, TESTBANK FOR SOC 7th Edition Benokraitis
Important Notes
The file includes the complete test bank, organized chapter by chapter.
A sample of selected pages has been provided for preview.
All available appendices and Excel files (if included in the original resources) are
provided.
We continuously update our files to ensure you receive the latest and most accurate
editions.
New editions are added regularly – stay connected for updates!
✅ Why Buy From Us?
📚 Complete & organized chapter-by-chapter – no missing content, no guessing.
⚡ Instant digital delivery – get your file the moment you pay, no waiting.
📅 Always up to date – we track new editions so you always get the latest version.
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correct version, free of charge.
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Contact Email:
,Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
1. Auguste Comte saw sociology as the scientific study of two aspects of society, namely
a. social statics and social dynamics.
b. history and biography.
c. conventional wisdom and facts.
d. ideology and intuition.
ANSWER: a
2. A Sociologist would be most interested in studying which of the following?
a. How racial and ethnic diversity has changed
b. The systematic pressure of a racing car engine
c. The genetic makeup of an individual’s brain
d. How gravity is measured
ANSWER: a
3. A(n) _____ is a set of statements that explains why a phenomenon occurs.
a. theory
b. variable
c. analysis
d. assertion
ANSWER: a
4. John is researching the issue of unemployment and thinks about the effects of unemployment in his family as well as
in society. John is utilizing the:
a. Part of the brain called the hypothalamus
b. The Peter Principle
c. The sociological imagination
d. The looking-glass self
ANSWER: c
5. Karl Marx saw industrial society as composed of
a. capitalists, petit bourgeoisie, and proletariat.
b. capitalists, socialists, and communists.
c. sustainers, maintainers, and drainers.
d. core, semiperipheral, and peripheral cultures.
ANSWER: a
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 1
,Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
6. John goes away to college and is struggling with living on his own and preparing a schedule for the day. Learning
how to live on one’s own and preparing a schedule is a __________________ function of going away to college.
a. manifest
b. intended
c. overt
d. latent
ANSWER: d
7. Which of the following did W. E. B. Du Bois include as part of the “cure” for prejudice and discrimination?
a. Promoting Black political power
b. Creating a Black working class
c. Creating an independent Black homeland
d. Punishing White people who discriminate
ANSWER: a
8. Why did Jane Addams win the Nobel Peace Prize?
a. For the development of Hull House and founding the settlement house movement
b. For her advocacy of negotiating, rather than waging war, to settle disputes
c. For her support of the temperance movement
d. For creating an international coalition to advance women’s rights
ANSWER: b
9. A researcher is trying to decide whether to utilize a microsociological or macrosociological approach when studying
the issue of crime. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Microsociology examines the patterns of individuals’ social interaction in specific
settings. Macrosociology examines the large-scale patterns and processes that characterize society as
a whole. An advantage of utilizing the microsociological approach is researchers can understand how
each individual views a particular event or issue. The disadvantage of this approach is it doesn’t take
into the larger societal factors. An advantage of utilizing the macrosociological approach is researchers
can focus on the larger societal factors that shape human behavior. A disadvantage would be that this
approach doesn’t take into account how each individual may view a particular issue or topic.
10. Knowledge gained from microsociological investigations frequently disputes knowledge gained from
macrosociological investigations.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 2
,Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
11. Jill is a senior in high school and is unsure of the career path she wants to pursue in college. Her advisor explains
that she may want to major in Sociology as she has an interest in:
a. administration and managerial work
b. medical positions
c. math and statistics
d. science and technology
ANSWER: a
12. Bill is a researcher who is going to focus on how governmental laws impact the school system; therefore he is
utilizing the symbolic interactionist perspective.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
13. Émile Durkheim is known as the father of sociology, and Harriet Martineau may be described as its mother.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
14. Latent functions of education include teaching students basic literacy and math skills.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
15. Conflict theorists view societal arrangements as inherently unstable and dysfunctional because they favor some
groups over others.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
16. Goffman likened our everyday interactions to theatrical performances.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 3
,Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
17. Discuss the principles of the feminist perspective in the field of Sociology and the evaluate the advantages and
disadvantages of using this perspective to understand a social problem.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. The feminist perspective in the field of Sociology focuses on women’s social,
economic, and political inequalities. The advantage of using this perspective is it allows the researcher
to focus on the issues that impact women with regards to a particular social problem. The disadvantage
of using this perspective is it doesn’t take into account the perspectives of other groups in society
besides women, including men.
