Question 1

A social scientist would be likely to study the:

Accepted Answer

A)  composition of a meteorite discovered in a remote area of Siberia. 
B)  reasons for the decreasing divorce rate in the U.S. 
C)  newest procedure in heart transplant surgery. 
D)  possibility of life on Mars.

Question 2

A sociologist interviews high-salaried corporate chief executive officers (CEOs)to discover whether they feel stress in their everyday lives as a result of the pressure to produce at an unrealistic level.This sociologist is employing:

Accepted Answer

A)  alienation. 
B)  anomie. 
C)  verstehen. 
D)  globalization techniques.

Question 3

An effective sociological theory may have both explanatory and predictive power.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

A construct or model that serves as a measuring rod against which actual cases can be evaluated is called a (an):

Accepted Answer

A)  ideal type. 
B)  typology. 
C)  natural science. 
D)  theory.

Question 5

Which sociological perspective would suggest that if an aspect of social life does not contribute to a society's stability,then it does not serve a useful function?

Accepted Answer

A)  functionalist perspective 
B)  conflict perspective 
C)  interactionist perspective 
D)  all of these

Question 6

A sociologist studies drug-use patterns among small groups of college students in a Midwestern college.This would be an example of:

Accepted Answer

A)  conflict theory. 
B)  functionalism. 
C)  macrosociology. 
D)  microsociology.

Question 7

Which sociological approach focuses on the macrolevel and would tend to view inequality in gender as central to behavior and organization?

Accepted Answer

A)  functionalist perspective 
B)  conflict perspective 
C)  interactionist perspective 
D)  feminist perspective

Question 8

Which early sociologist applied the concept of evolution to societies in order to explain how they change,or evolve,over time?

Accepted Answer

A)  Émile Durkheim 
B)  Charles Darwin 
C)  Harriet Martineau 
D)  Herbert Spencer

Question 9

Which sociological perspective is most concerned with macrolevel analysis?

Accepted Answer

A)  functionalist perspective 
B)  conflict perspective 
C)  interactionist perspective 
D)  both functionalist and conflict perspectives.

Question 10

Studies show women do talk more daily than men.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

A key element in the sociological imagination is the ability to view one's own society:

Accepted Answer

A)  from the perspective of personal experience. 
B)  from the perspective of cultural biases. 
C)  as an outsider. 
D)  as an insider.

Question 12

Using sociology with the specific intent of yielding practical applications for human behavior and organizations is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

A)  pure science. 
B)  clinical sociology. 
C)  applied sociology. 
D)  basic sociology.

Question 13

In Karl Marx's analysis,society was fundamentally divided between:

Accepted Answer

A)  men and women who clash in pursuit of their own interests. 
B)  classes that clash in pursuit of their own class interests. 
C)  Blacks and Whites who clash in pursuit of their own racial interests. 
D)  the religious and the nonreligious who clash in pursuit of their own interests.

Question 14

Which sociological perspective would most likely argue that the social order is based on coercion and exploitation?

Accepted Answer

A)  functionalist perspective 
B)  conflict perspective 
C)  interactionist perspective 
D)  global perspective

Question 15

Which of the following would be an example of the use of the sociological imagination?

Accepted Answer

A)  a study of an individual's sleeping patterns 
B)  an analysis of the content of dreams 
C)  a study that concentrates on the behavior of people listening to a religious service compared to those listening to a rock concert 
D)  an analysis of the powers of the President of the U.S. to declare war

Question 16

A study of divorce rates among the populations of Canada,England,the U.S.,and France is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A)  alienation. 
B)  anomie. 
C)  microsociology. 
D)  macrosociology.

Question 17

Which of the following is a common view of globalization?

Accepted Answer

A)  it allows multinational corporations to expand unchecked 
B)  it is the natural outcome of advances in communications technology 
C)  it rarely impacts people in developing countries 
D)  it allows multinational corporations to expand unchecked AND it is the natural outcome of advances in communications technology.

Question 18

Which sociologist is widely regarded as the founder of the interactionist perspective?

Accepted Answer

A) C. Wright Mills 
B)  George Herbert Mead 
C)  Charles Horton Cooley 
D)  Erving Goffman

Question 19

Marx viewed the relationship between the capitalists and the exploited workers in systemic terms; that is,he believed that a system of _____________ relationships maintained the power and dominance of the owners over the workers.

Accepted Answer

A)  economic 
B)  political 
C)  social 
D)  all of these

Question 20

The concept of verstehen was introduced into sociology by:

Accepted Answer

A)  Auguste Comte. 
B)  Émile Durkheim. 
C)  Max Weber. 
D) C. Wright Mills.

Exam 1: Understanding Sociology