Deck 8: Sexuality and Society

Question 1

The importance of Alfred Kinsey's research on sexuality in the United States was:

A) making sexuality a focus of scientific study.
B) showing that people were less conventional than most people thought.
C) encouraging a greater openness towards sexuality.
D) All of the above are correct.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which concept refers to genitals that distinguish females and males?

A) gender
B) primary sex characteristics
C) secondary sex characteristics
D) sexual chromosomes

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which concept refers to the biological distinction between males and females?

A) sex
B) primary sex characteristics
C) gender
D) gender roles

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Thinking about the Laumann study of sexual patterns among U.S. adults, which of the following would be correct in claiming?

A) Over a lifetime, almost everyone has about the same amount of sexual experience.
B) Single people have more sex than married people.
C) There are striking differences in sexual experience within the U.S. population.
D) in the age of AIDS, almost all sex is limited to married partners.

Question 5

Survey research on attitudes towards premarital sex tells us that:

A) the public is more accepting of premarital sex than it was a generation ago.
B) there has been little or no change in public attitudes towards premarital sex in recent decades.
C) the public is less accepting of premarital sex than it was a generation ago.
D) almost no one today claims that premarital sex is wrong.

Question 6

Research on extramarital sex shows that about _____ of married men and about _____ of married women remain faithful to their spouse throughout their married lives.

A) 25 percent 40 percent
B) 25 percent 75 percent
C) 75 percent 50 percent
D) 75 percent 90 percent

Question 7

Sociologists offer several explanations for the fact that the incest taboo is found everywhere. Look at the statements below and identify the statement that is NOT a claim made by sociologists.

A) The incest taboo limits sexual competition within families.
B) The incest taboo helps define people's rights and obligations toward each other.
C) The incest taboo helps clarify the kinship system.
D) The incest taboo discourages contact of family members with the larger society.

Question 8

When did the sexual revolution begin?

A) It began in the colonial era.
B) It began during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
C) It began in 1920s and grew quickly in the late 1960s.
D) It began about 1980.

Question 9

If you often had the feeling of being "trapped in the wrong body," you might well be:

A) a hermaphrodite.
B) a homosexual.
C) a transsexual.
D) a bisexual.

Question 10

The sexual counterrevolution had begun in the United States by:

A) 1920.
B) 1960.
C) 1980.
D) 1995.

Question 11

Comparative research indicates that:

A) although sex has a biological foundation, sexual practices vary from place to place as an element of culture.
B) people throughout the world engage in the same sexual practices.
C) sex is a not permitted in some societies, but it is encouraged in others.
D) sexuality is defined entirely by a biological "sex drive."

Question 12

Sexual attraction to someone of the same sex is called:

A) heterosexuality.
B) bisexuality.
C) homosexuality.
D) asexuality.

Question 13

Which of the following concepts refers to a person's romantic and emotional attraction to another person?

A) sex role
B) sexual orientation
C) sexual experience
D) personal transsexuality

Question 14

The effect of the sexual counterrevolution was:

A) to keep sex only within marriage.
B) to encourage people to limit their number of sexual partners or, in some cases, to abstain from sex entirely.
C) to finally close the historical "double standard."
D) to discourage the use of birth control technology.

Question 15

One norm found everywhere is the incest taboo, which refers to:

A) norms forbidding young children from engaging in sex.
B) norms forbidding sexual relations or marriage between certain relatives.
C) norms forbidding women from becoming sexually active before marriage.
D) norms forbidding sex except for the purpose of having children.

Question 16

Which concept refers to humans who have some combination of female and male sexual characteristics?

A) multi-sexed
B) bisexual
C) transsexual
D) intersexual

Question 17

A reason to study sexuality from the sociological perspective is:

A) sexuality is both important and controversial.
B) many people do not understand sexuality very well.
C) sexuality plays a part in many areas of social life.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 18

Sexual attraction to people of both sexes is called:

A) heterosexuality.
B) bisexuality.
C) homosexuality.
D) asexuality.

Question 19

"Seeing Sociology in the News" on

A) no one is still a virgin by the time they reach college age.
B) college campuses are like an episode of "Girls Gone Wild."
C) college students are horny and having more sex than anyone could have imagined!
D) while college students are publicly documenting their sex lives more than ever, coeds have less sex than is commonly thought.

Question 20

The development of breasts in females and deeper voices in males are examples of:

A) gender norms.
B) primary sex characteristics.
C) secondary sex characteristics.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 21

Little or no sexual attraction to people of either sex is called:

A) heterosexuality.
B) bisexuality.
C) homosexuality.
D) asexuality.

