SOC 220
Introduction to
Sociology
Final Exam
(With Solutions)
2025
1. During a community health fair, a nurse notices that immigrant families struggle to
navigate local services due to unfamiliar norms and values. Which sociological concept
best explains this barrier?
a. Ethnocentrism
b. Cultural relativism
c. Acculturation
d. Role strain
ANS: c. Acculturation
Rationale: Acculturation describes how members of one cultural group adopt
practices of another, explaining the families’ need to learn new norms and values.
2. A public health nurse finds that teens in a peer support group adopt healthy
behaviors faster than through lectures alone. Which theoretical perspective highlights
this peer influence?
a. Structural functionalism
b. Symbolic interactionism
c. Conflict theory
d. Exchange theory
1
, ANS: b. Symbolic interactionism
Rationale: Symbolic interactionism focuses on how individuals create meanings
through social interaction, illustrating peer groups shaping behavior.
3. A nurse assesses why low-income patients have difficulty following dietary advice.
Which social determinant is most directly involved?
a. Genetic predisposition
b. Socioeconomic status
c. Individual motivation
d. Healthcare technology
ANS: b. Socioeconomic status
Rationale: Socioeconomic status influences access to healthy food options, directly
affecting dietary adherence.
4. In a hospital unit, casual conversation among staff establishes unwritten standards
for teamwork and punctuality. What do these informal rules represent?
a. Formal norms
b. Mores
c. Folkways
d. Sanctions
ANS: c. Folkways
Rationale: Folkways are everyday informal norms guiding routine interactions, such
as staff timeliness and collegial conduct.
5. When updating patient-education materials, a nurse considers literacy levels to
prevent misunderstanding. Which concept addresses the gap between new information
and existing cultural practices?
a. Cultural lag
b. Structural strain
c. Role conflict
d. Social capital
ANS: a. Cultural lag
Rationale: Cultural lag occurs when nonmaterial culture (e.g., health education)
changes faster than material culture (e.g., literacy), causing communication gaps.
6. A multidisciplinary team confronts unequal power dynamics when deciding resource
allocation for elderly care. Which perspective examines this struggle over limited
resources?
a. Functionalism
b. Conflict theory
c. Symbolic interactionism
d. Exchange theory
2
, ANS: b. Conflict theory
Rationale: Conflict theory analyzes how groups compete for scarce resources and
power, reflecting the team’s allocation debates.
7. A nurse observes that hospitalized patients adopt “sick role” behaviors, such as
relinquishing normal responsibilities and expecting care. Which sociologist introduced
this concept?
a. Émile Durkheim
b. Talcott Parsons
c. George Herbert Mead
d. Max Weber
ANS: b. Talcott Parsons
Rationale: Parsons described the sick role as societal expectations for those
identified as ill, including exemption from duties and seeking help.
8. In researching adherence to hypertension treatment, a nurse surveys patients’ trust
in providers. Which research method is most aligned with interpretive sociology?
a. Large-scale epidemiologic study
b. Participant observation
c. Randomized controlled trial
d. Secondary data analysis
ANS: b. Participant observation
Rationale: Participant observation yields deep, contextual insight into social
meaning and trust dynamics central to interpretive approaches.
9. A nurse finds that single-parent households face overlapping strains of work and
childcare. Which term describes these competing expectations?
a. Role exit
b. Role conflict
c. Role overlap
d. Role ambiguity
ANS: b. Role conflict
Rationale: Role conflict arises when demands of two statuses (worker and parent)
clash, causing stress in single-parent families.
10. A new policy requires nurses to document patient encounters in a standardized
EHR. Which social institution primarily enforces this change?
a. Family
b. Education
c. Healthcare
d. Religion
3
, ANS: c. Healthcare
Rationale: The healthcare institution establishes professional standards and
documentation protocols governing nursing practice.
11. In exploring why certain patients mistrust clinical trials, a nurse examines historical
abuses in research. Which concept best frames the lasting impact of those events?
a. Collective conscience
b. Social solidarity
c. Historical trauma
d. Organic solidarity
ANS: c. Historical trauma
Rationale: Historical trauma acknowledges enduring distrust stemming from past
injustices, shaping current attitudes toward medical research.
12. A patient uses online forums to negotiate treatment options with other patients,
bypassing professional advice. Which term describes this self-organizing group?
a. Reference group
b. Secondary group
c. Primary group
d. In-group
ANS: a. Reference group
Rationale: A reference group provides standards for evaluating behavior and
beliefs, influencing individuals beyond formal relationships.
---
Fill-in-the-Blank (6 Questions)
13. The process by which individuals internalize society’s values, beliefs, and norms
throughout life is called __________.
ANS: socialization
Rationale: Socialization shapes identity and behavior by teaching cultural
expectations.
14. A status acquired through personal effort and merit—such as becoming a nurse—is
known as __________ status.
ANS: achieved
Rationale: Achieved status reflects individual accomplishments rather than inherited
positions.
15. The term for any recognized pattern of behavior that a society defines as serious
violation—such as elder abuse—is __________.
