Study Guide Chapters 1-11 Introduction to Sociology Midterm Exam

Chapter One
Sociology is defined as the: is the scientific and systematic study of groups and group
interactions, societies and social interactions, from small and personal groups to very
large groups.

Which of the following men coined the term positivism, and is widely considered the father of
sociology? Auguste Comte

Please define C. Wright Mill’s sociological imagination. - described as an awareness of the

relationship between a person’s behavior and experience and the wider culture that shaped the
person’s choices and perceptions. It’s a way of seeing our own and other people’s behavior in
relationship to history and social structure

A hypothesis can be defined as: is an explanation for a phenomenon based on a conjecture

about the relationship between the phenomenon and one or more causal factors.

Jeremy wrote an essay criticizing the college admissions process, arguing that heavy
competition and limited educational resources make admission difficult for the average
student. Which perspective would Jeremy’s argument fall under? Conflict theory

_____ view society as a structure with interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and
social needs of individuals who make up that society. Functionalists

Qualitative sociology can be defined as:

After weeks of protest in Zuccotti Park, NYC’s “Occupy Wall Street” divided into two camps: one
composed of higher income protestors, and one composed of lower-income protesters. A
______ would be most interested in the relationship and nature of day-to- day exchanges
between the two groups. – Symbolic interaction
Chapter 2
Reliability is defined by the text as: how likely research results are to be replicated if the
study is reproduced.

Quincia is studying how of the lack of comprehensive sex education is affecting a small, rural
town in North Dakota. She spends two months in the town, observing and interviewing the
townspeople. Quincia is conducting a(n) _____. ethnography

Tyson is researching whether actors on prime-time television and hit movies negatively impact
teenagers’ body images. He is going undercover at a local high school to observe and
participate with the students to better understand the world they live in. Tyson is conducting
which research method? – Participant observation

Thomas wants to better understand the trends in literacy rates in Baltimore city over the past
50 years using Baltimore city data. What type of research should Thomas conduct? Secondary
data analysis

Kevin conducted a study on whether the length of the line at a local Starbucks affected how
well the customers enjoyed their coffee after receiving it. Malcolm conducted the study at his
local Starbucks, and found the same results. Kevin’s study had a high level of _____. Reliability

Chapter 3

What group defines themselves through a rejection of the mainstream: Countercultures

Society and culture _____. A culture represents the values, beliefs, norms, language, symbols, and
practices of a group, while society represents the people who share a culture. Neither society or
culture could exist without the other.

Elise travels across Thailand with her friends and, to her surprise, finds the country quite unlike
the United States. “I hate the food,” she tells her family at home. “I hate the language, I hate
the weird customs and awful music. America is clearly the best place to be.” This is an example
of _______. Ethnocentrism
Which of the following is an example of cultural relativism?

The term language can be defined as: Language is a system that uses symbols with which
people communicate and through which culture is transmitted. Letters (which make up words),
pictographs, and hand gestures are all symbols that create a language used for communication.

In the early 2000’s, The L Word and Queer as Folk debuted on Showtime. Both shows depicted
the lives of members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community, thus giving
viewers a glimpse into a ______. subculture

Chapter Four
Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto is based on the ____ perspective. Conflict

Ivanka Trump is the daughter of business mogul and our current president, Donald Trump. Her
role as heiress to the Trump fortune is an example of ______. Ascribed status

Functionalist Émile Durkheim viewed society as: living organism, in which each organ plays a
necessary role in keeping the being alive.

A judge and her gavel. A cop and his gun. A lawyer and her power suit. A ____ would be most
concerned with the parts these objects play in impression management. Sociologist

Alienation is defined by the text as: condition in which the individual is isolated and divorced
from his or her society, work, or the sense of self.

Karl Marx asserted that the means of societal change existed in the tension between:
the bourgeoisie and proletariat.
The concept anomie can be defined as: a situation in which society no longer has the support of
a firm collective consciousness. Anomie is experienced in times of social uncertainty, such as
war or a great upturn or downturn in the economy.

Charles Cooley’s concept of the looking-glass self hypothesizes that: we imagine how we look
to others, draw conclusions based upon their reactions to us, and then we develop our
personal sense of self. In other words, people’s reactions to us are like a mirror in which we
are reflected.

