Our Social World Introduction to Sociology 7th Edition
Ballantine Test Bank
Chapter 1: Sociology: A Unique Way to View the World
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
- The scientific study of social life, social change, and social causes and consequences
of human behavior is .
a. psychology
b. anthropology
c. biology
d. sociology
Ans: D
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: What Is Sociology?
Difficulty Level: Easy - According to the text, the smallest unit sociologists study is a(n) _.
a. triad
b. dyad
c. individual
d. community
Ans: B
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: What Is Sociology?
Difficulty Level: Easy - By comparison, focuses on group patterns, whereas focuses on the
behavior of individuals.
a. psychology; anthropology
b. sociology; anthropology
c. psychology; sociology
d. sociology; psychology
Ans: D
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: What Is Sociology?
Difficulty Level: Medium - The entire world is becoming interconnected in a process known as .
a. nations
b. globalization
c. communities
d. societies
Ans: B
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: What Is Sociology?
Difficulty Level: Easy
- Which statement is included in the underlying assumptions of sociology?
a. People prefer to be isolated.
b. We do not need change in society to proceed with human life.
c. Interactions between individuals and groups are a two-way process.
d. People have inherent qualities of kindness and generosity.
Ans: C
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis
Answer Location: Ideas Underlying Sociology
Difficulty Level: Hard - The sociological perspective on race argues that .
a. racial categories are biologically determined
b. racial categories are the same across societies
c. racial categories are socially constructed
d. racial categories do not change over time
Ans: C
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Sociological Findings and Commonsense Beliefs
Difficulty Level: Medium - Which statement is TRUE regarding how sociology views conflict and social change?
a. Conflict and social change are inherent features of groups and societies.
b. Conflict and social change are unique to industrial societies.
c. Conflict and social change can be measured in decades.
d. Conflict and social change are negative features of dysfunctional societies.
Ans: A
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Ideas Underlying Sociology
Difficulty Level: Medium - Which statement is a sociological finding?
a. Most of the differences in the behaviors of women and men are based on “human
nature.”
b. Racial groupings are based on biological differences among people.
c. Most marriages in the U.S. do not last.
d. The meaning and boundaries of racial categories change over time.
Ans: D
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Sociological Findings and Commonsense Beliefs
Difficulty Level: Hard
- According to a commonsense belief, “most marriages in the U.S. do not last”. What
sociological factor may explain this belief?
a. values
b. demographic variables
c. norm violations
d. social policies
Ans: B
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Sociological Findings and Commonsense Beliefs
Difficulty Level: Hard - Which statement is TRUE regarding commonsense findings?
a. Commonsense refers to ideas that are taken for granted while sociology tests beliefs
is a scientific manner.
b. Commonsense is only useful in survival situation.
c. Sociology finds the true answers while commonsense is not true.
d. There are no differences between commonsense and sociology.
Ans: A
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Sociological Findings and Commonsense Beliefs
Difficulty Level: Medium - Which of the following sociologists is responsible for the Sociological Imagination?
a. Peter Berger
b. Karl Marx
c. C. Wright Mills
d. Émile Durkheim
Ans: C
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: The Sociological Imagination
Difficulty Level: Easy - Which of the following definitions best describes the Sociological Imagination?
a. The complex interactive relationship between individual experiences and public
issues.
b. The study of social life and social change.
c. The actions of people that occur within their environment.
d. The interconnected parts that make up our social world.
Ans: A
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: The Sociological Imagination
Difficulty Level: Medium
- Gabriella’s roommate is considering dropping out of college due to the high rate of
tuition. Gabriella considers that the high rate of tuition may be the result of a dramatic
decline in government support for higher education. Sociologists would say that
Gabriella is using her to view her roommate’s problem.
a. sociological imagination
b. psychological training
c. economic perspective
d. investigative abilities
Ans: A
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: The Sociological Imagination
Difficulty Level: Medium - Which of the following elements do sociologists use to explain individual behavior?
a. common sense
b. instinct
c. social forces
d. inherited ability
Ans: C
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: The Sociological Imagination
Difficulty Level: Medium - A discipline that trains social scientists to study the contents of garbage heaps asks,
“What can we learn from studying garbage?” This question would most likely be asked
by a(n) .
a. anthropologist
b. economist
c. psychologist
d. political scientist
Ans: A
KEY: Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain the sociological perspective.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: The Social Sciences: A Comparison
Difficulty Level: Easy