Deck 5: Groups and Networks

Question 1

The most important difference between primary and secondary groups has to do with:

A) size,because size influences the flow of power through the group.
B) the degree of intimacy or instrumentality that people experience in these groups.
C) whether the people in the group trust each other.
D) the level of competition for scarce resources within the group.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In which of the following groups is coalition formation impossible?

A) dyads
B) secondary groups
C) primary groups
D) triads

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Mary goes out on a date with Suzanne.Viewed in sociological perspective,two persons on a date have formed a:

A) micro social network.
B) party.
C) triad.
D) dyad.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Pierre,Micaela,and Jon are friends,but Pierre and Micaela are much closer to each other than either of them is to Jon.Why do they stay friends with Jon at all? The concept of triadic closure suggests that:

A) the weaker ties to Jon are reinforced by the stronger ties between Pierre and Micaela.
B) Pierre and Micaela will soon exclude Jon.
C) over time,Jon will develop stronger ties to either Pierre or Micaela.
D) the three friends need to equalize their ties to one another,or the friendships will end.

Question 5

If stepsiblings Rebecca and Suzanne are asked to share bedrooms or other possessions and Rebecca views such sharing as an intrusion,she may have difficulty overcoming the tendency to play the role of ________ between her parent and the new stepparent.

A) tertius gaudens
B) divide et impera
C) mediator
D) structural hole

Question 6

You have six friends over to your apartment for dinner and drinks.Three of the friends are discussing Einstein's theory of relativity,while the other three are talking about the World Cup.According to Georg Simmel,is this a party yet?

A) Yes,because everyone seems to be having a great time!
B) No,because Einstein's theory of relativity is a boring topic.
C) No,because the conversation is not multifocal.
D) Yes,because the conversation is not unifocal.

Question 7

Georg Simmel describes three basic forms of political relations a third party can assume when joining a dyad.Which was one of the roles discussed by Simmel? A third party who:

A) is indifferent,neither benefiting from nor mediating conflict.
B) engages the dyad.
C) is victimized and hated by the dyad.
D) benefits from conflict.

Question 8

A person who intentionally tries to drive a wedge between two other people is termed by Georg Simmel as:

A) divide and conquer.
B) the third that rejoices.
C) a social network divider.
D) unifocal.

Question 9

Juan and Sylvester are collaborating on a project at work but are having trouble agreeing on objectives and goals.Their manager senses the trouble they are having and steps in to help them refine their goals and come to an agreement.The manager assumed which of Georg Simmel's roles?

A) mediator
B) team leader
C) the third that rejoices
D) divide and conquer

Question 10

A married couple and their firstborn child are a type of group known as:

A) a dyad.
B) a triad.
C) a party.
D) a small group.

Question 11

Sociologist Georg Simmel (1950)argues that "size matters" in a group primarily because the number of people in a group determines:

A) whether or not the group can tell a narrative about itself.
B) whether or not the group can become a social network.
C) what people think about others.
D) the structure social relations will take.

Question 12

When your lecture class in which only the professor was speaking breaks off into ten small groups of five students each,it has switched from being ________ to being ________.

A) a dyad; a triad
B) formal; informal
C) a group; a network
D) unifocal; multifocal

Question 13

What kind of group ceases to exist if even one member leaves the group?

A) dyads
B) triads
C) social networks
D) social actor groups

Question 14

Parenting coordinators are sometimes brought in by the court to help relieve tension between divorcing parents.When a dispute arises between the parents,the parenting coordinator can step in and help moms and dads "keep the peace." The coordinator plays the role of:

A) the third that rejoices.
B) divide and conquer.
C) mediator.
D) dyad supporter.

Question 15

You and your friend created a technology start-up.Since its inception,it has become very successful and you've had to hire many employees.At what point will you realize that it has become,in Georg Simmel's terms,a large group?

