Chapter 1

Name ________________________________

Quick Quiz: Chapter 1

Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method
Multiple-Choice
1. Which discipline defines itself as the systematic study of human society?
a. history
c. psychology
b. economics
d. sociology
2. Making use of the sociological perspective encourages us to
a. challenge commonly held beliefs.
c. accept common sense.
b. accept conventional ideas.
d. become happier.
3. Linking specific facts together to gain meaning creates a
a. theory.
c. principle.
b. concept.
d. statement.
4. In deciding what kinds of questions to ask as they begin research, sociologists are guided by
a. one or more theoretical approaches.
c. the data they collect.
b. their own common sense.
d. sheer chance.
5. Which of the following best describes the focus of the structural-functional approach?
a. the meaning people attach to their behavior
c. the functions of social structures
b. the patterns of social inequality
d. None of the above is correct.
6. The social-conflict approach draws attention to
a. patterns of social inequality
b. how elements contribute to the
overall operation of society.
c. the orderly aspects of society.

d. how
people
construct
meaning through interaction
7. Which question summarizes the focus of the symbolic-interaction approach?

a. How is society held together? c. How does society divide a population? b. How do people
shape the reality they experience? d. How do some people protect their
privileges?
True/False
_________ 8. As a discipline, sociology first took root in Greece and Italy.
_________ 9. The term sociology was coined by Auguste Comte.
Short-Answer
10. What are several personal benefits of learning to use the sociological perspective?
Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e
Answers to Quick Quiz: Chapter 1

Multiple-Choice
1. Which discipline defines itself as the systematic study of human society?
a. history
c. psychology
b. economics
d. sociology
2. Making use of the sociological perspective encourages us to
a. challenge commonly held beliefs.
c. accept common sense.
b. accept conventional ideas.
d. become happier.
3. Linking specific facts together to gain meaning creates a
a. theory.
c. principle.
b. concept.
d. statement.
4. In deciding what kinds of questions to ask as they begin research, sociologists are guided by
d. sheer chance.
5. Which of the following best describes the focus of the structural-functional approach?
a. the meaning people attach to their behavior
c. the functions of social structures
b. the patterns of social inequality
d. None of the above is correct.
a. patterns of social inequality.
b. how elements contribute to the
overall operation of society.
c. the orderly aspects of society.

d. how
people
construct
meaning through interaction.
7. Which question summarizes the focus of the symbolic-interaction approach?

a. How is society held together? c. How does society divide a population? b. How do people
shape the reality they experience d. How do some people protect their
privileges?
True/False
_____F____ 8. As a discipline, sociology first took root in Greece and Italy.
_____T___ 9. The term sociology was coined by Auguste Comte.
Short-Answer
Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method
TEST QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 1

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. What would a sociologist be most likely to say about why an individual chooses a particular person to
marry?
a. Love, and therefore marriage, cannot be scientifically explained.
b. Peoples actions reflect human free will.
c. In the case of love, opposites attract.
d. Society influences human behavior more than most people realize.
(Applied; answer: d; page 2)
2. Which discipline is defined as the systematic study of human society?
a. history
b. economics
c. psychology
d. sociology
(Conceptual; answer: d; page 2)
3. Peter Berger described using the sociological perspective as seeing the __________ in the __________.
a. stable; dynamic
b. general; particular
c. specific; commonplace
d. new; old
(Conceptual; answer: b; page 2)
4. By stating that the sociological perspective shows us the strange in the familiar" the text argues
that sociologists:
a. focus on the bizarre elements of society.
b. believe that people often have strange ways.
c. reject the familiar idea that people simply decide how to act in favor of the initially strange idea
that society shapes our lives.
d. show that common sense is the best guide to understanding human behavior.
(Conceptual; answer: c; pages 2-3)
5. A sociological analysis of childbearing around the world suggests that the number of children born to a
woman reflects:
a. whether she lives in a poor or rich country.