Question 22

Prostitution is regarded by many people in the United States as a:

A) victimless crime.
B) corporate crime.
C) crime against the person.
D) white-collar crime.

Question 23

Which theoretical approach rests on the idea that society needs to regulate human sexuality?

A) the structural-functional approach
B) the symbolic-interaction approach
C) the social-conflict approach
D) queer theory

Question 24

If you were teaching a class about the symbolic-interaction approach to sexuality, on which of the following topics would you likely focus?

A) understanding men's power over women
B) raising public concern about sexual harassment
C) how individuals in various settings engage in different sexual behavior and attach different meanings to sexual activity
D) understanding why society must regulate with whom and when people reproduce

Question 25

A reason NOT to view prostitution as simply a matter of personal choice involving adults is that:

A) prostitution subjects many women to outright violence.
B) prostitution plays a part in spreading sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS.
C) many poor women become trapped in a life of selling sex.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 26

Which one of the following statements about rape is NOT True?

A) Many rapes are not reported to the police.
B) Official rape statistics include only victims who are women.
C) In most cases of rape, the victim does not know the attacker.
D) Most men who rape men are not homosexual.

Question 27

Which of the following statements is a widespread-but False-idea about rape?

A) Many rapes take place in the home.
B) Women who are raped must have encouraged their attackers.
C) Men who rape are interested in power rather than sex.
D) "Date rape" is a common problem on college campuses.

Question 28

Based on what you know about the history of human sexuality, once a society gains birth-control technology:

A) social control of sexuality becomes more strict.
B) families, rather than individuals, make choices about sexual partners.
C) social norms regarding sexuality become more permissive.
D) the incest taboo no longer is observed.

Question 29

People who oppose pornography argue that:

A) it may contribute to a breakdown in morals.
B) it may contribute to violence against women.
C) it unfairly depicts women as the playthings of men.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 30

The campus culture of "hooking up" involves sexual relationships between partners with which of these characteristics?

A) individuals know little about each other
B) individuals typically have been drinking alcohol
C) individuals who have no further obligation to each other
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 31

About ______ of men and _____ of women in the United States claim that they have a homosexual identity.

A) 30 percent 30 percent
B) 28 percent 14 percent
C) 10 percent 6 percent
D) 2.8 percent 1.4 percent

Question 32

From a global perspective, prostitution is most common in:

A) high-income nations, where women are free to choose their profession.
B) poor nations, where women have fewer economic opportunities.
C) all nations: prostitution is found in every country to about the same extent.
D) Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, where women have fewer choices about their lives.

Question 33

The concept "homophobia" refers to:

A) fear of pregnancy.
B) fear of one's own sexuality.
C) fear of close personal interaction with people thought to be gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
D) fear of attracting sexual interest from another person.

Question 34

Elite prostitutes-young, attractive, and well educated-are widely referred to as _____.

A) streetwalkers
B) brothel workers
C) call girls or escorts
D) None of the above is correct.

Question 35

The more global our view of sexuality:

A) the more variety we see in the meanings people attach to sexuality.
B) the greater the evidence that biology defines sexuality.
C) the clearer we see that sexual practices are mostly the same all around the world.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 36

Assume you are investigating the consequences of the incest taboo for kinship organization in a number of societies. Which theoretical approach are you using?

A) the structural-functional approach
B) the symbolic-interaction approach
C) the social-conflict approach
D) queer theory

Question 37

If you were to study the changing meaning of virginity over the last century in our society, you would discover that the norm stating that people remain virgins until marriage:

A) has changed little.
B) has become stronger with regard to women.
C) has become stronger with regard to men.
D) has become weaker.

Question 38

Which of the following categories of teenagers would you correctly place at highest probability of pregnancy?

A) teenage women with low incomes and weak families
B) teenage women with high incomes
C) teenage women with little sexual experience
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 39

The weight of evidence indicates that sexual orientation is rooted in:

A) human biology, although social experience plays some role.
B) how societies construct sexuality.
C) individual choice.
D) the way young children are raised.

Question 40

In 2004, about what percentage of U.S. adults claimed homosexuality is "always wrong" or "almost always wrong"?

A) almost 100 percent
B) about 55 percent
C) 20 percent
D) 5 percent

Question 41

People in all cultures respond to intersexual people with confusion or even disgust.

Question 42

Historically, public attitudes towards sexuality in the United States have been inconsistent, mixing cultural repression with individual choice.