18. Identify and discuss three ways in which sociology differs from common sense.
ANSWER: Answers will vary but may include:
Common sense is subjective but sociology examines claims and beliefs critically.
Common sense ignores facts to protect cherished beliefs, but sociology relies on facts not just to
build theories but also to modify even well-established theories.
Common sense varies across groups and cultures, but sociology considers many points of view.
Much of our common sense is based on myths and misconceptions, but sociology enables us to
move beyond established ways of thinking.
19. Define the term sociological imagination, discuss its relationship to troubles and issues, and provide an illustrative
example from your own life.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. A sociological imagination is the ability to see the relationship between individual
experiences and larger social influences. It emphasizes how personal troubles can be related to
structural issues.
20. Define microsociology and provide an example of a microsociological issue that is of interest to you.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Microsociology examines the patterns of individuals’ social interaction in specific
settings.
21. Discuss the concept of “value-free” as it pertains to studying a social problem. Why would it be difficult for a
researcher to be value-free while conducting a research study?
ANSWER: Answers will vary. A researcher who is value-free is one who separates their personal values, opinions,
ideology and beliefs from scientific research. It can be difficult to be value-free as every individual has
an his or her own values and opinions about different issues. It can be hard to put those values aside
when conducting a study, especially is an individual feels strongly about a particular issue.
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 4
,Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
22. Identify the father and mother of sociology and describe their contributions.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Auguste Comte coined the term sociology and is often described as the “father of
sociology.” Comte maintained that the study of society must be empirical and based on observations,
experiments, or other data collection rather than on ideology, religion, intuition, or conventional wisdom.
He saw sociology as the scientific study of two aspects of society: social statics and social dynamics.
Social statics investigates how principles of social order explain a particular society, as well as the
interconnections between institutions. Social dynamics explores how individuals and societies change
over time. Comte’s emphasis on social order and change within and across societies is still useful today
because many sociologists examine the relationships between education and politics (social statics), as
well as how such interconnections change over time (social dynamics).
Harriet Martineau, an English author, translated and condensed Auguste Comte’s difficult material for
popular consumption and was largely responsible for the dissemination of Comte’s work. She
emphasized the importance of systematic data collection through observation and interviews, and an
objective analysis of data to explain events and behavior. She also published the first sociology research
methods textbook.
23. Jane is a Sociologist who is preparing to study the issues surrounding poverty utilizing the symbolic interactionist
perspective. Using this perspective what would be the focus of her study on poverty?
a. The societal institutions that play a role in poverty rates
b. The various groups in society who are most likely to be impacted by poverty
c. How individuals interact with each other based on their perceived social class
d. The laws that the government passes
ANSWER: c
24. Discuss the benefits as well as the limitations of utilizing the sociological imagination in understanding social issues.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. The sociological imagination emphasizes the connection between personal troubles
(biography) and structural issues. The benefits of using the sociological imagination is it allows a
researcher to see the connections between an individual’s private troubles and the larger societal
picture. A limitation of this perspective is it doesn’t necessary examine the details of each individual
experience; it more so focuses on the connections between the individual and society.
25. Discuss Durkheim’s account of suicide. Use Durkheim’s account to propose a program to address the problem of
high suicide rates among military veterans.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. In his classic study, Suicide, Durkheim (1897/1951) relied on extensive data
collection to test his theory that suicide is associated with social integration. He concluded that people
who experience meaningful social relationships in families, social groups, and communities are less
likely to commit suicide than those who feel alone, helpless, or hopeless. Thus, many seemingly isolated
individual acts, including suicide, are often the result of structural arrangements, such as weak social
ties.