b. the desires of her husband.
c. her preference for family size.
d. how many children she can afford.
(Applied; answer: a; page 2-3)
6. Three roommates are in their dorm room sharing a late-night discussion about why they are in
college. Which of the following statements about attending college best represents using the sociological
perspective?
a. Attending college is a goal for people all over the world.
b. College is not necessary preparation for every type of work.
c. Both age and class have a lot to do with which people are enrolled in college.
d. Colleges try to attract intelligent students.
(Applied; answer: c; pages 2-4)
7. The pioneering sociologist who studied patterns of suicide in Europe was
a. Max Weber.
b. Emile Durkheim.
c. Karl Marx.
d. Auguste Comte.
(Factual; answer: b; page 4)
8. In the United States today, the suicide rate is highest for which of the following categories of people?
a. African American males
b. white females
c. African American females
d. white males
(Factual; answer: d; page 4)
9. Because there is more social isolation in rural areas in the United States than urban areas, we would
expect suicide rates to be:
a. higher in rural areas.
b. higher in urban areas.
c. high in both urban and rural areas.
d. low in both urban and rural areas.
(Applied; answer: a; page 4)
10. According to Emile Durkheim, a category of people with a higher suicide rate typically has
a. less money, power, and other resources.
b. lower social integration.
c. higher self-esteem.
d. more clinical depression.
11. If marginality encourages sociological thinking, we would expect people in which category listed
below to make the most use of the sociological perspective?
a. people of color
b. the wealthy
c. politicians
d. the middle class
(Applied; answer: a; pages 4-5)
12. C. Wright Mills claimed that the sociological imagination transformed
a. common sense into laws of society.
b. people into supporters of the status quo.
c. personal problems into public issues.
d. scientific research into common sense.
(Factual; answer: c; pages 6)
13. The United States falls within the category of
a. low-income nations.
b. high-income nations.
c. middle-income nations.
d. developing nations.
14. Almost all of Latin America and Asia falls within the category of
a. the very richest nations.
b. high-income nations.
d. low-income nations.
(Factual; answer: c; page 5)
15. Which of the following categories contains countries in which average income is typical for the
world as a whole and in which people are as likely to live in a rural area as in an urban area?
a. the very richest nations.
b. low-income nations.
d. high-income nations.
(Conceptual; answer: c; page 5)
16. More than 1.5 million immigrants enter the United States each year and many (including Arnold
Schwarzenegger and Gloria Estefan) have become famous. These facts support the conclusion that
a. the world's nations are increasingly interconnected.
b. other nations have little effect on life in rich countries such as the United States.
c. people around the world share little in terms of their ways of life.
d. people are as likely to leave the United States as to enter the United States.
(Applied; answer: a; pages 5-6)
17. Read the following four statements. Which statement is CORRECT?
a. Because the United States is so rich, there is little reason for us to learn about the global economy.
b. Learning more about other societies helps us better understand our own way of life.
c. People the world over live in ways that are mostly the same.
d. There is no longer any absolute poverty in the world.
(Factual; answer: b; pages 5-7)
18. Making use of the sociological perspective encourages
a. the belief that society has little effect on the average individual.
b. people to become isolated from one another.
c. challenging commonly held beliefs.
d. accepting conventional idea..
(Applied; answer: c; pages 7-8)
19. Which of the following is a benefit we gain from studying sociology?
a. empowers us to be active participants in our society
b. becoming more convinced of the truth in everyday common sense
c. understanding that we create life problems for ourselves
d. paying little attention to the socially diverse world around us
(Factual; answer: a; page 8)
20. Which of the following statements correctly describes sociologys value to future careers?
a. Most sociologists work as researchers for private corporations.
b. Sociology is useful but only if you plan to teach or do research.
c. Most sociologists work with clients in private practice.
d. Sociology is excellent preparation for a wide range of future careers.
(Factual; answer: d; pages 8-9)
21. Examples of people applying their knowledge of sociology at work include people in
a. law enforcement, understanding which categories of people are at high risk of becoming a victim.
b. medicine, understanding patterns of health in a community.
c. business, dealing with different categories of people.
d. All of the above are correct.
(Applied; answer: d; pages 8-9)
22. All but one the following historical trends stimulated the development of the discipline of sociology.
Which one trend did NOT?
a. the rise of industrialized systems of production
b. the spread of the Roman Catholic religion
c. new political ideas stressing individual rights

d. the growth of cities and outcomes of urbanization
23. We would expect the sociological perspective to be most likely to develop in a place that was
a. experiencing many social changes.
b. very traditional.
c. small and socially isolated.
d. very poor.
24. The Seeing Sociology in the News article in Chapter 1 (Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and
Method) reports that in a bad economy, laid-off workers
a. are leaving this country for developing nations.
b. are likely to commit crimes.
c. are flocking to community colleges.
d. are likely to experience marital conflict.
25. Sociology differs from earlier philosophy by focusing on