A) when you don't know everyone's name
B) when formal job titles are created and formal hierarchies between employees emerge
C) when you have to build cubicles for your employees' privacy
D) when you begin issuing stock options to employees as part of their compensation package

Question 16

Jill attends a leadership training session at her company's corporate offices.There are six trainers and 48 participants at the seminar.In Simmel's theory,this would be an example of which kind of group?

A) small
B) primary
C) large
D) party

Question 17

Your Introduction to Sociology class is probably which of the following types of groups identified by Charles Horton Cooley?

A) secondary
B) small
C) large
D) party

Question 18

A family is an example of which type of group identified by Charles Horton Cooley?

A) primary
B) secondary
C) small
D) large

Question 19

A classroom would not typically fall under Georg Simmel's classification of a small group because,unlike a typical classroom,a small group:

A) cannot have more than five members.
B) lacks face-to-face interaction.
C) is unifocal.
D) lacks formal arrangements or roles.

Question 20

According to Georg Simmel,which of the following groups is the most fragile?

A) triad
B) dyad
C) primary group
D) secondary group

Question 21

The example of how real estate agents earn money by contractually maintaining or creating distance or contact between potential buyers and sellers highlights which of the following?

A) structural holes
B) narratives
C) social capital
D) bureaucracies

Question 22

The examples of more and more people bowling and eating alone are used to highlight a more general trend involving:

A) the decline in social and emotional support.
B) civic disengagement and a decline in social capital.
C) social isolationism and alienation in modern society.
D) the breakdown in the nuclear family.

Question 23

You are at a party with a very close group of friends one evening,and you spy an acquaintance (a former classmate from a sociology class)at the same party.If the acquaintance becomes friends with your group of friends,the tie between you and your former classmate is stronger because:

A) you are now much more intimate with your former classmate.
B) it is now reinforced by the ties between your close group of friends.
C) ties to your close group of friends have changed.
D) the party has functioned as a reference group

Question 24

Which of the following is a case study of a lifestyle that has endured and maintained its traditions despite wide changes in modern life?

A) Australians engaged in global trade
B) teenagers in public schools
C) the Amish in Pennsylvania
D) bowlers in the Midwest

Question 25

Sets of dyads held together by ties between the individuals are known as:

A) triads.
B) social networks.
C) primary groups.
D) reference groups.

Question 26

While a social network is ________,a social tie ________.

A) the relationship between two people; explains how two people know each other
B) how people stay in touch with each other; explains how people maintain their relationship
C) how two people know each other; is how two people maintain their relationship
D) the connections between people; is the way in which two people form bonds

Question 27

Emma is hoping to secure an internship with an engineering firm this summer.She's talked with friends and family,but they have not been able to provide her with any helpful contacts.Emma runs into her former aerobics instructor,whom she hasn't seen in several years,and her instructor offers to put her in contact with an engineering friend of hers.This is an example of what concept?

A) strength of weak ties
B) embeddedness
C) reference group
D) tertius gaudens

Question 28

Stigmatized groups,such as felons in the United States,are known as:

A) primary groups.
B) secondary groups.
C) in-groups.
D) out-groups.

Question 29

The study that analyzed the sexual networks of teens at 12 high schools is an example of how network analysis can inform transmission phenomena such as the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).An advantage of network analysis over interpretive sociology is that it can:

A) go beyond people's own descriptions to look at numbers,which are always more reliable than people's descriptions.
B) reveal the meanings people give to their sexual encounters.
C) reveal patterns in social structures that might not become evident through answers to direct questions.
D) go beyond what people say they do to reveal the complex interplay between biology and social behavior.

Question 30

Janet was surprised to find out that her gynecologist,Dr.Herring,was good friends with her tennis partner,Sally.Janet had met Sally years ago in graduate school,while Dr.Herring knew Sally from church.The nature of each one's relationship to Sally is what sociologists call a(n):

A) coincidence.
B) reference group.
C) tie.
D) in-group.