4
Introduction to
Sociology
Final Exam
(With Solutions)
2025
1. During a community health fair, a nurse notices that immigrant families struggle to
navigate local services due to unfamiliar norms and values. Which sociological concept
best explains this barrier?
a. Ethnocentrism
b. Cultural relativism
c. Acculturation
d. Role strain
ANS: c. Acculturation
Rationale: Acculturation describes how members of one cultural group adopt
practices of another, explaining the families’ need to learn new norms and values.
2. A public health nurse finds that teens in a peer support group adopt healthy
behaviors faster than through lectures alone. Which theoretical perspective highlights
this peer influence?
a. Structural functionalism
b. Symbolic interactionism
c. Conflict theory
d. Exchange theory
1
, ANS: b. Symbolic interactionism
Rationale: Symbolic interactionism focuses on how individuals create meanings
through social interaction, illustrating peer groups shaping behavior.
3. A nurse assesses why low-income patients have difficulty following dietary advice.
Which social determinant is most directly involved?
a. Genetic predisposition
b. Socioeconomic status
c. Individual motivation
d. Healthcare technology
ANS: b. Socioeconomic status
Rationale: Socioeconomic status influences access to healthy food options, directly
affecting dietary adherence.
4. In a hospital unit, casual conversation among staff establishes unwritten standards
for teamwork and punctuality. What do these informal rules represent?
a. Formal norms
b. Mores
c. Folkways
d. Sanctions
ANS: c. Folkways
Rationale: Folkways are everyday informal norms guiding routine interactions, such
as staff timeliness and collegial conduct.
5. When updating patient-education materials, a nurse considers literacy levels to
prevent misunderstanding. Which concept addresses the gap between new information
and existing cultural practices?
a. Cultural lag
b. Structural strain
c. Role conflict
d. Social capital
ANS: a. Cultural lag
Rationale: Cultural lag occurs when nonmaterial culture (e.g., health education)
changes faster than material culture (e.g., literacy), causing communication gaps.
6. A multidisciplinary team confronts unequal power dynamics when deciding resource
allocation for elderly care. Which perspective examines this struggle over limited
resources?
a. Functionalism
b. Conflict theory
c. Symbolic interactionism
d. Exchange theory
2
, ANS: b. Conflict theory
Rationale: Conflict theory analyzes how groups compete for scarce resources and
power, reflecting the team’s allocation debates.
7. A nurse observes that hospitalized patients adopt “sick role” behaviors, such as
relinquishing normal responsibilities and expecting care. Which sociologist introduced
this concept?
a. Émile Durkheim
b. Talcott Parsons
c. George Herbert Mead
d. Max Weber
ANS: b. Talcott Parsons
Rationale: Parsons described the sick role as societal expectations for those
identified as ill, including exemption from duties and seeking help.
8. In researching adherence to hypertension treatment, a nurse surveys patients’ trust
in providers. Which research method is most aligned with interpretive sociology?
a. Large-scale epidemiologic study
b. Participant observation
c. Randomized controlled trial
d. Secondary data analysis
ANS: b. Participant observation
Rationale: Participant observation yields deep, contextual insight into social
meaning and trust dynamics central to interpretive approaches.
9. A nurse finds that single-parent households face overlapping strains of work and
childcare. Which term describes these competing expectations?
a. Role exit
b. Role conflict
c. Role overlap
d. Role ambiguity
ANS: b. Role conflict
Rationale: Role conflict arises when demands of two statuses (worker and parent)
clash, causing stress in single-parent families.
10. A new policy requires nurses to document patient encounters in a standardized
EHR. Which social institution primarily enforces this change?
a. Family
b. Education
c. Healthcare
d. Religion
3
, ANS: c. Healthcare
Rationale: The healthcare institution establishes professional standards and
documentation protocols governing nursing practice.
11. In exploring why certain patients mistrust clinical trials, a nurse examines historical
abuses in research. Which concept best frames the lasting impact of those events?
a. Collective conscience
b. Social solidarity
c. Historical trauma
d. Organic solidarity
ANS: c. Historical trauma
Rationale: Historical trauma acknowledges enduring distrust stemming from past
injustices, shaping current attitudes toward medical research.
12. A patient uses online forums to negotiate treatment options with other patients,
bypassing professional advice. Which term describes this self-organizing group?
a. Reference group
b. Secondary group
c. Primary group
d. In-group
ANS: a. Reference group
Rationale: A reference group provides standards for evaluating behavior and
beliefs, influencing individuals beyond formal relationships.
---
Fill-in-the-Blank (6 Questions)
13. The process by which individuals internalize society’s values, beliefs, and norms
throughout life is called __________.
ANS: socialization
Rationale: Socialization shapes identity and behavior by teaching cultural
expectations.
14. A status acquired through personal effort and merit—such as becoming a nurse—is
known as __________ status.
ANS: achieved
Rationale: Achieved status reflects individual accomplishments rather than inherited
positions.
15. The term for any recognized pattern of behavior that a society defines as serious
violation—such as elder abuse—is __________.
4