a. our human nature.
b. how society actually operates.
c. the power of God in shaping human events.
d. what the ideal society should be.
(Conceptual; answer: b; pages 10-11)
26. The term sociology was coined in 1838 by
a. Adam Smith.
b. Auguste Comte
c. Karl Marx.
d. Herbert Spencer
(Factual; answer: b; page 10
27. The ancient Romans saw the stars as gods. Comte would classify Roman society as which of the
following types?
a. post scientific stage
b. metaphysical stage
c. theological stage
d. scientific stage
28. According to Comte, societies in which stage of development begin to see society as a naturalrather
than a supernaturalphenomenon?
a. post-scientific stage
b. scientific stage
c. metaphysical stage
d. theological stage
29. Thomas Hobbess idea that society reflects a selfish human nature illustrates the thinking common to
Comtes __________ of societal development.
b. scientific stage
(Applied; answer: c; page 10)
30. According to Comte, during the Middle Ages most people in Europe thought of society as
a. a system operating according to its own laws.
b. chaotic and having little form.
c. an expression of God's will.
d. a reflection of our human nature.
31. According to Comte, the kind of thinking favored by people such as Thomas Edison, the inventor of
the light bulb, becomes widespread during the __________ of societal development.
b. scientific stage
(Applied; answer: b; pages 10-11)
32. __________ is a way of understanding the world based on a scientific approach to knowledge.
a. Positivism
b. Theology
c. Tradition
d. Common sense
(Conceptual; answer: a; page 10)
33. Most sociologists agree with Auguste Comte that science is a crucial part of sociology, but most also
agree that
a. human beings are partly creative and spontaneous..
b. human behavior is often more complex than natural phenomena.
c. no rigid laws of society hold everywhere and at all times.
d. All of the above are correct.
34. By linking specific facts together to give us meaning, we create a
a. theory.
b. concept.
c. principle.
d. structure.
35. Which early sociologist made a mark for herself by studying the evils of slavery, advocating for the
protection of workers, and translating the writings of Auguste Comte?
a. Jane Addams
b. Harriet Martineau
c. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
d. Margaret Mead
36. Two of sociology's early founders were
a. Emile Durkheim and Erving Goffman.
b. Auguste Comte and C. Wright Mills.

c. Karl Marx and Robert Merton.
d. Auguste Comte and Karl Marx.
37. If we state that children raised in single-parent families are at high risk of being single
parents themselves, we have constructed a __________ of family life.
a. framework
b. principle
c. concept
d. theory
38. In deciding what questions to ask as they begin research, sociologists are guided by
d. sheer chance.
39. What is the term for a basic image of society that guides thinking and research?
a. theory
b. theoretical approach
c. hypothesis
d. social fact
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40. Which theoretical approach is closest to that taken by early sociologists Auguste Comte and Emile
Durkheim?
a. social exchange approach
b. social-conflict approach
c. symbolic-interaction approach
d. structural-functional approach
41. The theoretical approach in sociology that views society as a complex system whose parts work
together to promote solidarity and stability is the
a. social exchange approach.
b. social-conflict approach.
c. symbolic-interaction approach.
d. structural-functional approach.
(Conceptual; answer: d; pages 11-12)
42. Which of the following concepts refers to relatively stable patterns of social behavior?
a. social functions
b. social dynamics
c. social structures
d. social dysfunctions
43. Which of the following phrases best describes the focus of the structural-functional approach?
a. the meaning people attach to their action
b. the impact of social structure and resulting social functions
c. patterns of social inequality
d. the way people understand their world
44. Social structures sometimes have negative consequences for the operation of society. What concept
refers to these negative consequences?
a. eufunctions
b. social dysfunctions
c. manifest functions
d. latent functions
11
45. Identify the three sociologists below who played a part in the development of sociologys structuralfunctional approach.
a. Harriet Martineau, Robert Merton, W. E. B. Du Bois
b. Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, Auguste Comte
c. Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim
d. Auguste Comte, Karl Marx, W. E. B. Du Bois
(Factual; answer: c; pages 11-12)
46. Herbert Spencer described human society as having much in common with
a. the human body.
b. the solar system.
c. the human brain.
d. animal societies.
47. Who was the U.S. sociologist who expanded the understanding of social functions by discussing the
differences between the manifest functions and the latent functions of social patterns?
a. C. Wright Mills
b. William Graham Sumner
c. Talcott Parsons
d. Robert K. Merton
48. The recognized and intended consequences of a social pattern are referred to as
a. manifest functions.
b. latent functions.
c. eufunctions.
d. dysfunctions.
49. Unrecognized and unintended consequences of the social structure are called
a. eufunctions.
b. dysfunctions.
c. manifest functions.
d. latent functions.
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50. The structural-functional approach helps us to

a. understand "what makes society tick."
b. bring about needed change.
c. discover the meaning people find in behavior.
d. study the way people understand the larger world.
(Conceptual; answer: a; pages 11-12)
51. Robert Merton explained that what is functional for one category of a societys population
a. will always be functional in the future.

b. is unlikely to change over time.
c. may not be functional for another category.
d. is typically functional for everyone.

