Test Item File

for

Macionis

Society: The Basics

Eleventh Edition

Prentice Hall
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Edition, by John J. Macionis, provided such reproductions bear copyright notice, but may not be
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and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 14 13 12 11 10

ISBN-10: 0-205-01010-5
www.pearsonhighered.com ISBN-13: 978-0-205-01010-3
 Table of Contents

Chapter One: Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method…………………………. 1

Chapter Two: Culture ………………………………………………………………... 35
Chapter Three: Socialization: From Infancy to Old Age ……………………………. 59
Chapter Four: Social Interaction in Everyday Life ….………………………………. 77
Chapter Five: Groups and Organizations ……………...…………………………….. 97

Chapter Six: Sexuality and Society ……...…………………………………………... 118

Chapter Seven: Deviance ………….………………………………………………… 136
Chapter Eight: Social Stratification ……………..…………………………………... 157
Chapter Nine: Global Stratification .…………………………………........................ 188
Chapter Ten: Gender Stratification ………………………………………………….. 206
Chapter Eleven: Race and Ethnicity ……..………………………………………….. 225
Chapter Twelve: Economics and Politics …………………………………………… 246
Chapter Thirteen: Family and Religion ……………………………………………... 275
Chapter Fourteen: Education, Health, and Medicine ……………………………….. 305
Chapter Fifteen: Population, Urbanization, and Environment ..…………………….. 335
Chapter Sixteen: Social Change: Modern and Postmodern Societies ……………….. 355

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 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. sociology c. economics
b. psychology d. history

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. statement. c. concept.
b. principle. d. theory.

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. The text describes the main point of using the structural-functional approach as
a. learning how people find meaning in behavior. c. bringing about needed social change.
b. understanding "what makes society tick." d. None of the above is correct.

6. The social-conflict approach draws attention

to a. the orderly aspects of society. c. patterns of social inequality.
b. how people construct meaning through interaction. d. how elements contribute to the
overall operation of society.

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

a. How is society held together? c. How do people experience society?
b. How does society divide a population? d. How do some people protect their
privileges?

True/False
_________ 8. As a discipline, sociology first took root in France, Germany, and England.
_________ 9. The term “sociology” was coined by Emile Durkheim.

Short-Answer
10. What are several personal benefits of learning to use the sociological perspective?

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

Answers to Quick Quiz: Chapter 1

Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

Multiple-Choice
1. Which discipline defines itself as “the systematic study of human society”?
a. sociology c. economics
b. psychology d. history

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. statement. c. concept.
b. principle. d. theory.

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. The text describes the main point of using the structural-functional approach as
a. learning how people find meaning in behavior. c. bringing about needed social change.
b. understanding "what makes society tick." d. None of the above is correct.

6. The social-conflict approach draws attention

to a. the orderly aspects of society. c. patterns of social inequality.
b. how people construct meaning through interaction. d. how elements contribute to the
overall operation of society.

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

a. How is society held together? c. How do people experience society?
b. How does society divide a population? d. How do some people protect their
privileges?

True/False
_____T____ 8. As a discipline, sociology first took root in France, Germany, and England.
_____F___ 9. The term “sociology” was coined by Emile Durkheim.

Short-Answer
10. What are several personal benefits of learning to use the sociological perspective?

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

TEST QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 1

Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. What would a sociologist be most likely to say about why an individual chooses a particular person to
marry?

a. There is no accounting for personal feelings like love.

b. People’s actions reflect human free will.
c. Society guides human behavior more than most people realize.
d. In the case of love, opposites attract.

(Applied; answer: c; page 2)

2. Which discipline is defined as “the systematic study of human society”?

a. sociology
b. psychology
c. economics
d. history

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 2)

3. Peter Berger described using the sociological perspective as seeing the __________ in the __________.

a. good; worst tragedies

b. new; old
c. specific; commonplace
d. general; particular

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 2)

4. The statement that the sociological perspective shows us “the strange in the familiar" means
that sociology

a. focuses on the bizarre elements of society.

b. rejects the familiar idea that people simply decide how to act in favor of the initially strange idea that
society shapes our lives.
c. shows that people often behave in strange ways.
d. shows that common sense is the best guide to understanding human behavior.

(Conceptual; answer: b; pages 2-3)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

5. From a sociological perspective, patterns of childbearing around the world suggest that the number
of children born to a woman reflects

a. her personal choice.

b. how many children she can afford.
c. whether she lives in a poor or rich country.
d. the desires of her husband.

(Applied; answer: c; 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. College is not necessary preparation for every type of work.

b. Attending college is a goal for people all over the world.
c. Colleges try to attract intelligent students.
d. Both age and class have a lot to do with which people are enrolled in college.

(Applied; answer: d; pages 2-4)

7. The pioneering sociologist who studied patterns of suicide in Europe was

a. Margaret Mead.
b. Auguste Comte.
c. Emile Durkheim.
d. Karl Marx.

(Factual; answer: c; page 4)

8. In the United States today, the suicide rate is highest for which of the following categories of people?

a. white males
b. African American males
c. white females
d. African American females

(Factual; answer: a; page 4)

9. Suicide rates are generally higher among

a. poor people compared with rich people.

b. single people compared with married people.
c. females compared with males.
d. African Americans compared to white people.

(Applied; answer: b; page 4)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

10. According to Emile Durkheim, a category of people with a higher suicide rate typically has

a. a higher level of clinical depression.

b. a lower level of income and other resources.
c. a lower level of societal integration.
d. a higher level of self-esteem.

(Factual; answer: c; page 4)

11. People in which of the following categories would you expect to most readily make use of
the sociological perspective?

a. people living in suburbs

b. people of color
c. politicians
d. the middle class

(Applied; answer: b; pages 4-5)

12. C. Wright Mills pointed out that sociological awareness tends to be more widespread

a. during times of peace and prosperity.

b. among the very rich.
c. among white people than among black people.
d. in times of social crisis.

(Factual; answer: d; pages 4-5)

13. The United States falls within the category of

a. low-income nations.
b. middle-income nations.
c. high-income nations.
d. developing nations.

(Factual; answer: c; page 5)

14. Almost all of Latin America and Asia falls within the category of

a. low-income nations.
b. middle-income nations.
c. high-income nations.
d. the very richest nations.

(Factual; answer: b; page 5)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

15. A country 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, would fall into the category of

a. low-income nations.
b. middle-income nations.
c. high-income nations.
d. the very richest nations.

(Conceptual; answer: b; 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. There is no longer any absolute poverty in the world.
c. Learning more about other societies helps us better understand our own way of life.
d. People the world over live in ways that are mostly the same.

(Factual; answer: c; pages 5-7)

18. Making use of the sociological perspective encourages

a. challenging commonly held beliefs.

b. accepting conventional ideas.
c. the belief that society has little effect on the average individual.
d. people to become isolated from one another.

(Applied; answer: a; pages 7-8)

19. Which of the following is a benefit we gain from studying sociology?

a. becoming more convinced of the truth in everyday “common sense”

b. seeing both the opportunities and constraints that shape our lives c.
understanding that we create life problems for ourselves
d. paying little attention to the socially diverse world around us

(Factual; answer: b; page 8)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

20. Which of the following statements correctly describes sociology’s value to future careers?

a. Sociology is useful but only if you plan to teach or do research.

b. Most sociologists work as government researchers.
c. Sociology is excellent preparation for a wide range of future careers.
d. Most sociologists work with clients in private practice.

