essentials of sociology -...

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for

Henslin

Essentials of Sociology A Down-to-Earth Approach

Seventh Edition

prepared by

Anthony W. Zumpetta West Chester University

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Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may be reproduced with Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach, Seventh Edition, by James M. Henslin, provided such reproductions bear copyright notice, but may not be reproduced in any form for any other purpose without written permission from the copyright owner. To obtain permission(s) to use the material from this work, please submit a written request to Allyn and Bacon, Permissions Department, 75 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116 or fax your request to 617-848-7320. ISBN-13: 978-0-205-51646-9 ISBN-10: 0-205-51646-7 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 11 10 09 08 07

Contents Chapter 1 The Sociological Perspective.......................................................................1 Chapter 2 Culture........................................................................................................32 Chapter 3 Socialization...............................................................................................60 Chapter 4 Social Structure and Social Interaction......................................................86 Chapter 5 Social Groups and Formal Organizations ................................................115 Chapter 6 Deviance and Social Control ...................................................................145 Chapter 7 Global Stratification.................................................................................174 Chapter 8 Social Class in the United States .............................................................203 Chapter 9 Inequalities of Race and Ethnicity ...........................................................233 Chapter 10 Inequalities of Gender and Age ...............................................................265 Chapter 11 Politics and the Economy.........................................................................294 Chapter 12 Marriage and Family................................................................................324 Chapter 13 Education and Religion............................................................................356 Chapter 14 Population and Urbanization....................................................................386 Chapter 15 Social Change: Technology, Social Movements, and the Environment ................................................................................416

Chapter 1 The Sociological Perspective

Multiple-Choice Questions

1) Which of the following conclusions would sociologists most likely agree upon whendiscussing the importance of the sociological perspective?

A) It opens a window to unfamiliar worlds and offers a fresh look at familiar worlds.

B) It verifies our basic assumptions about life and the need to focus on human needs.

C) It challenges cultural tradition to provide a new framework of human understanding.

D) It enforces social solidarity and expands the importance of the social imperative.

Answer: ADiff: 3 Page Ref: 4Skill: Conceptual

2) The people of Moravia share a common culture and have a specified territory in which theylive. Sociologically, they would best be classified as a ________.

A) political institution

B) society

C) subculture

D) state

Answer: BDiff: 1 Page Ref: 4Skill: Applied

3) The social contexts in which people live and how those contexts influence their lives arecalled ________.

A) the sociological perspective

B) the social imperative

C) social solidarity

D) the sociological framework

Answer: ADiff: 1 Page Ref: 4Skill: Factual

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4) Frank is examining the broad stream of events that have occurred over the past 50 yearsand the specific experiences of his own life. By doing so, Frank is engaged in ________.

A) determinism

B) the sociological imagination

C) the social imperative

D) positivism


5) The event that most inspired Auguste Comte to pose the question, ʺWhat holds societytogether?ʺ and begin developing sociology as a science was the ________.

A) industrialization of society

B) discovery of the new world by Christopher Columbus

C) development of the psychoanalytic approach

D) French Revolution

Answer: DDiff: 2 Page Ref: 6Skill: Factual

6) Which of the following qualities is the most important in the development of theories as apart of the scientific method?

A) The theory must be logical.

B) The theory must be based on cultural tradition.

C) The theory must have the endorsement of society.

D) The theory must be able to be tested by research.


7) Which of the following phrases best describes positivism?

A) It is the belief that human behavior cannot be understood in individualistic terms.

B) It is the understanding of society by combining history and biography.

C) It is the idea of applying the scientific method to the social world.

D) It is the loss of social structure created by periods of normlessness and chaos.

Answer: CDiff: 2 Page Ref: 6Skill: Conceptual

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8) Auguste Comte called his new science sociology, which was derived from the ________word logos meaning ʺstudy ofʺ and the ________ word socious meaning ʺbeing with others.ʺ

A) Old English; German

B) Greek; Latin

C) Latin; Old English

D) French; Greek

Answer: BDiff: 2 Page Ref: 6Skill: Factual

9) The 19th century social scientist credited with being the ʺsecond father of sociologyʺ was________.

A) Emile Durkheim

B) Herbert Spencer

C) Karl Marx

D) Auguste Comte


10) According to the Wall Street Journal, the ʺthree greatest modern thinkersʺ were ________,________, and ________.

A) Thomas Edison; Herbert Spencer; Emile Durkheim

B) Ralph Waldo Emerson; Thomas Edison; Louis Pasteur

C) Karl Marx; Albert Einstein; Sigmund Freud

D) Albert Einstein; Thomas Edison; Auguste Comte

Answer: CDiff: 3 Page Ref: 7Skill: Factual

11) Based on the theories formulated by Karl Marx, what is the proletariatʹs ultimate goal?

A) The proletariat sought to establish a democratic society and independence.

B) The proletariat wanted to develop a society with a strong middle class.

C) The proletariat sought to develop a classless society free of exploitation.

D) The proletariat wanted to establish capitalism and a higher standard of living for all.


