Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach, Core Concepts, 3e · Sociology A Down-to-Earth Approach Core...

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Henslin

Sociology A Down-to-Earth Approach

Core Concepts

Third Edition

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Anthony W. Zumpetta West Chester University

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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may be reproduced with Seeing the Social Context: Readings to Accompany Social Problems, 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 material from this work, please submit a written request to Allyn and Bacon, Permissions Department, 501 Boylston Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02116 or fax your request to 617-671-2290. ISBN-13: 978-0-205-57149-9 ISBN-10: 0-205-57149-2 Printed in the United States of America. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 12 11 10 09 08


Contents

Chapter 1 The Sociological Perspective 1

Chapter 2 Culture 31

Chapter 3 Socialization 56

Chapter 4 Social Structure and Social Interaction 84

Chapter 5 Societies to Social Networks 110

Chapter 6 Deviance and Social Control 139

Chapter 7 Social Stratification 170

Chapter 8 Sex and Gender 202

Chapter 9 Race and Ethnicity 233

Chapter 10 Marriage and Family 264


Chapter 1 The Sociological Perspective

1.1 Multiple-Choice Questions

1) The concept used to describe opening a window into unfamiliar worlds that allows us tounderstanding human behavior by placing it within its broader social context is called________.

A) the sociological imagination B) social locationC) social integration D) the social imperative

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

2) When sociologists group people into categories based on their age, gender, educational level,job and income, they are trying to determine their ________.

A) social network B) social locationC) social personality D) social skills

Answer: BDiff: 3 Page Ref: 4Skill: Application

3) The sociologist responsible for suggesting the connection between history and biography toexplain the sociological imagination was ________.

A) Talcott Parsons B) Herbert SpencerC) C. Wright Mills D) Emile Durkheim

Answer: CDiff: 3 Page Ref: 4Skill: Knowledge

4) What is the primary requirement for a discipline to be classified as a science?A) It requires theories that can be tested by research.B) It makes generalizations why things happen.C) It is logical and qualifies as being common sense.D) It will predict what will happen in the future.

Answer: ADiff: 3 Page Ref: 5Skill: Application

5) The first person to propose that the scientific method could be applied to the study of sociallife was ________.

A) Emile Durkheim B) Max WeberC) Karl Marx D) Auguste Comte

Answer: DDiff: 1 Page Ref: 6Skill: Knowledge

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6) The notion that only the fittest members of society deserve to survive and that social programsto help the poor will ultimately weaken the social order is a doctrine known as ________.

A) Social Darwinism B) positivismC) post-modernism D) social welfare


7) The Wall Street Journal has declared the three greatest modern thinkers as being ________,________, and ________.

A) Karl Marx; Sigmund Freud; Albert EinsteinB) Max Weber; B. F. Skinner; J. Edgar HooverC) Karl Marx; Louis Pasteur; Albert EinsteinD) Frank Lloyd Wright; jonahs stalk; Sigmund Freud


8) The term survival of the fittest which is a principle part of the concept of social Darwinism,was coined by ________.

A) Charles Darwin B) Talcott ParsonsC) Auguste Comte D) Herbert Spencer


9) The social thinker of the 19th century who predicted that there would be a classless societyonce the working class united and began a revolution was ________.

A) Emile Durkheim B) C. Wright MillsC) Herbert Spencer D) Karl Marx


10) The early European sociologist Emile Durkheim is most identified with which of the followingareas of study?

A) social integration B) class conflictC) social Darwinism D) the Spirit of Capitalism


11) Weber referred to the self-denying approach to life characterized by people living frugal livesand saving their money as the ________.

A) spirit of capitalism B) socialist conscienceC) Protestant ethic D) manifest destiny


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12) The titles Karl Marx used to describe the two classes in society were the ________ and________.

A) nobles; peasants B) bourgeoisie; proletariatC) upper class; lower class D) civilized; barbarians

Answer: BDiff: 1 Page Ref: 6Skill: Knowledge

13) Karl Marx believed that ________ was the central force for social change while Max Weberbelieved that ________ was the force most responsible for social change.

A) economics; religion B) education; political stabilityC) government; economics D) religion; education


14) According to Max Weber, the Protestant ethic was a central factor in the birth of ________.A) capitalism B) democracy C) socialism D) bureaucracy

Answer: ADiff: 2 Page Ref: 8Skill: Comprehension

15) Art has an interest in developing psychological profiles and is an avid student of WilliamSheldon s work on body types and personality. Art has submitted a research request to repeatSheldon s classic study on body types to determine if Sheldon s original findings are still valid.This type of research is referred to as ________.

A) replication B) ethnography C) triangulation D) correlationAnswer: ADiff: 3 Page Ref: 31Skill: Application

16) Over twenty years prior to the birth of Durkheim and Weber, Society in America, an analysis ofAmerican customs, was published by sociologist ________.

A) W. I. Thomas B) W. E. B. DuBoisC) Harriet Martineau D) Ernest Burgess


17) The university that dominated sociology as an academic discipline where Albion Smallsheaded the department was ________.

A) the University of California at Berkeley B) Harvard UniversityC) Princeton University D) the University of Chicago


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18) The book published by W.E.B. DuBois in 1899 that analyzed how African Americans in amajor United States city coped with racism was ________.

