Test Bank For Racial and Ethnic Groups 16th Edition
Chapter 1 – Exploring Race and Ethnicity
Chapter 1 – Exploring Race and Ethnicity
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In sociology, the term minority refers to a ________ group.
a. dominant
b. subordinate
c. ruling
d. sovereign
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How Are We Grouped?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
2. Sociologists define ethnic groups based on _________.
a. whatever definition a particular dominant group applies within a specific cultural setting
b. differing religious practices
c. obvious physical differences that distinguish them from other groups
d. their national origin or distinctive cultural patterns
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. A(n) ________ group 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
b. governing
c. stratified
d. elite
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
4. Which definition best represents the sociological concept of a subordinate or social minority
group?
a. a group that experiences a narrowing of life’s opportunities
1
,Test Bank For Racial and Ethnic Groups 16th Edition
Chapter 1 – Exploring Race and Ethnicity
b. a group that consists of less than 50 percent of the population
c. group membership defined exclusively in terms of physical traits
d. social standing that is irrelevant to the processes of 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
5. Which characteristic applies to a minority or subordinate group?
a. voluntary membership in the group
b. having a broad spectrum of opportunities
c. unequal treatment from others
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
6. Membership in a dominant or minority group is ________.
a. a personal choice
b. not voluntary
c. not mandatory
d. discretionary
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How Are We Grouped?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
7. Members of a minority or subordinate group ________.
a. generally marry other people from outside their group
b. become a part of the group voluntarily
c. are political equals of the majority group
d. have distinguishing cultural traits
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How Are We Grouped?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty: Easy
2
,Test Bank For Racial and Ethnic Groups 16th Edition
Chapter 1 – Exploring Race and Ethnicity
8. Which reason describes why members of a subordinate group generally marry within their
group?
a. Members of a subordinate group stand to gain economically by marrying within their own
group.
b. Members of a subordinate group have a strong sense of group solidarity that discourages
marriage to outsiders.
c. It is illegal in most jurisdictions for subordinate group members and dominant group members
to marry.
d. The voting rights of members of a subordinate group will be revoked if they marry outside
their group.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How Are We Grouped?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty: Moderate
9. The term ________ group is reserved for minorities and the corresponding majorities that are
socially set apart because of obvious physical differences.
a. racial
b. ethnic
c. economic
d. religious
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups
Topic: Types of Minority Groups
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
10. In the United States, people have traditionally been classified in the past racially as either
________.
a. Protestant or Catholic
b. Democrat or Republican
c. Black or White
d. American or Hispanic
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups
Topic: Types of Minority Groups
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
11. ________ groups are set apart from others because of their national origin or distinctive
cultural patterns.
3
, Test Bank For Racial and Ethnic Groups 16th Edition
Chapter 1 – Exploring Race and Ethnicity
a. Gender
b. Ethnic
c. Racial
d. Formal
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups
Topic: Types of Minority Groups
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
12. The way in which we view ourselves in relationship to other groups and larger society forms
the basis of ___________.
a. race
b. ethnicity
c. identity
d. culturalism
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
13. When Ingo visited his friend Bola in Brazil, he was struck by the diversity of people he
encountered. “Huh,” said Ingo, “so you’ve got Black people and White people here, just like in
the US” “Not really,” Bola replied. “We have mazombo, preto, cafuso, escuro…all kinds of
people!” What does Bola recognize that Ingo does not?
a. Some Brazilians are not really “Brazilians” in the strictest sense
b. This is an elaborate social classification system
c. Bola is talking about the ancient European origins of modern-day Brazilian people
d. There should be no divisions or distinctions between groups of people
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: Types of Minority Groups
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty: Difficult
14. The cultural traits that make groups distinctive usually originate from their ________.
a. religious faiths
b. physical attributes
c. preferences
d. homelands
Answer: d
4
Chapter 1 – Exploring Race and Ethnicity
Chapter 1 – Exploring Race and Ethnicity
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In sociology, the term minority refers to a ________ group.
a. dominant
b. subordinate
c. ruling
d. sovereign
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How Are We Grouped?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
2. Sociologists define ethnic groups based on _________.
a. whatever definition a particular dominant group applies within a specific cultural setting
b. differing religious practices
c. obvious physical differences that distinguish them from other groups
d. their national origin or distinctive cultural patterns
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. A(n) ________ group 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
b. governing
c. stratified
d. elite
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
4. Which definition best represents the sociological concept of a subordinate or social minority
group?
a. a group that experiences a narrowing of life’s opportunities
1
,Test Bank For Racial and Ethnic Groups 16th Edition
Chapter 1 – Exploring Race and Ethnicity
b. a group that consists of less than 50 percent of the population
c. group membership defined exclusively in terms of physical traits
d. social standing that is irrelevant to the processes of 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
5. Which characteristic applies to a minority or subordinate group?
a. voluntary membership in the group
b. having a broad spectrum of opportunities
c. unequal treatment from others
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
6. Membership in a dominant or minority group is ________.
a. a personal choice
b. not voluntary
c. not mandatory
d. discretionary
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How Are We Grouped?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
7. Members of a minority or subordinate group ________.
a. generally marry other people from outside their group
b. become a part of the group voluntarily
c. are political equals of the majority group
d. have distinguishing cultural traits
Answer: d
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How Are We Grouped?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty: Easy
2
,Test Bank For Racial and Ethnic Groups 16th Edition
Chapter 1 – Exploring Race and Ethnicity
8. Which reason describes why members of a subordinate group generally marry within their
group?
a. Members of a subordinate group stand to gain economically by marrying within their own
group.
b. Members of a subordinate group have a strong sense of group solidarity that discourages
marriage to outsiders.
c. It is illegal in most jurisdictions for subordinate group members and dominant group members
to marry.
d. The voting rights of members of a subordinate group will be revoked if they marry outside
their group.
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: How Are We Grouped?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty: Moderate
9. The term ________ group is reserved for minorities and the corresponding majorities that are
socially set apart because of obvious physical differences.
a. racial
b. ethnic
c. economic
d. religious
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups
Topic: Types of Minority Groups
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
10. In the United States, people have traditionally been classified in the past racially as either
________.
a. Protestant or Catholic
b. Democrat or Republican
c. Black or White
d. American or Hispanic
Answer: c
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups
Topic: Types of Minority Groups
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
11. ________ groups are set apart from others because of their national origin or distinctive
cultural patterns.
3
, Test Bank For Racial and Ethnic Groups 16th Edition
Chapter 1 – Exploring Race and Ethnicity
a. Gender
b. Ethnic
c. Racial
d. Formal
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups
Topic: Types of Minority Groups
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty: Easy
12. The way in which we view ourselves in relationship to other groups and larger society forms
the basis of ___________.
a. race
b. ethnicity
c. identity
d. culturalism
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
13. When Ingo visited his friend Bola in Brazil, he was struck by the diversity of people he
encountered. “Huh,” said Ingo, “so you’ve got Black people and White people here, just like in
the US” “Not really,” Bola replied. “We have mazombo, preto, cafuso, escuro…all kinds of
people!” What does Bola recognize that Ingo does not?
a. Some Brazilians are not really “Brazilians” in the strictest sense
b. This is an elaborate social classification system
c. Bola is talking about the ancient European origins of modern-day Brazilian people
d. There should be no divisions or distinctions between groups of people
Answer: b
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how people are placed in groups.
Topic: Types of Minority Groups
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty: Difficult
14. The cultural traits that make groups distinctive usually originate from their ________.
a. religious faiths
b. physical attributes
c. preferences
d. homelands
Answer: d
4