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12) One of the primary differences between the study of society done by the people of ancientcivilizations and that conducted by sociologists in the 19th century was that:

A) only 19th century sociologists addressed social problems.

B) ancient civilizations were egalitarian and did not address class differences.

C) only 19th century sociologists tested their theories with systematic research.

D) war and social conflict were a product of the industrial revolution and unknown toancient peoples.

Answer: CDiff: 3 Page Ref: 5Skill: Applied

13) The notion that only the fittest members of society deserve to survive and that socialprograms to help the poor will ultimately weaken the social order is a doctrine known as________.

A) social Darwinism

B) positivism

C) post-modernism

D) the social imperative


14) Herbert Spencer believed that societies evolved from lower to higher forms because asgenerations pass, the most capable and intelligent members of society prosper while theless capable die out. Spencer referred to this process as ________.

A) the survival of the fittest

B) positivism

C) social egalitarianism

D) the social imperative


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15) How did Karl Marx and Max Weber differ in their theoretical assumptions?

A) Weber failed to recognize class differences in society.

B) Marx was a theoretical sociologist and Weber strictly an applied sociologist.

C) Weber addressed social structure, which Marx totally ignored.

D) Marx believed economics was the central force of social change and Weber claimed itwas religion.

Answer: DDiff: 3 Page Ref: 8Skill: Applied

16) In order to test his theories on economics and the spirit of capitalism, what was the basicresearch scenario Max Weber employed?

A) He compared the extent of capitalism in Catholic and Protestant countries.

B) He collected data from the most prominent industrial corporations in Germany.

C) He developed an index of economic growth called the gross national product.

D) He studied the rates of poverty and stratification throughout Europe.


17) Who were the three predominant members of the sociology department created at theUniversity of Chicago in the late 19th century?

A) Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber

B) Robert Park, Ernest Burgess, and George Herbert Mead

C) W.E.B. DuBois, Jane Addams, and Margaret Sanger

D) Charles Horton Cooley, Robert Merton, and Erving Goffman


18) The textbook credits sociology as first taking root in North America in 1890 at which of thefollowing universities?

A) the University of Iowa

B) Harvard University

C) Brown University

D) the University of Kansas


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19) The two social reformers who founded Hull House in 1889 and later won a Nobel Prizewere ________ and ________.

A) Margaret Sanger; Harriet Martineau

B) Harriet Martineau; Jane Addams

C) Jane Addams; Ellen G. Starr

D) Suellen Butler; Betty Freidan

Answer: CDiff: 2 Page Ref: 10Skill: Factual

20) The first African American to earn a doctoral degree from Harvard University was________.

A) Booker T. Washington

B) George Washington Carver

C) Benjamin Anthony Quarles

D) W.E.B. DuBois


21) Based on the studies conducted by Max Weber, which of the following scenarios is the mostaccurate?

A) Nations embracing Roman Catholicism would be the leaders of the industrial world.

B) The religious affiliation of a nation is irrelevant to its economic success.

C) Capitalism was more likely to flourish in Protestant countries.

D) Capitalism was the only economic system that could thrive in Christian nations.


22) W.E.B. DuBois was the editor of an influential journal, called ________, which he used toadvance race relations and social reform

A) Sociological Viewpoints

B) The Reformer

C) Sociological Perspectives

D) The Crisis


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23) The 20th century sociologist who advocated that discipline make a shift from social reformto social theory during the 1940s was ________.

A) Lewis Coser

B) Robert Merton

C) William Domhoff

D) Talcott Parsons


24) The use of sociology to solve social problems in business, the workplace, and other aspectsof society is called ________.

A) applied sociology

B) pure sociology

C) theoretical sociology

D) existential sociology


25) Using logic, chart-like arrangements, and the links between a subject of interest and thosewho know him/her to create and analyze a ʺpeople mapʺ in order to find someone or learnmore about them is a process sociologists call ________.

A) the social imperative

B) network analysis

C) participant observation

D) secondary analysis


26) A general statement about how some parts of the world fit together and how they work iscalled a[n] ________.

A) theory

B) concept

C) correlation

D) operational definition

Answer: ADiff: 1 Page Ref: 14Skill: Applied

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27) What is the underlying principle of symbolic interactionism?

A) It measures how society uses sanctions to control behavior.

B) It states that behavior is controlled by factors beyond oneʹs control.

C) It explains how oneʹs behavior depends on the way they define themselves andothers.

D) It is based on the premise that a history of man is a history of class conflict.


28) People may change their opinion about an issue, such as divorce, based on a restructuringof that image, the issues involved, and what they mean. This is an example of whichsociological perspective?

A) structural functionalism

B) the conflict perspective

C) symbolic interactionism

D) the neo-conflict perspective


29) Many African Americans feel the flag of the Confederate States of America, ʺthe stars andbars,ʺ is a sign of racial hatred. Statesʹ rights advocates view the same flag as ʺheritage, nothatred.ʺ Such a difference of opinion over the same material object is an illustration ofwhich sociological perspective?

A) symbolic interactionism

B) functional analysis

C) structural analysis

D) conflict theory


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30) The sociologist who spent his lifetime studying relations between African Americans andwhites in an effort to eliminate social injustice was ________.