Question 31

The term "six degrees of separation" came out of research undertaken by Stanley Milgram,who wanted to test:

A) how social chains operate in organizations.
B) how strangers meet at cocktail parties.
C) the reach of social networks.
D) the number of steps people take before landing in prison.

Question 32

In hopes of earning a few dollars on investments they no longer use or want,some people take their household items to consignment shops,while other people sell their items on eBay.Which method of selling can be argued to have more structural holes?

A) selling through a consignment shop,because buyers are prevented from negotiating with sellers
B) selling via eBay,because buyers and sellers can negotiate without third-party interference
C) selling via a consignment shop,because everyone (buyers,sellers,shop owners)benefits
D) selling via eBay,because structural holes increase as the number of bids increases

Question 33

Which categories do sociologists use to distinguish between majority groups (greater power)and minority groups (lesser power)?

A) in-groups and out-groups
B) primary and secondary groups
C) small and large groups
D) inclusion and exclusion groups

Question 34

When public health officials used social network analysis to understand sexually transmitted infections,what conclusion did they draw?

A) STIs almost always spread with the Panel A model.
B) STIs can spread according to any of these models,and interventions must correspond with the pattern of the disease.
C) Public education is the most effective intervention,regardless of how the infections are spread.
D) The Panel B model is prevalent in the United States; the Panel C model is prevalent in Europe.

Question 35

Which of the following is true regarding the Amish community's beliefs and practices?

A) The Amish are not allowed to use or interact with technology.
B) The Amish are staunch supporters of individualism.
C) The Amish are allowed to accept financial capital from outsiders.
D) The Amish are more likely to start successful businesses than the general public.

Question 36

What appears to be the main reason for the success of Amish businesses when compared to other U.S.businesses?

A) The Amish live by prioritizing the community and its social capital rather than rugged individualism.
B) The Amish value rugged individualism over the community and its social capital.
C) The Amish hire outsourced labor from Mexico.
D) The Amish reject all use of modern technology.

Question 37

Solomon Asch ran experiments in which subjects were presented with this image and asked about line length.Other people in the room offered wrong answers,and the subject's responses were recorded.What did Asch conclude?

A) The ability to perceive line length is a mix of natural ability and social influence.
B) Women are more susceptible to group pressure than men.
C) Groups exert powerful influence on an individual.
D) Groups reach correct answers more quickly than individuals.

Question 38

Marina is a ten-year-old girl who idolizes singers like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.She compares herself to them and imitates them while singing in front of her bedroom mirror.These singers are known as Marina's:

A) in-group.
B) out-group.
C) reference group.
D) primary group.

Question 39

Which of the following is true regarding social capital in the United States today?

A) Social capital is increasing.
B) Social capital is decreasing.
C) Social capital is relatively the same as it was 30 years ago.
D) Social capital data are not available to sociologists.

Question 40

Weak ties are valuable parts of a social network because:

A) it is easier to sever them if a friendship doesn't blossom smoothly.
B) it is easier to exert power over those to whom we have such ties.
C) they are more likely to introduce us to new information and ideas.
D) we do not have to invest as much energy in maintaining them.

Question 41

A friendship group isn't an example of a formal organization because:

A) friends don't tend to engage in collective activities.
B) friends include strong ties,not weak ties.
C) friends typically don't have formal rules and governing structures.
D) even if one person leaves the group,they will still go on.

Question 42

While the majority of new American business ventures fail,virtually all Amish businesses succeed.What seems to be the secret to the Amish community's success? In your answer,describe some of the ways in which the practices of Amish and non-Amish Americans differ.

Question 43

Which of the following is true regarding the applicability of network analysis within sociological research?

A) It can be used in both micro-level and macro-level studies.
B) It can be used in micro-level studies only.
C) It can be used in macro-level studies only.
D) It has not yet been applied to either micro-level or macro-level studies.

Question 44

The flagship university in your state recently completed a new state-of-the-art student center,complete with bowling alleys,fast-food outlets,group study space,and the latest green technology.Shortly after it was finished,almost every other university in your state began clamoring for a new student center,too.How would the theory of institutional isomorphism explain this?

