Name __________________________

Intro to Sociology Quiz 3

Answer the multiple choice and T/F questions by circling the correct answer. Answer one essay in 4-5 sentences.

1. Research in schools has demonstrated that peer group interaction frequently helps to break down
traditional gender stereotypes. T F

2. Stigma is an important concept in

a. structural strain theory.
b. conflict theory.
c. labeling theory.
d. functional theory
e. control theory.

3. Sociologists have found that as long as a child’s physical needs are attended to, the child will grow up
normally. T F

4. One of the first phases of life in a total institution involves _________________; this helps to
__________ clients or inmates.
a. a degradation ceremony; strip away the existing selves of
b. delousing; add new selves to
c. IQ testing; stratify
d. eating a big meal; strengthen
e. branding; identify

5. Social labeling theorists seek to explain acts of deviance that occur after the individual has been
labeled as deviant. T F

6. According to Merton's theory of anomie, many people in the United States turn to deviance because
a. they learn how to do and justify deviance from other people.
b. they are taught to want certain things (e.g., success) but are not given legitimate means to
achieve these things.
c. they are labeled as deviant and then self-fulfilling prophecy takes over.
d. they are born with anti-social personalities.
e. by nature, people born in the US tend to be greedy and egotistical.

7. Alex is planning on making her first million dollars before she reaches 25 years of age. Though still in
high school, she subscribes to the Wall Street Journal, carries a brief case, and invests her allowance
with a stockbroker. Moreover, she insists on wearing business suits—even to track practice. She is
thoroughly engaged in
a. status nonconformity.
b. anticipatory socialization.
c. role conflict.
d. youthful games.
e. play, or simple imitative behaviors.

8. Which of the following are the most potent agents of socialization?

a. Primary groups
b. Secondary groups
c. Formal educational organizations (of a variety of kinds)
d. The media
e. Workplaces
9. Which of the following statements about socialization is not true?
a. It is complete when the individual reaches adulthood.
b. It is a process by which people acquire cultural competency.
c. It helps perpetuate existing social structures.
d. It involves education.
e. It generally begins in the family.

10. A sociologist would find it impossible to create a list of all deviant acts because
a. deviance is relative to the time and place in which acts are committed.
b. deviance is a psychological matter.
c. it would take too long.
d. deviance primarily is a matter of economic concerns.
e. All of the choices are correct

11. Which of the following statements about deviance is true?

a. Deviant behavior is that which causes physical or objective harm.
b. Deviance has only negative consequences for society.
c. A behavior that is regarded as deviant in one society will likely be regarded as deviant in most
societies.
d. None of the choices are correct

12. __________________ reflect people’s beliefs about why it is fair that some people are ranked higher
than others and given different rewards.
a. System ideals
b. Caste and estate principles
c. Legitimating rationales
d. Constitutional principles
e. Any of the above, depending on the type of stratification system

13. Elizabeth lived at home with her parents until she graduated from high school. Then she joined the
Marines. As she looks back on it, Elizabeth reflects that “during basic training I became a whole new
person. I was no longer Elizabeth Jones but Private Jones. I learned to dress, talk, eat, sleep and
march like a Marine.” What Elizabeth is describing is the process that sociologists refer to as
a. secondary socialization.
b. anticipatory socialization.
c. peer group reorganization.
d. resocialization.
e. militarization.

14. According to George H. Mead, the __________________ begins to develop as children learn to fulfill
the different roles involved in games.
a. “master status”
b. “spurious other”
c. “intimate other”
d. “significant other”
e. “generalized other”

15. According to sociologists, rites of passage

a. exist only in pre-literate societies.
b. exist only in post-literate societies.
c. mark the transition from one status to another.
d. have been outlawed in most countries.
e. typically involve invasive surgical procedures.
16. In all societies people are evaluated on the basis of some characteristic, placed into higher or lower
ranking groups, and given differential rewards. Sociologists refer to this process as
a. natural selection.
b. socialization.
c. class distinction.
d. stratification.
e. None of the above

17. Which of the following is not a stage in Cooley’s looking glass self?
a. I imagine that others see me.
b. I imagine what others think of me.
c. I experience some sort of self-feeling.
d. I judge others on the basis of what they think of me.
e. C and D

Short Answer Essay (Choose one)

A. One of the functions of deviance is that it can encourage social change. Explain how this happens;
Given this, explain why total institutions are so strict about conformity. Use an example from a reading.

B. In the reading “New Families: Modern Couples as New Pioneers,” would the concepts from the chapter
on socialization or the chapter on deviance be more relevant? Explain why.

C. What does the concept of the “self” have to do with the process of socialization? Use a reading to
explain your answer.