Question 1

The distinction between primary groups and secondary groups is not always clear, as  some groups may have some characteristics of each type.

Accepted Answer

The distinction is not always clear because some groups can exhibit characteristics of both primary and secondary groups, such as a workplace team that also shares personal bonds.

Question 2

We change reference groups as we take on different statuses during our lives.

Accepted Answer

Reference groups are social groups that individuals use as a standard for evaluating themselves and their behavior. As people take on different roles and statuses throughout their lives, such as becoming a parent or entering a new profession, they often change their reference groups to align with their new social identities and responsibilities.

Question 3

The economy is an example of a social institution.

Accepted Answer

The economy is considered a social institution because it is a complex system of roles, norms, and activities that organizes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services in society.

Question 4

A negative consequence of the written rules and regulations of a bureaucracy is that they  contribute to feelings of alienation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A negative consequence of the written rules...

Question 5

Which of the following is an ascribed status?
A) a quadriplegic
B) a major league baseball player
C) a university student
D) a corporation president

Accepted Answer

An ascribed status is a social position a person is born into or receives involuntarily later in life. Being a quadriplegic is typically an involuntary condition, often resulting from birth or an accident, and thus is considered an ascribed status.

Question 6

What is a social network?
A) The way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships.
B) A social structure that derives its existence from the social interactions through which people define and redefine its character.
C) A series of social relationships that link a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.
D) An attempt to reach agreement with others concerning some objective.

Accepted Answer

A social network is a series of social relationships that link a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.

Question 7

Second Life, a virtual world that included about 15 million players as of September 2008, is an example of what?
A) a primary group
B) a social institution
C) a social network
D) a coalition

Accepted Answer

Second Life is an example of a social network because it connects individuals in a virtual space where they can interact, communicate, and form relationships.

Question 8

What is a master status?
A) A social position attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts.
B) A term used by sociologists to refer to any of the full range of socially defined positions within a large group or society.
C) A series of social relationships linking a person directly to others and therefore indirectly to still more people.
D) A status that dominates others and thereby determines a person's general position within society.

Accepted Answer

A master status is a status that dominates others and thereby determines a person's general position within society.

Question 9

Diego, a married bus driver who is an avid amateur photographer, falls off the edge of an embankment while photographing migrating waterfowl. He sustains serious head injuries, and is in hospital for two weeks. Which of the following is an ascribed status attached to Diego?
A) married man
B) amateur photographer
C) hospital patient
D) bus driver

Accepted Answer

The answer of Diego, a married bus driver who is...

Question 10

Andina lives in a large village where most people grow corn. In the spring, teams of oxen pull plows to till the fields and in the fall, the corn is dried, and then ground into flour at a mill where donkeys turn the grindstone. According to Gerhard Lenski, Andina's society is which of the following?
A) agrarian
B) horticultural
C) characterized by organic solidarity
D) a Gesellschaft

Accepted Answer

Andina's society is agrarian because it relies on large-scale farming with the use of animals for plowing and milling, which is typical of agrarian societies.

Question 11

What is the term for a temporary or permanent alliance toward a common goal?
A) coalition
B) in-group
C) negotiation
D) self-help group

Accepted Answer

A coalition is a temporary or permanent alliance formed between parties, groups, or individuals to achieve a common goal.

Question 12

What is the term for the principle of bureaucracy that establishes that work should be carried out "without hatred or passion"?
A) hierarchy of authority
B) written rules and regulations
C) division of labour
D) impersonality

Accepted Answer

Impersonality is the principle of bureaucracy that suggests work should be conducted without personal feelings or biases, ensuring decisions are made based on objective criteria rather than personal preferences.

Question 13

The "iron law of oligarchy" is a principle of organizational life stating what?
A) organizations are established on the basis of common interests.
B) bureaucracies imprison human initiative and creativity in an iron cage of rules and directives.
C) each individual in a hierarchy tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence.
D) even democratic organizations will become bureaucracies ruled by a few individuals.

Accepted Answer

The "iron law of oligarchy," proposed by Robert Michels, suggests that all forms of organization, regardless of how democratic they are at the start, will eventually and inevitably develop oligarchic tendencies, meaning they will be ruled by a small group of individuals.

Question 14

A bureaucracy, according to Max Weber, is oriented towards which of the following?
A) security
B) efficiency
C) profitability
D) fulfillment

Accepted Answer

Max Weber described bureaucracy as being oriented towards efficiency, emphasizing rationality, predictability, and control to achieve organizational goals effectively.