A) Their student centers were probably also out of date.
B) Universities see an indirect payoff in such an investment.
C) As tuition rises,parents are increasingly vocal stakeholders.
D) Universities operate in the same environment and therefore end up looking alike.

Question 45

How we feel about ourselves is an inherently social process that stems in part from whom we compare ourselves to.Provide two real-life examples of how reference groups have affected how you feel about yourself (whether fleeting or long-term).In your view,is it possible to develop a sense of self that is free of the influence of reference groups? Why or why not?

Question 46

Summarize the Solomon Asch experiments.What did the experiments reveal about group conformity? Is it possible for an individual to break free of group influence? Why or why not?

Question 47

A local organization values democracy and diversity and therefore solicits input on every decision it makes and uses recruiting strategies that are likely to attract a wide variety of applicants.These beliefs and behaviors are part of the:

A) old boys' club.
B) organizational culture.
C) organizational decline.
D) formal organization.

Question 48

The boards of insurance companies frequently have board members who also served on the boards of drug and medical device companies.This is referred to as:

A) isomorphism.
B) organizational structure.
C) interlocking directorates.
D) reinforcing weak ties.

Question 49

Consider this photograph of a dyad.What features of dyads make them the most intimate social relationships? Describe two important features of dyads that change when the group becomes a triad.

Question 50

An interlocking directorate is:

A) the shared beliefs and behaviors within a social group.
B) the ways in which power and authority are distributed within an organization.
C) when members of corporate boards sit on the board of directors for multiple companies.
D) a set of social relations held together by ties between individuals.

Question 51

Consider the social network in this image.Where is the weak tie in the diagram (between which two individuals)? How could this weak tie benefit people in the network? Create examples using the names of people in the diagram.In your own words,summarize "the strength of weak ties."

Question 52

Why might acquaintances prove to be more important in the job search process than our family and friends (as is argued in the "strength of weak ties" thesis)? In what circumstances is embeddedness more valuable to a person than weak ties?

Question 53

C.Wright Mills's term for interlocking directorates is which of the following?

A) the power elite
B) patriarchy
C) hierarchy
D) conflict of interest

Question 54

Any social network that is defined by a common purpose and that has a boundary between its members and the rest of the social world is known within sociology as a(n):

A) political party.
B) narrative.
C) large group.
D) organization.

Question 55

When Peter Bearman and his colleagues analyzed the sexual habits of teenagers,they found that a person does not date the ex of the person's ex's boyfriend or girlfriend.This "no cycles of four" rule seems to operate:

A) in middle school but not in high school.
B) without anyone being consciously aware of it.
C) as a result of sex education in public schools.
D) only within certain ethnicities.

Question 56

Linda is a U.S.lawyer devoted to improving privacy rights in the digital age.According to the "right to be forgotten," predict the most likely outcome of her work:

A) United States citizens who want greater privacy will likely move to Europe.
B) The United States will soon follow the European Commission in providing "right to be forgotten" policies.
C) Tensions between the right to free speech and the right to privacy will be negotiated for many years.
D) Satisfactory privacy laws will likely be passed and stabilized in the near future.

Question 57

Compare and contrast the terms organizational culture and organizational structure.Discuss two points of similarity (compare)and two points of difference (contrast).

Question 58

A process by which organizations face the same conditions,and ultimately tend to end up like each other,is known as:

A) embeddedness.
B) the power elite.
C) reference groups.
D) isomorphism.

Question 59

When a single parent marries (or remarries),issues such as divided loyalties,the right to discipline,favoritism,and financial responsibility can prove to be volatile.Peggy,a single mom who has had sole custody of her 12-year-old daughter Sarah for ten years,recently married Tom.Tom has never been married and doesn't have any children.Provide examples of each of the three basic forms of relations (mediator,tertius gaudens,and divide et impera)that could emerge in this newly formed triad.