order.
d. symbolic interaction and social interaction.