A) The Souls of Black Folk B) White Over BlackC) The Philadelphia Negro D) The Crisis


19) The first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University, spent his lifetimestudying race relations in America, and was one of the founders of the NAACP was ________.

A) W. E. B. DuBois B) Booker T. WashingtonC) George Washington Carver D) Benjamin Quarles


20) The American sociologist who focused on social theory in the 1940s, developing detailedmodels of how society harmoniously works together was ________.

A) Talcott Parsons B) Ernest BurgessC) Robert Park D) W. I. Thomas


21) Dr. Zahn spends virtually all his academic interest in analyzing various aspects of society andpublishing his findings in sociological journals. In view of this, Dr. Zahn is considered to bea[n] ________ sociologist.

A) applied B) practical C) pure D) reformAnswer: CDiff: 3 Page Ref: 11Skill: Application

22) Sociologists who analyze how behavior depends on the ways that people define themselvesand others are most likely ________.

A) ethnomethodologists B) functionalistsC) conflict theorists D) symbolic interactionists

Answer: DDiff: 2 Page Ref: 13Skill: Comprehension

23) The sociologist who developed the concept of the power elite was ________.A) C. Wright Mills B) Talcott ParsonsC) Robert K. Merton D) F. Ivan Nye


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24) College provides a haven for several million potential workers who are classified as studentsrather than unemployed which helps stabilize the job market. This situation represents whatMerton would describe as a ________.

A) manifest function B) latent dysfunctionC) manifest dysfunction D) latent function

Answer: DDiff: 3 Page Ref: 15Skill: Application

25) Mark views society as a system of interrelated parts, while John views society as composed ofgroups competing for scarce resources. Mark would be considered a ________ theorist andJohn would be seen as a ________ theorist.

A) symbolic interactionist; functionalist B) conflict; functionalistC) functionalist; symbolic interactionist D) functionalist; conflict

Answer: DDiff: 3 Page Ref: 15,17Skill: Application

26) Which group of social theorists would focus most on macro-level analysis when examiningpatterns of society?

A) symbolic interactionists and structural functionalistsB) symbolic interactionists and conflict theoristsC) conflict theorists and structural functionalistsD) neo-conflict theorists and symbolic interactionists

Answer: CDiff: 3 Page Ref: 18Skill: Application

27) Cindy is interested in how the movement of Maytag production plants and other industriesfrom the Midwest to Mexico has changed the lives of the tens of thousands of Americanworkers laid off as well as the effect it has had on the communities in which they live. Cindy isconducting a ________ analysis.

A) macro level B) transactional C) micro level D) meso levelAnswer: ADiff: 3 Page Ref: 18Skill: Application

28) In the statement poverty causes crime, the words poverty and crime are best described as________ because they are subject to change.

A) unobtrusive measures B) variablesC) parametric measures D) correlations


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29) In the research model, the step in which the author narrows the topic of the research andspecifies what he or she wants to learn about the topic of study is called ________.

A) defining the problem B) formulating a hypothesisC) choosing a research model D) analyzing the results


30) What is a statement of how variables are expected to be related to one another, oftenaccording to predictions from a theory?

A) correlation B) hypothesisC) secondary prediction D) primary function

Answer: BDiff: 2 Page Ref: 21Skill: Comprehension

31) Which of the following statements is the best example of a hypothesis?A) All men are created equal.B) A penny saved is a penny earned.C) Unemployed men are more likely to commit spousal abuse than employed men.D) Over 300 million people live in the United States.

Answer: CDiff: 2 Page Ref: 21Skill: Comprehension

32) Precise ways to measure variables in research so that comparisons can be made and replicationcan later be done are referred to as ________.

A) reliability B) correlationC) validity D) operational definitions


33) One of the early concerns of IQ tests was that they tested the subjects knowledge of the upperclass white culture of the scientists who developed them and not the true educational potentialof the person tested. In view of this, which assessment of the early IQ tests is most accurate?

A) The early IQ tests lacked reliability.B) The early IQ tests were based on a faulty hypothesis.C) The early IQ tests lacked validity.D) The early IQ tests were improperly administered.

Answer: CDiff: 6 Page Ref: 21Skill: Evaluation

34) The term ________ refers to the extent to which different studies come up with similar results.A) validity B) replication C) reliability D) duplication


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35) When reading a table, a comment located just below the title that gives more detailedinformation on how the data was collected or how data are presented is called a ________.

A) source B) bi-line C) reference D) headnoteAnswer: DDiff: 1 Page Ref: 23Skill: Knowledge

36) Dr. Zak is trying to determine what traits, if any, high achieving students have that studentswho do poorly on his exams do not possess. To assess personal information from both groupsof students Dr. Zak intends to present the students a form to complete that asks a series ofquestions on their study habits, academic resources, interests, and so on. By doing so, whichresearch method will Dr. Zak use?

A) an experimental method B) an ethnographic studyC) secondary data analysis D) a survey


37) Walker is conducting research on scholarship recipients at Faber College. In his sample of 250students, he is ensuring he has a proportionate number of students based on class standing,race, sex, and major course of study. Walker s sample is an example of a[n] ________.