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 5
,Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
26. Describe the contributions of Jane Addams and W. E. B. Du Bois. Describe a contemporary issue that, were they
alive today, might be of interest to each.
ANSWER: Answers will vary.
Jane Addams was a social worker who co-founded Hull House, one of the first settlement houses in
Chicago that served the neighborhood poor. An active reformer throughout her life, Jane Addams was
a leader in the women’s suffrage movement and, in 1931, was the first American woman to be
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy of negotiating, rather than waging war, to settle
disputes. She was ignored by her colleagues at the University of Chicago because discrimination
against women sociologists was rampant, but published articles in many popular and scholarly journals,
as well as many books on the everyday life of urban neighborhoods, especially the effects of social
disorganization and immigration. Much of her work contributed to symbolic interaction. One of
Addams’s greatest intellectual legacies was her emphasis on applying knowledge to everyday
problems. Her pioneering work in criminology included ecological maps of Chicago that were later
credited to men.
W. E. B. Du Bois was a prominent Black sociologist, writer, editor, social reformer, and orator. The
author of almost two dozen books on Africans and Black Americans, Du Bois spent most of his life
responding to the critics and detractors of Black life. He was the first Black individual to receive a
Ph.D. from Harvard University. Du Bois helped found the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP) and edited its journal, Crisis. The problem of the twentieth century, he
wrote, is the problem of the color line. Du Bois believed that the race problem was one of ignorance,
and advocated a “cure” for prejudice and discrimination. Such cures included promoting Black political
power and civil rights and providing Black people with a higher education rather than funneling them
into technical schools.
27. Define manifest and latent functions and provide examples of each using a single social institution.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Manifest functions are intended and recognized; they’re present and clearly
evident. Latent functions are unintended and unrecognized; they’re present but not immediately
obvious.
28. Discuss the differences between the principles of Emile Durkheim and Max Weber and discuss similarities that exist
between the two Sociologists.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. To be scientific, Durkheim maintained, sociology must
study social facts—aspects of social life, external to the individual, that can be measured. Durkheim
also focused on social integration. Weber focused on social organization, a subjective understanding of
behavior, and a value-free
sociology. Each sociologist focuses on different aspects of society and how they impacted human
behavior. They both became well-known in the field of Sociology in the 19th century. Also, their works
are still applicable today with regards to understanding the root of social problems.
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 6
,Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
29. Discuss how conflict theorists understand social inequality, and provide a critique of that understanding.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Conflict theorists see society not as cooperative and harmonious, but as a system of
widespread inequality. For conflict theorists, there’s a continuous tension between the haves and the
have-nots, most of whom are children, women, minorities, people with low incomes, and the poor.
Many conflict theorists focus on how those in power—typically wealthy White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
males (WASPs)—dominate political and economic decision making in U.S. society. This group controls
a variety of institutions—like education, criminal justice, and the media—and passes laws that benefit
primarily people like themselves.
Some have criticized conflict theorists for overemphasizing competition and coercion at the expense of
order and stability. Inequality exists, and struggles over scarce resources occur, critics agree, but
conflict theorists often ignore cooperation and harmony. Critics also point out that the have-nots can
increase their power through negotiation, bargaining, lawsuits, and strikes.
30. Compare the principles of the functionalist perspective to the conflict perspective; discuss the similarities between
the two perspectives.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. The functionalist perspective focuses on the societal institutions in society and how
one institution can impact another institution. The conflict perspective focuses on the conflict between
groups in society scarce resources. Both of these perspectives utilize a microanalytical approach when
studying social problems.
31. Identify and describe the three perspectives of feminist theory discussed in your text and provide an example of how
each would address a contemporary issue related to gender inequality.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Liberal feminism endorses social and legal reform to create equal opportunities for
women. Radical feminism sees male dominance in social institutions (e.g., as the economy and
politics) as the major cause of women’s inequality. Global feminism focuses on how the intersection of
gender with race, social class, and colonization has exploited women in the developing world.
