,Name: ___________________________ Class: _________________ Date: __________
Chapter 1
1. As defined by C. Wright Mills, __________ “enables us to grasp history and
biography and the relations between the two within society.”
a. formal sociology
b. macrosociology
c. microsociology
d. sociological imagination
2. Janice is 24 years old and has graduated college, but she feels like a failure
because she is living at home with her parents. After watching the news, she
realizes that her living situation is not her own personal failing; there has been a
steady increase in young adults living with their parents in recent years due to
crushing student loan debt, poor employment opportunities, and rising housing
costs. Janice’s realization is an example of
a. anomie.
b. social cohesion.
c. the sociological imagination.
d. verstehen.
3. As described in the textbook, two characters in the movie Pulp Fiction discuss
how people in Holland put mayonnaise on their french fries instead of ketchup.
This example illustrates the concept of
a. formal sociology.
b. social institutions.
c. the sociology of film.
d. the sociological imagination.
,4. C. Wright Mills once wrote, “The sociological imagination enables us to grasp
__________ and the relations between the two within society. That is its task and
its promise.”
a. macrosociology and microsociology
b. nature and nurture
c. history and biography
d. economics and anthropology
5. A goal in sociology is to question things that are taken for granted in order to
better understand the social world. Another way of saying this is to
a. place our own values above data we collect.
b. see culture as a more powerful force than armies or industry.
c. think of individuals as members of an organized group.
d. think of the world in such a way as to make the familiar strange.
6. According to social theorist Randall Collins, getting a “piece of paper” is more
important to many than actually having the knowledge to do a job. The term
__________ refers to this potentially excessive priority placed on formal
education.
a. credentialism
b. microsociology
c. normlessness
d. xenophobia
7. Asha Rangappa, dean of admissions at Yale Law School, explained that most
students who apply to Yale Law School have already benefited from opportunities
, that make them appear to be stronger candidates than those from less
advantaged backgrounds. In the sociological perspective, this implies that
a. as a social institution, education tends to reinforce existing inequalities.
b. education is the best opportunity for reducing inequality.
c. microsociology is the better way to study America’s universities.
d. Yale Law School is an exceptional case of inequality.
8. Some sociologists claim we live in a “credentialist society” when it comes to
entering certain professions. One example is that to get a job in the medical
profession, an individual must
a. enter as a novice and be promoted based on experience and demonstrated
skill.
b. gain entry into these professions based on family and social connections.
c. go through a process of formal schooling and certification as a means of
gaining entry into certain professions.
d. purchase a license or other qualifying documentation or registration.
9. A __________ is defined as a complex group of interdependent positions that
together perform a social role and reproduce themselves over time.
a. social construction
b. social identity
c. social institution
d. theory
10.As the textbook author notes, the most age-segregated social institution in our
society is a
a. four-year college.
Chapter 1
1. As defined by C. Wright Mills, __________ “enables us to grasp history and
biography and the relations between the two within society.”
a. formal sociology
b. macrosociology
c. microsociology
d. sociological imagination
2. Janice is 24 years old and has graduated college, but she feels like a failure
because she is living at home with her parents. After watching the news, she
realizes that her living situation is not her own personal failing; there has been a
steady increase in young adults living with their parents in recent years due to
crushing student loan debt, poor employment opportunities, and rising housing
costs. Janice’s realization is an example of
a. anomie.
b. social cohesion.
c. the sociological imagination.
d. verstehen.
3. As described in the textbook, two characters in the movie Pulp Fiction discuss
how people in Holland put mayonnaise on their french fries instead of ketchup.
This example illustrates the concept of
a. formal sociology.
b. social institutions.
c. the sociology of film.
d. the sociological imagination.
,4. C. Wright Mills once wrote, “The sociological imagination enables us to grasp
__________ and the relations between the two within society. That is its task and
its promise.”
a. macrosociology and microsociology
b. nature and nurture
c. history and biography
d. economics and anthropology
5. A goal in sociology is to question things that are taken for granted in order to
better understand the social world. Another way of saying this is to
a. place our own values above data we collect.
b. see culture as a more powerful force than armies or industry.
c. think of individuals as members of an organized group.
d. think of the world in such a way as to make the familiar strange.
6. According to social theorist Randall Collins, getting a “piece of paper” is more
important to many than actually having the knowledge to do a job. The term
__________ refers to this potentially excessive priority placed on formal
education.
a. credentialism
b. microsociology
c. normlessness
d. xenophobia
7. Asha Rangappa, dean of admissions at Yale Law School, explained that most
students who apply to Yale Law School have already benefited from opportunities
, that make them appear to be stronger candidates than those from less
advantaged backgrounds. In the sociological perspective, this implies that
a. as a social institution, education tends to reinforce existing inequalities.
b. education is the best opportunity for reducing inequality.
c. microsociology is the better way to study America’s universities.
d. Yale Law School is an exceptional case of inequality.
8. Some sociologists claim we live in a “credentialist society” when it comes to
entering certain professions. One example is that to get a job in the medical
profession, an individual must
a. enter as a novice and be promoted based on experience and demonstrated
skill.
b. gain entry into these professions based on family and social connections.
c. go through a process of formal schooling and certification as a means of
gaining entry into certain professions.
d. purchase a license or other qualifying documentation or registration.
9. A __________ is defined as a complex group of interdependent positions that
together perform a social role and reproduce themselves over time.
a. social construction
b. social identity
c. social institution
d. theory
10.As the textbook author notes, the most age-segregated social institution in our
society is a
a. four-year college.