(Factual; answer: c; pages 8-9)

21. Which of the following statements best illustrates the career advantage a person gains by studying
sociology?

a. A researcher discovers a new and effective vaccine.

b. A person in retail sales knows how to exceed the monthly sales target.
c. A police officer understands which categories of people are at high risk of becoming victims of crime.
d. A financial services worker devises a new type of hedge fund.

(Applied; answer: c; 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 spread of the Roman Catholic religion

b. the rise of an industrial economy
c. the growth of cities
d. new political ideas stressing individual rights

(Factual; answer: a; page 9)

23. Historically, the sociological perspective was most likely to develop in

a. nations with little social change.

b. countries experiencing rapid social changes.
c. countries where tradition was strong.
d. isolated villages.

(Applied; answer: b; page 9)

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.

(Factual; answer: c; page 10)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

25. Sociology differs from earlier philosophy by focusing on

a. what the ideal society should be.

b. our human nature.
c. the power of God in shaping human events.
d. how society actually operates.

(Conceptual; answer: d; pages 10-11)

26. The term “sociology” was coined in 1838 by

a. Karl Marx.
b. Herbert Spencer.
c. Adam Smith.
d. Auguste Comte.

(Factual; answer: d; page 10

27. Comte described the earliest human societies as being at the _________ of societal development.

a. theological stage
b. metaphysical stage
c. scientific stage
d. post-scientific stage

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 10)

28. According to Comte, societies in which stage of development begin to see society as a natural—
rather than a supernatural—phenomenon?

a. theological stage
b. metaphysical stage
c. scientific stage
d. post-scientific stage

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 10)

29. Thomas Hobbes’s idea that society reflects a selfish human nature illustrates the thinking common to
Comte’s __________ of societal development.

a. theological stage
b. metaphysical stage
c. scientific stage
d. post-scientific stage

(Applied; answer: b; page 10)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

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.

(Factual; answer: c; page 10)

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.

a. theological stage
b. metaphysical stage
c. scientific stage
d. post-scientific stage

(Applied; answer: c; pages 10-11)

32. __________ is a way of understanding the world based on science.

a. Theology
b. Positivism
c. Tradition
d. Common sense

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 10)

33. Why have sociologists NOT identified "laws of society" that allow us to predict the actions of specific
individuals?

a. Human behavior is both complex and partly spontaneous.

b. Sociology is still very young.
c. No sociologist ever tried to discover such laws.
d. Human behavior is not patterned at all.

(Applied; answer: a; page 11)

34. By linking specific facts together to give us meaning, we create a

a. structure.
b. principle.
c. concept.
d. theory.

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 11)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

35. Which early sociologist made a mark for herself by studying the evils of slavery and also translating
the writings of Auguste Comte?

a. Harriet Martineau
b. Jane Addams
c. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
d. Margaret Mead

(Factual; answer: a; page 13)

36. Two of sociology's early founders were

a. Auguste Comte and C. Wright Mills.

b. C. Wright Mills and Karl Marx.
c. Auguste Comte and Karl Marx.
d. Robert Merton and Emile Durkheim.

(Factual; answer: c; pages 10-11)

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

(Applied; answer: d; page 11)

38. In deciding what questions to ask as they begin research, sociologists are guided by

a. one or more theoretical approaches.

b. their own common sense.
c. the data they collect.
d. sheer chance.

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 11)

39. What is the term for a basic image of society that guides thinking and research?

a. theory
b. hypothesis
c. theoretical approach
d. social fact

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 11)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

40. Which theoretical approach is closest to that taken by early sociologists Auguste Comte and Emile
Durkheim?

a. structural-functional approach
b. social-conflict approach
c. symbolic-interaction approach
d. social-exchange approach

(Applied; answer: a; pages 11-12)

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. structural-functional approach.
b. social-conflict approach.
c. symbolic-interaction approach.
d. social-exchange approach

(Conceptual; answer: a; pages 11-12)

42. Which of the following concepts refers to relatively stable patterns of social behavior?

a. social structure
b. social dynamics
c. social functions
d. social dysfunctions

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 11)

43. Which of the following phrases best describes the focus of the structural-functional approach?

a. the meaning people attach to their action

b. patterns of social inequality
c. the consequences of social patterns for the operation of society
d. the way people understand their world

(Conceptual; answer: c; pages 11-12)

44. Social structures sometimes have negative consequences for the operation of society. What concept
refers to these negative consequences?

a. latent structure
b. eufunctions
c. manifest functions
d. social dysfunctions

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 12)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

45. Identify the three sociologists below who played a part in the development of sociology’s structural-
functional approach.

a. Auguste Comte, Karl Marx, W. E. B. Du Bois

b. Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim c.
Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, Auguste Comte
d. Harriet Martineau, Robert Merton, W. E. B. Du Bois

(Factual; answer: b; pages 11-12)

46. Herbert Spencer described human society as having much in common with

a. animal societies.
b. the solar system.
c. the human brain.
d. the human body.

(Factual; answer: d; page 11)

47. Who was the U.S. sociologist who pointed out the difference between the manifest functions and
the latent functions of social patterns?

a. Robert K. Merton
b. William Graham Sumner
c. Talcott Parsons
d. C. Wright Mills

(Factual; answer: a; page 12)

48. The recognized and intended consequences of a social pattern are referred to as

a. latent functions.
b. manifest functions.
c. eufunctions.
d. dysfunctions.

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 12)

49. Unrecognized and unintended consequences of the social structure are called

a. latent functions.
b. manifest functions.
c. eufunctions.
d. dysfunctions.

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 12)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

50. The structural-functional approach helps us to

a. bring about needed social change.

b. understand "what makes society tick."
c. discover the meaning people find in behavior.
d. study the way people understand the larger world.

(Conceptual; answer: b; pages 11-12)

51. Robert Merton explained that what is functional for one category of a society’s population

a. is typically functional for everyone.

b. may not be functional for another category.
c. is unlikely to change over time.
d. will always be functional in the future.

(Factual; answer: b; page 12)

52. Which theoretical approach leads us to see society as orderly and stable?

a. the structural-functional approach

b. the social-conflict approach
c. the social-interaction approach
d. the sociobiology approach

(Conceptual; answer: a; pages 11-12)

53. Which of the following statements is an accurate criticism of the structural-functional approach?

a. It ignores inequality that can generate tension and conflict.

b. It focuses only on social dysfunction.
c. It focuses too much on power divisions in society.
d. It ignores macro-level social structure.

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 12)

54. Which early U.S. sociologist earned the first doctorate ever awarded by Harvard University to
a person of color?

a. Jane Addams
b. Harriet Martineau
c. W. E. B. Du Bois
d. William Graham Sumner

(Factual; answer: c; page 13)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

55. Who was the pioneering sociologist who founded Chicago’s Hull House to assist immigrants and later
received the Nobel Peace Prize?

a. Jane Addams
b. Harriet Martineau
c. W. E. B. Du Bois
d. Herbert Spencer

(Factual; answer: a; page 13)

56. Which U.S. sociologist studied the African American community and served as a founding member of
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)?

a. Jane Addams
b. Harriet Martineau
c. W. E. B. Du Bois
d. William Graham Sumner

(Factual; answer c: pages 13, 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 social-conflict approach
c. the symbolic-interaction approach
d. dramaturgical analysis

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 12)

58. The social-conflict approach draws attention to

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.

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 12)

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

(Conceptual; answer: a; pages 12-13)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

60. Looking at the operation of U.S. schools, the social-conflict approach might lead a sociologist
to conclude that

a. the function of schools is to teach needed skills.

b. the experience of schooling differs from child to child.
c. schools have been a major path to social advancement.
d. society provides much better schooling to some categories of students than to others.