Question 15

Which of the following is a statement of the Peter principle?
A) all line workers get burned in the end.
B) all bureaucracies are notoriously inefficient.
C) every employee within a hierarchy tends to rise to his or her own level of incompetence.
D) if something can go wrong, it will.

Accepted Answer

The Peter principle states that in a hierarchy, employees tend to be promoted until they reach a position at which they are incompetent.

Question 16

Imagining the effects of a virtual networking site where participants can create an avatar that is an online representation of a character different from their actual identity, a symbolic interactionist would argue that which of the following will occur?
A) men would likely use virtual networking more than women because it has a higher pay off due to men's traditional presence in the public sphere
B) virtual worlds must operate based on the same five major tasks of any society in order to ensure a social order
C) examining everyday interactions within the context of both online and offline communities can help us to further understand why humans think and act the way they do
D) the use of virtual networking helps to maintain the privileges of the most powerful as they are the ones that can afford the technology, thus contributing to the powerlessness of those who do not have access

Accepted Answer

Symbolic interactionism focuses on the meanings and interpretations that individuals derive from social interactions. By examining interactions in both online and offline contexts, we can gain insights into human behavior and social processes.

Question 17

What shift in society caused a huge migration from rural to urban areas in Western Europe during the nineteenth century?
A) from industrial to post-industrial
B) from post-industrial to postmodern
C) from horticultural to agrarian
D) from agrarian to industrial

Accepted Answer

The shift from agrarian to industrial society, known as the Industrial Revolution, led to a huge migration from rural to urban areas as people moved to cities in search of jobs in factories.

Question 18

Jamal is a top student. He is very competitive about his grades. Every term, when the Dean's List (students with an A average) is posted, Jamal is one of the first to check it. Why is this?
A) The other people on the list constitute his reference group.
B) The other people on the list share his ascribed status.
C) He is building a coalition with the other people on the list.
D) The other people on the list constitute his primary group.

Accepted Answer

Jamal checks the Dean's List because the other top students serve as his reference group, which he uses to evaluate his own academic performance and competitiveness.

Question 19

In Weber's proposed view of the ideal bureaucracy he argued that in order to be successful an organization must continually promote its talented employees. However, there is a fine line where if crossed, the Peter Principle may occur. Which of the following characteristics discusses this bureaucratic notion?
A) Division of labour
B) Employment based on technical qualifications
C) Written rules and regulations
D) Hierarchy of authority

Accepted Answer

The Peter Principle suggests that employees are promoted based on their performance in their current role rather than their ability to perform in the new role. "Employment based on technical qualifications" relates to promoting individuals based on their skills and qualifications, which can help avoid the Peter Principle.

Question 20

By whom were the concepts Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft introduced to sociology?
A) Ferdinand Tönnies
B) Max Weber
C) Émile Durkheim
D) Hannah Arendt

Accepted Answer

Ferdinand Tönnies introduced the concepts of Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft to sociology, describing different types of social groups and relationships.

Quiz 3: Social Structure, Interaction & Deviance

The distinction between primary groups and secondary groups is not always clear, as some groups may have some characteristics of each type.

We change reference groups as we take on different statuses during our lives.

The economy is an example of a social institution.

A negative consequence of the written rules and regulations of a bureaucracy is that they contribute to feelings of alienation.

Which of the following is an ascribed status?

What is a social network?

Second Life, a virtual world that included about 15 million players as of September 2008, is an example of what?

What is a master status?

Diego, a married bus driver who is an avid amateur photographer, falls off the edge of an embankment while photographing migrating waterfowl. He sustains serious head injuries, and is in hospital for two weeks. Which of the following is an ascribed status attached to Diego?

What is the term for a temporary or permanent alliance toward a common goal?

What is the term for the principle of bureaucracy that establishes that work should be carried out "without hatred or passion"?

The "iron law of oligarchy" is a principle of organizational life stating what?

A bureaucracy, according to Max Weber, is oriented towards which of the following?

Which of the following is a statement of the Peter principle?

Imagining the effects of a virtual networking site where participants can create an avatar that is an online representation of a character different from their actual identity, a symbolic interactionist would argue that which of the following will occur?

What shift in society caused a huge migration from rural to urban areas in Western Europe during the nineteenth century?

Jamal is a top student. He is very competitive about his grades. Every term, when the Dean's List (students with an A average) is posted, Jamal is one of the first to check it. Why is this?

By whom were the concepts Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft introduced to sociology?