A) stratified random sample B) accidental sampleC) convenience sample D) universal sample


38) In research, to generalize one s findings to a total population, what is the most importantquality the sample must possess?

A) It must be at least 25 percent of the total population.B) It must be representative of the total population.C) It must be taken from volunteers.D) It must be quantitative to make comparisons.

Answer: BDiff: 2 Page Ref: 24Skill: Comprehension

39) What is the defining characteristic of a random sample?A) It contains an equal number of men and women.B) It contains an equal proportion of racial and ethnic groups.C) Each person in the population of interest has an equal chance of being chosen.D) Every person in the sample represents a specific racial, gender, or religious group.


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40) Michael is going to survey members of the gay and lesbian student union to gain data on theirpersonal life, interests, demographics, and other points to develop a profile of theirmembership. To be most successful and receive the most valid responses, what shouldMichael do?

A) Michael should include a statement in his survey that he is gay.B) The questionnaire should begin by asking for data on sexual behavior.C) Michael should distribute the survey only to volunteers.D) The questionnaire should begin by asking neutral questions.

Answer: DDiff: 4 Page Ref: 25Skill: Analysis

41) A small group of seven students evaluated Professor Zanylo s lectures. On a scale of 1 to 10 thescores the students registered were 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10. Professor Zanylo s mode score was________ and his median score was ________.

A) 7.4; 9 B) 10; 7.4 C) 4; 10 D) 9; 8Answer: DDiff: 2 Page Ref: 24Skill: Comprehension

42) When a respondent tells a researcher who is asking questions the politically correct answerwhat error has occurred in the research process?

A) research fraudB) poor sample selectionC) a misunderstanding of the subjects worldD) incorrect analysis of data


43) While conducting research on domestic abuse, Tanya asked workers at a battered women sshelter, What do you think causes some men to abuse their wives? and then permitted themto elaborate on their answers. What is the term used to describe such a question with this typeof answering option?

A) The question and answer are a part of secondary analysis.B) This is an example of an open-ended question.C) This is an example of a closed-ended questionD) The question and answer are examples of generalizability in research.


44) Which of the following examination formats is most likely to incorporate closed-endedquestions?

A) an essay exam B) a multiple choice examC) an oral exam D) a fill-in-the-blank exam


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45) Jarod is conducting research on the homeless. For six weeks he has lived among the homeless24/7, sleeping on the street or at a shelter, and engaging in the same activities as thepopulation he is studying. By doing so, Jarod has been able to gather a broad understanding ofthe homeless, their needs, and characteristics. In view of this, Jarod is using ________ as amethod of gathering data.

A) representative sampling B) secondary analysisC) content analysis D) participant observation

Answer: DDiff: 2 Page Ref: 26Skill: Comprehension

46) If a researcher is using diaries to collect information about the attitudes of rape victims, he orshe is using ________ to collect their data.

A) ethnography B) dramaturgical analysisC) documents D) unstructured interviews


47) Steve and Naomi are counting the empty whiskey bottles in trash cans to measure the level ofwhiskey consumption in town. These researchers are using a method of research referred to as________.

A) documentation B) participant observationC) survey research D) unobtrusive measures


48) Dr. Zimbardo is examining the effect pornographic movies has on how single men respond tothe needs of women. He has one group of men watch pornographic films and another ThreeStooges episodes. He then tests their reactions to women in need by using short film clipsfollowed by a series of questions. Based on this, what research method is Dr. Zimbardo using?

A) the survey B) the experimentC) participant observation D) secondary analysis

Answer: BDiff: 3 Page Ref: 26-28Skill: Application

49) Max has developed the hypothesis that the stress felt by unemployed men increases theprobability of spousal abuse. Stress would be considered the ________ variable and spousalabuse would be considered the ________ variable.

A) dependent; independent B) dependent; controlC) independent; dependent D) independent; control


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50) What are the three qualities on which research ethics are based?A) profit, generalizability, honesty B) openness, honesty, truthC) exclusiveness,generalizability, honesty D) consistency, honesty, clarity


51) When Peter Rossi and the National Opinion Research Center studied the homeless, it wasnecessary for them to develop a practical and accurate description to determine exactly whatconstituted being homeless. This description would be classified as a[n] ________.

A) research objective B) hypothesisC) operational definition D) correlation


52) Diana Scully and Joseph Marolla conducted structured interviews of convicted rapists inprison. They divided the interviews equally between themselves, utilizing the same questionsand methods. The primary objective for dividing the group equally was to ________.

A) assure representativeness of the sample B) improve the rapport of the respondentsC) reduce the chance of interviewer bias D) minimize the effects of spuriousness


53) Why did Mario Brajuha refuse to turn over his research notes to the authorities, even whensubpoenaed?

A) He was fearful of being imprisoned.B) As an undocumented worker he would be deported.C) He would be accused of plagiarism.D) He wanted to protect his respondents.


54) The American Sociological Society is urging politicians and policy makers to be more aware ofthe sociological perspective in their work. This is a concept the ASA refers to as ________.

A) the Thomas Theorem B) political sociologyC) the Hawthorne Effect D) public sociology


55) What is the growing interconnection among nations due to the expansion of capitalism and thebreaking down of national boundaries in communication, trade, and travel?