(Applied; answer: d; page 12)

61. For Karl Marx, the point of studying society was

a. to understand how it really operates.

b. to compare U.S. society to others.
c. to encourage support for tradition.
d. to reduce inequality.

(Factual; answer: d; page 12)

62. The social-conflict approach might lead a sociologist to highlight

a. class differences in a high school graduation rates.

b. how schooling prepares people for jobs.
c. the meanings people attach to schooling.
d. how people present themselves to others at school.

(Applied; answer: a; page 12)

63. Which of the following people had an important influence on the development of the social-conflict
approach?

a. Karl Marx
b. Talcott Parsons
c. Emile Durkheim
d. Herbert Spencer

(Factual; answer: a; page 12)

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. Karl Marx
d. Emile Durkheim

(Factual; answer: c; page 12)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

65. The social-conflict approach is sometimes criticized for

a. focusing on values shared by everyone in society.

b. being clearly political.
c. promoting the status quo.
d. favoring objectivity over change.

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 13)

66. Which of the following theoretical approaches paints societies in broad strokes at a macro-level?

a. both the structural-functional and social-conflict approaches

b. both the structural-functional and symbolic-interaction approaches
c. both the social-conflict and symbolic-interaction approaches
d. only the symbolic-interaction approach

(Conceptual; answer: a; pages 11-14)

67. Which of the following topics illustrates a micro-level focus?

a. the operation of the U.S. economy

b. a rising level of global terrorism
c. two airplane passengers getting to know one another
d. class inequality in the armed forces

(Applied; answer: c; pages 14-15)

68. The basic idea of the symbolic-interaction approach is that society is

a. an arena of conflict between categories of people.

b. the reality people construct as they interact with one another.
c. a system that operates to benefit people.
d. a collection of structures that operate together in an orderly way.

(Conceptual; answer: b; pages 14-15)

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. social-conflict approach
c. symbolic-interaction approach
d. social-exchange approach

(Conceptual; answer: c; pages 14-15)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

70. Which founding sociologist is credited with calling attention to the meaning people attach to their
behavior?

a. Karl Marx
b. Emile Durkheim
c. Auguste Comte
d. Max Weber

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 15)

71. An example of an insight offered by social-exchange analysis is that

a. people typically seek mates who have about as much to offer as they do.
b. class differences are reflected in favored sports.
c. people build reality as they introduce themselves.
d. people who do more important work usually earn more pay.

(Conceptual; answer a; page 15)

72. A criticism of the symbolic-interaction approach is that it

a. focuses all its attention on major social institutions.

b. ignores how structural factors such as class affect people’s experiences.
c. paints a too rosy picture of society.
d. focuses only on conflict and not common values.

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 15)

73. Which of the following questions summarizes the focus of the symbolic-interaction approach?

a. How is society held together?

b. How does society divide a population?
c. How do individual people experience society?
d. How do some people protect their privileges?

(Conceptual; answer: c; pages 14-15)

74. Which of the following is the best example of a manifest function of sports?

a. providing people with recreation and physical conditioning

b. fostering social relationships c. creating jobs

d. teaching a society’s way of life

(Applied; answer: a; page 16)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

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

a. manifest function
b. latent function
c. dysfunction
d. counter-function

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 16)

76. A social-conflict analysis of sports might emphasize

a. the way in which sports encourage competition.

b. the importance of physical ability to success.
c. how sports reflect social inequality.
d. the different meaning people attach to games.

(Applied; answer: c; pages 16-17)

77. Science can be defined as

a. a logical system that bases knowledge on direct, systematic observation.

b. belief based on faith in ultimate truth.
c. belief based on a society’s traditions.
d. a logical system that bases knowledge on political goals.

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 16)

78. Sociologists use the concept “empirical evidence” to refer to information

a. based on a society’s traditions.

b. that squares with common sense.
c. people can verify with their senses.
d. that most people agree is true.

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 16)

79. Which term refers to “a mental construct that represents some part of the world”?

a. a variable
b. operationalization
c. measurement
d. a concept

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 18)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

80. If you were trying to measure the “social class” of various people, you would have to keep in mind
that

a. it is necessary to specify exactly what you are measuring.

b. you must measure this in every way possible.
c. there is simply no way to measure “social class.”
d. everyone agrees on what “social class” means.

(Applied; answer: a; page 18)

81. By what process does a researcher determine the value of a variable?

a. measurement
b. correlation
c. conceptualization
d. validation

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 18)

82. A commonly used statistic that results from adding all scores and dividing by the number of scores is
called the

a. descriptive statistic.
b. mode.
c. median.
d. mean.

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 18)

83. Two variables are said to display correlation if

a. change in one causes no change in the other.

b. they can both be measured accurately.
c. both measure the same thing.
d. they vary together.

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 18)

84. Which of the following is NOT one of the defining traits of a cause-and-effect relationship?

a. Each variable must be shown to be independent of the other.

b. The independent variable must come before the dependent variable in time.
c. The two variables must display correlation.
d. There must be no evidence that the correlation is spurious due to the effect of some third variable.

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 18)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

85. The ideal of objectivity means that a researcher

a. must not care personally about the topic being studied.

b. must try to be personally neutral about the outcome of the research.
c. must study issues that have no particular value to society as a whole.
d. must carry out research that will encourage desirable social change.

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 19)

86. The sociologist who called on his colleagues to be value-free was

a. Karl Marx.
b. Emile Durkheim.
c. Herbert Spencer.
d. Max Weber.

(Factual; answer: d; page 19)

87. Studying the meaning people attach to their everyday lives is the search for

a. quantitative data.
b. validity.
c. verstehen or "understanding."
d. value-freedom.

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 20)

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.

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 20)

89. Which of the following statements about positivist sociology is CORRECT?

a. It focuses on the meaning people attach to behavior.

b. It seeks to bring about desirable social change.
c. It favors qualitative data.
d. It favors quantitative data.

(Factual; answer: d; page 20)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

90. It would be correct to say that critical sociology

a. focuses on the meaning people attach to behavior.

b. seeks to increase social equality.
c. endorses the principle of being value-free.
d. tries to understand society as it is.

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 20)

91. Critical sociology can best be described as

a. an activist approach.
b. a scientific approach.
c. a qualitative approach.
d. a value-free approach.

(Applied; answer: a; page 20)

92. Which of the following statements comes closest to correctly linking sociology’s methodological
orientations and its theoretical approaches?

a. The positivist orientation is linked to the symbolic-interaction approach.

b. The interpretive orientation is linked to the structural-functional approach.
c. The critical orientation corresponds to the social-conflict approach.
d. There is no link between methodological orientations and theoretical approaches.

(Factual; answer: c; page 21)

93. Read the four statements below. Which of them is NOT found within the American Sociological
Association’s guidelines for ethical research?

a. Researchers must always perform their research several times in order to ensure its accuracy.
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. Research must ensure the safety of subjects taking part in a research project.

(Factual; answer: a; page 22)

94. If you have been criticized for "androcentricity" in your research, you have

a. overgeneralized your results.

b. ignored gender entirely.
c. approached the subject from a male perspective.
d. used double standards in your research.

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 21)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

95. Drawing conclusions about all of humanity based on information drawn only from males describes
the problem called

a. interference.
b. overgeneralization.
c. gender blindness.
d. using double standards.