52. Which of the following is the best example of a latent function of going to college?
a. providing skills needed for later jobs
b. keeping young people out of the job force, which may not have jobs for them
c. gaining the knowledge required to be an active and thoughtful citizen
d. giving young people experience living on their own
53. Which of the following statements is an accurate criticism of the structural-functional approach?
a. It ignores macro-level social structure.
b. It focuses only on latent functions.
c. It focuses too much on face-to-face interactions.
d. It ignores inequality that can generate tension and conflict.
54. Which early U.S. sociologist earned the first doctorate ever awarded by Harvard University to a
person of color?
a. Jane Addams
b. W. E. B. Du Bois
c. Harriet Martineau
d. William Graham Sumner
13
55. Which pioneering sociologist founded Chicagos Hull House to assist immigrants and was awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize?
a. Dorothea Dix
b. Jane Addams
c. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
d. Harriet Martineau
56. W. E. B. Du Bois Described African Americans as having a double consciousness because
a. most felt that, compared to white people, they had to be twice as careful in how they acted.
b. there is a double disadvantage in being both poor and black.
c. black people have to work twice as hard as whites to get the same reward.
d. black people are citizens who have a second identity based on their skin color.
(Factual; answer d: page 14)
57. Which of the following can correctly be called the "framework for building theory that sees society
as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change"?
a. the structural-functional approach
b. the symbolic-interaction approach
c. the social-conflict approach
d. dramaturgical analysis
a. how elements contribute to the overall operation of society.
b. how people construct meaning through interaction.
c. patterns of social inequality.
d. the stable aspects of society.
59. Which of the following is a social-conflict approach that deals with inequality between women and
men?
a. feminism and the gender-conflict approach
b. the race-conflict approach
c. the structural-functional approach
d. the symbolic-interaction approach
14
60. Looking at the operation of U.S. schools, the social-conflict approach might lead a sociologist
to conclude that
a. society provides much better schooling to some categories of students than to others.
b. the experience of schooling differs from child to child.
c. schools have been a major path to social advancement.
d. the functions of schools is to teach needed skills.
61. For Karl Marx, the point of studying society was
a. to compare U.S. society to others.
b. to change it and reduce inequality.
c. to encourage support for tradition.
d. to understand how it really operates.
62. The social-conflict approach might lead a sociologist to highlight
a. how people present themselves to others at school
b. how schooling prepares people for jobs.
c. the meanings people attach to schooling.
d. income differences among young people in high school.
63. Which of the following people had an important influence on the development of the social-conflict
approach?
a. Talcott Parsons
b. Karl Marx
c. Emile Durkheim
d. Herbert Spencer
64. Which early sociologist claimed that his goal was not to simply understand society but to change it?
a. Herbert Spencer
b. Talcott Parsons
c. Emile Durkheim
d. Karl Marx
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65. The social-conflict approach is sometimes criticized for

a. ignoring how shared values can unify society.
b. focusing on values shared by everyone in society.
c. promoting the status quo.
d. favoring objectivity over change.
66. Which of the following theoretical approaches paints societies in broad strokes at a macro-level?
a. both the social-conflict and symbolic-interaction approaches
b. both the structural-functional and symbolic-interaction approaches
c. both the structural-functional and social-conflict approaches
d. only the symbolic-interaction approach
(Conceptual; answer: c; pages 11-14)
67. Which of the following topics illustrates a micro-level focus?
a. class inequality in the armed forces
b. two students in a college classroom getting to know one another
c. patterns of global stratification
d. the operation of the U.S. government
(Applied; answer: b; pages 14-15)
68. The basic idea of the symbolic-interaction approach is that society is
a. the reality people construct as they interact with one another
b. an arena of conflict between categories of people.
c. a system that operates to benefit people.
d. a collection of structures that operate together in an orderly way.
69. Which theoretical approach highlights the fact that it is not so much what people do that matters
as much as the meaning they attach to their behavior?
a. structural-functional approach
b. symbolic-interaction approach
c. social-conflict approach
d. social-exchange approach
16
70. Which founding sociologist emphasized the importance of understanding a social setting from
the point of view of the people in it?
a. Max Weber
b. Emile Durkheim
c. Auguste Comte
d. Karl Marx
71. Which of the following statements reflects a social exchange analysis?
a. class differences are reflected in favored sports.
b. people typically seek mates who have about as much to offer as they do
c. people build reality as they introduce themselves.
d. people who do more important work usually earn more pay.
(Conceptual; answer b; page 15)
72. A criticism of the symbolic-interaction approach is that it
a. overlooks the wide spread influence of culture and structural factors..
b. focuses all its attention on major social institutions.
c. paints a too rosy picture of society.
d. focuses only on conflict and not common values and beliefs.
73. Which of the following questions summarizes the focus of the symbolic-interaction approach?
a. How are the parts of society linked together?
b. How do individual people experience society?
c. How does society divide a population?
d. How do some people protect their privileges?
74. Which of the following is the best example of a manifest function of sports?
a. teaching a societys way of life
b. fostering social relationships
c. creating jobs
d. providing people with recreation and physical conditioning
17
75. Building social relationships would be a __________ of sports.