32. Select two different occupations and discuss the usefulness of Sociology in each occupation.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. An example might be a lawyer and a doctor. Both of these individuals interact with
individuals and understanding human behavior which is discussed in Sociology can help these individuals
be successful in their careers. Sociology allows us to examine social class, race, and gender on a
deeper level and this can be helpful in any career where individuals are interacting with individuals who
come from various backgrounds.
33. Discuss the importance of symbols to symbolic interactionists, providing an example from your personal experience.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Symbolic interaction looks at subjective, interpersonal meanings and how we
interact with and influence each other by communicating through symbols—words, gestures, or
pictures that stand for something and that can have different meanings for different individuals. To
interact effectively, our symbols must have shared meanings, or agreed-on definitions. One of the most
important of these shared meanings is the definition of the situation, or the way we perceive reality and
react to it. We typically learn our definitions of the situation through interaction with significant others,
especially parents, friends, relatives, and teachers, who play an important role in our socialization.
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 7
, Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
34. Discuss the advantages of using the functionalist perspective when examining a social problem and provide a critique
of this perspective.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Functionalism (also known as structural functionalism) maintains that society is a
complex system of interdependent parts that work together to ensure a society’s survival.
Functionalism was so focused on order and stability that it often ignored social change. Functionalism
can’t explain the many rapid changes sparked by the civil rights, women’s, and gay movements. A
second and related criticism is that functionalism often glosses over the widespread inequality that a
handful of powerful people create and maintain.
35. Psychology is more valuable than Sociology with regards to making informed decision about human behavior.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
36. Sociology is subjective, and conventional wisdom is objective.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
37. The sociological perspective analyzes how social context influences people’s lives.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
38. Sociologists believe that one theoretical perspective is better than another when examining a social problem
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
39. Macrosociology examines the patterns of individuals’ social interaction in specific settings.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
40. A Sociologist who is applying the principles of Karl Marx focuses on social solidarity and division of labor within a
particular society.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 8
Important Notes
The file includes the complete test bank, organized chapter by chapter.
A sample of selected pages has been provided for preview.
All available appendices and Excel files (if included in the original resources) are
provided.
We continuously update our files to ensure you receive the latest and most accurate
editions.
New editions are added regularly – stay connected for updates!
✅ Why Buy From Us?
📚 Complete & organized chapter-by-chapter – no missing content, no guessing.
⚡ Instant digital delivery – get your file the moment you pay, no waiting.
📅 Always up to date – we track new editions so you always get the latest version.
💬 Friendly support – real humans ready to help, anytime you need us.
🔒 Safe & secure – thousands of satisfied students trust us every semester.
🛡️Our Guarantees
💰 Money-Back Guarantee: Not satisfied? We offer a full refund – no questions asked.
🔄 Wrong File? No Problem: Contact us and we will replace it immediately with the
correct version, free of charge.
⏰ 24/7 Support: We are always here – reach out anytime and expect a fast response.
Contact Email:
,Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
1. Auguste Comte saw sociology as the scientific study of two aspects of society, namely
a. social statics and social dynamics.
b. history and biography.
c. conventional wisdom and facts.
d. ideology and intuition.
ANSWER: a
2. A Sociologist would be most interested in studying which of the following?
a. How racial and ethnic diversity has changed
b. The systematic pressure of a racing car engine
c. The genetic makeup of an individual’s brain
d. How gravity is measured
ANSWER: a
3. A(n) _____ is a set of statements that explains why a phenomenon occurs.
a. theory
b. variable
c. analysis
d. assertion
ANSWER: a
4. John is researching the issue of unemployment and thinks about the effects of unemployment in his family as well as
in society. John is utilizing the:
a. Part of the brain called the hypothalamus
b. The Peter Principle
c. The sociological imagination
d. The looking-glass self
ANSWER: c
5. Karl Marx saw industrial society as composed of
a. capitalists, petit bourgeoisie, and proletariat.
b. capitalists, socialists, and communists.
c. sustainers, maintainers, and drainers.
d. core, semiperipheral, and peripheral cultures.
