Sociology Final Exam 1 Flashcards
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Which of the following accurately connects the effect communities have on people's life pathways?
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Living around people who encourage a child to be confident leads to children who are more ambitious in life.
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You are a social scientist in the mid-nineteenth century. You want to study the forces in society that are driving social change. What human subjects are you most likely to study?
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factory workers who live in New York City
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Why is it sometimes difficult for sociologists to define sociology in short, simple terms?
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Unlike other social scientists, sociologists do not define themselves according to a specific institution or area of life.
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Why were lines between social sciences unclear when they first developed
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The backgrounds of early social scientists were diverse, and they often conducted work in multiple disciplines
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It is the late nineteenth century. Robert is a young man who is fascinated by the social world. He is particularly interested in studying the problems of cities and their inhabitants, including the lives of new residents migrating to cities from farms and from abroad. He is familiar with an emerging discipline called sociology and wants to conduct field research as part of his university coursework in the city where he is being educated. What school should Robert contact to gain information about this new field of study?
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the University of Chicago, in Chicago, Illinois
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At each stage of our development, we are both individuals and __________.
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products of our historical context
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Which of the following statements about social contexts would sociologists agree is true?
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Social contexts can have a huge impact on where newborn infants end up in life.
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Urban areas have a population density of at least __________ people per square mile.
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1,000
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Which social context is likely to have a more significant impact on a child's life experience from birth than the others?
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his or her parents' income and wealth
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Which of the following factors pulled people away from farms and into cities during the period of rapid industrialization more so than the others?
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jobs
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Sociologists' understanding of social contexts, social interactions, and social structures teaches us that people __________.
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present themselves in different ways based on the context they are in
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How is a sociological study of the family more likely to differ from a psychological study of the family?
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Psychological studies tend to study the minds of individuals in a family; sociological studies tend to study families within their larger social contexts.
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Among the social sciences, sociology is the discipline most concerned with __________.
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how different units of analysis-from individual to group to institution to global society-link up to and mutually influence one another
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You, a sociology student, are approached by an anthropology student who would like to work with you. How should you respond to this offer to participate in an interdisciplinary study?
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Since sociology is a broad discipline that shares much theory and many research methods with anthropology, interdisciplinary study is very much possible. Accept
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After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, there were reports of increased criminal activity and looting. Looters broke into electronics stores and stole merchandise, and increasing numbers of violent attacks exceeded all police efforts to keep the rising levels of violence in check. How would a sociologist explain these phenomena?
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In the absence of social structures, rules are unclear, and everyone has to improvise.
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A large group of people who live in the same area and participate in a common set of norms and rules for social interaction is best known as a __________.
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society
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How do people learn norms?
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People learn norms through interactions with people whose opinions they value.
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The fields of research on the social world of human beings are best defined as __________.
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the social sciences
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Imagine that you are a sociology student in the early twentieth century at the University of Chicago. You are trying to come up with an idea for a research project that you can easily conduct without leaving the city. Which of the following projects best embodies the sociological imagination?
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You have observed that the police force is made up almost entirely of a certain immigrant group. You want to interview members of that community and police officers to find out why this group might be drawn to police work.
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__________ refers to external forces, notably evident in the social hierarchies and institutions of society.
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Social structure
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In an ongoing study of more than 2,000 young adults as they progress through college and into their postcollegiate years, sociologist Richard Arum has found that __________.
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24 percent of graduates in the study were back living with their parents two years after graduation
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Two key components to understanding social context are __________.
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social interaction and social structure
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Which of the following statements about the impact of organizations on identity is true?
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Organizations shape what identities are available to us
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Living in high-crime areas has obvious risks: being a victim of physical violence, for example. What is one of the more subtle risks faced by people who live in high-crime areas that is mentioned by Pat Sharkey?
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impaired job or school performance because of stress
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Thomas is a heavy smoker. Although no signs prohibiting smoking are visible in his college classroom, he chooses not to smoke and instead chews gum until the class is over. Thomas is abiding by the social __________, or rules, of the classroom.
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norms
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What tools does sociology give us?
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Sociology gives us the tools to understand and think critically and creatively about our own lives, the times we are living in, and why we are the way we are.
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You, a sociology student, are approached by an anthropology student who would like to work with you. How should you respond to this offer to participate in an interdisciplinary study?
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Since sociology is a broad discipline that shares much theory and many research methods with anthropology, interdisciplinary study is very much possible. Accept.
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Sociology and other social sciences began to develop __________.
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when growing numbers of people began to systematically investigate how things worked in the real world
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How is a sociological study of the family more likely to differ from a psychological study of the family?
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Psychological studies tend to study the minds of individuals in a family; sociological studies tend to study families within their larger social contexts.
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The fields of research on the social world of human beings are best defined as __________.
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the social sciences
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How do sociologists use a sociological imagination to challenge stereotypes?
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A sociological imagination challenges stereotypes by raising questions about where stereotypes come from, what they are based on, who stands to benefit from them, and why they are harmful.
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Industrialization is characterized by the decline of __________.
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farming and the growth of factories
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Which of the following statements is true of urban environments that developed from the middle of the nineteenth century onward?
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Cities had high rates of poverty.
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Why is the family of interest to many sociologists?
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Families are a key to understanding how individuals develop.
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Why were lines between social sciences unclear when they first developed?
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The backgrounds of early social scientists were diverse, and they often conducted work in multiple disciplines.
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__________ refers to the way people act together, including how they modify and alter their behavior in response to the presence of others
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Social interaction
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John is taking an introductory sociology class. As a result, he is conscious of his environment and carefully thinks about what he sees rather than jumping to quick conclusions. He notices a homeless man on his way to class every day. Using his sociological imagination, what might John conclude about this man's circumstances?
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John reacts with sympathy. He considers the social circumstances that may have drawn the homeless man into poverty. He wonders why so many people are unemployed. He concludes that, being in a period of social change, where globalization and other factors are restructuring our economic lives, the homeless man has lost his housing along with his job.
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You are a first-year student at a major university. Which of the following describes a social context that could have a major positive impact on your academic success?
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Your parents were not rich, but they were able to hire summer tutors for you when you were in high school.
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Although psychologists and sociologists study similar subjects and phenomena, what is a significant difference in the types of questions they ask?
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Sociologists are interested in understanding broad social factors; psychologists are interested in understanding how individuals think.
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Why would sociologists who study academic performance be interested in the lives of college freshmen before they enter college?
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Sociologists are particularly well equipped to study the influences of students' backgrounds-such as family influences-on academic performance.
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Sociologists' understanding of social contexts, social interactions, and social structures teaches us that people __________.
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present themselves in different ways based on the context they are in
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You are taking your first sociology course in the fall. About halfway through the semester, you go home for Thanksgiving. At Thanksgiving dinner, you plan to conduct an impromptu sociological experiment by violating some social norms. Which of following actions could you potentially take?
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You eat your dinner with your hands, even the mashed potatoes.
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Social interaction is governed by a set of __________.
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norms
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What can applying the sociological imagination tell us about unemployment and homelessness?
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Unemployment and homelessness can be due to changing social forces beyond an individual's control.
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Among the social sciences, sociology is the discipline most concerned with __________.
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how different units of analysis-from individual to group to institution to global society-link up to and mutually influence one another