A) W.E.B. DuBois

B) George Herbert Mead

C) W.I. Thomas

D) Talcott Parsons


31) Cynthia is a sociologist employed at Computer Technology, Inc., developingʺuser-centered designs.ʺ She would be considered a[n] ________ sociologist.

A) basic

B) applied

C) clinical

D) pure


32) Of the following theorists, the two who viewed society as a type of living organism and areidentified as being the earliest structural functionalists are ________ and ________.

A) George Herbert Mead; Charles Horton Cooley

B) Karl Marx ; W.I. Thomas

C) Ernest Burgess; Lewis Coser Jr.

D) Auguste Comte; Herbert Spencer


33) Viewing society as composed of groups that engage in fierce competition for scarceresources is the underlying premise in ________.

A) conflict theory

B) structural functionalism

C) functional analysis

D) symbolic interactionism


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34) What was the underlying assumption sociologist Lewis Coser made regarding the conflictperspective?

A) Coser believed conflict was a reflection of societyʹs inability to cope withnormlessness.

B) Coser pointed out that conflict is most likely to develop among people who are inclose relationships.

C) Coser compared conflict in society to a stage in which participants compete for rolesand awards.

D) Coser saw conflict as being functional for society and provides certain benefits.

Answer: BDiff: 3 Page Ref: 18Skill: Conceptual

35) According to Robert Merton, the intended beneficial consequences of peopleʹs actions thathelp a social system to be more efficient are ________.

A) latent functions

B) manifest dysfunctions

C) manifest functions

D) latent dysfunctions


36) Which of the following statements is least accurate when addressing feminist theory?

A) Feminists believe men and women should have equal rights.

B) The roots of feminist theory can be traced to the original work of Karl Marx.

C) Conflict between men and women is a relatively new phenomenon brought about byequal rights legislation.

D) Feminists are not united in the conflict perspective, using a variety of theories andviews.


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37) Of the following, which theoretical perspective in sociology least qualifies as an example ofmacro-level analysis?


B) feminist theory

C) conflict theory

D) structural functionalism


38) Cordell has done an extensive study of the increase in divorce rates in the United Statessince 1950. He has come to the conclusion that the transformation of American society hasresulted in a redefinition of love, marriage, children, and the rate of divorce. In view of this,with which sociological perspective would Cordellʹs conclusion be most closely aligned?


B) the conflict perspective

C) structural functionalism

D) feminist theory


39) Meg is developing a research proposal addressing the effects of poverty on life expectancy.She is using the table developed by the Office of Administration to determine if someonequalifies as being in poverty. Her effort to provide a precise way to measure the concept ofpoverty is an example of:

A) developing a correlation between income and life expectancy.

B) selecting the proper research method.

C) formulating a hypothesis.

D) developing an operational definition.

Answer: DDiff: 3 Page Ref: 20Skill: Conceptual

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40) When IQ tests were first developed in the early 1900s they had a tendency to measurecultural traits more than intellectual capability. In view of this, which of the followingstatements best applies to the early IQ tests?

A) They were highly valid but lacked reliability.

B) They would be considered as being qualitative but not quantitative.

C) They were highly reliable because they used open-ended questions.

D) They lacked validity, which made their reliability insignificant.

Answer: DDiff: 3 Page Ref: 21Skill: Applied

41) Jimmy and Alex are doing a survey on the opinion undergraduate students have regardingacademic services at their university. There are 12,000 undergraduate students at theiruniversity, but they plan to only survey 2,000 of them. In view of this , the 12,000 studentswould be considered the ________, and the 2,000 students surveyed would be the ________.

A) universe; population

B) population; sample

C) sample; respondents

D) design; population


42) The research method referred to as ʺparticipant observationʺ is also called ________.

A) field work

B) survey research

C) secondary analysis

D) experimentation


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43) Anthony is conducting experimental research on the effects of an educational therapyprogram and the conflict handling skills of inmates. He has established two groups. GroupA will receive a special conflict handling therapy program. Group B will go about theirroutine without receiving the therapy or a therapy substitute. Group B is referred to as the________.

A) control group

B) treatment group

C) placebo group

D) reference group


44) Which of the following phrases best describes a random sample?

A) Everyone in the population has the same chance of being included in the study.

B) Participants in the study are picked at the convenience of the researcher.

C) There is no consistent method of choosing the participants in the study.

D) The participants in the study are picked from volunteers.


45) Cathy has developed a survey to administer to patrons of the SPCA. Survey items include,ʺName the first five breeds of dogs that come to your mind,ʺ and ʺWhat is it about owninga dog that you enjoy the most?ʺ After each item the respondents have a space to write theirresponse in their own words. These two items in Cathyʹs surveys are examples of what typeof question?

A) close-ended questions

B) rhetorical questions

C) open-ended questions

D) biased questions


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46) When researchers ask respondents general, non-sensitive questions to gain a feeling oftrust before asking questions of a more sensitive and personal nature, they are seeking toaccomplish which of the following objectives?

