Sociology 101 Final Exam Questions and Complete Solutions

Sociology 101 Final Exam Questions and Complete Solutions Sociology is defined as the study of ____. (A) society and human behavior (B) the way people are influenced by groups (C) the way people influence one another (D) organizations and social structures - Answer: (A) society and human behavior The ability to see how individuals and their behaviors make up part of a larger social pattern is ____. (A) public sociology (B) social constructivism (C) sociological imagination (D) common sense - Answer: (C) sociological imagination What do ethnic minorities, religious minorities, and LGBTQ people have in common? (A) They have a privileged position within our popular culture (B) They stand outside the center of power in our society and are marginalized (C) They are the main focus of attention for sociologists (D) They are cultural minorities and therefore less important for the study of society - Answer: (B) They stand outside the center of power in our society and are marginalized Sociologists define "society" as ____. (A) the upper class or elites (B) a group of people who regularly interact together (C) a group of people who share a language and religion (D) a group of people who share a culture and territory - Answer: (D) a group of people who share a culture and territory The short video on sociological imagination uses obesity as an example. What is one reason why obesity is a "public problem" rather than merely a "private trouble"? (A) People who choose unhealthy options drive up food prices for the rest of us. (B) People need to eat to live, some people just eat too much. (C) Lower income families often have a difficult time buying healthy foods, either because they are simply not available or are too expensive. (D) People who are obese make poor personal choices. - Answer: (C) Lower income families often have a difficult time buying healthy foods, either because they are simply not available or are too expensive. Theoretical paradigms are ____. (A) the major theories developed by classic sociologists (B) fundamental assumptions sociologists have about the social world that guide their thinking and research (C) hunches sociologists have based on established common sense (D) statements about the possible relationships between two variables - Answer: (B) fundamental assumptions sociologists have about the social world that guide their thinking and research . An underlying assumption in conflict theory is that ____. (A) society is composed of different groups who struggle for scarce resources (B) society is a complex system whose parts work together to promote stability and social order (C) society is composed of different religious or ethnic groups who engage in cultural conflict with each other (D) conflict is good for society, since it encourages innovation and progress - Answer: (A) society is composed of different groups who struggle for scarce resources The theoretical paradigm that sees society as a product of everyday interactions that create society's "shared reality" is ___. (A) conflict theory (B) feminism (C) structural-functionalism (D) symbolic interactionism - Answer: (D) symbolic interactionism A researcher who is studying issues within a local school realizes that these problems are occurring in school districts across the US. This researcher is connecting ___ to ___ social phenomena. (A) local; global (B) micro; macro (C) private; public (D) agency; structure - Answer: (B) micro; macro The philosophy known as "positivism" assumes that ____. (A) the social world can be studied through direct observation to develop theories about how the world works (B) the social world must be studied at a distance, order to maintain objectivity (C) the social world can be studied through direct observation, with the goal of understanding what proper morals or values should be (D) the social world must be studied with positive, optimistic attitude that emphasizes how things can be made better - Answer: (A) the social world can be studied through direct observation to develop theories about how the world works The Hawthorne effect illustrates what limitation of positive sociology? (A) It's very difficult for sociologists to set aside their biases. (B) It's very difficult to recruit subjects for sociological studies. (C) People may change their behavior if they know they're being observed. (D) Sociologists can't observe everything and up missing important information. - Answer: (C) People may change their behavior if they know they're being observed. The type of sociological inquiry that focuses on the need for social change is ____. (A) empirical sociology (B) interpretive sociology (C) positive sociology (D) critical sociology - Answer: (D) critical sociology How is sociology different from commonsense understandings of the social world? (A) Sociology is systematic and rigorous; common sense is not. (B) Sociology is intentional and common sense is not. (C) Sociology requires sampling large portions of the population. (D) Sociology only focuses on questions of scientific relevance. - Answer: (A) Sociology is systematic and rigorous; common sense is not. An important first step in developing a sociological research question is ____. (A) to pick a topic that is interesting to your reader (B) to pick a topic that deals with an important social issue (C) to clearly define the major concepts (D) to clearly explain why you are qualified to do research on this topic - Answer: (C) to clearly define the major concepts . The measures of a variable are reliable if ____. (A) they reflect the underlying concept you're trying to measure (B) they give consistent measures, regardless of who is collecting the data (C) the measures support the hypothesis (D) the measures strengthen the observed correlation - Answer: (B) they give consistent measures, regardless of who is collecting the data The type of analysis that starts with empirical observations, finds patterns, and develops theories to explain those patterns is based on ____. (A) deductive logical thought (B) inductive logical thought (C) positive philosophy (D) experimental analysis - Answer: (B) inductive logical thought Joe, a sociologist, believes that (on average) as an individual's education attainment rises, so does his/her income. This is an example of a ____. (A) concept (B) theory (C) hypothesis (D) fact - Answer: (C) hypothesis According to his criteria, Karl Popper would call sociology a pseudoscience. (A) True (B) False - Answer: (B) False According to Karl Popper, good science relies on the principle of falsification. This means that ____. (A) scientific theories must be stated in such a way that they cannot be disproven (B) scientific theories must be stated in such a way that make explicit what facts would disprove them (C) scientific theories are only useful if they have not been disproven (D) scientific theories organize facts in ways that confirm previous beliefs - Answer: (B) scientific theories must be stated in such a way that make explicit what facts would disprove them . Scientific thinking requires that if you discover evidence that contradicts a previously held belief or assumption, then you ____. (A) should cling to your beliefs and seek additional data that disproves this new data (B) accept that people may have alternative facts and "agree to disagree" (C) reject the new information immediately, especially if you think it comes from "biased" sources (D) should be willing to revise your beliefs - Answer: (D) should be willing to revise your beliefs A statement that is said to be irrefutable or that cannot be tested is NOT a scientific theory. (A) True (B) False - Answer: (A) True Today, scientific research (in social and "natural" sciences alike) is governed by institutional review boards (IRBs) that ensure that researchers adhere to important ethical considerations whenever they do research involving human subjects. Which of the following is NOT a principle used to determine whether a research project is ethical or not? (A) Participation must be voluntary (B) Subjects must give informed consent (C) The researcher must respect the dignity and autonomy of his/her subjects (D) The research project must not pose an undue burden on taxpayers - Answer: (D) The research project must not pose an undue burden on taxpayers From 1932 to 1972, researchers from the US Public Health Service studied the effects of syphilis on African-Americans at Tuskegee University. At first, the men involved were told the study would last six months, but actually lasted 40 years. Subjects were not told that penicillin was discovered to cure syphilis (in 1947), and researchers continued to study the health effects of infected African-American men. This study violated which ethical principle? (A) Subjects must give informed consent (B) Participation must be voluntary (C) The research must not be an undue burden to taxpayers (D) The research must aim towards treatment of a health or other public issue - Answer: (A) Subjects must give informed consent Émile Durkheim believed that increasing division of labor in society led to "organic solidarity," which made us increasingly interdependent on each other. Which of the following BEST describes an outcome that comes from organic solidarity? (A) We become more tolerant of people with different values (B) We become less tolerant of people with different values (C) We become too dependent on others and become unable to think for ourselves (D) We become too focused on ourselves and avoid interacting with other people - Answer: (A) We become more tolerant of people with different values . Émile Durkheim saw society as ____. (A) shaped by economic conflict (B) an organism, with parts that served different functions (C) held together by state power (D) held together by common culture, especially religion - Answer: (B) an organism, with parts that served different functions The collection of all beliefs, morals, and ideas that are the "social facts" in a given society is known as ____. (A) collective understanding (B) collective consciousness (C) social dysfunction (D) common sense - Answer: (B) collective consciousness . Christmas is a "social fact" in the US because ____. (A) most Americans are Christians, so this is a "fact" of our society (B) it's an important cultural event that determines end-of-year holidays (C) it underscores the importance of religion in American culture (D) it shapes our behavior, such as gift-buying, even if we aren't particularly religious ourselves or don't want to participate in gift exchanges - Answer: (D) it shapes our behavior, such as gift-buying, even if we aren't particularly religious ourselves or don't want to participate in gift exchanges When an individual is confused and/or unsure of the social norms to follow, they fit with Durkheim's definition of experiencing ____. (A) exploitation (B) rationalization (C) disorientation (D) anomie - Answer: (D) anomie . The main emphasis of Karl Marx was to understand how social change was driven by ____. (A) changes in material conditions, such as the economy (B) changes in religious beliefs and practices, such as the Protestant Reformation (C) changes in the environment, such as climate change (D) advancements in medicine and education - Answer: (A) changes in material conditions, such as the economy According to Karl Marx, humans need society in order to survive and prosper in the natural world. But society tends to be organized in ways that ____. (A) produce religious hierarchy (B) produce economic inequalities (C) reproduce previous social structures (D) reduce economic inequalities - Answer: (B) produce economic inequalities . Karl Marx emphasized different elements of production (the economy). The "relations of production" include ____. (A) the technical, scientific, and material parts of the economy (B) how people organize themselves around labor (C) the specific means needed to produce goods (D) the particular ideas and beliefs about how businesses should work - Answer: (B) how people organize themselves around labor Karl Marx believed that, under capitalism, factory workers suffered from "alienation." Which of the following is NOT one of the elements of workers' alienation in industrial capitalism? (A) The work is repetitive and is not a natural expression of human creativity. (B) Workers have little connection to the finished products of their labor. (C) Workers pay too much in taxes, making it difficult to get ahead. (D) Workers have little emotional or social connection to their fellow coworkers. - Answer: (C) Workers pay too much in taxes, making it difficult to get ahead. A key dilemma for Marxist theory is how the bourgeoisie (the capitalist class) manages to stay in power, since Marx argues that the workers (who are the majority) should rise up against the capitalists (who are in the minority). The Italian theorist Antonio Gramsci developed the concept of "hegemony" to suggest that ____. (A) rising wages and other benefits have successfully addressed workers' needs (B) capitalism is supported by a dominant, all-pervasive cultural set of ideas that legitimizes the capitalist system (C) the proletariat aspire to someday work their way up to become capitalists (D) the