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 21)

96. Failing to consider the possible importance of gender in a sociological study describes the problem
called

a. androcentricity.
b. overgeneralization.
c. gender blindness.
d. employing double standards.

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 21)

97. The method of sociological research best suited to identifying cause-and-effect relationships is

a. the survey.
b. the experiment.
c. the use of questionnaires.
d. participant observation.

(Factual; answer: b; page 22)

98. In his study of prison behavior, Philip Zimbardo was trying to learn

a. if better nutrition improves the lives of inmates.

b. if putting more people in prison reduces crime.
c. if prisons themselves create violence.
d. why so many people are not concerned about prison violence.

(Factual; answer: c; page 24)

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. experiment
d. survey

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 24)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

100. A small number of people used by researchers to represent an entire population is called

a. a sample.
b. a network.
c. an elite.
d. a control group.

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 24)

101. Snowball sampling is easy to do; at the same time, it leads a researcher toward what problem?

a. The sample it produces contains only people who know the researcher.
b. The sample it produces is rarely large enough to be useful.
c. The sample it produces is often too large to be useful.
d. The sample it produces is not representative of the larger population.

(Applied; answer: d; page 25)

102. In her study of the African American elite, Lois Benjamin made use of

a. interviews.
b. a questionnaire.
c. an experiment.
d. participant observation.

(Factual; answer: a; pages 25-26)

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
d. secondary analysis

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 25-26)

104. Which of the following is generally true of researchers setting out to conduct fieldwork?

a. Researchers may begin without a specific hypothesis in mind.

b. Researchers try to accept or reject a cause and effect relationship.
c. Researchers must have use of a laboratory setting.
d. Researchers assume a scientific stature that causes them to keep their distance from subjects.

(Factual; answer: a; page 26)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

105. William Foote Whyte teamed up with a Cornerville man named "Doc" who served as his

a. medical consultant.
b. key informant.
c. source of funding.
d. publisher.

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 28)

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.

(Factual; answer: d; page 28)

107. In his study of Boston and Philadelphia, E. Digby Baltzell linked each region's record of
achievement to

a. the level of education of the region’s people.

b. the region’s natural resources.
c. the region’s religious beliefs.
d. the region’s level of racial conflict.

(Factual; answer: c; page 29)

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 valid theory
b. a replicated theory
c. a stereotype
d. an act of discrimination

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 31)

109. Unlike simple stereotypes, sociological generalizations

a. apply to all individuals in some category.

b. reflect the researcher’s personal bias.
c. are offered fair-mindedly with an interest in the truth.
d. ignore facts and distort reality.

(Factual; answer: c; page 31)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

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 simply the
result of what people decide to do.

(Conceptual; answer: F; pages 2-3)

113. One consequence of living in a low-income country for women is, on average, having more
children than women living in high-income nations.

(Applied; answer: T; 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, men have a higher suicide rate than

women. (Factual; answer: T; 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. The United States, Japan, and Australia are all high-income nations.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 5)

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.

(Factual; answer: T; pages 5-6)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

121. C. Wright Mills explained that the sociological imagination encourages people to see their personal
problems as their own individual responsibility.

(Factual; answer: F; pages 4-5, 6)

122. Thinking globally and studying other societies is a good way to learn about

ourselves. (Factual; answer: T; pages 6-7)

123. The sociological perspective helps us assess the truth of the "common sense" beliefs most people
take for granted.

(Factual; answer: T; 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.

(Factual; answer: F; page 9)

126. Sociology is a good background for work in advertising, criminal justice, and public

relations. (Factual; answer: T; pages 8-9)

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 France, Germany, and England.

(Factual; answer: T; page 9)

129. Ancient philosophers such as Plato were mostly interested in imagining the "ideal" society rather
than in studying society as it really is.

(Factual; answer: T; pages 9-10)

130. In 1838, Emile Durkheim coined the term “sociology.”

(Factual; answer: F; page 10)

131. The last of Comte’s three stages of historical development is the theological stage in which people
know the world in terms of God’s will.

(Conceptual; answer: F; page 10)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

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.

(Factual; answer: T; page 10)

133. The English philosopher Thomas Hobbes believed that society reflected the basic goodness
of human nature.

(Factual; answer: F; page 10)

134. The structural-functional, social-conflict, and symbolic-interaction approaches are all used
by sociologists in building theory.

(Factual; answer: T; pages 11-15)

135. Robert K. Merton said that social patterns have much the same effect on all members of a society.

(Factual; answer: F; page 12)

136. People usually do not recognize all of the functions of any particular social structure.

(Factual; answer: T; page 12)

137. Every social structure is useful, or functional, in a positive sense for the operation of society.

(Factual; answer: F; page 12)

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.

(Conceptual; answer: T; pages 12-13)

140. The sociologist who stated that the point of studying society is not just to understand our world but
to change it was Karl Marx.

(Factual; answer: T; page 12)

141. Feminism is an important part of sociology's gender-conflict approach.

(Conceptual; answer: T; pages 12-13)

142. W. E. B. Du Bois translated the writings of Auguste Comte from Latin into English.

(Factual; answer: F; page 13)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

143. W. E. B. Du Bois, who wrote a classic study of the African American community in Philadelphia,
made use of the social-conflict approach.

(Factual; answer: T; pages 13, 14)

144. The race-conflict approach ignores the contributions to sociology by people of color.

(Conceptual; answer: F; page 13)

145. The symbolic-interaction approach is a micro-level orientation.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 14)

146. The focus of the symbolic-interaction approach is how society is divided by class, race, and gender.

(Conceptual; answer: F; pages 14-15)

147. Social-exchange analysis is based on the idea that interaction is guided by what each person stands
to gain from another.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 15)

148. Sociologists should make use of only one theoretical approach.

(Factual; answer: F; page 15)

149. Empirical evidence refers to what people in a society agree is true.

(Conceptual; answer: F; 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.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 18)

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.

(Conceptual; answer: T; pages 16-17)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

155. How players understand the game—and each other—would be one focus of a symbolic-
interaction approach to sports.

(Applied; answer: T; page 17)

156. If two variables are correlated, then one must be the cause of the other.

(Conceptual; answer: F; page 18)

157. Max Weber urged sociologists to strive toward the goal of being value-free in their research.

(Factual; answer: T; pages 19-20)

158. Interpretive sociology focuses on the meaning people attach to their actions.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 20)

159. Positivist sociology is based on what Max Weber called Verstehen and seeks to discover the
subjective meanings that are "out there."

(Conceptual; answer: F; page 20)

160. If you were engaged in interpretive sociology, you would consider subjective feelings to be a source
of bias.

(Applied; answer: F; page 20)

161. Critical sociology both studies society and tries to bring about social change.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 20)

162. The work of Karl Marx represents the critical approach in sociology.

(Factual; answer: T; page 20)

163. Gender blindness refers to failing to consider the importance of gender in sociological

research. (Conceptual; answer: T; 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 a relationship between two or more variables that a researcher knows to be correct.

(Factual; answer: F; pages 22-23)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

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.

(Conceptual; answer: T; pages 22-23)

169. Philip Zimbardo conducted an experiment that supported the idea that "violent prisoners
make prisons violent."

(Applied; answer: F; page 24)

170. A survey is a research method in which subjects respond to a series of items or questions.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 24)

171. Conducting interviews often takes less time than having subjects complete questionnaires.

(Factual; answer: F; page 24)

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 a research method by which researchers working in a laboratory

carefully measure the behavior of others.

(Applied; answer: F; page 26)

174. William Foote Whyte, who studied a community he called "Cornerville," found that "breaking in" to
the community was one of the hardest parts of doing the research.