A) They are trying to develop rapport with the subjects under study.

B) They are trying to increase the reliability of their study.

C) They are emphasizing the validity of their study.

D) They are practicing randomization so the respondents are unaware of the truepurpose of the survey.


47) Jose is conducting research on organized crime. Rather than interviewing criminals orgoing undercover, he is examining data that someone else has collected. In view of this,what research method is Jose using?

A) participant observation

B) secondary analysis

C) field work

D) experimentation


48) After submitting her completed dissertation to her committee, the chair of the departmentaccused Becky of plagiarism. In view of this, what was the allegation the chair was makingof Beckyʹs work?

A) The chair believed Becky falsified the results of her data.

B) Becky failed to submit her dissertation in the appropriate form.

C) Becky copied major parts of her dissertation from someone elseʹs work.

D) Becky violated the confidentiality and trust of the sample used in her research.


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49) The sociological research that included ʺtea rooms,ʺ ʺwatch queens,ʺ accusations ofʺsociological snooping,ʺ and a violation of research ethics was a study based on the work of________.

A) Mario Brajuha

B) Talcott Parsons

C) Laud Humphreys

D) Erving Goffman

Answer: CDiff: 2 Page Ref: 29-30Skill: Factual

50) Why was Laud Humphreys accused of violating the code of ethics sociologists are expectedto follow in their research?

A) He falsified the results of his study.

B) He violated the confidentiality of the participants in his study.

C) He subjected the subjects in his study to harm.

D) He misled his subjects and deceived them.


True/False Questions

1) The sociological imagination enables us to grasp the connection between history andbiography.

Answer: TRUEPage Ref: 4

2) Science is the development of theories that are logically sound and conform to the culturalvalues of a given society.

Answer: FALSEPage Ref: 5

3) The concept of ʺsurvival of the fittestʺ was established by Herbert Spencer, the father of thephilosophical view called social Darwinism.


4) Karl Marx believed that the bitter struggle between capitalists and workers would only endwhen the workers united in revolution to form a classless society.


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5) The degree to which people are tied to their social groups was a concept Emile Durkheimreferred to as positivism.


6) Talcott Parsons developed the concept of the power elite to describe the top leaders ofbusiness, politics, and the military in the United States who make the major decisionsaffecting the entire nation.


7) Charles Horton Cooley, George Herbert Mead, and W.I. Thomas all shared a mutualinterest in structural functionalism and helped present this perspective to sociology as itdeveloped in the United States.

Answer: FALSEPage Ref: 14-15

8) The use of the scientific method to examine the social world was first suggested by AugusteComte.


9) Pure, basic, and applied sociology are all terms that mean virtually the same thing, which isthe application of the scientific method to examination of the social world.


10) Max Weber and Karl Marx shared the belief that economics are the central force in socialchange.


11) Because Emile Durkheim demonstrated social factors that have been found to influencesuicide rates more than any other factor, the suicide rates within specific societies remainfairly constant year after year.


12) The first sociology curriculum took root in the United States at the University of Kansas in1890.


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13) Robert Merton and Emile Durkheim were both advocates of the concept of structuralfunctionalism that views society as being composed of many interrelated parts.


14) In a random sample, everyone in the population has the same chance of being included inthe study.


15) In survey construction, open-ended questions are always the most appropriate form ofquestion to use because they permit the respondents to answer questions in their ownwords.


16) In an experimental design, after subjects are randomly selected, they must be randomlyassigned to an experimental and control group with only the experimental group beingexposed to the independent variable.


17) When using unobtrusive measures, the researcher observes the behavior of people who donot know they are being studied.


18) Although sociologists share some disagreement among what constitutes unethicalbehavior, research ethics clearly forbids the falsification of results.


19) Theorists using the symbolic interactionist perspective usually focus on social interaction asa macro-level of analysis.


20) Repeating a study by other researchers to compare results is referred to as replication.

Answer: TRUEPage Ref: 30-31

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Short Answer Questions

1) The idea of applying the scientific method to the social world, first proposed by AugusteComte, is known as ________.

Answer: positivismPage Ref: 6

2) C. Wright Mills proposed that sociological imagination enables sociologists to grasp theconnection between ________ and ________.

Answer: history; biographyPage Ref: 4

3) In Marxism, the class of workers who own the means of production are called the ________or ________.

Answer: bourgeoisie; capitalistsPage Ref: 7

4) What conclusion did Emile Durkheim reach following his research on suicide rates inEuropean countries?

Answer: Social factors underlie suicide rates more so than individual factors , which accountsfor a groupʹs consistent suicide rates year after year.

Page Ref: 7-8

5) What did Durkheim mean by the term social integration?

Answer: Emile Durkheim defined social integration as the degree to which people are tied totheir social groups.

Page Ref: 8

6) What did Karl Marx believe was the central force in social change?

Answer: economicsPage Ref: 7

7) What did Max Weber believe was the central force in social change?

Answer: religionPage Ref: 8

8) In 1889, what two applied sociologists developed Hull House, the community shelter forthose who needed refuge, including immigrants, the sick, homeless, and poor?

