Chapter 1 – Exploring Race and Ethnicity
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In sociology, minority refers to the ________ group.
a. dominant
b. subordinate
c. ruling
d. sovereign
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: Ranking Groups
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Easy
2. Which of the following statements is true of gender groups?
a. Women are physically indistinguishable.
b. Membership in gender groups is involuntary.
c. Men are lowered to the position of the social minority.
d. Women encounter prejudice and discrimination.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: Types of Minority Groups
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Moderate
3. The sociohistorical process by which racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and
destroyed is known as ________.
a. racial formation
b. ethnocentrism
c. stratification
d. racial labeling
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.2: Explain the social construction of race.
Topic: Race as a Social Construction
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Easy
4. The racial and ethnic landscape is subject to change and different interpretations because
________.
1
Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
,a. it is constructed socially
b. it is conceived naturally
c. it is culturally homogeneous
d. it stagnates racial formation
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.2: Explain the social construction of race.
Topic: Biracial and Multiracial Identity: Who Am I?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Moderate
5. The conflict perspective is viewed as more radical and activist than functionalism because
________.
a. conflict theorists overlook economic disparity
b. conflict theorists emphasize social change
c. conflict theorists consider the redistribution of resources as unimportant
d. conflict theorists underline social stability
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.3: Describe how sociology helps us understand race and ethnicity.
Topic: Theoretical Perspectives
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Moderate
6. According to the spectrum of intergroup status, which of the following relationships is largely
unacceptable to the subordinate group?
a. fusion
b. assimilation
c. pluralism
d. extermination
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.4: Explain how subordinate groups are created.
Topic: The Spectrum of Intergroup Status
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
7. ________ occurs when a minority and a majority group combine to form a new group.
a. Expulsion
b. Fusion
c. Annihilation
d. Segregation
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.5: Summarize the consequences of subordinate-group status.
Topic: Fusion
2
Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
, Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
8. A(n) ________ is a subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or
power over their own lives than do members of a dominant group.
a. minority group
b. governing group
c. stratified group
d. elite group
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How are we Grouped?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
9. Which of the following sentences best represents the sociological concept of minority?
a. a group that experiences a narrowing of life’s opportunities
b. a group that consists less than 50 percent of the population
c. a condition defined exclusively in terms of physical traits
d. a condition that does not have negative effects in a democracy
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How are we grouped?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty: Moderate
10. Which of the following is a characteristic of a minority or subordinate group?
a. voluntary membership
b. broad spectrum of life’s opportunities
c. unequal treatment
d. unawareness of subordination
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How are we grouped?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
11. Membership in a dominant or minority group is ________.
a. a personal choice
b. not voluntary
c. not mandatory
d. discretionary
3
Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In sociology, minority refers to the ________ group.
a. dominant
b. subordinate
c. ruling
d. sovereign
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: Ranking Groups
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Easy
2. Which of the following statements is true of gender groups?
a. Women are physically indistinguishable.
b. Membership in gender groups is involuntary.
c. Men are lowered to the position of the social minority.
d. Women encounter prejudice and discrimination.
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: Types of Minority Groups
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Moderate
3. The sociohistorical process by which racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and
destroyed is known as ________.
a. racial formation
b. ethnocentrism
c. stratification
d. racial labeling
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.2: Explain the social construction of race.
Topic: Race as a Social Construction
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Easy
4. The racial and ethnic landscape is subject to change and different interpretations because
________.
1
Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
,a. it is constructed socially
b. it is conceived naturally
c. it is culturally homogeneous
d. it stagnates racial formation
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.2: Explain the social construction of race.
Topic: Biracial and Multiracial Identity: Who Am I?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Moderate
5. The conflict perspective is viewed as more radical and activist than functionalism because
________.
a. conflict theorists overlook economic disparity
b. conflict theorists emphasize social change
c. conflict theorists consider the redistribution of resources as unimportant
d. conflict theorists underline social stability
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.3: Describe how sociology helps us understand race and ethnicity.
Topic: Theoretical Perspectives
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Moderate
6. According to the spectrum of intergroup status, which of the following relationships is largely
unacceptable to the subordinate group?
a. fusion
b. assimilation
c. pluralism
d. extermination
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.4: Explain how subordinate groups are created.
Topic: The Spectrum of Intergroup Status
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
7. ________ occurs when a minority and a majority group combine to form a new group.
a. Expulsion
b. Fusion
c. Annihilation
d. Segregation
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.5: Summarize the consequences of subordinate-group status.
Topic: Fusion
2
Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
, Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
8. A(n) ________ is a subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or
power over their own lives than do members of a dominant group.
a. minority group
b. governing group
c. stratified group
d. elite group
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How are we Grouped?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
9. Which of the following sentences best represents the sociological concept of minority?
a. a group that experiences a narrowing of life’s opportunities
b. a group that consists less than 50 percent of the population
c. a condition defined exclusively in terms of physical traits
d. a condition that does not have negative effects in a democracy
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How are we grouped?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty: Moderate
10. Which of the following is a characteristic of a minority or subordinate group?
a. voluntary membership
b. broad spectrum of life’s opportunities
c. unequal treatment
d. unawareness of subordination
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How are we grouped?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
11. Membership in a dominant or minority group is ________.
a. a personal choice
b. not voluntary
c. not mandatory
d. discretionary
3
Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