(Factual; answer: T; pages 27-28)

175. The use of existing data and documents, called secondary analysis, makes most historical
research possible.

(Factual; answer: T; page 28)

176. A sociologist should never use data collected by any other person or organization.

(Factual; answer: F; page 28)

177. E. Digby Baltzell conducted historical research that pointed to a greater "culture of achievement" in
Philadelphia than was found in Boston.

(Factual; answer: F; page 29)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

178. Sociological generalizations are the same as simple

stereotypes. (Applied; answer: F; page 31)

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.

(Applied; pages 3-4)

183. Why is a global perspective a logical extension of the sociological

perspective? (Conceptual; pages 5-7)

184. What are several personal benefits of learning to use the sociological perspective?

(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)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

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.

(Conceptual; pages 12-14)

190. What is the difference between a macro-level and micro-level theoretical approach?

(Conceptual; page 14)

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?

(Applied; pages 11-15)

193. What is the difference between a concept and a variable? How does a researcher transform one
into the other?

(Conceptual; page 18)

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?

(Conceptual; pages 19-20)

196. State the essential difference between positivist sociology, interpretive sociology, and critical
sociology.

(Conceptual; pages 16-20)

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.

(Applied; pages 22-29)

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 Chapter 1 Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

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 approaches—the structural-functional and
social-conflict approaches—have 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 approaches—structural-functional, social-conflict, and

symbolic-interaction—to 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 research—experiment, survey, participant
observation, and secondary research—is 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)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

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 1’s “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 1’s “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)

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 Name ________________________________
Quick Quiz: Chapter 2
Culture
Multiple-Choice
1. Sociologists define a symbol as
a. cultural patterns that cause culture shock. c. any gesture that conveys insult to others.
b. any element of material culture. d. anything that carries a meaning to
people who share a culture.
2. Standards by which people who share culture define what is desirable, good, and beautiful are called
a. folkways. c. mores.
b. norms. d. values.

3. __________ distinguish between right and wrong; __________ distinguish between polite and rude.
a. Mores; folkways c. Folkways; mores
b. Taboos; mores d. Prescriptive norms; proscriptive norms

4. In hunting and gathering societies

a. men and women tend gardens together. c. men and women work together as hunters.
b. men hunt animals while women gather vegetation. d. women hunt animals while men gather
vegetation.

5. The United States is now in which of the following stages of technological development?
a. pastoral c. agrarian
b. industrial d. postindustrial

6. The concept "subculture" refers

to a. popular culture. c. high or elite culture.
b. culture of the past. d. cultural patterns that set apart a segment
of a society’s population.
7. Ethnocentrism refers to
a. judging another culture as better than one’s own. c. taking pride in one's ethnicity.
b. judging another culture by the standards of one's d. judging another culture by its own
own culture. standards.

True/False
_________ 8. Humans have used culture as a strategy for survival for at least 12,000 years.
_________ 9. The United States has a popular culture, but not a high culture.

Short-Answer
10. How does the concept “culture” differ from the concept “society”?

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

Answers to Quick Quiz: Chapter 2

Culture
Multiple-Choice
1. Sociologists define a symbol as
a. cultural patterns that cause culture shock. c. any gesture that conveys insult to others.
b. any element of material culture. d. anything that carries a meaning to
people who share a culture.

2. Standards by which people who share culture define what is desirable, good, and beautiful are called
a. folkways. c. mores.
b. norms. d. values.
3. __________ distinguish between right and wrong; __________ distinguish between polite and rude.

a. Mores; folkways c. Folkways; mores

b. Taboos; mores d. Prescriptive norms; proscriptive norms

4. In hunting and gathering societies:

a. men and women tend gardens together. b. c. men and women work together as
men hunt animals while women gather hunters. d. women hunt animals while men
gather vegetation.
vegetation.

5. The United States is now in which of the following stages of technological development?
a. pastoral c. agrarian
b. industrial d. postindustrial

6. The concept "subculture" refers

to a. popular culture. c. high or elite culture.
b. culture of the past. d. cultural patterns that set apart a segment
of a society’s population.
7. Ethnocentrism refers to
a. judging another culture as better than one’s own. c. taking pride in one's ethnicity.
b. judging another culture by the standards of d. judging another culture by its own
one’s own culture. standards.

True/False
_________ 8. Humans have used culture as a strategy for survival for at least 12,000 years.
_________ 9. The United States has a popular culture, but not a high culture.

Short-Answer
10. How does the concept “culture” differ from the concept “society”?

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 Chapter 2 Culture

TEST QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 2

Culture

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. The chapter-opening story of the diversity initiative at investment company Charles Schwab & Co.
shows us that

a. various minorities respond to the same advertising in the same way as everyone else.
b. Asian American immigrants prefer English to their native language when doing business.
c. learning more about cultural diversity can help a company boost sales.
d. minorities do not have enough income to attract the interest of businesses.

(Factual; answer: c; page 38)

2. As a part of human culture, religion would be an example of

a. material culture.
b. nonmaterial culture.
c. culture shock.
d. human nature.

(Applied; answer: b; pages 38-40)

3. Which of the following concepts refers to the beliefs, values, behavior, and material objects that
together constitute a people's way of life?

a. social structure
b. social system
c. culture
d. society

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 38)

4. Sam had unpleasant and even frightening experiences when he encountering a strange way of life
while visiting another country over spring break. His experiences can be called

a. culture shock.
b. cultural diffusion.
c. acculturation.
d. value conflict.

(Applied; answer: a; page 40)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

5. All around the world, what we find everywhere is

a. the same ideas about what is right.

b. people enjoying the same sports.
c. people creating cultural systems.
d. the same ideas about what is beautiful and ugly.

(Factual; answer: c; pages 38, 40)

6. Among all forms of life, humans stand out as the only species that

a. relies on culture to ensure survival.

b. has patterned ways of life.
c. has biological instincts.
d. makes use of tools.

(Factual; answer: a; page 40)

7. The term Homo sapiens, the name of our species, comes from Latin, meaning

a. “person of culture.”
b. “thinking person.”
c. “one who walks upright.”
d. “one who evolves.”

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 41)

8. Sociologists define a symbol as

a. anything that carries a meaning to people who share a culture.

b. any element of material culture.
c. any gesture that involves religious meaning.
d. cultural patterns that cause culture shock.

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 42)

9. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about __________ different languages are spoken in the United
States.

a. 3
b. 30
c. 300
d. 3,000

(Factual; answer: c; page 41)

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 Chapter 2 Culture

10. Cultural transmission refers to the process of

a. judging another culture using our own cultural standards.

b. using the oral tradition.
c. passing cultural patterns from one generation to another.
d. using writing to record cultural patterns.

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 43)

11. Which of the following most closely conveys the point of the Sapir-Whorf thesis?

a. Language involves attaching labels to the real world.

b. People perceive the world through the cultural lens of language.
c. Most ideas “feel” the same even if they are expressed in different languages.
d. Each word in English has its counterpart in all other languages.

(Conceptual; answer: b; pages 43-44)

12. Critics of the Sapir-Whorf thesis point out that

a. language does not determine reality.

b. all languages use mostly the same symbols.
c. language is found only in some human cultures.
d. language determines reality more than Sapir and Whorf realized.

(Factual; answer: a; page 44)

13. The language spoken as a main or second language in more nations of the world than any other is

a. Spanish.
b. Chinese.
c. English.
d. Hindi.