middle class is really the dominant political force in society - Answer: (B) capitalism is supported by a dominant, all-pervasive cultural set of ideas that legitimizes the capitalist system W.E.B. Du Bois helped redefine how sociologists study race. Today, sociologists define race as ____. (A) a socially constructed category of people, who share biological traits that society has deemed important (B) a socially constructed category of people, regardless of any biological traits (C) a category of people defined by clear biological markers (D) a category of people defined by cultural practices, not biological traits - Answer: (A) a socially constructed category of people, who share biological traits that society has deemed important . One of Du Bois's key ideas is the concept of "double consciousness," defined as ____. (A) the disparities, inequalities, and conflicts between white and black Americas (B) the process through which social, political, and economic forces influence how society defines racial categories (C) the reality that black Americans have two competing identities: as an American and as a black person living in white-centric America (as an "other") (D) the conflict between the myth of American equality and the reality of American racial inequality - Answer: (C) the reality that black Americans have two competing identities: as an American and as a black person living in white-centric America (as an "other") . Race-conflict theory tends to assume that ____. (A) conflict between people of different races is inevitable (B) managing racial conflict in society is an important function of government (C) social and economic inequalities between different races is a defining feature of a society (D) people are naturally prejudiced and governments tend to reflect this racial bias - Answer: (C) social and economic inequalities between different races is a defining feature of a society Based on his study of African-Americans in Philadelphia, Du Bois concluded that the problems facing African-Americans were caused by ____. (A) restricted access to education and higher paying jobs (B) legal racism and occupational segregation (C) cultural practices that discouraged hard work and studying (D) the natural inferiority of blacks relative to whites - Answer: (A) restricted access to education and higher paying jobs . Gender conflict theory ____. (A) focuses on domestic violence and other types of violence against women (B) argues that women should embrace their "natural" feminine roles, such as childrearing (C) applies the general concepts of conflict theory to gender relations (D) argues that women are morally superior to men - Answer: (C) applies the general concepts of conflict theory to gender relations For sociologists, sex and gender have distinct meanings. Sex is ___, while gender is ____. (A) personality traits and social roles that are socially defined; biological distinctions between male and female (B) biological distinctions between male and female; personality traits and social roles that are socially defined (C) the physical act of procreation; personality traits and social roles that are socially defined (D) biological distinctions between male and female; how well individuals match up to the expectations of their sex - Answer: (B) biological distinctions between male and female; personality traits and social roles that are socially defined According to the concept of ____ we can't understand the plight of a black woman based on race alone; we must focus also on other factors, such as gender, age, and occupation. (A) structural-functionalism (B) convergence (C) intersectionality (D) double consciousness - Answer: (C) intersectionality People who describe themselves as "feminists" ____. (A) hate men and want to put women on top in the social hierarchy (B) support social equality among genders (C) believe men are inherently violent and abusive (D) believe women should stop getting married and having children - Answer: (B) support social equality among genders Unlike Karl Marx, Max Weber argued that the transition from "traditional" to "modern" society was ____. (A) changes in the way we think about the world (B) changes in the mode of production (C) changes in the environment that altered our social behavior (D) the rise of the modern German state - Answer: (A) changes in the way we think about the world According to Max Weber, the most important event for modernization and the rise of capitalism was ____. (A) the Industrial Revolution (B) the French Revolution (C) the Protestant Reformation (D) the invention of banking and currency - Answer: (C) the Protestant Reformation Max Weber was optimistic about the future and saw rationalization and bureaucratization as a solution to all our social problems. (A) True (B) False - Answer: (B) False When Max Weber argued that a modern bureaucracy is defined by being "impersonal," he meant that ____. (A) bureaucrats are rude and treat customers with contempt (B) bureaucrats follow the established rules impartially, regardless of your individual personal characteristics (C) bureaucrats are trained to be friendly and courteous to everyone (D) bureaucrats routinely prioritize helping important people - Answer: (B) bureaucrats follow the established rules impartially, regardless of your individual personal characteristics A culture's values are ____. (A) the standards people use to decide what's good or bad, right or wrong (B) specific ideas about what people think is true about the world (C) rules and expectations that guide behavior in society (D) the amount of money required to demonstrate class - Answer: (A) the standards people use to decide what's good or bad, right or wrong A culture's norms are ____. (A) the standards people use to decide what's good or bad, right or wrong (B) specific ideas about what people think is true about the world (C) rules and expectations that guide behavior in society (D) the amount of money required to demonstrate class - Answer: (C) rules and expectations that guide behavior in society Aspects of culture that exist in intangible forms, such as norms and values are called ____. (A) real culture (B) informal culture (C) material culture (D) symbolic culture - Answer: (D) symbolic culture The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis ____. (A) argues that a person's language is shaped by their environment (B) argues that a person's thoughts and actions are shaped by the language they speak (C) argues that a person's linguistic ability determines their social status in society (D) is an old debate about continuity problems between Star Trek fan - Answer: