Exam 1: The Sociological Approach to Social Problems

Recidivism is the __________ crime.

Relying too heavily on a system-blame approach is a problem because __________.

There is __________ among sociologists as to what constitutes a social problem.

Sociologists ask three types of questions: empirical, comparative, and __________.

The United States, with about 4.5 percent of the world's population, consumes __________ of the world's energy.

Society-induced conditions that harm any segment of the population, and acts and conditions that violate the norms and values found in society, define __________.

Asserting that "the poor are poor because they are not bright enough to succeed" might be said by a __________.

The assumption by the members of a group that the culture of some other group is not only inferior but also deficient is a component of __________.

Sociologists use __________ to explain a range of human behavior and a variety of social and societal events.

Which of the following would be a reason for a recently released criminal committing another crime according to the system-blame approach?

With corporations in the process of downsizing their employee base, while at the same time frequently merging with other companies, C. Wright Mills would refer to the resulting unemployment as "private troubles" of the individuals involved rather than a "public issue."

The idea of the "sociological imagination" was developed by which sociologist?

Sociologists' study of social problems is a value-free pursuit.

Researchers who use __________ collect information about the same persons over many years.

The __________ nature of social problems describes societal conditions that harm certain segments of the population.

According to the sociological perspective, norm violators are __________.

Citizens in social welfare states likely have better health outcomes than those in the United States because __________.

Describe some of the different sources of data sociologists use to study social problems.

Compared to all other countries, the United States uses the __________ percentage of the world's energy resources.

Which of the following is a danger associated with relying on public opinion to define social phenomena as social problems?