a. dysfunction
b. counter-function
c. latent function
d. manifest function
76. Which of the following would be the focus of a social-conflict analysis of sports?
a. the different meaning people attach to games
b. the importance of physical ability to success
c. the way in which sports encourage competition
d. how sports reflect social inequality
77. Science can be defined as
a. a logical system that bases knowledge on political goals.
b. belief based on faith in ultimate truth.
c. belief based on a societys traditions.
d. a logical system that bases knowledge on direct, systematic observation.
78. Sociologists use the concept empirical evidence to refer to information
a. based on a social traditions.
b. people can verify with their senses.
c. that is consistent with common sense.
d. that most people agree is true.
79. Which term refers to a mental construct that represents some part of the world?
a. a concept
b. measurement
c. operationalization
d. a variable
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80. If you were trying to measure the social class of various people, you would have to keep in mind
that
a. you must measure this in every way possible
b. it is necessary to specify exactly what you are measuring.
c. there is simply no way to measure social class.
d. everyone agrees on what social class means.
(Applied; answer: b; page 18)
81. In the process of measurement, reliability refers to
a. whether you are really measuring what you want to measure.
b. how dependable the researcher is.
c. whether or not everyone agrees with the studys results.
d. whether repeating the measurement yields consistent results.
82. What term refers to the value that occurs midway in a series of numbers (that is, the middle case)?
a. the mean
b. the mode
c. the median
d. the descriptive statistic
83. Two variables are said to display correlation if
a. they vary together.
b. they can both be measured accurately.
c. both measure the same thing.
d. change in one causes no change in the other.
84. Which of the following is NOT one of the defining traits of a cause-and-effect relationship?
a. The independent variable must come before the dependent variable in time.
b. The two variables must display correlation.
c. There must be no evidence that the correlation is spurious.
d. Both variables must be shown to be independent.
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85. The ideal of objectivity means that a researcher

a. must not care personally about the topic being studied.
b. must study issues that have no particular value to society as a whole.
c. must try to be personally neutral about the outcome of the research.
d. must carry out research that will encourage desirable social change.
86. The sociologist who called on his colleagues to be value-free was
a. Karl Marx.
b. Max Weber.
c. Herbert Spencer.
d. Emile Durkheim.
87. Studying the meaning people attach to their everyday lives is the search for
a. quantitative data.
b. validity.
c. value-freedom.
d. verstehen or "understanding."
88. Interpretive sociology is sociology that
a. focuses on people's actions.
b. sees an objective reality "out there."
c. focuses on the meaning people attach to behavior.
d. seeks to bring about desirable social change.
89. Which of the following statements is TRUE about positivist sociology?
a. It favors quantitative data.
b. It seeks to bring about desirable social change.
c. It favors qualitative data.
d. It focuses on the meaning people attach to behavior.
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90. It would be correct to say that critical sociology