Chapter Five
During her first day of kindergarten, Marie does not understand how the lunch line in the
cafeteria works. She hesitates and watches as the older kids pick up their trays and silverware
and then get in line. She follows their lead and successfully buys herself lunch. Marie’s
experience in the lunchroom is an example of _____. Observational learning.

Katrina, age 5, and Sharon, age 4, love to play together while their mothers chat. Katrina has a
toy iron and washing machine. She and Sharon spend hours “washing” and “ironing” her baby
doll’s clothes, just like they see their mothers do. Which of George Herbert Mead’s stages of
development are Katrina and Sharon exemplifying? Pre-operational stage

Sherry is in her mid-eighties and is moving to a nursing home. She is used to getting up at 5
o’clock each morning and making breakfast for herself. Her new roommate likes to sleep until
7 o’clock and breakfast is not served at the nursing home until 8 o’clock. What is Sherry most
likely to experience through this transition? Resocialization.

In an effort to control a total institution, and to create a community of sameness, inmates are
forced to strip down, be searched by police officers, and given identical uniforms before
entering prison. This is an example of _______. Degradation ceremony.

Mark, whose parents are wealthy, has been socialized to believe that he can be whoever he wants
to be. His best friend Matt, whose parents are blue-collar workers, has been socialized to
believe that hard work and following instructions is all he needs to support himself. Which
sociological paradigm does this story fit? Symbolic interactionism.

Baby Marla is always well dressed. She has ribbons, bows, and frills all over her dresses and
even in her hair. Her mother, who is worried that people might mistake Marla for a little boy,
is determined to communicate to the world that she has a baby girl. Which sociological
paradigm does this story fit? Symbolic interactionism.
Whose study described the differences in the way that boys and girls view morality? Carol
Gilligan

Chapter 6
Sandy is standing in line for Kanye West tickets. The line wraps around the block, spilling into
the streets and crowding store windows. Sandy is part of a(n): Aggregate

When Michael starts high school, he joins the basketball team. He begins to look to his
teammate friends for cues on how to behave at dances, in the hallways, and even in the
classroom. Michael’s basketball team is serving as Michael’s _____. Reference Group

Grace works in at an advertising agency. Grace’s coworkers help her complete presentations,
contact clients, and assist her with research. Her coworkers are serving a(n): Instrumental
function.

An instrumental leader: one who is goal-oriented and largely concerned with accomplishing
set tasks. We can imagine that an army general or a Fortune 500 CEO would be an
instrumental leader.

Solomon Asch concluded that one reason people conform to a group is because they believe:
the group is better informed than they are.

The United States Government is a form of: bureaucracy

Kellan wants to shop at Express for the new school year, but because all of his friends shop at
Pacific Sun, Kellan does as well. Kellan’s behavior is an example of: Conformity
The concept “reference groups” can be defined as: is a group that people compare
themselves to—it provides a standard of measurement.

In the 2010 film, The Social Network, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was portrayed as a leader
who was goal-oriented, issuing orders and assigning tasks. Which of the following leadership
styles did Zuckerberg likely use? Authoritarian

The term meritocracy is defined by the text as: meaning that hiring and promotion is based on
proven and documented skills, rather than on nepotism or random choice.

Chapter 7
Ally’s father was sent to prison when she was 12 for the trafficking of narcotics; her brother was
arrested when she was 13 for possession of methamphetamines. By the age of 18, Ally has
been arrested three times for possession of marijuana. Which theory best describes Ally’s
experience? Differential Association

The term deviance can be defined as a violation of established contextual, cultural, or social
norms, whether folkways, mores, or codified law.

The term crime can be defined as: is a behavior that violates official law and is punishable
through formal sanctions.

Functionalist Émile Durkheim believed some deviance within society was: necessary part of a
successful society.

Chapter 8
E-readiness can be defined as: — —the ability to sort through, interpret, and process
knowledge.

The term technological diffusion is defined as: the spread of technology across borders.
Which sociological perspective sees technology and media as a tool individuals use to express
how much wealth they have? Symbolic Interactionist

The term media globalization can be defined as: is a process in which fewer and fewer owners
control the majority of media outlets. This creates an oligopoly in which a few firms dominate
the media marketplace.