Answer: Jane Addams and Ellen G. StarrPage Ref: 9-10

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9) What organization did W.E.B. DuBois help found to encourage social action to fight theexploitation of African Americans?

Answer: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)Page Ref: 10

10) The top leaders of business, politics, and the military who control much of the activity insociety and also pose a threat to freedom were referred to by C. Wright Mills as the________.

Answer: power elitePage Ref: 12

11) What is the sociological perspective that views society as a whole composed of parts thatwork together as a well-oiled, efficient machine?

Answer: functionalism (or functional analysis or structural functionalism)Page Ref: 16

12) What is the common quality that manifest and latent functions share that distinguishesthem from dysfunctions?

Answer: Manifest an latent functions are both beneficial to a system. Dysfunctions harm asystem.

Page Ref: 16-17

13) What was the analogy Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer made to society as a part offunctional analysis?

Answer: They both compared society to being a kind of living organism.Page Ref: 16

14) The use of gestures, silence, the use of space, and other forms of communication that do notutilize spoken words is called ________.

Answer: nonverbal interactionPage Ref: 19

15) In research, what is a hypothesis?

Answer: In research, a hypothesis is a statement of what one expects to find according to theprediction made based on theory.

Page Ref: 20

16) What is the difference between validity and reliability?

Answer: Validity means the operational definitions measure what is intended to be measured.Reliability refers to the consistency of findings that occur when another researcheruses the same operational definitions and receives similar, if not identical responses.

Page Ref: 21

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17) What are the two basic software programs that many sociologists and undergraduatestudents use to record and analyze data?

Answer: Microcase and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)Page Ref: 22

18) What is the major quality of unobtrusive measures that distinguishes it from other researchmethods?

Answer: When using unobtrusive measures subjects who are being studied are unaware theirbehavior is under examination.

Page Ref: 29

19) In experimental research, what is the purpose of the control group?

Answer: The control group does not receive exposure to the independent variable. In thecontrol group the second measure of the dependent variable should be the same orsimilar to the first measure.

Page Ref: 28

20) In research, what is meant by the term replication?

Answer: Replication is the repeating of a study by other researchers to make a comparison ofthe consistency of results compared to the first time the study was conducted.

Page Ref: 30-31

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In-Depth Essay Questions

1) Trace the historical development of sociology from its beginnings in the 19th century to itsgrowth as an academic discipline in the U.S. Include in your explanation the factorscontributing to the emergence of sociology and how European sociology differed fromsociology as it was practiced in America.

Answer: Sociology emerged in the early 19th century as the result of a number of factors. Newideas about society and the conviction that individuals possess inalienable rights ledto successful political revolutions in France and America. Industrialization,urbanization, and immigration created a society much different from the traditionalagrarian society that had been dominant for the previous several thousand years.The rise in urbanization created a need for drastic revisions in social policy and themanner in which people, especially groups, related to one another. All of this set thestage for the creation of the new science of man developed by Auguste Comte inFrance. After his initial work Positive Philosophy was translated into English byMartineau, the new science spread to English speaking countries and by the late 19thcentury it spread to the United States. In America, sociology developed for the samereasons it developed in Europe, primarily due to the industrialization of Americansociety. This was accompanied by the immigration of people from the rural areas tothe cities and urbanization. The first academic sociological programs developed atthe University of Kansas, the University of Chicago, and Atlanta University in the1890s. Of these, the program at the University of Chicago was one of the mostinfluential in developing the discipline, stressing symbolic interactionism. EarlyAmerican sociologists were more aligned with the practice of applied sociology andusing sociological principles for the purpose of social reform. European sociologistswere more aligned with pure or theoretical sociology and the development ofsociological theory.

Page Ref: 5-12

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2) Identify the five major social thinkers who developed the basis of sociological theory inEurope. Include with each theorist their major contribution to the discipline.

Answer: The five major social thinkers to develop sociology in Europe were Auguste Comte,Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber. Comte is creditedwith being the father of sociology. He was the first person to apply the scientificmethod to the social world, a concept known as positivism. Herbert Spencer,sometimes called the ʺsecond father of sociologyʺ was the first majorEnglish-speaking sociologist. He is credited with developing the concept of socialDarwinism that encouraged a ʺsurvival of the fittestʺ approach to society. As asociologist, Spencer developed a wide following of other social scientists in Englandand America. Karl Marx, although not actually a sociologist, had a profoundinfluence on developing the conflict perspective. Using economics and politicalscience, Marx developed a model of society that pitted the owners of the means ofproduction against the exploited class of workers. Emile Durkheim was instrumentalin having sociology recognized as a separate academic discipline. Durkheimconcentrated on understanding the importance of social interaction and socialintegration, stressing that human behavior could not be understood inindividualistic terms. Max Weber challenged the conclusions of Marx that economicswas the central force of social change. Weber believed that role belonged to religion.Weber also did extensive work on how religious doctrine affected the developmentof capitalism in Europe.

Page Ref: 6-8

3) Summarize Weberʹs theory which explains how the ʺProtestant Ethicʺ gave rise to thedevelopment of capitalist economic systems. Describe the evidence that Weber used tosupport his thesis.