A) public sociology B) globalizationC) the Hawthorne Effect D) the Thomas theorem


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1.2 True/False Questions

1) The corners of life that people occupy such as jobs, income, education, gender, age, and raceare referred to as the social imperative.Answer: FALSEDiff: 1 Page Ref: 4Skill: Knowledge

2) The goal of the scientific method is to use common sense, logic, and popularity to discover thepattern, or reoccurring characteristics, of the phenomena under study.Answer: FALSEDiff: 2 Page Ref: 5Skill: Knowledge

3) Because sociology is based on common sense it is an excellent discipline for students to studywho approach the world in a rational, matter of fact way.Answer: FALSEDiff: 3 Page Ref: 6Skill: Application

4) Herbert Spencer believed the most capable and intelligent members of a society would survivewhile the weak and less fit would die, thus improving society in a master plan he calledsurvival of the fittest.Answer: TRUEDiff: 2 Page Ref: 6Skill: Comprehension

5) According to conflict theory, Marxism is the same as communism.Answer: FALSEDiff: 1 Page Ref: 6Skill: Knowledge

6) Emile Durkheim identified the degree of social integration as the primary variable to explaindifferent rates of suicide within different European nations.Answer: TRUEDiff: 1 Page Ref: 7Skill: Knowledge

7) According to Max Weber, the sign Calvinists looked for as an indication they were savedwas their successful investment in capital.Answer: TRUEDiff: 1 Page Ref: 8Skill: Knowledge

8) Harriet Martineau is best known for her work in social reform and for translating Comte sworks on sociology into English.Answer: TRUEDiff: 1 Page Ref: 8Skill: Knowledge

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9) According to the principles of symbolic interactionism, symbols not only allow relationships toexist, they also allow society to exist.Answer: TRUEDiff: 2 Page Ref: 13Skill: Comprehension

10) Sociologists who use the functionalist perspective stress how industrialization andurbanization undermined the traditional functions of the family.Answer: TRUEDiff: 2 Page Ref: 16Skill: Comprehension

11) The first step in the research model is to formulate a hypothesis.Answer: FALSEDiff: 1 Page Ref: 19Skill: Knowledge

12) When an instrument measures what it is intended to measure it is considered to possess thequality of reliability.Answer: FALSEDiff: 1 Page Ref: 21Skill: Knowledge

13) The individuals that represent the target group that is the focus of study is called the sample.Answer: FALSEDiff: 1 Page Ref: 23Skill: Knowledge

14) The mean is always the most representative measure of the average when comparing scores ina distribution.Answer: FALSEDiff: 2 Page Ref: 24Skill: Comprehension

15) In order to establish rapport with a sample while researching sensitive and personal issues, theresearcher should begin by asking emotional and personal questions so he or she can relate tothe respondent.Answer: FALSEDiff: 3 Page Ref: 25Skill: Application

16) Interviewer bias may occur because of a researcher s sex, race, or perceived ethnicity.Answer: TRUEDiff: 3 Page Ref: 28Skill: Application

17) Another name for participant observation is fieldwork.Answer: TRUEDiff: 1 Page Ref: 26Skill: Knowledge

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18) Experimental research requires a minimum of two different groups, one to receive the effect ofthe independent variable and one that does not.Answer: TRUEDiff: 1 Page Ref: 27Skill: Knowledge

19) Studying the level of whiskey consumption in a dry town by counting the number of emptywhiskey bottles in trash cans is an example of research using unobtrusive measures.Answer: TRUEDiff: 3 Page Ref: 28Skill: Application

20) Ethics in sociology requires the researcher to find evidence that supports the hypothesis thattheir research is based on.Answer: FALSEDiff: 1 Page Ref: 29Skill: Knowledge

1.3 Short Answer Questions

1) What is social location?Answer: Social location is the group memberships that people have because of their location in

history and society.Diff: 1 Page Ref: 4Skill: Knowledge

2) What is the scientific method?Answer: The scientific method is using objective, systematic observation to test theories.Diff: 3 Page Ref: 5Skill: Knowledge

3) Herbert Spencer suggested that to help lower classes is to interfere with the natural process ofsurvival of the fittest. This concept was the key element in his view of the evolution of societycalled ________.Answer: social DarwinismDiff: 1 Page Ref: 6Skill: Knowledge

4) According to the Wall Street Journal, who were the three greatest modern thinkers?Answer: Karl Marx, Albert Einstein, Sigmund FreudDiff: 3 Page Ref: 6Skill: Knowledge

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5) Why did Durkheim s research support the position that suicide was more of a sociologicalissue rather than one based on psychological theory?Answer: Durkheim s comparison of suicide rates in several countries revealed that people are

more likely to commit suicide if their ties to others in their communities are weak. Healso discovered how suicide rates within specific countries and cultures remain constantwhile they differ considerably between cultures. This suggests a social basis (sociology)rather than an individualistic basis (psychology) for the cause of suicide.

