Question 1

The social-constructionist approach asserts that

Accepted Answer

A)  society keeps facing the same problems year after year.
B)  social problems are those that are the most harmful to any population.
C)  problems arise as people define conditions as undesirable and in need of change.
D)  the government decides what the serious problems are. C

Question 2

A social problem is defined as a condition that

Accepted Answer

A)  harms everyone in a society.
B)  harms only the poorest people in a society.
C)  harms only the most powerful people in a society.
D)  harms some or all members of a society and is usually controversial. D

Question 3

Which of the following positions would have the support of social liberals?

Accepted Answer

A)  the "pro-life" side of the abortion controversy
B)  closing our country's borders to immigrants
C)  the use of the death penalty
D)  legal marriage for gay and lesbian people D

Question 4

We tend to assume people are responsible for their own troubles because our way of life in the United States emphasizes

Accepted Answer

A)  collective goals.
B)  individualism.
C)  tradition.
D)  diversity.

Question 5

Adopting a global perspective shows us which of the following patterns?

Accepted Answer

A)  Women in poor nations typically have fewer children than women in the United States.
B)  People in poor nations have as much schooling as people in the United States.
C)  The same problems we face in the United States also exist in other countries.
D)  Poverty is more serious in much of the world than it is in the United States.

Question 6

According to Marxist theory, social problems such as poverty result from

Accepted Answer

A)  an evil human nature.
B)  advanced technology.
C)  the operation of a capitalist economy.
D)  the high rate of immigration.

Question 7

Review the major research methods employed by sociologists in studying social problems. Explain why a researcher would choose one method over another.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Review the major research methods employed by...

Question 8

Which of the following would have the support of social conservatives?

Accepted Answer

A)   the "pro-choice" side of the abortion controversy
B)  use of the death penalty to punish the most serious crimes
C)  various "alternative lifestyles"
D)  encouraging immigration across our borders

Question 9

Which theory would you be using if you studied how social problems arise when rapid change overwhelms society's institutions?

Accepted Answer

A)  social conflict theory
B)  social disorganization theory
C)  symbolic interaction theory
D)  social Darwinist theory

Question 10

In general, economic liberals favor

Accepted Answer

A)  government having a small role in the economy.
B)  a lower minimum wage.
C)  keeping taxes low.
D)  government policies that will reduce economic inequality.

Question 11

The process of convincing the public and important public officials that a particular issue should be defined as a social problem is a process that sociologists call

Accepted Answer

A)  subjective assessment.
B)  claims making.
C)  objective assessment.
D)  factual analysis.

Question 12

People who actively seek social equality for women and men would closely identify with which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  feminism
B)  multiculturalism
C)  social pathology theory
D)  social disorganization theory

Question 13

Although there is less gender inequality today than there was a century ago, people today are more likely to view gender inequality as a social problem than people were back then. This pattern reflects the fact that

Accepted Answer

A)  what we subjectively perceive always reflects what is objectively true.
B)  we now expect men and women to be socially unequal.
C)  we now expect men and women to be socially equal.
D)  people simply don't agree on what important social problems are.

Question 14

What is the sociological imagination? Explain the statement by C. Wright Mills that the sociological imagination transforms personal troubles into social issues.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the sociological imagination? Explain the...

Question 15

What are sociology's three major theoretical approaches? Describe each one. Apply each to a problem of your choice and show the type of insights each approach provides.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are sociology's three major theoretical approaches?...

Question 16

If you were a conservative, you would look for guidance about how to live by keeping in mind the lessons of

Accepted Answer

A)  science.
B)  the past.
C)  the latest thinking on the issue.
D)  sociology.

Question 17

Which theoretical approach sees society as a system of many interrelated parts that operate together?

Accepted Answer

A)  structural-functional approach
B)  feminist approach
C)  social-conflict approach
D)  symbolic-interaction approach

Question 18

In which stage of a social movement do the people involved come together to share their concerns and make claims about the need for change?

Accepted Answer

A)  coalescence
B)  formalization
C)  decline
D)  emergence

Question 19

For German sociologist Max Weber, the main goal of sociology was to

Accepted Answer

A)  discover truth.
B)  engage in political debate.
C)  promote social change.
D)  avoid the illusion of objectivity.

Question 20

Class-conflict theory is an explanation of social problems guided by the thinking of

Accepted Answer

A)  Herbert Spencer.
B)  the Chicago School.
C)  Emile Durkheim.
D)  Karl Marx.

Exam 1: Sociology: Studying Social Problems