ANSWER: a
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 1
,Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
6. John goes away to college and is struggling with living on his own and preparing a schedule for the day. Learning
how to live on one’s own and preparing a schedule is a __________________ function of going away to college.
a. manifest
b. intended
c. overt
d. latent
ANSWER: d
7. Which of the following did W. E. B. Du Bois include as part of the “cure” for prejudice and discrimination?
a. Promoting Black political power
b. Creating a Black working class
c. Creating an independent Black homeland
d. Punishing White people who discriminate
ANSWER: a
8. Why did Jane Addams win the Nobel Peace Prize?
a. For the development of Hull House and founding the settlement house movement
b. For her advocacy of negotiating, rather than waging war, to settle disputes
c. For her support of the temperance movement
d. For creating an international coalition to advance women’s rights
ANSWER: b
9. A researcher is trying to decide whether to utilize a microsociological or macrosociological approach when studying
the issue of crime. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Microsociology examines the patterns of individuals’ social interaction in specific
settings. Macrosociology examines the large-scale patterns and processes that characterize society as
a whole. An advantage of utilizing the microsociological approach is researchers can understand how
each individual views a particular event or issue. The disadvantage of this approach is it doesn’t take
into the larger societal factors. An advantage of utilizing the macrosociological approach is researchers
can focus on the larger societal factors that shape human behavior. A disadvantage would be that this
approach doesn’t take into account how each individual may view a particular issue or topic.
10. Knowledge gained from microsociological investigations frequently disputes knowledge gained from
macrosociological investigations.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 2
,Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
11. Jill is a senior in high school and is unsure of the career path she wants to pursue in college. Her advisor explains
that she may want to major in Sociology as she has an interest in:
a. administration and managerial work
b. medical positions
c. math and statistics
d. science and technology
ANSWER: a
12. Bill is a researcher who is going to focus on how governmental laws impact the school system; therefore he is
utilizing the symbolic interactionist perspective.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
13. Émile Durkheim is known as the father of sociology, and Harriet Martineau may be described as its mother.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
14. Latent functions of education include teaching students basic literacy and math skills.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
15. Conflict theorists view societal arrangements as inherently unstable and dysfunctional because they favor some
groups over others.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
16. Goffman likened our everyday interactions to theatrical performances.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 3
,Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
17. Discuss the principles of the feminist perspective in the field of Sociology and the evaluate the advantages and
disadvantages of using this perspective to understand a social problem.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. The feminist perspective in the field of Sociology focuses on women’s social,
economic, and political inequalities. The advantage of using this perspective is it allows the researcher
to focus on the issues that impact women with regards to a particular social problem. The disadvantage
of using this perspective is it doesn’t take into account the perspectives of other groups in society
besides women, including men.
18. Identify and discuss three ways in which sociology differs from common sense.
ANSWER: Answers will vary but may include:
Common sense is subjective but sociology examines claims and beliefs critically.
Common sense ignores facts to protect cherished beliefs, but sociology relies on facts not just to
build theories but also to modify even well-established theories.
Common sense varies across groups and cultures, but sociology considers many points of view.
Much of our common sense is based on myths and misconceptions, but sociology enables us to
move beyond established ways of thinking.
19. Define the term sociological imagination, discuss its relationship to troubles and issues, and provide an illustrative
example from your own life.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. A sociological imagination is the ability to see the relationship between individual
experiences and larger social influences. It emphasizes how personal troubles can be related to
structural issues.
20. Define microsociology and provide an example of a microsociological issue that is of interest to you.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Microsociology examines the patterns of individuals’ social interaction in specific
settings.
21. Discuss the concept of “value-free” as it pertains to studying a social problem. Why would it be difficult for a
researcher to be value-free while conducting a research study?
ANSWER: Answers will vary. A researcher who is value-free is one who separates their personal values, opinions,
ideology and beliefs from scientific research. It can be difficult to be value-free as every individual has
an his or her own values and opinions about different issues. It can be hard to put those values aside
when conducting a study, especially is an individual feels strongly about a particular issue.
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 4
,Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
22. Identify the father and mother of sociology and describe their contributions.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Auguste Comte coined the term sociology and is often described as the “father of
sociology.” Comte maintained that the study of society must be empirical and based on observations,
experiments, or other data collection rather than on ideology, religion, intuition, or conventional wisdom.