(Factual; answer: c; page 45)

14. Standards by which people who share a culture define what is desirable, good, and beautiful are called

a. folkways.
b. norms.
c. mores.
d. values.

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 44)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

15. Read the list of values below. Which is NOT one of the values central to U.S. culture, as identified by
the sociologist Robin Williams?

a. equal opportunity
b. material comfort
c. racism and group superiority
d. belief in tradition

(Conceptual; answer: d; pages 44, 46)

16. The cultural values that largely define a culture

a. are always consistent with one another.

b. always stay the same over the centuries.
c. are shared by absolutely everyone in a society.
d. are sometimes in conflict with one another.

(Factual; answer: d; page 46)

17. High-income nations tend to have cultural values that emphasize

a. tradition.
b. survival.
c. self-expression.
d. religion.

(Factual; answer: c; pages 46, 47)

18. Wrong-doing such as an adult forcing a child to engage in sexual activity is an example of violating
our culture's

a. mores.
b. symbols.
c. folkways.
d. beliefs.

(Applied; answer: a; page 47)

19. Who was the early U.S. sociologist who described the difference between folkways and mores?

a. Emile Durkheim
b. William Graham Sumner
c. Harriet Martineau
d. George Herbert Mead

(Factual; answer: b; page 47)

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 Chapter 2 Culture

20. __________ distinguish between right and wrong; __________ distinguish between polite and rude.

a. Mores; folkways
b. Taboos; mores
c. Folkways; mores
d. Prescriptive norms; proscriptive norms

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 47)

21. Gerhard Lenski focused on which of the following factors as having great power to shape a society?

a. technology
b. social conflict
c. human ideas
d. social solidarity

(Factual; answer: a; page 48)

22. Which of the following items might Gerhard Lenski especially highlight as bringing about change in
society?

a. the discovery of new sources of energy

b. conflict between workers and factory owners
c. new religious ideas
d. the extent to which people share moral values

(Applied; answer: a; page 48)

23. From the origins of the human species some 3 million years ago until about the year 1800,
most people in the world lived in __________ societies.

a. industrial
b. agrarian
c. horticultural and pastoral
d. hunting and gathering

(Factual; answer: d; page 48)

24. Today, hunting and gathering societies

a. are spreading around the world.

b. contain about half the world’s population.
c. have a longer average lifespan than the U.S. population.
d. are close to disappearing from the world.

(Factual; answer: d; page 48)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

25. Which of the following is true of hunting and gathering societies?

a. population is small; people are nomadic

b. population is large; people live in villages
c. population is small; people raise animals
d. population is large; most people are farmers

(Factual; answer: a; page 48)

26. If you were to visit a hunting and gathering society, you would expect to find

a. men and women doing almost entirely the same tasks.

b. men hunting animals and women gathering vegetation.
c. women hunting animals and men gathering vegetation.
d. men and women working raising crops in their fields.

(Applied; answer: b; page 48)

27. Horticultural societies are those in which

a. people are nomadic.

b. people hunt animals and gather vegetation.
c. people have learned to raise animals.
d. people use simple hand tools to raise crops.

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 48)

28. Which is the first type of society to generate a material surplus?

a. hunting and gathering

b. horticultural and pastoral
c. agrarian
d. industrial

(Factual; answer: b; page 48)

29. Horticultural and pastoral people have

a. a religious life that includes belief in God as creator of the world.

b. formal churches much as we do today.
c. most of their people working as priests.
d. no conception of religion.

(Factual; answer: a; page 48)

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 Chapter 2 Culture

30. What type of society engages in large-scale farming based on the use of plows drawn by animals
or more powerful energy sources?

a. hunting and gathering

b. horticultural
c. pastoral
d. agrarian

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 49)

31. Which of the following statements correctly describes the origins of large-scale agriculture?

a. It was invented in China and spread westward.

b. It was invented in the Middle East and spread both east and west.
c. It was invented in North America and spread south.
d. It was invented in Africa and spread northward.

(Factual; answer: b; page 49)

32. It is correct to say that a society's development of more complex technology

a. is entirely positive.
b. has both positive and negative effects.
c. is mostly negative in its effects.
d. is entirely negative.

(Applied; answer: b; page 49)

33. Read the following statements. Which statement does NOT correctly describe changes to
society brought on by industrialization?

a. The economy becomes more productive.

b. New forms of transportation and communication make the world seem smaller.
c. The pace of social change increases.
d. Tradition becomes a more powerful part of culture.

(Factual; answer: d; page 49)

34. Compared to an industrial society, a postindustrial society is based on

a. an information-based economy.
b. a factory-based economy.
c. a farming-based economy.
d. a locally based economy.

(Factual; answer: a; page 49)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

35. The United States has now entered the __________ technological era.

a. horticultural
b. agrarian
c. industrial
d. postindustrial

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 49)

36. The “Seeing Sociology in the News” article in Chapter 2 (“Culture”) explains that soldiers training to
serve in Afghanistan need to learn

a. about the culture of that nation in order to win the support of the Afghan people.
b. how to operate high-tech weapons.
c. environmentally friendly ways to engage in combat.
d. the history of U.S. military involvement abroad.

(Factual; answer: a; pages 56-57)

37. The distinction between high culture and popular culture is based mostly on

a. how complex the cultural pattern is.

b. how long the cultural pattern has existed.
c. the social standing of the people who display the cultural pattern.
d. whether men or women display the cultural pattern.

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 50)

38. A century ago, most people who immigrated to the United States came from

a. Africa.
b. Latin America.
c. Asia.
d. Europe.

(Factual; answer: d; page 50)

39. Today, most immigrants to the United States arrive from

a. Latin America and Asia.

b. Europe.
c. Africa.
d. Canada.

(Factual; answer: a; page 50)

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 Chapter 2 Culture

40. Cultural patterns that are widespread among a society's population are referred to as

a. high culture.
b. popular culture.
c. subculture.
d. counterculture.

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 50)

41. Sarah is attending a New York City Ballet performance. She is experiencing an example of

a. high culture.
b. popular culture.
c. subculture.
d. counterculture.

(Applied; answer: a; page 50)

42. The concept "subculture" refers to

a. popular culture.
b. culture of the past.
c. cultural patterns that set apart a segment of a society’s population.
d. high culture.

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 50)

43. Colorado cowboys, the southern California "beach crowd," computer nerds, and wilderness
campers all display __________ patterns.

a. high cultural
b. exactly the same cultural
c. virtual cultural
d. subcultural

(Conceptual; answer: d; pages 50-51)

44. Multiculturalism is defined as

a. efforts to encourage immigration to the United States.

b. efforts to establish English as the official language of the United States.
c. an educational program recognizing the cultural diversity of the United States and promoting equality
of all cultural traditions.
d. the idea that the United States should have one dominant culture that unites the population.

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 51)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

45. About __________ adults in the United States speak a language other than English at home.

a. 5 million
b. 15 million
c. 35 million
d. 55 million

(Factual; answer: d; page 51)

46. Except for English, the most widely spoken language in the United States is

a. French.
b. Spanish.
c. German.
d. Italian.

(Factual; answer: b; page 51, 52)

47. From a multicultural perspective, U.S. culture is characterized by its

a. cultural relativism.
b. Afrocentrism.
c. Eurocentrism.
d. androcentrism.

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 51)

48. In which region of the United States does the largest share of people speak a language other than
English at home?

a. Southwest
b. South
c. Northeast
d. Northwest

(Factual; answer: a; page 52)

49. The concept "counterculture" refers to

a. people living here who were born in another country.

b. popular culture.
c. high culture.
d. cultural patterns that oppose those that are widely held.

