Test Bank for Social Problems, 9th Edition by John J. Macionis
Chapter 01: Sociology: Studying Social Problems
All Chapters Included ✅
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Which of the following terms refers to a point of view that shows us how society affects the experiences
and choices of individuals?
A) social patterns
B) sociological imagination
C) comparative perspective
D) social problems approach
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-01
Topic: Seeing Patterns—The Sociological Imagination
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.1 Explain the benefits of learning about sociology and using the sociological imagination.
Answer: B) sociological imagination
2. We tend to assume people are responsible for their own troubles because our way of life in the United
States traditionally has emphasized __________.
A) collective goals
B) individualism
C) tradition
D) relying on luck
Difficulty: Moderate
QuestionID: 01-1-02
Topic: Seeing Patterns—The Sociological Imagination
Skill: Analyze the Issue
Objective: 1.1 Explain the benefits of learning about sociology and using the sociological imagination.
Answer: B) individualism
3. Thinking sociologically about a problem such as unemployment, we understand that this issue is
__________.
A) the result of bad choices by individuals
B) inevitable
C) a personal problem
D) a social issue involving the operation of society
Difficulty: Moderate
QuestionID: 01-1-03
Topic: Seeing Patterns—The Sociological Imagination
Skill: Apply What You Know
Objective: 1.1 Explain the benefits of learning about sociology and using the sociological imagination.
Answer: D) a social issue involving the operation of society
1
,4. A social problem is defined as a condition that __________.
A) harms everyone in a society
B) harms only the poorest people in a society
C) harms only the most powerful people in a society
D) harms some or all members of a society and is usually controversial
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-04
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: D) harms some or all members of a society and is usually controversial
5. In 2022, a survey asked people in the United States what they considered to be serious social problems.
All but one of the following appeared on the list of serious problems. Which one was not on the list?
A) the economy
B) immigration
C) high cost of living/inflation
D) climate change
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-05
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Remember the Facts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: D) climate change
6. C. Wright Mills explained that by using the sociological perspective, people transform "personal
troubles" into __________.
A) social issues
B) psychological concerns
C) economic issues
D) political concerns
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-06
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: A) social issues
7. The social-constructionist approach asserts that __________.
A) society keeps facing the same problems year after year
2
, B) social problems are those that are the most harmful to a population
C) problems arise as people define conditions as undesirable and in need of change
D) the government decides what the serious problems are
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-07
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: C) problems arise as people define conditions as undesirable and in need of change
8. An example of a pattern that is very harmful to people in the United States but not generally defined as
a social problem is __________.
A) terrorism, which includes events that have resulted in thousands of deaths
B) school shootings, which have resulted in several dozen deaths
C) the use of automobiles, which results in some 40,000 deaths each year
D) homicide, which involves some 14,000 deaths each year
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-08
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Remember the Facts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: C) the use of automobiles, which results in some 40,000 deaths each year
9. Although there is less gender inequality today than there was a century ago, people today are more
likely to view gender inequality as a social problem than people were likely to do so back then. This
pattern reflects the fact that __________.
A) what we subjectively perceive always reflects what is objectively true
B) we now expect men and women to be socially unequal
C) we now expect men and women to be socially equal
D) people simply don't agree on what important social problems are
Difficulty: Moderate
QuestionID: 01-1-09
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Analyze the Issue
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: C) we now expect men and women to be socially equal
10. The process of convincing the public and important public officials that a particular issue should be
defined as a social problem is a process that sociologists call ___________.
A) subjective assessment
3
, B) claims making
C) objective assessment
D) factual analysis
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-10
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: B) claims making
11. Claims and counterclaims about what should and should not be defined as a social problem is a good
way of describing __________.
A) politics
B) societal consensus
C) coalescence
D) philosophy
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-11
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: A) politics
12. An organized effort to encourage or discourage social change is called a __________.
A) social movement
B) sociological theory
C) social-constructionist approach
D) subculture
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-12
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: A) social movement
13. In which stage of a social movement do the people involved come together to share their concerns and
make claims about the need for change?
A) coalescence
B) formalization
C) decline
4
Chapter 01: Sociology: Studying Social Problems
All Chapters Included ✅
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Which of the following terms refers to a point of view that shows us how society affects the experiences
and choices of individuals?