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 7Skill: Analysis

6) Karl Marx claimed that ________ was the central force of social change, while Max Weberargued that ________ was actually the central force of social change.Answer: economics; religionDiff: 2 Page Ref: 7Skill: Knowledge

7) Name two of the first three American universities to develop a sociology curriculum in the late19th century.Answer: University of Kansas; University of Chicago; Atlanta UniversityDiff: 1 Page Ref: 8-9Skill: Knowledge

8) What did C. Wright Mills mean by the term the power elite ?Answer: He referred to the top leaders of business, politics, and the military who made the major

policy decisions of the nation as the power elite.Diff: 2 Page Ref: 11Skill: Comprehension

9) According to Karl Marx, what single element was the key to understanding human history?Answer: class conflictDiff: 1 Page Ref: 17Skill: Knowledge

10) What are the similarities and differences between macro- and micro-levels of analysis?Answer: Both macro- and micro-levels of analysis examine the patterns of society. Macro-level

analysis focuses on large scale patterns of society while micro-levels of analysis aremore concerned with social interaction and what people do when they are in another spresence.

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 18Skill: Evaluation

11) What term does the American Sociological Society use to describe the encouragement it givesto politicians and policy makers to be more aware of the sociological perspective?Answer: public sociologyDiff: 1 Page Ref: 32Skill: Knowledge

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12) What is globalization?Answer: The breaking down of national boundaries because of advances in communications,

trade, and travel placing sociology as the unrivaled discipline on the world scale.Diff: 2 Page Ref: 33Skill: Knowledge

13) What topics qualify as appropriate sociological research?Answer: Every area of human behavior is a valid topic for sociological research. This includes

broad issues such as race relations and international trade as well as individualisticissues such as doctor-patient relationships and small group interaction.

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 19Skill: Comprehension

14) What is the difference between a sample and a random sample ?Answer: A sample is simply a group of individuals chosen from the target population without

employing safeguards to see that it represents the target population. A random sampleis a portion of a population in which everyone in the population has the same chance ofbeing included in the study and will therefore be more representative of the targetpopulation.

Diff: 4 Page Ref: 22-24Skill: Analysis

15) What are the three ways to measure the average of a set of scores?Answer: (1) the mean (2) the median (3) the modeDiff: 1 Page Ref: 24Skill: Knowledge

16) Why is participant observation also called fieldwork?Answer: Participant observation takes the researcher into the field where they can be highly

involved with the population under study or removed from it.Diff: 4 Page Ref: 26Skill: Analysis

17) Why is it important to ask neutral questions while conducting sociological research?Answer: The questions must allow respondents to express their own opinions, otherwise the

researcher will only collect biased answers which are worthless from a researchperspective.

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 25Skill: Application

18) In an experiment, what are the names of the two groups required for an experiment to takeplace?Answer: The experimental group and the control group.Diff: 1 Page Ref: 27Skill: Knowledge

19) What are unobtrusive measures?Answer: Unobtrusive measures are ways of observing people who do not know they are being

studied.Diff: 1 Page Ref: 28Skill: Knowledge

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20) What was the major ethics issue in the Brajuha research?Answer: protecting the subjectsDiff: 1 Page Ref: 29Skill: Knowledge

1.4 Essay Questions

1) Define what is the sociologically imagination, citing its components and how they weredefined by C. Wright Mills.Answer: The sociological imagination enables us to grasp the connection between history and

biography. By history, Mills meant that each society is located in a broad stream ofevents. By biography, Mills referred to each individual s specific experiences.


2) Trace the historical development of sociology in Europe.Answer: Refer to the subheading Origins of Sociology and describe the pre-19th century

thought popular at that time and how it challenged the more traditional thinking of thefeudal period. Include the influence of industrialization, immigration, and urbanizationand how these changes in society created a need to change the understanding of humaninteraction. Conclude the answer with a brief description of the contributions of Comte,Spencer, Durkheim, Marx, and Martineau. Be sure to explain the concept of positivism.

Diff: 1 Page Ref: 5-8Skill: Knowledge

3) How did Weber explain the emergence of the spirit of capitalism?Answer: Weber believed that religion was the central force in social change. Protestants believed

that financial success was a sign by which they were saved and in God s will. Toenhance this sign of salvation, they began to live frugal lives and invest the surplusmoney they made. As a result, they made more money. This readiness to invest moneywas what Weber called the spirit of capitalism.


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4) Briefly describe the factors which contributed to the emergence of sociology as a discipline inthe nineteenth century.Answer: The four factors contributing to the emergence of sociology were: the Industrial

Revolution, the American and French revolutions, imperialism, and the success of thenatural sciences in applying the scientific method in answering questions about thenatural environment. The Industrial Revolution caused a great social upheaval inEurope, the shift from agriculture to factory production brought about many changes inpeople s lives. These changes included an increase in urbanization, horrible workingconditions, and the failure of tradition in providing answers for their life experiences.Second, the American and French revolutions introduced new ideas about individualsinalienable rights. As a result, more democratic forms of governance were introducedand tradition no longer provided adequate answers for individuals. Imperialismexposed Europeans to radically different cultures and brought up the question of whycultures differed. And, with the success of the natural sciences in answering questionsabout the natural environment by using the scientific method, some thought it logical toapply this method to questions about the social world.


5) Social life can be interpreted from one of three major theoretical frameworks. Describe themajor points of each framework. List at least one sociologist who has been identified with eachof these three frameworks.Answer: Summarize the subsection of the text, Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology describing

symbolic interactionism, functional analysis, and the conflict perspective. Provide acomprehensive definition of each as presented by the author. Theorists associated withsymbolic interactionism include Mead, Cooley, and Thomas. Those associated withfunctional analysis include include Durkheim, Spencer, Parsons, and Merton. Marx,Dahrendorf, Coser, and Domhoff represent the conflict perspective.

