SOC 101 INTRODUCTION TO
SOCIOLOGY Review for Exam #1
Questions with Correct Answers
Macrolevel - ANSWER-Way of examining human life that focuses on the broad
social forces & structural features of society that exist above the level of individual
people
Microlevel - ANSWER-Way of examining human life that focuses on the intermediate
everyday experiences of individuals
What is a status? - ANSWER-The positions that individuals within a society occupy
Examples: cook, daughter, husband, president, ice cream lover
Ascribed status? - ANSWER-Social position we acquire at birth or enter involuntarily
later on life
Examples: your: race, gender, ethnicity, identity as someone's child/grandchild
Achieved status? - ANSWER-Social position we take on voluntarily
Examples: spouse, student, engineer, inventor
Roles? - ANSWER-Rights, obligations, behaviors & duties that people occupying a
specific position are expected to perform
Example: Teacher-Lecture & Answer questions
Role strain? - ANSWER-When people lack the necessary resources to fulfill the
demands of a particular role
Example: parents cant afford food for kids
Role conflict? - ANSWER-Situations where people encounter tension in trying to
cope with demands of incompatible roles
Examples: Hard working teen working at an ice cream store [employee status] sees
his friends come in and they want to talk/hangout [friend status]
Status of Instructor conflicts with status of Mom (because you need to come to
school to teach although you sometimes need to stay home with a sick child)
What is a group? - ANSWER-Set of people who interact more or less regularly with
one another and who are conscious of their identity as a group
, Examples: Family & co-workers, Mariners Fans
What is an in-group? - ANSWER-Groups to which we belong and feel a sense of
loyalty towards
What is an out-group? - ANSWER-Groups we are not part of and feel a certain
amount of antagonism towards
Dyad - ANSWER-Smallest group possible: 2 people (bff's & spouses)
Triad - ANSWER-Group of 3
Coalitions - ANSWER-2 individuals in a group pair up and "conspire" against the 3rd
member
Primary groups - ANSWER-Small # of members who know each other very well and
spend a LOT of time together; very high emotional attachments; membership
changes DO affect
Examples: Families & Close friends
Secondary groups - ANSWER-Less personal; more formal group created for a
specific task; usually much less emotional attachments; membership changes
DON'T really affect
Stanford Prison Experiment - ANSWER-In this experiment some students were
randomly selected and put into two groups one the "guards" and one the "prisoners".
They were "locked up" in a fake prison and observed to see what would happen. The
prisoners and guards completely submitted to their roles. The guards were extremely
rude and demeaning and the prisoners (for the most part) didn't try to do anything to
stop them. From this we can learn that solely depending on the environment in which
the person is and the authority subjected over them people can turn into cruel, mean,
and practically evil people. Good, nice, and normal people can turn into monsters
and be your worst enemy.
Culture - ANSWER-Language, values, beliefs, rules, behaviors, and artifacts that
characterize a society. Known as "society's personality"
Globalization - ANSWER-Process through which people's lives all around the world
become economically, politically, environmentally, and culturally interconnected.
Structural-functionalist perspective - ANSWER-Theoretical perspective that says that
societal institutions are structured to maintain stability and order in society; various
parts of society help keep it together & alive; If an aspect of social life doesn't
contribute to society's survival then it will disappear.
Manifest function - ANSWER-Intended, obvious consequences of activities designed
to help some part of the social system.
SOCIOLOGY Review for Exam #1
Questions with Correct Answers
Macrolevel - ANSWER-Way of examining human life that focuses on the broad
social forces & structural features of society that exist above the level of individual
people
Microlevel - ANSWER-Way of examining human life that focuses on the intermediate
everyday experiences of individuals
What is a status? - ANSWER-The positions that individuals within a society occupy
Examples: cook, daughter, husband, president, ice cream lover
Ascribed status? - ANSWER-Social position we acquire at birth or enter involuntarily
later on life
Examples: your: race, gender, ethnicity, identity as someone's child/grandchild
Achieved status? - ANSWER-Social position we take on voluntarily
Examples: spouse, student, engineer, inventor
Roles? - ANSWER-Rights, obligations, behaviors & duties that people occupying a
specific position are expected to perform
Example: Teacher-Lecture & Answer questions
Role strain? - ANSWER-When people lack the necessary resources to fulfill the
demands of a particular role
Example: parents cant afford food for kids
Role conflict? - ANSWER-Situations where people encounter tension in trying to
cope with demands of incompatible roles
Examples: Hard working teen working at an ice cream store [employee status] sees
his friends come in and they want to talk/hangout [friend status]
Status of Instructor conflicts with status of Mom (because you need to come to
school to teach although you sometimes need to stay home with a sick child)
What is a group? - ANSWER-Set of people who interact more or less regularly with
one another and who are conscious of their identity as a group
, Examples: Family & co-workers, Mariners Fans
What is an in-group? - ANSWER-Groups to which we belong and feel a sense of
loyalty towards
What is an out-group? - ANSWER-Groups we are not part of and feel a certain
amount of antagonism towards
Dyad - ANSWER-Smallest group possible: 2 people (bff's & spouses)
Triad - ANSWER-Group of 3
Coalitions - ANSWER-2 individuals in a group pair up and "conspire" against the 3rd
member
Primary groups - ANSWER-Small # of members who know each other very well and
spend a LOT of time together; very high emotional attachments; membership
changes DO affect
Examples: Families & Close friends
Secondary groups - ANSWER-Less personal; more formal group created for a
specific task; usually much less emotional attachments; membership changes
DON'T really affect
Stanford Prison Experiment - ANSWER-In this experiment some students were
randomly selected and put into two groups one the "guards" and one the "prisoners".
They were "locked up" in a fake prison and observed to see what would happen. The
prisoners and guards completely submitted to their roles. The guards were extremely
rude and demeaning and the prisoners (for the most part) didn't try to do anything to
stop them. From this we can learn that solely depending on the environment in which
the person is and the authority subjected over them people can turn into cruel, mean,
and practically evil people. Good, nice, and normal people can turn into monsters
and be your worst enemy.
Culture - ANSWER-Language, values, beliefs, rules, behaviors, and artifacts that
characterize a society. Known as "society's personality"
Globalization - ANSWER-Process through which people's lives all around the world
become economically, politically, environmentally, and culturally interconnected.
Structural-functionalist perspective - ANSWER-Theoretical perspective that says that
societal institutions are structured to maintain stability and order in society; various
parts of society help keep it together & alive; If an aspect of social life doesn't
contribute to society's survival then it will disappear.
Manifest function - ANSWER-Intended, obvious consequences of activities designed
to help some part of the social system.