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 52)

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 Chapter 2 Culture

50. The concept "cultural integration" suggests an important fact, which

is that

a. U.S. society contains many cultural patterns.

b. European cultural patterns dominate U.S. society.
c. change in one cultural pattern is usually linked to changes in others.
d. everyone in the United States shares most cultural values.

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 52)

51. Compared with college students of the late 1960s, today’s students are much more concerned with

a. changing the world.

b. making money.
c. helping others in difficulty.
d. keeping up with political affairs.

(Factual; answer: b; page 53)

52. The concept “cultural lag” refers to the fact that

a. the rate of cultural change has been slowing.

b. some societies advance faster than others do.
c. some people are more cultured than others.
d. some cultural elements change more quickly than others.

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 52)

53. The text states that cultural change is set in motion in three general ways:

a. invention, discovery, and diffusion.

b. invasion, invention, and experimentation.
c. immigration, imagination, and innovation.
d. adaptation, integration, and immigration.

(Factual; answer: a; page 53)

54. The spread of cultural traits from one society to another is called

a. immigration.
b. invention.
c. integration.
d. diffusion.

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 53)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

55. Levi's jeans are a hot fashion item in Russia. The desire of Russians to follow U.S. fashion trends is
an example of

a. immigration.
b. invention.
c. integration.
d. diffusion.

(Applied; answer: d; page 53)

56. The concept "ethnocentrism" refers to

a. taking pride in one's ethnicity.

b. judging all other cultures as better than one’s own.
c. judging another culture by the standards of one's own culture.
d. judging any culture by its own standards.

(Conceptual; answer: c; page 54)

57. A person who criticizes an Amish farmer as foolish or backward for tilling his fields using horses and
a plow instead of a tractor is exhibiting

a. ethnocentrism.
b. cultural relativism.
c. cultural diffusion.
d. cultural integration.

(Applied; answer: a; pages 54-55)

58. The practice of judging any other culture by its own standards is called

a. ethnocentrism.
b. cultural relativism.
c. cultural diffusion.
d. cultural integration.

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 55)

59. Which of the following statements about rock-and-roll as part of U.S. cultural history is CORRECT?

a. Musical tastes change little over time.

b. Rock-and-roll attracted both a black and white musical audience.
c. Early rock-and-roll was especially popular among older people.
d. Most early rock-and-roll performers were women.

(Factual; answer: b; pages 54-55)

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 Chapter 2 Culture

60. Which theoretical approach asserts that the stability of U.S. society rests on core values shared by
most people?

a. structural-functional approach
b. social-conflict approach
c. symbolic-interaction approach
d. sociobiology approach

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 58)

61. Cultural universals are cultural traits that

a. have always been part of U.S. culture.

b. have diffused from the United States to a number of other countries.
c. have come to the United States from elsewhere.
d. are part of every known culture.

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 58)

62. According to George Murdock, all but one of the following is an example of a cultural universal.
Which one is NOT a cultural universal?

a. a desire for economic growth

b. funeral rites
c. the family
d. telling jokes

(Applied; answer: a; page 58)

63. The __________ is based on the philosophical doctrine of materialism.

a. structural-functional approach
b. social-conflict approach
c. symbolic-interaction approach
d. sociobiology approach

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 58)

64. A Marxist analysis of U.S. culture suggests that our competitive and individualistic values reflect

a. the values of the "founding fathers."

b. trends in Western European history.
c. this nation’s capitalist economy.
d. values brought by immigrants from other societies.

(Factual; answer: c; page 58)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

65. The theoretical approach that highlights the way any cultural pattern helps meet human needs is the

a. structural-functional approach.
b. social-conflict approach.
c. symbolic-interaction approach.
d. sociobiology approach.

(Conceptual; answer: a; page 58)

66. The theoretical approach that highlights the link between culture and social inequality is the

a. structural-functional approach.
b. social-conflict approach.
c. symbolic-interaction approach.
d. sociobiology approach.

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 58)

67. The __________ tries to explain the fact that a sexual “double standard” is a product of human
evolution found around the world.

a. structural-functional approach
b. social-conflict approach
c. symbolic-interaction approach
d. sociobiology approach

(Conceptual; answer: d; page 59)

68. The United States and Canada are both __________ ; however, Canadian culture is more __________
than U.S. culture.

a. monocultural; individualistic
b. multicultural; collectivist
c. ethnocentric; individualistic
d. monocultural; collectivist

(Conceptual; answer: b; page 61)

69. Culture acts as a constraint on human freedom because

a. much culture is habit and cultural patterns are repeated again and again.
b. humans cannot create new culture for themselves.
c. culture encourages change.
d. most people are not capable of making decisions about how to live.

(Factual; answer: a; page 60)

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 Chapter 2 Culture

70. Culture is a source of human freedom because

a. culture does not guide behavior.

b. all culture changes so quickly.
c. as cultural creatures, humans must make and remake the world for themselves.
d. culture has become too weak to influence our thoughts and actions.

(Factual; answer: c; page 60)

TRUE / FALSE QUESTIONS

71. The story of Charles Schwab & Co. shows that companies profit from focusing on only the people
who display mainstream U.S. cultural patterns.

(Factual; answer: F; page 38)

72. People around the world display much the same outward appearance, wearing the same clothing and
decorating their bodies in the same way.

(Factual; answer: F; page 39)

73. The concept "culture" refers to values, beliefs, behavior, and material things that together form a way
of life.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 38)

74. An example of nonmaterial culture would be ideas about beauty.

(Applied; answer: T; pages 38- 40)

75. Experiencing a strange culture can generate culture

shock. (Conceptual; answer: T; page 40)

76. Certain ways of life are biologically “natural” to humans and are found everywhere.

(Factual; answer: F; page 40)

77. Humans have used culture as a strategy for survival for more than 12,000

years. (Factual; answer: T; page 41)

78. Symbols refer to anything that carries meaning recognized by people who share culture.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 42)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

79. Most hand gestures, such as the "thumbs up" sign, have the same meaning around the world.

(Factual; answer: F; page 42)

80. Symbols allow people to make sense of their surroundings.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 42)

81. New symbols are created all the time, as in the new language by which people "text-message"
via their cell phones.

(Applied; answer: T; page 43)

82. The Sapir-Whorf thesis states that the language we use shapes the reality we

perceive. (Conceptual; answer: T; pages 43-44)

83. Children have no understanding of what a "family" is before they learn the word for it.

(Applied; answer: F; page 44)

84. While English is the first language of just 5 percent of humanity, it has become the preferred second
language in most of the world.

(Factual; answer: T; page 45)

85. Values are standards that serve as broad guidelines for living.

(Conceptual; answer: T; pages 44, 46)

86. Most people in the United States believe that all people should have not only equal opportunity but
also equality of condition.