a. focuses on the meaning people attach to behavior.
b. endorses the principle of scientific neutrality.
c. seeks to bring about social change.
d. tries to understand society as it is.
91. Critical sociology can best be described as
a. a scientific approach.
b. an activist approach.
c. a qualitative approach.
d. a value-free approach.
92. Which of the following statements describing the link between sociologys methodological
orientations and its theoretical approaches is correct?
a. The positivist orientation is linked to the symbolic-interaction approach.
b. The critical orientation corresponds to the social-conflict approach.
c. The interpretive orientation is linked to the structural-functional approach.
d. There is no link between methodological orientations and theoretical approaches.
93. Which of the four statements below is NOT found within the American Sociological Associations
guidelines for ethical research?
a. Research must ensure the safety of subjects taking part in a research project.
b. Researchers must disclose their sources of funding for the research.
c. Researchers must protect the privacy of subjects taking part in a research project.
d. Researchers must always perform their research several times in order to ensure its accuracy.
94. If you have been criticized for "androcentricity" in your research, you have
a. approached the subject from a male perspective.
b. ignored gender differences.
c. overgeneralized your results.
d. used double standards in your research.
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95. Drawing conclusions about all of humanity based on information drawn only from males describes
the problem called
a. interference.
b. using double standards.
c. gender blindness.
d. overgeneralization.
96. You are doing research and never stop to think about the possible importance of gender at all. Your
work could be criticized for the problem called
a. androcentricity.
b. gender blindness.
c. overgeneralization.
d. employing double standards.
97. The method of sociological research best suited to identifying cause-and-effect relationships is
a. the survey.
b. the use of questionnaires.
c. the experiment.
d. participant observation.
98. What research method was used in Phillip Zimbardos study the Stanford County Prison?
a. the experiment
b. the survey
c. participant observation
d. secondary analysis
99. Which research method asks subjects to respond to a series of items in a questionnaire or an
interview?
a. secondary research
b. participant observation
c. survey
d. experiment
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100. A small number of people used by researchers to represent an entire population is called
a. an elite.
b. a network.
c. a sample.
d. a control group.
101. You want to conduct an exploratory and descriptive study of people in a particular neighborhood, but
you have no specific hypothesis or exact research questions. What method should you use?
a. an experiment
b. participant observation
c. a survey
102. In her study of the African American elite, Lois Benjamin made use of
a. participant observation.
b. a questionnaire.
c. an experiment.
d. interviews.
103. Using which of the following methods would a researcher be most likely to reveal information
about herself to her subjects?
a. questionnaire
b. interview
c. an experiment
(Conceptual; answer: b; page 25-26)
104. Which of the following is generally true of researchers setting out to conduct fieldwork?
a. Researchers must have a specific hypothesis and exact research questions.
b. Researchers try to accept or reject a cause and effect relationship.
c. Researchers may begin without a specific hypothesis in mind.
d. Researchers assume a scientific stature that causes them to keep their distance from subjects.
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105. William Foote Whytes study of Cornerville (Street Corner Society) used which sociological
research method?
a. experiment
b. survey
c. participant observation
106. A major advantage of using existing data is
a. devising exactly the questions you wish to ask.
b. gaining first-hand knowledge of a local community.
c. allowing careful study of cause-and-effect relationships.
d. saving time and money.
107. E. Digby Baltzells study, Puritan Boston and Quaker Philadelphia, showed that a very high number
of top achievers listed in the Dictionary of America came from
a. Pennsylvania.
b. Massachusetts.
c. Philadelphia.
d. the South.
108. Which of the following concepts refers to an exaggerated description that somebody applies to
every person in a category of the population?
a. a a stereotype
b. a replicated theory
c. valid theory
d. an act of discrimination
109. Unlike simple stereotypes, sociological generalizations
a. apply to all individuals in some category.
b. reflect the researchers personal bias.
c. are offered fair-mindedly with an interest in the truth.
d. ignore facts and distort reality.
24
TRUE /FALSE QUESTIONS

110. According to sociologists, human behavior is the product of "free
will." (Factual; answer: F; page 2)
111. Sociology is defined as the systematic study of human society.
(Conceptual; answer: T; page 2)
112. The sociological perspective reveals that personal decisions such as whom we marry are shaped to a
large degree by our social environment.
(Conceptual; answer: T; pages 2-3)
113. One consequence of living in a high-income country for women is, on average, having more children
than women living in low-income nations.
(Applied; answer: F; page 3)
114. Durkheim documented that categories of people with weaker social ties have lower suicide
rates. (Factual; answer: F; page 4)
115. In the United States, African Americans have a higher suicide rate than whites.
(Factual; answer: F; page 4)
116. In the United States, women have a higher suicide rate than
men. (Factual; answer: F; page 4)
117. U.S. sociologist C. Wright Mills argued that times of social crisis encourage widespread sociological
thinking.
(Factual; answer: T; pages 4-5)
118. Canada, Japan, and Argentina are all high-income nations.
119. A global perspective has little in common with a sociological perspective.
(Conceptual; answer: F; page 5)
120. Societies throughout the world are increasingly interconnected.
25
121. C. Wright Mills claimed that, most of the time, people were responsible for their own problems.
(Factual; answer: F; pages 4-5, 6)
122. Thinking globally and studying other societies is a good way to learn about ourselves.
123. The sociological perspective reveals the truth of the common sense beliefs we tend to take
for granted.
(Factual; answer: F; pages 7-8)
124. Understanding how society operates hides the opportunities and constraints in our own
lives. (Factual; answer: F; page 8)
125. Sociology developed mostly in rural places where traditions remained strong.
126. Understanding how society operates offers little benefit to anyone but the most privileged people.
127. Revolutionary changes in European societies sparked the development of sociology.
(Factual; answer: T; page 9)
128. As a discipline, sociology first took root in Greece and Italy.
129. Ancient philosophers such as Plato were mostly interested in imagining the "ideal" society rather
than in studying society as it really is.
130. In 1838, Adam Smith coined the term sociology.
131. The first of Comtes three stages of historical development is the theological stage in which people
know the world in terms of Gods will.
26
132. The Seeing Sociology in the News article in Chapter 1 (Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and
Method) explains that many workers who lost their jobs in the recent economic recession have decided
to attend community colleges.
133. The English philosopher Thomas Hobbes believed that society reflected the failings of human
selfishness.
134. The structural-functional, social-conflict, and symbolic-interaction approaches are all used by
sociologists in building theory.
135. According to Robert K. Merton, social patterns are always good, and have the same effect on all
members of a society.
136. People always recognize all of the functions of social structures.
137. Every social structure is useful, or functional, in a positive sense for the operation of society.
138. The goal of researchers guided by the structural-functional approach is not just to understand
society as much as to reduce social inequality.
(Conceptual; answer: F; pages 11-12)
139. The social-conflict approach highlights social inequality involving dimensions such as class, gender,
and race.
140. Both Karl Marx and W. E. B. Du Bois carried out their work following the structural-functional
approach.
(Factual; answer: F; page 12-13)
141. Feminism and the gender-conflict approach highlight ways in which women are unequal to
men. (Conceptual; answer: T; pages 12-13)
142. W. E. B. Du Bois translated the writings of Auguste Comte from Latin into English.
27
143. Both Jane Addams and Harriet Martineau are remembered today because they were married to
important sociologists.
(Factual; answer: F; pages 13)
144. Like the gender-conflict approach, the race-conflict approach is concerned with social inequality.
145. The symbolic-interaction approach is a micro-level orientation.
146. The focus of the symbolic-interaction approach is how people experience society.
147. Social-exchange analysis is one micro-level approach to understanding social
interaction. (Conceptual; answer: T; page 15)
148. Sociologists should make use of only one theoretical approach.
149. Empirical evidence refers to what we can verify with our
senses. (Conceptual; answer: T; page 16)
150. Science is a logical system based on human
intuition. (Conceptual; answer: F: page 16)
151. Reliability
refers
to
the
quality
of
consistency
in
measurement. (Conceptual; answer: T; page 18)