A) social patterns
B) sociological imagination
C) comparative perspective
D) social problems approach
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-01
Topic: Seeing Patterns—The Sociological Imagination
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.1 Explain the benefits of learning about sociology and using the sociological imagination.
Answer: B) sociological imagination
2. We tend to assume people are responsible for their own troubles because our way of life in the United
States traditionally has emphasized __________.
A) collective goals
B) individualism
C) tradition
D) relying on luck
Difficulty: Moderate
QuestionID: 01-1-02
Topic: Seeing Patterns—The Sociological Imagination
Skill: Analyze the Issue
Objective: 1.1 Explain the benefits of learning about sociology and using the sociological imagination.
Answer: B) individualism
3. Thinking sociologically about a problem such as unemployment, we understand that this issue is
__________.
A) the result of bad choices by individuals
B) inevitable
C) a personal problem
D) a social issue involving the operation of society
Difficulty: Moderate
QuestionID: 01-1-03
Topic: Seeing Patterns—The Sociological Imagination
Skill: Apply What You Know
Objective: 1.1 Explain the benefits of learning about sociology and using the sociological imagination.
Answer: D) a social issue involving the operation of society
1
,4. A social problem is defined as a condition that __________.
A) harms everyone in a society
B) harms only the poorest people in a society
C) harms only the most powerful people in a society
D) harms some or all members of a society and is usually controversial
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-04
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: D) harms some or all members of a society and is usually controversial
5. In 2022, a survey asked people in the United States what they considered to be serious social problems.
All but one of the following appeared on the list of serious problems. Which one was not on the list?
A) the economy
B) immigration
C) high cost of living/inflation
D) climate change
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-05
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Remember the Facts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: D) climate change
6. C. Wright Mills explained that by using the sociological perspective, people transform "personal
troubles" into __________.
A) social issues
B) psychological concerns
C) economic issues
D) political concerns
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-06
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: A) social issues
7. The social-constructionist approach asserts that __________.
A) society keeps facing the same problems year after year
2
, B) social problems are those that are the most harmful to a population
C) problems arise as people define conditions as undesirable and in need of change
D) the government decides what the serious problems are
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-07
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: C) problems arise as people define conditions as undesirable and in need of change
8. An example of a pattern that is very harmful to people in the United States but not generally defined as
a social problem is __________.
A) terrorism, which includes events that have resulted in thousands of deaths
B) school shootings, which have resulted in several dozen deaths
C) the use of automobiles, which results in some 40,000 deaths each year
D) homicide, which involves some 14,000 deaths each year
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-08
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Remember the Facts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: C) the use of automobiles, which results in some 40,000 deaths each year
9. Although there is less gender inequality today than there was a century ago, people today are more
likely to view gender inequality as a social problem than people were likely to do so back then. This
pattern reflects the fact that __________.
A) what we subjectively perceive always reflects what is objectively true
B) we now expect men and women to be socially unequal
C) we now expect men and women to be socially equal
D) people simply don't agree on what important social problems are
Difficulty: Moderate
QuestionID: 01-1-09
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Analyze the Issue
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: C) we now expect men and women to be socially equal
10. The process of convincing the public and important public officials that a particular issue should be
defined as a social problem is a process that sociologists call ___________.
A) subjective assessment
3
, B) claims making
C) objective assessment
D) factual analysis
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-10
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: B) claims making
11. Claims and counterclaims about what should and should not be defined as a social problem is a good
way of describing __________.
A) politics
B) societal consensus
C) coalescence
D) philosophy
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-11
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: A) politics
12. An organized effort to encourage or discourage social change is called a __________.
A) social movement
B) sociological theory
C) social-constructionist approach
D) subculture
Difficulty: Easy
QuestionID: 01-1-12
Topic: Social Problems—The Basics
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective: 1.2 Define the concept "social problem" and explain how societies come to define some issues—and
not others—as social problems.
Answer: A) social movement
13. In which stage of a social movement do the people involved come together to share their concerns and
make claims about the need for change?
A) coalescence
B) formalization
C) decline
4