Answer: The Protestant ethic refers to the self-denying approach to life that included living afrugal life, saving money, and investing the surplus in order to make even moremoney. This brought about the birth of capitalism. The Roman Catholic beliefsystem, on the other hand, encouraged its followers to hold on to traditional ways oflife that discouraged the economic change that was embraced by the Protestants.Weber termed the readiness to invest capital in order to make more money the spiritof capitalism. To test this theory, Weber compared the extent of capitalism in RomanCatholic and Protestant countries. In line with this theory, he found that capitalismwas more likely to flourish in Protestant countries.

Page Ref: 8

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4) Based on the theoretical perspective called functional analysis, what is a ʺfunctionʺ? What isa ʺdysfunctionʺ? Describe how a function can be manifest and latent, giving examples ofeach.

Answer: Functions are beneficial consequences of peopleʹs actions that help a system toremain in balance. Dysfunctions are the human actions that hurt a system. Manifestfunctions are planned or intended. Latent functions are unintended consequencesthat help a system adjust. An example of a manifest function for universities is toprovide students the skills necessary to develop a career or to acquire skills requiredfor further graduate study. A latent function would be to have the opportunity todiscover a spouse or to keep over 15 million people (the number of college students)out of the job market. A dysfunction of college life would be an excess of partyingcreated by a new found independence that leads to alcoholism or eventual dismissalfrom the university.

Page Ref: 16-17

5) Identify the historic major contributions made by women and minorities as sociologydeveloped in Europe and America.

Answer: Although she was not a sociologist by training, Harriet Martineau made one of themost significant contributions to the discipline when she translated Comteʹs PositivePhilosophy into English. Martineau also practiced applied sociology by documentingand publishing accounts of her travels in America in which she reported on theAmerican family, race, politics, and religion. Jane Addams, although trained inmedicine, practiced applied sociology with the founding of Hull House, a refugeshelter for the homeless, sick, immigrants, and the poor. In 1931, Addams shared theNobel Peace Prize for her efforts in the Hull House movement. Of all the earlyAmerican sociologists, W.E.B. DuBois was one of the most significant contributors tothe discipline. DuBois worked to improve the relationship between whites andblacks and championed the civil rights of African Americans decades before themovement picked up momentum in the 1960s. DuBois was also instrumental as aco-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People(NAACP).

Page Ref: 9-11

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6) Most sociologists interpret social life from one of three major theoretical frameworks ortheories. Describe the major points of each framework. List at least one sociologist who hasbeen identified with each of these three frameworks.

Answer: The three major theoretical frameworks are symbolic interactionism, functionalanalysis, and conflict theory. The major emphasis of symbolic interactionism iscommunicating through symbols, analyzing how behavior depends on the ways wedefine ourselves and others. The self is a symbol that conveys meaning to whichothers react. Early symbolic interactionists include George Herbert Mead, CharlesHorton Cooley, and W. I. Thomas. Functional analysis states that society is a wholeunit made up of interrelated parts that work together. Functionalists address thestructure of society (how the parts of a society fit together to make the whole) andfunction (what each part does and how it contributes to society). Auguste Comte,Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim, and Robert Merton were functionalists. Conflicttheory stresses that society is composed of groups that engage in fierce competitionfor scarce resources. Karl Marx, Ralf Dahrendorf, C. Wright Mills, and Lewis Coserare conflict theorists.

Page Ref: 14-20

7) List and discuss the eight steps of the scientific research model. Why do some authors use ascientific research model with more than or less than eight steps?

Answer: (1) Selecting a topic. (2) Defining the problem. Narrowing the topic and describingwhy it is worthy of research. (3) Reviewing the literature. What has already beenpublished on the topic? (4) Formulating a hypothesis. Define hypothesis, variables,and operational definition as a part of this section. (5) Choosing a research method.This is the means by which data will be collected. Include the six basic researchmethods. (6) Collecting the data. Include the importance of validity and reliability.(7) Analyzing the results. This includes testing the hypothesis, summarizing, andcomparing the data collected. (8) Sharing the results. This includes preparing reports,charts and tables, and submitting articles for publication.

Not all authors use eight steps. Some separate the eight and create additional stepsfor more than eight. Others condense the steps and have less than eight. In eithercase, the process accomplishes the same purpose.

Page Ref: 20-22

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8) Discuss the similarities and differences between classical conflict theory and contemporaryconflict theory. Identify the major theorists involved and the principles of each approach.

Answer: Karl Marx was the developer of classical conflict theory. It believed the history ofmankind is a history of class struggle. The primary concept emphasized by Marxwas the competition for scarce but valuable resources among members of society.According to Marx, there were only two groups in society based on their position inthe means of production. The members of society who possess these scarce resourcesare the bourgeoisie or capitalists. The members of society who provide the labor arethe proletariat. The proletariat are controlled by the bourgeoisie through ideologyand coercion.