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 13-18Skill: Comprehension

6) Describe the major differences between basic (pure) sociology and applied sociology.Answer: Basic or pure sociology is directed toward the development of theory and research

which attempts to answer basic questions about human social groups, but not at makingchanges in these groups. Applied sociology involves the practical application ofsociological knowledge to solve problems and shape social policy.


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7) Trace the development of sociology as an academic discipline in North America from the late1800s until the mid 20th century.Answer: Sociology first took root at the University of Kansas in 1890 followed by the University

of Chicago in 1892 and Atlanta University in 1897. The first actual sociology curriculumis being credited as being established at the University of Chicago, primarily due to thetremendous social change that Chicago was experiencing. Sociology didn t cross theborder into Canada until 1922 when it was adopted at McGill University. Some of themost prestigious universities in America did not adopt sociology for a number of years.It appeared in Harvard in 1930 and the University of California at Berkeley in the 1950s.Although the University of Chicago was actually the second American university toadopt sociology, it had the greatest impact in shaping the discipline as it is practicedand taught in American society.


8) What is public sociology and why is it an important contribution to the sociology of everydaylife?Answer: Public sociology is the encouragement of policy makers and politicians to become more

aware of the sociological perspectives in developing social policy. An example of this isestablishing programs that provide intervention, prevention, and rehabilitation forat-risk inner city youth and programs to assist former inmates to find meaningful workwhen released from prison. Such awareness of the needs of individuals and society, anunderstanding of symbolic interactionism, functionalism, and conflict contribute to amore efficient society.


9) Describe the difference between a population and a sample. What is a representative sample?What is the best way to achieve representativeness in a sample?Answer: A population is the target group to be studied. In contrast, a sample are individuals

selected from the population to represent the members of the population to be studied.A representative sample is one in which every member of the population has an equallylikely chance of being selected for the sample. This is best achieved through the processof random sampling.


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10) Discuss the eight steps in the research model.Answer: (1) Selecting a topic. Sociologists choose a wide range of topics, usually those which

inspire their curiosity.(2) Defining the problem. What is it that the researcher wants to learn about his topic?(3) Reviewing the literature. What have other researchers published on this topic?(4) Formulating a hypothesis. Developing a statement about what the researcher wantsto find according to predictions from a theory.(5) Choosing a research method. What is the design the researcher plans to use to collectthe data?(6) Collecting the data. Utilizing the method chosen to actually gather information onthe topic chosen. Validity and reliability are major concerns when collecting the data.(7) Analyzing the results. Testing a hypothesis based on the data collected or studyingthe results to look for similarities, differences, and other patterns.(8) Sharing the results. Writing a report or paper to share with the academic communityand other people with an interest in the topic studied.


11) List and briefly describe the six research methods used to gather data.Answer: A summary of the section Research Methods (pp. 22-29) is required that addresses

surveys, participant observation, secondary analysis, documents, experiments, andunobtrusive measures. Surveys are the collection of data by having people answer aseries of questions. Participant observation, also called fieldwork, is research in whichthe researcher participates in a research setting while observing what is happening inthat setting. Secondary analysis is the analysis of data that have been collected by otherresearchers. Documents are written sources including books, newspapers, bank records,immigration records, diaries, and other formal and informally printed or hand writtenmaterial. Experiments are the use of control and experimental groups and dependentand independent variables to test causation. Unobtrusive measures are ways ofobserving people who do not know they are being studied.

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 22-29Skill: Application

12) Discuss the difference between validity and reliability.Answer: Validity refers to whether an operational definition measures what it was intended to

measure. It addresses the issue of accuracy of measurement. Reliability refers to theextent to which different studies come up with similar results. It addresses the issue ofconsistency of measurement.


13) In research, what is an operational definition? How is an operational definition different froma definition in the traditional sense?Answer: In research, an operational definition is the precise way a variable is measured. The

difference between and operation definition and traditional definition is in the exactnessor preciseness of the definition. For example, the definition of man in the traditionalsense is any male over 18 years of age. In a research study, however, the term manmay be limited to someone of an younger age group (18 to 25) or someone older (over65).


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14) How can gender or race create skewed results in sociological research?Answer: Interviewer bias is created when respondents provide the researcher the answers they

believe are most politically correct or less offensive to the researcher. This may occurbecause the respondent does not wish to be offensive to the researcher, or in some cases,they may wish to provide a more shocking response simply because of the race or sex ofthe researcher. Interviewer bias would only occur in cases where the respondent wasaware of who the researcher was, which is most likely during the data gatheringmethod of the interview.


15) What ethical violations occurred in Laud Humphreys study of tearooms ?Answer: Research subjects should also be informed they are being studied and never be harmed

by research. Humphreys did not tell his research subjects that he was doing research onthem. He misrepresented himself as a participant, when he was really a researcher. Heviolated the subjects privacy by using their car license plate numbers to locate them. Herisked exposing his subjects discreditable sexual behavior by recording it and theiridentities. He failed to tell his subjects that he was using the medical study to learn moreabout their sexual behavior. He disguised himself so his subjects would not recognizehim as the same person who observed them at the tearooms.


