SOC 100 WEEK 2 QUIZ 1
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. What might a sociologist say about people's selection of marriage partners?
a. People marry because they fall in love.
b. When it comes to romance, it’s all a matter of personal taste.
c. Typically, a person marries someone of similar social position.
d. When it comes to love, opposites attract.
(Applied; answer: c; page 2)
2. The idea that the social world guides our actions and life choices just as the seasons
influence activities and choice of clothing describes:
a. the basis of what philosophy calls “free will.”
b. the essential wisdom of the discipline of sociology.
c. the fact that people everywhere have “common sense.”
d. the fact that people from countries all around the world make mostly identical
choices about how to live.
(Conceptual; answer: b; pages 2-3)
3. Which discipline defines itself as “the systematic study of human society”?
a. sociology
b. psychology
c. economics
d. history
(Conceptual; answer: a; page 2)
4. Peter Berger described using the sociological perspective as seeing the in the
.
a. good; worst tragedies
b. new; old
c. specific; general
d. general; particular
(Conceptual; answer: d; page 2)
5. By stating that the sociological perspective shows us “the strange in the familiar," the text
argues that sociologists:
a. focus on the bizarre elements of society.
b. reject the familiar idea that people simply decide how to act in favor of the
initially strange idea that society shapes our lives.
c. believe that people often behave in strange ways.
d. believe that even people who are most familiar to us have some very strange
habits.
(Conceptual; answer: b; pages 2-3)
6. Three campus roommates are talking about why they are in college. A sociological view
of going to college highlights the effect of:
1
,SOC 100 WEEK 2 QUIZ 1
a. age, because college students tend to be young.
b. class, because college students tend to come from families with above-average
incomes.
c. our place in history, because a century ago going to college was not an option for
most people.
d. All of the above are correct.
(Applied; answer: d; pages 2-3)
7. A sociological analysis of childbearing around the world suggests that the number of
children born to a woman reflects:
a. her preference for family size.
b. how many children she can afford.
c. whether she herself was born into a poor or rich society.
d. the desires of her husband.
(Applied; answer: c; pages 3-4)
8. According to Emile Durkheim, a category of people with a higher suicide rate typically
has:
a. more clinical depression.
b. less money, power, and other resources.
c. lower social integration.
d. greater self-esteem.
(Factual; answer: c; page 5)
9. The pioneering sociologist who studied patterns of suicide in Europe was:
a. Robert K. Merton.
b. Auguste Comte.
c. Emile Durkheim.
d. Karl Marx.
(Factual; answer: c; page 5)
10. In the United States today, the suicide rate is highest for which category of people listed
below?
a. white males
b. African American males
c. white females
d. African American females
(Factual; answer: a; page 5)
11. Because there is more social isolation in rural areas of the United States than in urban
areas, we would expect suicide rates to be:
a. higher in urban areas.
2
,SOC 100 WEEK 2 QUIZ 1
b. higher in rural areas.
c. high in both urban and rural areas.
d. low in both urban and rural areas.
(Applied; answer: b; page 5)
12. Sociologists use the term “social marginality” to refer to:
a. people who have little understanding of sociology.
b. having special social skills.
c. being defined by others as an “outsider.”
d. people who are especially sensitive about their family background.
(Conceptual; answer: c; page 5)
13. If marginality encourages sociological thinking, we would expect people in which
category listed below to make the most use of the sociological perspective?
a. the wealthy
b. disabled persons or people who are a racial minority
c. politicians
d. the middle class
(Applied; answer: b; page 5)
14. Following the thinking of C. Wright Mills, we would have expected the sociological
imagination to be more widespread:
a. during times of peace and prosperity.
b. among the very rich.
c. among very religious people.
d. during times of social crisis.
(Applied; answer: d; pages 5-6)
15. C. Wright Mills claimed that the "sociological imagination" transformed:
a. common sense into laws of society.
b. people into supporters of the status quo.
c. personal problems into public issues.
d. scientific research into common sense.
(Conceptual; answer: c; page 7)
16. The United States falls within which category of the world's nations?
a. low-income nations
b. middle-income nations
c. high-income nations
d. None of the above is correct.
(Factual; answer: c; pages 6-7)
17. Which of the following categories contains countries in which average income is typical
for the world as a whole and in which people are as likely to live in a rural area as in an
urban area?
a. low-income nations
3
, SOC 100 WEEK 2 QUIZ 1
b. middle-income nations
c. high-income nations
d. None of the above is correct.
(Conceptual; answer: b; page 6)
18. The nations of Europe, Israel, Japan, and Australia fall into which of the following
categories of countries?
a. low-income nations
b. middle-income nations
c. high-income nations
d. None of the above is correct.
(Conceptual; answer: c; page 6)
19. Almost all of Latin America and Asia falls within which of the following categories?
a. low-income nations
b. middle-income nations
c. high-income nations
d. very rich nations
(Factual; answer: b; page 6)
20. The text presents a portrait of a “global village.” Which of the following statements about
this village is true?
a. Half the people are North Americans.
b. Half the people are rich.
c. Half the people are Africans.
d. Half the people do not get enough to eat.
(Factual; answer: d; page 8)
21. Read the following statements. Only one of them is TRUE. Which one is it?
a. Because the United States is so rich, there is little reason for us to learn about
other nations.
b. Gaining a global understanding is important to college students because most new
U.S. jobs involve international trade.
c. There is no longer very much poverty in the world.
d. People the world over have ways of life that are mostly the same.
(Factual; answer: b; pages 7-8)
22. More than 1 million immigrants enter the United States each year and many (including
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gloria Estefan) have become well known. These facts
support the conclusion that:
a. the world's nations are increasingly interconnected.
b. other nations have little effects on life in rich countries such as the United States.