He saw sociology as the scientific study of two aspects of society: social statics and social dynamics.
Social statics investigates how principles of social order explain a particular society, as well as the
interconnections between institutions. Social dynamics explores how individuals and societies change
over time. Comte’s emphasis on social order and change within and across societies is still useful today
because many sociologists examine the relationships between education and politics (social statics), as
well as how such interconnections change over time (social dynamics).
Harriet Martineau, an English author, translated and condensed Auguste Comte’s difficult material for
popular consumption and was largely responsible for the dissemination of Comte’s work. She
emphasized the importance of systematic data collection through observation and interviews, and an
objective analysis of data to explain events and behavior. She also published the first sociology research
methods textbook.
23. Jane is a Sociologist who is preparing to study the issues surrounding poverty utilizing the symbolic interactionist
perspective. Using this perspective what would be the focus of her study on poverty?
a. The societal institutions that play a role in poverty rates
b. The various groups in society who are most likely to be impacted by poverty
c. How individuals interact with each other based on their perceived social class
d. The laws that the government passes
ANSWER: c
24. Discuss the benefits as well as the limitations of utilizing the sociological imagination in understanding social issues.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. The sociological imagination emphasizes the connection between personal troubles
(biography) and structural issues. The benefits of using the sociological imagination is it allows a
researcher to see the connections between an individual’s private troubles and the larger societal
picture. A limitation of this perspective is it doesn’t necessary examine the details of each individual
experience; it more so focuses on the connections between the individual and society.
25. Discuss Durkheim’s account of suicide. Use Durkheim’s account to propose a program to address the problem of
high suicide rates among military veterans.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. In his classic study, Suicide, Durkheim (1897/1951) relied on extensive data
collection to test his theory that suicide is associated with social integration. He concluded that people
who experience meaningful social relationships in families, social groups, and communities are less
likely to commit suicide than those who feel alone, helpless, or hopeless. Thus, many seemingly isolated
individual acts, including suicide, are often the result of structural arrangements, such as weak social
ties.
Copyright Cengage Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 5
,Name: Class: Date:
Ch 01: Thinking Like a Sociologist
26. Describe the contributions of Jane Addams and W. E. B. Du Bois. Describe a contemporary issue that, were they
alive today, might be of interest to each.
ANSWER: Answers will vary.
Jane Addams was a social worker who co-founded Hull House, one of the first settlement houses in
Chicago that served the neighborhood poor. An active reformer throughout her life, Jane Addams was
a leader in the women’s suffrage movement and, in 1931, was the first American woman to be
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy of negotiating, rather than waging war, to settle
disputes. She was ignored by her colleagues at the University of Chicago because discrimination
against women sociologists was rampant, but published articles in many popular and scholarly journals,
as well as many books on the everyday life of urban neighborhoods, especially the effects of social
disorganization and immigration. Much of her work contributed to symbolic interaction. One of
Addams’s greatest intellectual legacies was her emphasis on applying knowledge to everyday
problems. Her pioneering work in criminology included ecological maps of Chicago that were later
credited to men.
W. E. B. Du Bois was a prominent Black sociologist, writer, editor, social reformer, and orator. The
author of almost two dozen books on Africans and Black Americans, Du Bois spent most of his life
responding to the critics and detractors of Black life. He was the first Black individual to receive a
Ph.D. from Harvard University. Du Bois helped found the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP) and edited its journal, Crisis. The problem of the twentieth century, he
wrote, is the problem of the color line. Du Bois believed that the race problem was one of ignorance,
and advocated a “cure” for prejudice and discrimination. Such cures included promoting Black political
power and civil rights and providing Black people with a higher education rather than funneling them
into technical schools.
27. Define manifest and latent functions and provide examples of each using a single social institution.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Manifest functions are intended and recognized; they’re present and clearly
evident. Latent functions are unintended and unrecognized; they’re present but not immediately
obvious.