1.5 Open Book Questions

1) The author describes the anguish and fear he experienced while mingling among the homelessto gather data for a pending research interest. Why would a professional individual such asDr. Henslin submit himself to such standards in the name of science ?Answer: Sociologists do many things in many different ways. The author was conducting

research based on the participant-observation method using full participation. He wasexperiencing what the homeless experienced and using qualitative methods to learnfrom his subjects. Dr. Henslin had to experience the anguish of the homeless toeffectively assess and analyze their plight and how it may be lessened through publicsociology and social reform.


2) Define social location, then provide a detailed account of your own social location, how it haschanged in the past year, and how you expect it to change in the next five years.Answer: Answers might include: Social location is the group memberships that people have

because of their location in history and society. One s individual social location willinclude age, occupation (part-time or full-time), sex, race or ethnicity, income, class,marital status, and a number of other variables. One s social location changesconstantly. A year ago the college student may have been a high school student, adifferent age, holding a different part-time or full-time job. The ascribed statuses of thestudent (race, ethnicity, sex, and others) are less likely to change. Five years from nowthe student may expect to be five years older, a college graduate, holding a professionalposition, holding a different marital status, and other changes that can be predicted withsome certainty.

Diff: 5 Page Ref: 4Skill: Synthesis

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3) The social Darwinist ideas of Herbert Spencer have been discredited, yet we still wrestle withthe issue of how to deal with people who are poor, disabled, criminal, ignorant, and lazy.What social policies might Spencer have advocated to deal with such people? CompareSpencer s likely response to the strategy underlying current social policies toward thesegroups.Answer: Spencer may have advocated refusing to provide public support to such groups,

isolating them to reduce the harm they could do, and preventing them fromreproducing. Current social welfare policies are designed to provide some assistance forpeople who cannot provide for themselves, but to encourage people to takeresponsibility for their own welfare, to restrict the amount of public support for peoplewho are physically and mentally able to support themselves, and to punish people whoviolate the law.


4) Karl Marx predicted the proletariat would eventually overthrow the bourgeoisie in a violentrevolution. Why does Marx s analysis and prediction of class conflict, based on Marx sobservations of mid-nineteenth century England and Europe, not apply to Western,industrialized societies today?Answer: Answers might include: The class divisions that exist today are not as clear and sharp as

they were during Marx s lifetime. Although workers may still be exploited, their livesare not as miserable as in the nineteenth century. The division between capitalists andworkers is also less clear in contemporary society, where a large proportion of thepopulation owns stock in corporations.

Diff: 5 Page Ref: 6-7Skill: Synthesis

5) The author addresses sexism and racism as it was practiced in sociology in both Europe andAmerica. Have these issues been sufficiently addressed by the discipline in modern times?Defend your answer.Answer: There is no right answer, only well defended opinions. In many respects, the prejudice

directed against women and African Americans in the early days of European andAmerican sociology have been greatly curtailed. On the other hand, there can beevidence gathered that they still exist. Students could conduct a random examination ofsociology faculty at their present university and other universities that are similar(private, public, ivy league, etc.) and list the total number of faculty, number of AfricanAmericans in the faculty, and women faculty to make a determination on the hiringpractices of sociology departments.


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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 performed bymost families in your own experience. Do families provide fewer or different functions thanpreviously?Answer: Functions currently performed by families include: providing food, clothing, and shelter

for young children; coordinating the work schedules of two wage earners; providingtransportation to work, school, after-school, and recreational activities for adults andchildren; coordinating financial matters for all members; providing moral guidance andsupervision for children; providing for romantic and sexual activities for marriagepartners; providing for recreational activities for marriage partners and young children.The discussion of changing functions should acknowledge that families still performmany functions, although many are different from the functions provided by families inearlier generations. In addition, families face a greater and much different type of strainon families in today s fiercely competitive society. Children are subjected to greater andmore dangerous temptations on the street and from their peers. These greater dangersinclude drugs, sexual predators, and negative peer influence. Raising a family is farmore expensive in comparative dollars and quality family time is less.

Diff: 6 Page Ref: 15-17Skill: Evaluation

7) Watch the evening news or a news show such as 60 Minutes. Summarize one of the topicsdiscussed. Then attempt to address the research method the reporters used to gather the data.If you wanted to replicate the topic under discussion, how would you do it?Answer: Every answer will be different. It would help if the student taped the television

broadcast used for closer scrutiny. This may also be a good class exercise or small groupexercise conducted by members of the class.


8) Choose an appropriate topic for sociological research and take it through an abbreviatedcompletion of the eight steps of the research process.Answer: The choice of topics can be wide and varied. Explaining each step in the process

becomes more time consuming and will need to conform to the topic chosen. The eightsteps are listed under the subheading of the chapter A Research Model .


9) Develop a table profiling members of the class using all six elements of a table described onpage 23.Answer: The title of the table: A Profile of Students in Dr. X s Introduction to Sociology Course.

The headnote: Based on class attendance on mm/dd/yyyy Dr. X s sociology class wascomposed of students with the following characteristics. Headings: male, female, white,black, other race. Columns: frequency to be determined. Row(s) only one row isnecessary to list frequency. Source: Observations of Dr. X s Intro to Sociology class.