152. Validity refers to actually measuring exactly what one intends to measure.
153. People of all races and class positions have had the same opportunities to participate in
sports. (Factual; answer: F; pages 16-17)
154. Stacking in sports is the pattern by which people of one racial category disproportionately play
in certain field positions.
28
155. How players understand the gameand each otherwould be one focus of a structural-functional
approach to sports.
156. Any time two variables are correlated, a cause-and-effect relationship exists.
157. Emile Durkheim urged sociologists to strive toward the goal of being value-free in their research.
158. Interpretive sociology focuses on the meaning people attach to their actions.
159. Positivist sociology is based on what Max Weber called Verstehen and seeks to discover the
subjective meanings that are "out there."
160. If you were engaged in interpretive sociology, you would not consider subjective feelings to be a
source of bias.
(Applied; answer: T; page 20)
161. Critical sociology both studies society and tries to bring about social change.
162. The work of Karl Marx represents the critical approach in sociology.
163. Gender blindness refers to the intentional inclusion of gender variables in sociological
research. (Conceptual; answer: F; page 21)
164: Positivist researchers typically think of themselves as
activists. (Factual; answer: F; page 20)
165. Researchers expect subjects to be harmed some of the
time. (Factual; answer: F; page 22)
166. A hypothesis is an if-then statement describing a predicted relationship between two or more
variables.
29
167. To avoid harming or offending subjects in research, it is important to understand something about
their way of life, especially if it differs from your own.
(Factual; answer: T; pages 22, 23)
168. To identify cause-and-effect relationships, it is usually necessary to exercise experimental control of
variables.
169. Philip Zimbardo conducted an experiment that supported the idea that "prisons cause
violent behavior."
(Applied; answer: T; page 24)
170. A survey is a research method in which subjects respond to a series of items or questions.
171. Conducting interviews takes no more time than completing questionnaires and gives just as good
results.
172. Lois Benjamin's research interviewing elite African Americans led to the conclusion that these men
and women feel the effects of racism.
(Factual; answer T; pages 25-26)
173. Participant observation is usually explanatory, identifying cause and effect relationships.
174. William Foote Whyte, who studied a community he called "Cornerville," found that "breaking in" to
the community was unexpectedly easy.
175. The use of existing data and documents makes most historical research possible.
176. A sociologist should never use data collected by any other person or organization.
177. E. Digby Baltzell conducted historical research that pointed to a greater "culture of achievement" in
Boston than was found in Philadelphia.
30
178. Sociological generalizations are the same as simple stereotypes.

SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS
179. What is the essential wisdom of sociology?
(Conceptual; pages 2-4)
180. Explain Peter Berger's description of the sociological perspective as "seeing the general in the
particular.
(Conceptual; page 2)
181. Within the individualistic culture of North America, why can the sociological perspective be
described as "seeing the strange in the familiar?
(Applied; pages 2-3)
182. Explain how we know that the power of society is evident in the personal decision to bear a child or
even in the act of committing suicide.
183. Why is a global perspective a logical extension of the sociological
perspective? (Conceptual; pages 5-7)
(Factual; pages 7-8)
185. What three social changes in European history were especially important to the development
of sociology?
(Factual; page 9)
186. In several sentences, explain the focus of the structural-functional
approach. (Conceptual; pages 11-12)
187. Distinguish between manifest and latent functions of any social
pattern. (Conceptual; page 12)
31
188. What is social structure? Give several examples of social structures that shape society as a
whole. What are several examples of social structures common to everyday face-to-face interaction?
(Conceptual; pages 11, 14-15)
189. In several sentences, explain the focus of the social-conflict approach. Explain the specific focus of
feminism and the gender-conflict approach and also the race-conflict approach.
190. What is the difference between a macro-level and micro-level theoretical approach?
191. In several sentences, explain the focus of the symbolic-interaction
approach. (Conceptual; pages 14-15)
192. What questions might a researcher interested in the sociological significance of jokes ask,
when guided by the structural-functional approach? When guided by the social-conflict approach.
By the symbolic-interaction approach?
193. What is the difference between a concept and a variable? How does a researcher transform one
into the other?
194. List the three conditions that we would have to confirm before concluding that a particular policy is
a cause of some specific outcome?
(Applied; page 18)
195. What did Max Weber mean by value-free research?
196. State the essential difference between positivist sociology, interpretive sociology, and critical
sociology.
197. Provide an example of a research question that would lead you to use each of the major research
methods described in this chapter: experiment, survey, participant observation, and secondary analysis.
32
ESSAY QUESTIONS / TOPICS FOR SHORT PAPERS

198. Explain the difference between sociological generalizations about categories of people and simple
stereotypes that we hear every day.
(Conceptual)
199. The sociological perspective helps us recognize that the lives of individuals are shaped by the
forces of society. In a short essay, explain how the sociological perspective reveals the general in the
particular." To illustrate, explain how society played a part in your own decision to attend college.
(Applied)
200. Point out what sociology's two macro-level theoretical approachesthe structural-functional and
social-conflict approacheshave in common. What makes them both sociological? What does it mean to
say that they are both macro-level approaches? Next, explain how each approach takes a somewhat
different view of the nature of society. Finally, consider how each approach has a somewhat different
reason or purposes for studying society.
(Conceptual)
201. Explain how the feminist or gender-conflict approach guides us to understand society. In what ways
is this approach similar to the race-conflict approach?
(Conceptual)
202. Apply sociology's three major theoretical approachesstructural -functional, social-conflict,
and symbolic-interactionto the family. In each case, what does a family look like? What questions
does each approach lead us to ask?
(Applied)
203. Can you see any dangers in adopting the sociological perspective too intensely? For example, if we
say that society is at work in all our choices about how to live, what becomes of personal responsibility
for our actions?
(Conceptual)
204. Describe science as one way of knowing. What are important traits of positivist sociology? How
does interpretive sociology differ from positivist sociology? What about critical sociology?
(Conceptual)
205. Explain how each of the major methods of sociological researchexperiment, survey, participant
observation, and secondary researchis suitable for helping us to answer different types of questions
and to study different situations. Provide an example of how each method might be used.
(Applied)
33
206. Outline the ten steps in the process of carrying out sociological investigation. You may use the
format presented in the text; that is, what specific questions must be answered as a researcher
moves along?
(Factual)
207. Read through Chapter 1s Seeing Sociology in the News article on page 10. Then, thinking
sociologically, explain how society is at work in the choices people make about attending college.
(Applied)
208. Look carefully at Chapter 1s Seeing Sociology in Everyday Life photo essay on pages 32-33.
Based on this material, explain how society is at work in the personal choices people make about
romantic partners.
(Applied)
34

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Quick Quiz: Chapter 1

c. the orderly aspects of society.

7. Which question summarizes the focus of the symbolic-interaction approach?

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Answers to Quick Quiz: Chapter 1

c. the orderly aspects of society.

7. Which question summarizes the focus of the symbolic-interaction approach?

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Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

TEST QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 1

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a. whether she lives in a poor or rich country.

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Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

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Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

c. new political ideas stressing individual rights

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25. Sociology differs from earlier philosophy by focusing on

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b. Auguste Comte and C. Wright Mills.

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Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

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Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

50. The structural-functional approach helps us to

a. will always be functional in the future.

d. is typically functional for everyone.

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65. The social-conflict approach is sometimes criticized for

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Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

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75. Building social relationships would be a __________ of sports.

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Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

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85. The ideal of objectivity means that a researcher

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Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

90. It would be correct to say that critical sociology