Which theorist would be most interested in who controls the media, and the ways in which the
dominant race and class minimizes the media presence of the lower classes and other races?
Conflict Theorist

The term panoptic surveillance is defined in the text as: imagined as a form of constant
monitoring in which the observation posts are decentralized and the observed is never
communicated with directly.

Tyson visits China over spring break, and after getting online to write home to her parents, she
realizes some of her favorite social media sites are blocked by the Chinese government. She
becomes concerned with how technology reinforces inequalities among communities, both
within and among countries. What sociological perspective best fits Tyson’s concerns? Conflict

The term cyberfeminism is defined by the text as: the application to, and promotion of,
feminism online.

Chapter 9
Elisa graduated from college with a double major and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa
society. She was then offered a job in New York where she worked 12 hours a day and
produced excellent results. Within two years she had over 100 employees working under her.
Elisa’s hard work was rewarded with a raise and a bonus. This form of promotion is based on
the principles of: meritocracy

Mohit spent his days combing through garbage in Mumbai, India with his brothers and sisters.
Sometimes he would find food, or something to sell for money. He never tried to overcome
 his lower-class status because he had seen his friends try and fail. So, he accepted his fate, and
tried to live life as best he could in a closed society. Mohit is an example of someone living
under: Closed system

What is the most significant threat to the relatively high standard of living people are accustomed
to in the United States? Social Inequality

Many people could not afford their mortgages anymore and their homes went into foreclosure.
For many people, it was a time of __________.financial distress.

Symbolic interactionists have come to the conclusion that: meaning is central to human
behavior. people interact primarily with others who share the same social standing.

Chapter 10

Which social class is quickly disappearing from modern economies? Middle Class

In recent times, scholars have been trying to sort out why the countries on the continent of
Africa, as a whole, have trouble competing to today’s global, capitalist economy. While an
answer to this question is complex and carries with it many ambiguities, most scholars point
to European colonialism as a key to understanding the current state of Africa. A sociologist
studying this topic, would ascribe to which theoretical paradigm? Conflict Theory

88 million people live on less than $1.00 a day. These people are said to be living in
_____________. Extreme Poverty

The two regions with the highest risk of social unrest are: Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle
East-North Africa region

Which is an effect of absolute poverty that also contributes to its cyclical nature? inadequate
healthcare, limited education, and the inaccessibility of birth control.

Areas that once had vast economic growth and large amounts of industry, but are now suffering
from the effects of outsourcing are going through a period of: Deindustrialization or Capital
flight.

Chapter 11
According to the social construction of race school of thought, race is: grouping of
humankind based on shared physical or social qualities that can vary from one
society to another.

Max believes that most people’s racial beliefs are based on images conveyed in popular
media since many people never meet members of certain races for themselves. Max’s
perspective is: Symbolic Interactionism.

The term discrimination is defined in the text as: consists of actions against a group of
people. Discrimination can be based on race, ethnicity, age, religion, health, and
other categories.

Speedy Gonzalez is a popular cartoon character, but is widely considered an inappropriate

stereotype. Many children are raised watching Speedy Gonzalez cartoons, unaware that
such stereotypes are negative. This is a product of: The culture of Prejudice.

The term segregation is defined in the text as: refers to the physical separation of two
groups, particularly in residence, but also in workplace and social functions.

Angela believes that race relations in America are poor because the white ruling class has
enacted various laws and regulations to keep other racial groups from achieving equality.
With which sociological perspective does Angela’s view best align? Conflict Theory

Asad’s first grade class is diverse: there are two students from Korea, five students from
South America, two students from the United States, three students from Kuwait, a student
from Mexico, two students from England, and five students from western Europe. Asad’s
class is: Multi cultural

The term assimilation is defined by the text as: Assimilation describes the process by
which a minority individual or group gives up its own identity by taking on the
characteristics of the dominant culture.
Cedric’s uncle believes that racism and discrimination have made a positive impact on
society – but only in the lives of those who are members of the dominant group. Which
sociological perspective is Cedric’s uncle coming from? Structured Functionalism