Question 1

Today,social experiments on human subjects must guarantee the rights of __________.

Accepted Answer

A) life,liberty,and the pursuit of happiness 
B) autonomy,integrity,and heterogeneity 
C) privacy,confidentiality,and informed consent 
D) personality,self-determination,and nondeception 
E) personal property and social survival

Question 2

Social policy decisions that created governmentally funded benefits such as Social Security and unemployment insurance create what Americans have come to view as "__________" of citizenship.

Accepted Answer

A) entitlements 
B) benefits 
C) grants 
D) income 
E) assistances

Question 3

The economic recession of 2008 has led to a variety of social problems.Describe at least two such problems.Be sure to use at least one perspective (functionalist,interactionist,or conflict)to examine these problems.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The economic recession of 2008 has led...

Question 4

Matched samples,interviewed over time about behavior or opinion,yield what is known as __________ survey data.

Accepted Answer

A) cross-cultural 
B) longitudinal 
C) historical 
D) transverse 
E) horizontal

Question 5

In their work,scholars who adopt a Marxian conflict perspective on deviance usually emphasize how ___________.

Accepted Answer

A) existing institutions can be improved through minor reforms 
B) rehabilitation programs can change people by shifting the blame for problems in social populations 
C) police forces can be made more effective 
D) inequalities of wealth and power seem to account for the distribution of social problems in populations 
E) society can organize forces to prevent social reform or revolutionary movements

Question 6

The __________ perspective on social problems is based on the belief that social problems arise out of major contradictions,leading to contention between those who have access to the "good life," and those who do not.

Accepted Answer

A) functionalist 
B) conflict 
C) interactionist 
D) social disorganization 
E) social pathology

Question 7

The debate over legalization versus criminalization of abortion reflects disagreements that can be explained by __________ theory.

Accepted Answer

A) labeling 
B) social pathology 
C) value conflict 
D) social disorganization 
E) differential resources

Question 8

Examine a social problem like crime or deviance using the functionalist perspective.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Examine a social problem like crime or...

Question 9

__________ not only guaranteed the rights of individual citizens,but also established the legal basis for remedying conditions that are harmful to society's members.

Accepted Answer

A) Our economic affluence 
B) The United States Constitution 
C) The platforms of the two major political parties 
D) Prevailing public sentiment 
E) The philosophy of a free-enterprise society

Question 10

What is wrong with an explanation that blames a personal characteristic (such as laziness)for a problem (such as poverty)experienced by an individual?

Accepted Answer

A) Personal characteristics are private and should not be exposed. 
B) Explanations should never assess blame. 
C) Personal characteristics never cause such problems. 
D) Such explanations tell us what to do to solve the problem,and solutions should be a separate matter. 
E) Such explanations do not tell us why the same pattern is repeated for entire groups of people.

Question 11

According to the __________ perspective on social problems,an individual's or group's definition of the situation is central to understanding the actions of that individual or group.

Accepted Answer

A) functionalist 
B) conflict 
C) interactionist 
D) normative 
E) social agreement

Question 12

A social problem exists when most people in a society __________.

Accepted Answer

A) learn about the problem from the mass media 
B) agree that something should be done to remedy a condition 
C) realize that a problem is now directly affecting their neighborhood and family 
D) have become victimized by criminals or other deviants 
E) become politically active and vote on the basis of a single issue: that particular social problem

Question 13

According to the functionalist perspective,the well-functioning group__________.

Accepted Answer

A) agrees on how roles are to be performed 
B) derives rules on how people are to behave 
C) acts in ways that reflect basic values 
D) All of the above are correct. 
E) None of the above is correct.

Question 14

In the study of social problems,__________ is/are the most likely technique to raise major questions about the ethical limits of social research.

Accepted Answer

A) demographic study 
B) social experiments 
C) library research 
D) field observation studies 
E) survey research

Question 15

A sociologist interacts actively with a group being studied.This research method is referred to as __________.

Accepted Answer

A) group dynamics 
B) survey research 
C) participant observation 
D) demographic study 
E) social experimentation

Question 16

How do functionalists answer the question of why particular crimes are committed and punished in some societies,but not in others?

Accepted Answer

A) Each society has its own unique definition of what is criminal,and punishes accordingly. 
B) Individuals whose crimes challenge or threaten society's most cherished values will be punished more severely. 
C) Each society will punish the members of minority groups more severely than the members of dominant groups. 
D) Since there is an element of chance in being caught,different crimes will be severely punished in different societies. 
E) Since governments differ,the crimes that are punished will differ as well.

Exam 1: Sociological Perspective on Social Problems