Today, conflict theory is viewed in a much broader sense. The underlying quest forpower remains a part of the contemporary theory but Lewis Coser stresses conflict asmost likely developing among people who are in close relationships. These partieshave worked out ways to distribute responsibilities and privileges, power andrewards. In the process of this balancing act, conflict is inevitable , which leads tohurt feelings and conflict. Among contemporary conflict theorists are Lewis Coserand C. Wright Mills.

Page Ref: 7; 18

9) Discuss the importance of ethics in social research. Define what is meant by ʺethics.ʺ Whatwere the ethical considerations involved in the research by Laud Humphreys?

Answer: Research ethics emphasize openness, honesty, and truth and condemns falsification,plagiarism, and harm to subjects. Ethics is viewed as a combination of science andmorality. Subjects participating in research are not to be harmed, misled, or subjectedto unwanted publicity and notoriety.

In the Humphreys research, the researcher misled subjects by misrepresentinghimself and misleading the subjects in his study. After posing as a ʺwatch queenʺ (alookout) in a ʺtea roomʺ (a public restroom where men often met for casualhomosexual sex), Humphreys determined the identities of the men participating incausal sex and then interviewed them claiming they had been chosen to participatein a medical survey. During the interviews for the non-existent medical survey,Humphreys explored the life styles and sex lives of the men. To avoid suspicion ofthe participants in the study, Humphreys disguised himself and made no referenceto his knowledge of their homosexual conduct.

Page Ref: 29-30

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10) Discuss the similarities and differences between open-ended and closed-ended questions,including the advantages and appropriate use of each.

Answer: Closed-ended questions provide a list of possible answers from which therespondent must choose. They are specifically used to solicit demographicinformation, information on frequency of a behavior, and other information that canbe summarized into a series of options. Open-ended questions provide therespondents the opportunity to answer a question in their own words, providing afull range of answers.

Closed-ended questions are easier to tally and to make comparisons. Open-endedquestions are more qualitative and tap the full range of peopleʹs opinions.

Page Ref: 25-26

Open Book Questions

1) At the beginning of the chapter, the author describes the revulsion he feels when he seesteeth marks on the Styrofoam cup from which he was drinking coffee at a shelter forhomeless men. He knew the cup had been cleaned in a washtub by a man behind thecounter before it was handed to him. Using symbolic interactionism, explain why theauthor had such a strong emotional reaction to viewing the teeth marks.

Answer: Explain the fundamentals of what a theoretical perspective and symbolicinteractionism are as described on pages 14-16. Describe what the image of ahomeless person conveys to a middle class or upper middle class person and thecharacteristics that homeless people are believed to possess. Explain the symbolismof these characteristics (they convey filth, disease, failure, and so on) and how theyare significantly different from what the author was accustomed to when he had acup of coffee in the faculty lounge or a fast food restaurant.

Page Ref: 3; 14-16

2) The social Darwinist ideas of Herbert Spencer have been discredited, yet we still wrestlewith the issue of how to deal with people who are poor and disabled, those who areconvicted of criminal behavior, and those who are perceived to be non-productivemembers of society. What social policies might Spencer have advocated to deal with suchpeople? Compare Spencerʹs likely response to the strategy underlying current socialpolicies toward these groups.

Answer: Spencer may have advocated refusing to provide public support to the poor,disadvantaged, and non-productive members of society. He would have supportedpolicies to isolate them to reduce the influence they may have on other members ofsociety. He would have advocated long prison sentences for criminal offenders. Hewould have supported mandatory sterilization for these people as a part of theprocess of natural selection to prevent them from reproducing. Current socialwelfare policies are designed to provide some assistance for people who cannotprovide for themselves, but to encourage people to take responsibility for their ownwelfare, to restrict the amount of public support for people who are physically andmentally able to support themselves, and to punish people who violate the law.

Page Ref: 6-7

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3) Karl Marx predicted the proletariat would eventually overthrow the bourgeoisie in a violentrevolution. Why does Marxʹs analysis and prediction of class conflict, based on Marxʹsobservations of mid-19th century England and Europe, not apply to Western,industrialized societies today?

Answer: The class divisions that exist today are not as clear and sharp as they were duringMarxʹs lifetime. Although workers may still be ʺexploited,ʺ their lives are not asmiserable as in the 19th century. The division between ʺcapitalistsʺ and ʺworkersʺ isalso less clear in contemporary society, where a large proportion of the populationowns stock in corporations. A large number of workers aspire to someday becapitalists, especially in the earlier stages of their careers.

Page Ref: 7, 18-19

4) Dr. Zarcov has just completed calculating the test scores of her Introduction to Sociologyhonors class. The 15 students in the course registered the following scores out of amaximum of 100 points: 85, 96, 86, 96, 91, 89, 87, 86, 96, 86, 85, 99, 85, 98, 85 Based on thesescores, what is the mean, median, and mode? If you were Dr. Zarcov, what grading scalewould you assign to the scores and why?