4
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. What might a sociologist say about people's selection of marriage partners?
a. People marry because they fall in love.
b. When it comes to romance, it’s all a matter of personal taste.
c. Typically, a person marries someone of similar social position.
d. When it comes to love, opposites attract.
(Applied; answer: c; page 2)
2. The idea that the social world guides our actions and life choices just as the seasons
influence activities and choice of clothing describes:
a. the basis of what philosophy calls “free will.”
b. the essential wisdom of the discipline of sociology.
c. the fact that people everywhere have “common sense.”
d. the fact that people from countries all around the world make mostly identical
choices about how to live.
(Conceptual; answer: b; pages 2-3)
3. Which discipline defines itself as “the systematic study of human society”?
a. sociology
b. psychology
c. economics
d. history
(Conceptual; answer: a; page 2)
4. Peter Berger described using the sociological perspective as seeing the in the
.
a. good; worst tragedies
b. new; old
c. specific; general
d. general; particular
(Conceptual; answer: d; page 2)
5. By stating that the sociological perspective shows us “the strange in the familiar," the text
argues that sociologists:
a. focus on the bizarre elements of society.
b. reject the familiar idea that people simply decide how to act in favor of the
initially strange idea that society shapes our lives.
c. believe that people often behave in strange ways.
d. believe that even people who are most familiar to us have some very strange
habits.
(Conceptual; answer: b; pages 2-3)
6. Three campus roommates are talking about why they are in college. A sociological view
of going to college highlights the effect of:
1
,SOC 100 WEEK 2 QUIZ 1
a. age, because college students tend to be young.
b. class, because college students tend to come from families with above-average
incomes.
c. our place in history, because a century ago going to college was not an option for
most people.
d. All of the above are correct.
(Applied; answer: d; pages 2-3)
7. A sociological analysis of childbearing around the world suggests that the number of
children born to a woman reflects:
a. her preference for family size.
b. how many children she can afford.
c. whether she herself was born into a poor or rich society.
d. the desires of her husband.
(Applied; answer: c; pages 3-4)
8. According to Emile Durkheim, a category of people with a higher suicide rate typically
has:
a. more clinical depression.
b. less money, power, and other resources.
c. lower social integration.
d. greater self-esteem.
(Factual; answer: c; page 5)
9. The pioneering sociologist who studied patterns of suicide in Europe was:
a. Robert K. Merton.
b. Auguste Comte.
c. Emile Durkheim.
d. Karl Marx.
(Factual; answer: c; page 5)
10. In the United States today, the suicide rate is highest for which category of people listed
below?
a. white males
b. African American males
c. white females
d. African American females
(Factual; answer: a; page 5)
11. Because there is more social isolation in rural areas of the United States than in urban
areas, we would expect suicide rates to be:
a. higher in urban areas.
2
,SOC 100 WEEK 2 QUIZ 1
b. higher in rural areas.
c. high in both urban and rural areas.
d. low in both urban and rural areas.
(Applied; answer: b; page 5)
12. Sociologists use the term “social marginality” to refer to:
a. people who have little understanding of sociology.
b. having special social skills.
c. being defined by others as an “outsider.”
d. people who are especially sensitive about their family background.
(Conceptual; answer: c; page 5)
13. If marginality encourages sociological thinking, we would expect people in which
category listed below to make the most use of the sociological perspective?
a. the wealthy
b. disabled persons or people who are a racial minority
c. politicians
d. the middle class
(Applied; answer: b; page 5)
14. Following the thinking of C. Wright Mills, we would have expected the sociological
imagination to be more widespread:
a. during times of peace and prosperity.
b. among the very rich.
c. among very religious people.
d. during times of social crisis.
(Applied; answer: d; pages 5-6)
15. C. Wright Mills claimed that the "sociological imagination" transformed:
a. common sense into laws of society.
b. people into supporters of the status quo.
c. personal problems into public issues.
d. scientific research into common sense.
(Conceptual; answer: c; page 7)
16. The United States falls within which category of the world's nations?
a. low-income nations
b. middle-income nations
c. high-income nations
d. None of the above is correct.
(Factual; answer: c; pages 6-7)
17. Which of the following categories contains countries in which average income is typical
for the world as a whole and in which people are as likely to live in a rural area as in an
urban area?
a. low-income nations
3
, SOC 100 WEEK 2 QUIZ 1
b. middle-income nations
c. high-income nations
d. None of the above is correct.
(Conceptual; answer: b; page 6)
18. The nations of Europe, Israel, Japan, and Australia fall into which of the following
categories of countries?
a. low-income nations
b. middle-income nations
c. high-income nations
d. None of the above is correct.
(Conceptual; answer: c; page 6)
19. Almost all of Latin America and Asia falls within which of the following categories?
a. low-income nations
b. middle-income nations
c. high-income nations
d. very rich nations
(Factual; answer: b; page 6)
20. The text presents a portrait of a “global village.” Which of the following statements about
this village is true?
a. Half the people are North Americans.
b. Half the people are rich.
c. Half the people are Africans.
d. Half the people do not get enough to eat.
(Factual; answer: d; page 8)
21. Read the following statements. Only one of them is TRUE. Which one is it?
a. Because the United States is so rich, there is little reason for us to learn about
other nations.
b. Gaining a global understanding is important to college students because most new
U.S. jobs involve international trade.
c. There is no longer very much poverty in the world.
d. People the world over have ways of life that are mostly the same.
(Factual; answer: b; pages 7-8)
22. More than 1 million immigrants enter the United States each year and many (including
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gloria Estefan) have become well known. These facts
support the conclusion that:
a. the world's nations are increasingly interconnected.
b. other nations have little effects on life in rich countries such as the United States.
4