28. Discuss the differences between the principles of Emile Durkheim and Max Weber and discuss similarities that exist
between the two Sociologists.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. To be scientific, Durkheim maintained, sociology must
study social facts—aspects of social life, external to the individual, that can be measured. Durkheim
also focused on social integration. Weber focused on social organization, a subjective understanding of
behavior, and a value-free
sociology. Each sociologist focuses on different aspects of society and how they impacted human
behavior. They both became well-known in the field of Sociology in the 19th century. Also, their works
are still applicable today with regards to understanding the root of social problems.
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29. Discuss how conflict theorists understand social inequality, and provide a critique of that understanding.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Conflict theorists see society not as cooperative and harmonious, but as a system of
widespread inequality. For conflict theorists, there’s a continuous tension between the haves and the
have-nots, most of whom are children, women, minorities, people with low incomes, and the poor.
Many conflict theorists focus on how those in power—typically wealthy White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
males (WASPs)—dominate political and economic decision making in U.S. society. This group controls
a variety of institutions—like education, criminal justice, and the media—and passes laws that benefit
primarily people like themselves.
Some have criticized conflict theorists for overemphasizing competition and coercion at the expense of
order and stability. Inequality exists, and struggles over scarce resources occur, critics agree, but
conflict theorists often ignore cooperation and harmony. Critics also point out that the have-nots can
increase their power through negotiation, bargaining, lawsuits, and strikes.
30. Compare the principles of the functionalist perspective to the conflict perspective; discuss the similarities between
the two perspectives.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. The functionalist perspective focuses on the societal institutions in society and how
one institution can impact another institution. The conflict perspective focuses on the conflict between
groups in society scarce resources. Both of these perspectives utilize a microanalytical approach when
studying social problems.
31. Identify and describe the three perspectives of feminist theory discussed in your text and provide an example of how
each would address a contemporary issue related to gender inequality.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Liberal feminism endorses social and legal reform to create equal opportunities for
women. Radical feminism sees male dominance in social institutions (e.g., as the economy and
politics) as the major cause of women’s inequality. Global feminism focuses on how the intersection of
gender with race, social class, and colonization has exploited women in the developing world.
32. Select two different occupations and discuss the usefulness of Sociology in each occupation.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. An example might be a lawyer and a doctor. Both of these individuals interact with
individuals and understanding human behavior which is discussed in Sociology can help these individuals
be successful in their careers. Sociology allows us to examine social class, race, and gender on a
deeper level and this can be helpful in any career where individuals are interacting with individuals who
come from various backgrounds.
33. Discuss the importance of symbols to symbolic interactionists, providing an example from your personal experience.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Symbolic interaction looks at subjective, interpersonal meanings and how we
interact with and influence each other by communicating through symbols—words, gestures, or
pictures that stand for something and that can have different meanings for different individuals. To
interact effectively, our symbols must have shared meanings, or agreed-on definitions. One of the most
important of these shared meanings is the definition of the situation, or the way we perceive reality and
react to it. We typically learn our definitions of the situation through interaction with significant others,
especially parents, friends, relatives, and teachers, who play an important role in our socialization.
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34. Discuss the advantages of using the functionalist perspective when examining a social problem and provide a critique
of this perspective.
ANSWER: Answers will vary. Functionalism (also known as structural functionalism) maintains that society is a
complex system of interdependent parts that work together to ensure a society’s survival.
Functionalism was so focused on order and stability that it often ignored social change. Functionalism
can’t explain the many rapid changes sparked by the civil rights, women’s, and gay movements. A
second and related criticism is that functionalism often glosses over the widespread inequality that a
handful of powerful people create and maintain.
35. Psychology is more valuable than Sociology with regards to making informed decision about human behavior.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
36. Sociology is subjective, and conventional wisdom is objective.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
37. The sociological perspective analyzes how social context influences people’s lives.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: True
38. Sociologists believe that one theoretical perspective is better than another when examining a social problem
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
39. Macrosociology examines the patterns of individuals’ social interaction in specific settings.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
40. A Sociologist who is applying the principles of Karl Marx focuses on social solidarity and division of labor within a
particular society.
a. True
b. False
ANSWER: False
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