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10) In a senior seminar course, fifteen students registered the following scores on the 100-pointcomprehensive exam: 45, 71, 77, 95, 81, 83, 85, 91, 85, 46, 84, 75, 81, 85, and 94. Calculate themean, median, and mode. What do the scores indicate about the individual ability of themembers of the class.Answer: The mean is 78.5, the median 83, and the mode 85. Three of the students scored very

highly on the exam (91, 94, and 95) while two scored very low (45 and 46). Theremaining ten had scores ranging from 71-85 which is relatively consistent with themean and median.

Diff: 5 Page Ref: 24Skill: Synthesis

11) In Down-to-Earth Sociology, Loading the Dice: How Not to do Research, Henslin providesexamples of biased questions and biased choices. Pick a research topic and then discuss howthe researcher could intentionally choose a biased sample. Provide at least one example of abiased question.Answer: Answers will be varied. The Down-to-Earth Sociology segment provides the necessary

instructions for answering the question. One example of research bias would be toconduct a research project on student satisfaction with university facilities and services.Selecting the sample from honor students and volunteers would produce a biasedsample and biased results. An example of a biased questions would be as follows:

Which of the following statements best describes your opinion of the library services atthis university?

a. The book collection is diverse and meets my academic needs.b. The library has an excellent assortment of films.c. Periodicals and journals are conveniently located and easy to find.d. The library staff is very skilled and provides exceptional service.


12) Experiments provide the best opportunity to determine cause and effect. They permit arandomly selected group of subjects to receive an intervention, while a randomly selectedcontrol group does not receive the intervention (or receives a different intervention). Despiteits obvious strengths, the experimental method is seldom used in social science research for anumber of reasons including ethical concerns. What are some of these reasons and ethicalconcerns?Answer: In order to submit subjects to treatment they must provide their consent, and in reality,

be volunteers. When volunteers are introduced into the sample it upsets the concept ofrandom sampling. When everyone in the target population no longer has an equalchance of being chosen the generalization of results becomes difficult. It is consideredunethical to impose interventions on people when the interventions are likely to beharmful, or to withhold some interventions from people when the people have a seriousproblem and are likely to benefit from the treatment being used. In addition, sincehuman behavior is prone to change and a wide variety of influences, the results of anexperiment may not be applicable to other populations or even be valid for the samepopulation in the event of rapidly changing social events.


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13) Design a project that can be conducted on campus using participant observation as theresearch method. What may be some concerns the researcher student needs to consider.Answer: A student can elect to attend meetings of a campus organization for six weeks (or any

given time) to assess the organization and develop an understanding of it. The gay andlesbian student union, the black student union, or any organization that meets regularlyis a possibility. If the student is studying an organization that he or she would notnormally be associated there needs to be some caution. Members of some organizationsmay resent being studied. In such an exercise, whether or not the student should seekpermission to sit in on public meetings open to all students becomes an interestingissue.

Diff: 2 Page Ref: 26Skill: Comprehension

14) Gaining access to documents is a potential obstacle to research. Why might a crisisintervention center refuse to give a researcher access to its records?Answer: Crisis intervention centers provide services to very vulnerable people. Such facilities

must promise privacy and confidentiality of records to their clients; otherwise potentialclients would be fearful of seeking services there. These facilities might also not trust theresearcher to protect the privacy of clients.

Diff: 3 Page Ref: 26;29Skill: Application

15) How would a researcher conduct a study of a clandestine population, such as prostitutes,spouses guilty of infidelity, illicit drug users, or criminals who have not yet been brought tojustice?Answer: This is a challenging question. In some cases there are self-help groups that seek to

assist former drug users or prostitutes who are seeking to reform. It may be possible toreceive permission to survey members of such a group by going through the properchannels. Advertisements in the personal column of a major newspaper and perhaps anews story announcing the researcher s efforts will invite appropriate members of thepopulation to come forward. Once one member of such a population is found, he or shemay be able to introduce the researcher to other members of the same population andvouch for them. There are many problems with this type of research and the validity ofthe results may be questionable.


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1.6 Line Art Questions

Figure 1.1 Comparing Basic and Applied Sociology

1) Elliot is a systems analyst for the Department of Health. In his position he evaluates theeffectiveness of health care programs in rural communities. Based on Figure 1.1 on page 12Comparing Basic and Applied Sociology , which description best fits Elliot s role as asociologist?

A) Elliot would best be classified as a dedicated basic sociologist.B) Elliot would best be classified as a dedicated applied sociologist.C) Elliot shares traits of both basic and applied sociologists but leans more towards the basic

model.D) Elliot shares traits of both basic and applied sociologists but leans more towards the

applied model.Answer: DDiff: 3 Page Ref: 12Skill: Application

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Figure 1.2 U.S. Marriage, U.S. Divorce

2) Based on Figure 1.2 U.S. Marriage, U.S. Divorce found on page 14, what general conclusioncan be reached?

A) Both marriage and divorce have stabilized since 1980.B) Marriage is on the decrease while divorce is on the increase.C) Marriage is on the increase while divorce is on the decrease.D) Both marriage and divorce have decreased since 1980.


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