(Factual; answer: F; page 44)

87. Compared with cultures around the world, the U.S. way of life emphasizes activity, materialism, and
progress.

(Factual; answer: T; page 44)

88. People in the United States tend to think of the past as better than the future.

(Factual; answer: F; page 44)

89. All the various cultural values in the United States are consistent and go together easily.

(Conceptual; answer: F; page 46)

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 Chapter 2 Culture

90. Richer societies emphasize secular-rational cultural values over traditional cultural

values. (Conceptual; answer: T; page 47)

91. People consider folkways to be more important than mores.

(Conceptual; answer: F; page 47)

92. Values and norms define a society’s “ideal culture.”

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 47)

93. Technology refers to knowledge people use to establish a way of life in their surroundings.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 47)

94. Gerhard Lenski claims technology has little importance in shaping broader cultural

patterns. (Factual; answer: F; page 48)

95. Gerhard Lenski used the concept “sociocultural evolution” to refer to how technological innovation
changes the shape of societies.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 48)

96. Hunting and gathering societies generate a productive surplus.

(Factual; answer: F; page 48)

97. The members of hunting and gathering societies elect their leaders.

(Factual; answer: F; page 48)

98. Hunting and gathering societies are nomadic.

(Factual; answer: T; page 48)

99. Horticultural societies typically form permanent

settlements. (Factual; answer: T; page 48)

100. The key technological advance that defines pastoral and horticultural societies is the animal-
drawn plow.

(Factual; answer: F; page 48)

101. Compared with hunting and gathering societies, horticultural and pastoral societies display more
productive specialization and social inequality.

(Factual; answer: T; page 48)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

102. Agrarian societies display a great deal of social inequality.

(Factual; answer: T; page 49)

103. The invention of writing and numbers occurred in agrarian societies.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 49)

104. Industrial societies use powerful sources of energy to drive large machinery.

(Conceptual; answer; T; page 49)

105. By 1492, when explorer Christopher Columbus had reached the Americas, the Industrial Revolution
was underway in much of Europe.

(Factual; answer: F; page 49)

106. Industrial technology tends to raise living standards and to encourage the expansion of

schooling. (Factual; answer: T; page 49)

107. Industrial technology has given societies the power to threaten the natural environment.

(Factual; answer: T; page 49)

108. Postindustrialism and information technology involves a change in economic production from
developing ideas to creating material things.

(Conceptual; answer: F; page 49)

109. Most immigrants now entering the United States come from Latin America and Asia.

(Factual; answer: T; page 50)

110. Although the United States has a popular culture, it has never had a high

culture. (Conceptual; answer: F; page 50)

111. We all participate in numerous subcultures without necessarily becoming very committed to any of
them.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 50)

112. Over the course of U.S. history, the experience of non-English immigrants to the United States was
largely a process of trying to adopt the ways of the English—their "betters"—rather than a process of
truly "melting in."

(Factual; answer: T; page 51)

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 Chapter 2 Culture

113. Multiculturalism supports Eurocentrism, the dominance of European cultural

patterns. (Conceptual; answer: F; page 51)

114. The concept "subculture" refers to patterns that strongly oppose the dominant culture.

(Conceptual; answer: F; page 50)

115. Cultural lag refers to the fact that some cultural elements change more quickly than others

do. (Conceptual; answer: T; pages 52-53)

116. Cultural change results has many causes, including invention, discovery, and diffusion.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 53)

117. Cultural relativism means evaluating another culture by the standards of your own

culture. (Conceptual; answer: F; page 55)

118. A recent trend is for more of the same cultural patterns to be found the world over—the emergence
of a “global culture.”

(Factual; answer: T; page 57)

119. The structural-functional approach sees culture as a relatively stable system of integrated patterns
that people devise to meet their needs.

(Conceptual; answer: T; page 58)

120. The concept "cultural universals" refers to patterns that are held by everyone in a society.

(Conceptual; answer: F; page 58)

121. Karl Marx argued that a society's economic system is shaped by its value system.

(Factual; answer: F; page 58)

122. The social-conflict approach holds that cultural patterns allow some categories of people to
dominate others.

(Conceptual; answer T; page 58)

123. Sociobiology explores how human biology—and especially our evolutionary past—has shaped
today’s culture.

(Conceptual; answer: T; pages 59-60)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

124. If you were to study Canada, our neighbor to the north, you would find its culture to be more
individualistic than the culture of the United States.

(Applied; answer: F; page 61)

125. It is fair to say that, on balance, humans are prisoners of their existing

culture. (Factual; answer: F; page 60)

SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS

126. How do material and nonmaterial culture

differ? (Conceptual; pages 38, 40)

127. Give an example of a situation that might causes someone to experience culture shock.

(Applied; page 40)

128. Define the five common components of all human culture: symbols, language, values, beliefs,
and norms. Give an example of each.

(Conceptual; pages 42-47)

129. List five of the key values in U.S. culture. How are they related?

(Factual; pages 44, 46)

130. What is the difference between folkways and mores? Give an example of each.

(Conceptual; page 47)

131. How do “ideal” and “real” culture differ?

(Conceptual; page 47)

132. Describe the technology of hunting and gathering, the oldest productive system in the history of
human societies.

(Factual; page 48)

133. What is horticulture? What is pastoralism?

(Conceptual; pages 48-49)

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 Chapter 2 Culture

134. What key invention marked the emergence of agrarian

societies? (Factual; page 49)

135. Point out several ways in which industrialization changes social life.

(Applied; page 49)

136. What type of production defines a postindustrial society?

(Conceptual; page 49)

137. Distinguish between high culture and popular culture. Give an example of each.

(Conceptual; page 50)

138. How do subculture and counterculture differ?

(Conceptual; pages 50-51, 52)

139. What are ethnocentrism and cultural relativism? Give an example of each. Identify a problem
with each.

(Applied; pages 53-56)

140. What is the basic view of culture that underlies the structural-functional approach?

(Conceptual; page 58)

141. Explain the basic view of culture that underlies the social-conflict

approach. (Conceptual; page 58)

142. In a sentence, state the main idea that underlies the sociobiology

approach. (Conceptual; page 59)

ESSAY QUESTIONS / TOPICS FOR SHORT PAPERS

143. To what extent does our way of life in United States rest on key values? Explain what some of these
values are. To what extent is the United States culturally diverse? Explain this diversity in terms of high
culture and popular culture and also in terms of subculture and counterculture.

(Conceptual)

144. Explain this statement: “Our human nature is the creation of culture.” Explain how human beings
came to be the only creatures to make use of culture as a strategy for survival.

(Factual)

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Test Item File for Macionis, Society: The Basics, 11/e

145. Write an essay that highlights the different insights about culture that come from the structural-
functional approach and the social-conflict approach. Do you think that either one of these approaches
is more right than the other? Or do they both offer some valuable insights?

(Applied)

146. Identify at least one positive and one negative consequence of declaring English the "official
language” of the United States. Why do some people strongly support this goal? Why do others strongly
oppose it?

(Applied)

147. Identify the types of societies in Gerhard Lenski’s analysis of sociocultural evolution. In what sense
does technological advance mean “progress”? In what sense does it not necessarily mean this?

(Conceptual)

148. Cite several ways in which computers and other new information technology are changing culture in
the United States. Specifically, does this technology help link us to our cultural heritage, or does it
separate us from our past? Why?

(Applied)

149. Point to one important difference between the culture of the United States and that of Canada. What
historical factors account for this difference?

(Factual)

150. Do you think a global culture is emerging? Explain ways in which the world's societies are sharing
more and more cultural patterns. Also explain reasons to doubt that a single global culture will ever
emerge.

(Conceptual)

151. Discuss the development of rock-and-roll in the United States in terms of cultural change. In what
sense did rock-and-roll bring black and white people, as well as rural and urban people, together? How
did rock help create a youth subculture? What can you say about how rock-and-roll has changed over the
decades?

(Applied)

152. Review Chapter 2’s “Seeing Sociology in Everyday Life” photo essay on pages 62-63. Then write an
essay explaining how popular culture helps perpetuate important cultural values that define our way of
life.

(Applied)

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