Page 1 of 38
Test Bank - for Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and
Class The Sociology of Group Conflict and
Change Ninth Edition by Joseph F. Healey,
Andi Stepnick, All Chapters | Complete
SOLUTION | Guide A+
1. According to the text, a minority group is defined not by its
numerical size but by:
A) Its proportion in the population
B) Its lack of access to power and resources
C) Its physical appearance only
D) Its recent immigration status
Answer: B
Rationale: A minority group is characterized by unequal treatment,
distinguishing physical or cultural traits, involuntary membership,
,Page 2 of 38
awareness of subordination, and high rates of in-group marriage.
Power, not numbers, is key.
2. Which of the following is an ascribed status?
A) Occupation
B) Educational level
C) Race
D) Income
Answer: C
Rationale: Ascribed statuses are assigned at birth (race, sex, social
class of parents). Achieved statuses are earned through individual
effort.
3. The concept of social construction of race means that:
A) Race is biologically determined
B) Racial categories are created and given meaning by society
C) Race has no consequences
D) Racial differences are genetically fixed
,Page 3 of 38
Answer: B
Rationale: The social constructionist view holds that race is not a
fixed biological reality but a category invented and modified by
societies to justify inequality and group boundaries.
4. Which theoretical perspective focuses on how group conflict
arises from competition over scarce resources?
A) Functionalism
B) Symbolic interactionism
C) Conflict theory
D) Ethnomethodology
Answer: C
Rationale: Conflict theory (influenced by Marx and Weber)
emphasizes power differentials and competition for resources (jobs,
housing, political influence) as the engine of intergroup relations.
5. According to Robert Park’s race-relations cycle, which stage
involves intense competition and conflict?
, Page 4 of 38
A) Contact
B) Competition
C) Accommodation
D) Assimilation
Answer: B
Rationale: Park’s cycle: contact → competition (often leading to
conflict) → accommodation (temporary adjustment) → eventual
assimilation.
6-15: Continue with questions on: prejudice vs. discrimination
(LaPiere study, Merton’s typology), individual vs. institutional
discrimination, stereotype threat, and the psychodynamic theory
of prejudice (authoritarian personality).
16. The Thomas theorem states that:
A) “If people define situations as real, they are real in their
consequences”
B) “Race is a biological reality”
Test Bank - for Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and
Class The Sociology of Group Conflict and
Change Ninth Edition by Joseph F. Healey,
Andi Stepnick, All Chapters | Complete
SOLUTION | Guide A+
1. According to the text, a minority group is defined not by its
numerical size but by:
A) Its proportion in the population
B) Its lack of access to power and resources
C) Its physical appearance only
D) Its recent immigration status
Answer: B
Rationale: A minority group is characterized by unequal treatment,
distinguishing physical or cultural traits, involuntary membership,
,Page 2 of 38
awareness of subordination, and high rates of in-group marriage.
Power, not numbers, is key.
2. Which of the following is an ascribed status?
A) Occupation
B) Educational level
C) Race
D) Income
Answer: C
Rationale: Ascribed statuses are assigned at birth (race, sex, social
class of parents). Achieved statuses are earned through individual
effort.
3. The concept of social construction of race means that:
A) Race is biologically determined
B) Racial categories are created and given meaning by society
C) Race has no consequences
D) Racial differences are genetically fixed
,Page 3 of 38
Answer: B
Rationale: The social constructionist view holds that race is not a
fixed biological reality but a category invented and modified by
societies to justify inequality and group boundaries.
4. Which theoretical perspective focuses on how group conflict
arises from competition over scarce resources?
A) Functionalism
B) Symbolic interactionism
C) Conflict theory
D) Ethnomethodology
Answer: C
Rationale: Conflict theory (influenced by Marx and Weber)
emphasizes power differentials and competition for resources (jobs,
housing, political influence) as the engine of intergroup relations.
5. According to Robert Park’s race-relations cycle, which stage
involves intense competition and conflict?
, Page 4 of 38
A) Contact
B) Competition
C) Accommodation
D) Assimilation
Answer: B
Rationale: Park’s cycle: contact → competition (often leading to
conflict) → accommodation (temporary adjustment) → eventual
assimilation.
6-15: Continue with questions on: prejudice vs. discrimination
(LaPiere study, Merton’s typology), individual vs. institutional
discrimination, stereotype threat, and the psychodynamic theory
of prejudice (authoritarian personality).
16. The Thomas theorem states that:
A) “If people define situations as real, they are real in their
consequences”
B) “Race is a biological reality”