Question 43

The publication of Alfred Kinsey's first book in 1948 caused a stir, first of all, because scientists were actually studying sex.

Question 44

Which theoretical approach points to the ways in which sexuality is linked to social inequality?

A) the structural-functional approach
B) the symbolic-interaction approach
C) the social-conflict approach
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 45

Because U.S. culture discouraged open discussion of sexuality, researchers did not begin to study sexuality until the middle of the twentieth century.

Question 46

Standards of human beauty are the same for people everywhere in the world.

Question 47

There are few areas of life in which sexuality does not play some part.

Question 48

Every state in the United States permits lawful marriage between a woman and a man who are first cousins.

Question 49

Sociobiologists point out that, in every society on Earth, people are attracted to youthfulness.

Question 50

Queer theory is a growing body of knowledge asserting that:

A) sex has always seemed strange to most people.
B) no sexual practice should be considered wrong.
C) people fear discovering their homosexuality.
D) there is a heterosexual bias in U.S. society.

Question 51

According to national survey data, what percentage of adults in the United States state that a woman should be able to obtain an abortion for any reason?

A) 92.5 percent
B) 72.5 percent
C) 39.1 percent
D) 22.5 percent

Question 52

Although there is a human "sex drive," our biology does not dictate any specific ways of being sexual.

Question 53

Which of the following concepts refers to stigmatizing anyone who is not heterosexual as "queer"?

A) homophobia
B) heterosexism
C) heterophilia
D) homophilia

Question 54

The text suggests that the most hotly contested issue involving sexuality in the United States in recent years has been:

A) homosexuality and gay rights.
B) abortion.
C) prostitution.
D) teen pregnancy.

Question 55

Criticism of the social-conflict approach's view of sexuality would include the fact that:

A) sexuality is not a power issue for everyone.
B) U.S. society has taken many steps to reduce gender inequality.
C) gay people have made great strides toward greater opportunity and social acceptance.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 56

Primary sex characteristics refer to reproductive organs.

Question 57

During the twentieth century, U.S. society experienced profound changes in sexual attitudes and practices.

Question 58

Sociologists point out that human sexual behavior is very similar across all cultures.

Question 59

Read the four statements below. Which statement is NOT consistent with the social-conflict approach?

A) The process of reality construction is highly variable, so that one group's views of sexuality may well differ from another's.
B) Defining women in sexual terms devalues them, making women into objects of men's interest.
C) U.S. culture often depicts sexuality in terms of sport and violence, such as when we speak of men "scoring" with women, and men "hitting on" women.
D) When police enforce laws against prostitution, the person most likely to be arrested is the female prostitute, not her male "client."

Question 60

No sexual practice-not even the incest taboo-is found everywhere in the world.

Question 61

Becoming pregnant as a teenager raises the risk of not finishing school and becoming poor.

Question 62

Prostitution is greatest in poor nations, where women have fewer economic opportunities.

Question 63

The sexual revolution raised the level of teenage pregnancy in the United States.

Question 64

In recent decades, the public attitude toward homosexuality in the United States has been moving toward greater acceptance.

Question 65

A majority of adults in the United States report at least some homosexual experience.

Question 66

The baby boom generation-people born between 1946 and 1964-became the first cohort in U.S. history to grow up with the idea that sex was part of everyone's life, married or not.

Question 67

Homophobia refers to a fear of sexuality.

Question 68

The U.S. rate of teenage pregnancy was actually higher in the 1950s than it is today.

Question 69

Pornography is a moral issue for some people and a political issue for others.

Question 70

Although some people think rape is a form of sex, it is an expression of power.

Question 71

Survey research shows that, even though the public remains divided on the issue, U.S. society is more accepting of premarital sex today than it was a generation ago.

Question 72

Despite the widespread image of "swinging singles," married people have sex with their partners more often than singles.

Question 73

The sexual counterrevolution did little to change the fact that most sexually-active people in the United States had a high number of sexual partners.

Question 74

On U.S. campuses, a majority of women express dissatisfaction with the culture of "hooking up."

Question 75

Most married adults in the United States are sexually unfaithful to their spouses at some point in their marriages.

Question 76

While the sexual revolution increased sexual activity overall, it changed behavior among men more than among women.

Question 77

Homosexuality and heterosexuality are mutually exclusive, meaning that all people fall into one category or the other.

Question 78

There was no distinct category of "homosexual" people until about a century ago.

Question 79

The fact that many people are bisexual demonstrates that sexual orientation is often not clear-cut.

Question 80

The region of the world where people make the least use of birth control is North America.