RSC2601 Exam Preparation _Questions and answers

EXAM QUESTIONS QUESTION 1 (1-11) A person of high academic standing is given the task by the local government to investigate the best ways of ensuring participation of people living in a small town in an agricultural development project. Being of her high status, she speaks with authority. The research results obtained by this person must be: 1) accepted unquestioningly because of the high academic standing of the researcher 2) rejected because authority is not a valid way to gain knowledge 3) rejected because participation is a form of common sense knowledge 4) accepted if it withstands critical scrutiny The correct answer is (4) SG p5 But the problem with relying on authority is that we can overestimate the expertise of persons in authority: in other words, experts can be wrong. When we do not know how the experts arrived at their knowledge, we should be careful in accepting their conclusions. Therefore 1) is incorrect. A person in a position of authority is likely to have earned that authority by his or her experience and may therefore be able to offer us reliable knowledge. In other words, that person has spent time and effort learning something and others can benefit from this. Therefore 2) and 3) is incorrect. QUESTION 2 (1-11) The different accounts of people having witnessed a car accident can be ascribed to: 1) overgeneralisation 2) selective observation 3) ego involvement 4) stress The correct answer is (2) SG p9 Overgeneralisation may lead to selective observation. Once the decision is made that events are following a particular pattern, and you think you know why, you will tend to pay attention mainly to future situations that correspond with that pattern. You will also tend to overlook the situations that conflict with the pattern. QUESTION 3 (1-11) People's dependence on media presentations for understanding the impact of, for example, sophisticated communication technology on their daily lives, is an example of ___. 1) media myths. 2) authonty 3) mythical Interpretation of technology. 4) scepticism towards technology. The correct answer is (1) SG p8 Media Myths: The mass media, including television, films, newspapers and magazines and, most recently, the Internet, have a powerful influence on knowledge. Most people learn Downloaded by: mosa123 | Distribution of this document is illegal S - The study-notes marketplace RSC2601 – Research in Social Sciences 3 about the world and develop their concept of social reality according to what they see, hear and read in the media. However, as Neuman (1997) points out, the chief purpose of the media is to entertain, not to present reality accurately. Writers who adapt real life for television shows and films scripts distort reality, often relying on tradition, authority or common sense. Writers for newspapers and magazines have deadlines which limit their information and they cannot be specialists in every topic they write about. Mistakes may be made from ignorance. Public thinking can be changed by selective emphasis, and this, in turn, can lead people into error. QUESTION 4 (1-11) Identify the epistemological statement: 1) social reality and natural reality can be studied in the same way 2) social reality is inherently meaningful 3) human beings are reflexive 4) patriarchy is common in traditional societies 5) hidden structures mask the true nature of social reality The correct answer is (1) SG p20 “We shall explain epistemology in the context of the social sciences with reference to the following epistemological question: “Can social reality (things such as groups, societies, norms, organisations) be studied in the same way as natural reality (things such as atoms, bodies, viruse