Answer: The range of the scores is 85 to 99. The mean or arithmetic average is 90. 0 (the sumof the scores [1350] divided by the number of scores[15]). The median, the middlescore, is 87. The mode is 85. The median is probably the best measure to use forcomparisons. When assigning grades, Dr. Zarcov may be using a percentage scalerequired by the university for grading. This scale may specify a score of 93% orhigher to be an ʺA,ʺ 90-92% and A-, 87 to 89% a B+, 83 to 86% a B, 80 to 82% a B-,and so on. If Dr. Zarvov is using a curve, she may award grades very similar towhat the percentage requirements are, mainly because the grades are bunchedtogether. It is also possible that this honors exam was more difficult than an exam fora standard class or may have had additional requirements. So, using a curvebecomes more of a matter of discretion as to what the professor considers fair basedon a number of factors.

Page Ref: 24

5) What is the major difference between theoretical or pure sociology and applied sociology?Why is each of these views important in their own right?

Answer: Theoretical or pure sociologists develop abstract models of how society operates orshould operate. Applied sociologists use sociology to solve social problems and toreform society. Without theory, practice would be based on trial and error. Withoutpractice, theory would have no meaning or use and would not be subject to testing.

Page Ref: 12-13; 31

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6) The social history of the family clearly shows that many functions previously performed bythe family are now performed by other institutions. List the functions currently performedby most families in your own experience. Do families provide fewer or different functionsthan previously?

Answer: Functions currently performed by families include providing food, clothing, andshelter for young children; coordinating the work schedules of two wage earners;providing transportation to work, school, after-school, and recreational activities foradults and children; coordinating financial matters for all members; providing moralguidance and supervision for children; providing for romantic and sexual activitiesfor marriage partners; providing for recreational activities for marriage partners andyoung children. The discussion of changing functions should acknowledge thatfamilies still perform many functions, although many are different from thefunctions provided by families in earlier generations.

Page Ref: 16-18

7) Select a topic suitable for research and discuss how a student would develop this topic intoa research project using the eight steps of the research model as identified in the textbook.

Answer: Follow the research model as it is presented on pp. 20-22. When selecting a topic forresearch, it should be broad enough so that information can be found about thetopic, but narrow enough so that it challenges the student and offers the potential forin-depth study.

Page Ref: 20-22

8) Develop a table based on hypothetical data that you assemble on the members of asociology class composed of 25 students. Make a class roster that includes the first name,sex, age, and grade point average of the 25 students. Then develop a table based on thisdata along with all the components used in Table 1.2 on page 23. Incorporate the mean andmedian of the grade point averages and ages of the members of the class as a part of yourtable.

Answer: The table will summarize the data contained in the roster. The table must include atitle, headnote, headings, columns, and rows. For the source, specify the university,your class number, section, semester, and year.

Page Ref: 23-24

9) Using Table 1.1, Major Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology, choose a social issue (other thandivorce) and apply the three sociological perspectives to the chosen issue.

Answer: A few topics that can be examined from the three sociological perspectives includeracial integration, the importance of religion in society, dual-income families, andthe tendency for social institutions such as universities to develop a multiculturalapproach. For example, racial integration can be examined from what skin colorsymbolizes (symbolic interactionism), how integration leads to a more balancedsociety (functionalism), and how there continues to be conflict between racial groupsfor scarce but valuable resources (power, good paying jobs, and so on).

Page Ref: 14-20

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10) Provide operational definitions for the three variables that would be studied in relation tospouse abuse: social isolation, social integration, and spouse abuse.

Answer: Social isolation refers to the lack of an effective social support system. This mayinclude the lack of family, neighbors, or close friends in which one may confide, seekassistance in times of need, or rely upon to accept them unconditionally.

Social integration is the degree to which individuals with differences in race, sex,ethnicity, or other statuses interact in a meaningful way, sharing their uniquecultures, and contributing to a common goal or cause.

Spouse abuse is the physical, psychological, or financial mistreatment of oneʹs legalor common-law mate or the threat of such mistreatment.

Page Ref: 20-21

Line Art Questions

1) Based on Table 1.1, Major Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology, (page 16), which theoreticalperspective is most aligned with the notion that change should be encouraged because itmay redistribute the resources of society and result in a more balanced power structure?


B) conflict theory

C) functional analysis

D) structural functionalism

Answer: BPage Ref: 19

29

2) Based on the data provided in Figure 1.2, U.S. Marriage, U.S. Divorce (page 16), whichstatement is most accurate?

A) Marriage and divorce rates have risen with identical rates since 1890.

B) In the year 2000, there were about half as many marriages as there were divorces.

C) Since 1980, both marriage and divorce rates have appeared to level off.

D) If the divorce and marriage rates continue at this pace, the lines illustrating each ofthem will eventually intersect.

Answer: CPage Ref: 16

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3) Examine Figure 1.4, The Experiment. Dennis is conducting an experiment on the ability ofstudents to handle stress. If the second measure of the experimental and control groups areidentical, what does this most likely indicate?

A) Dennis committed research fraud by not conducting the experiment according toestablished methodology.

B) The treatment or independent variable was ineffective in making the predictedchange.

C) The control group was randomly elected but the experimental group was based on anaccidental sample.

D) Dennis overexposed the experimental group to the independent variable whichcorrupted the experiment.

Answer: BPage Ref: 28

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