Practice Test #2

The questions on this practice test are drawn from the same bank from which I will draw the multiple guess portion of your second exam. When you feel you have mastered the material in Unit 2, take this practice exam.  A score less than desired indicates that further study is warranted..
 
 
1. According to sociocultural materialism, the amount of control exercised by the elites in a society:
A. is always absolute
B. is counterbalanced by the power of the masses
C. varies across societies and through time
D. depends on their bio-psychological needs

 
2. In sociocultural materialism, why is the infrastructure given such importance?
A. because humans must live within environmental constraints
B. because our ability to produce children is greater than our ability to obtain energy for their survival
C. because it is through the infrastructure that society regulates energy need and extraction
D. all of the above

 
3. Everyone's values do not count equally in the definition of social problems. Which groups' values count more heavily than others?
A. the poor and their protest groups
B. the corporations and their PACs
C. the middle class and their interest groups
D. none of the above, America is a democracy where everyone is equal

 
4. Which of the following statements abut technology is NOT true?
A. it has its roots in the tool-making and fire-building skills of the earliest human groups
B. it emerged about two centuries after the development of science
C. it can function independently of scientific research
D. it is an important source of social change

 
5. The structure of a sociocultural system is composed of
A. production and reproduction
B. primary and secondary groups
C. mental and cultural beliefs and ideologies
D. human institutions and norms

 
6. The theme of sociocultural materialism is:
A. definition of the situation
B. exchange of goods and services between people
C. the constraints of age and sex roles
D. social-environmental relationships

 
7. Which of the following statements abut technological change is NOT correct?
A. changes in organizational networks have the most far-reaching consequences
B. technology is affected by the social conditions prevailing at the time
C. new technologies are usually met with widespread acceptance
D. technological change is an important source of social change

 
8. According to sociocultural materialism, in order to understand why a society takes the form it does one must understand
A. the conflicts of the elites
B. the conflicts of nondominant groups
C. the interests of the elites
D. the interests of nondominant groups

 
9. Which of the following refers to the use of tools and knowledge to manipulate the physical environment in order to achieve desired goals?
A. technique
B. basic science
C. technology
D. pure science

 
10. The idea of the overwhelming importance of bureaucratic forms of social organization in modern societies was a central idea in the sociology of
A. Max Weber
B. Karl Marx
C. Auguste Comte
D. Emile Durkheim

 
11. A secondary group characterized by a clearly defined hierarchy with a commitment to rules, efficiency, and impersonality is a:
A. bureaucracy
B. voluntary organization
C. coercive organization
D. collectivist organization

 
12. The term "social structure" refers to the fact that social relationships:
A. are characterized by recurring patterns of behavior
B. are made up of any set of individuals
C. require constant monitoring for compliance
D. are narrowly defined and rigidly enforced

 
13. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of primary groups?
A. members share a strong sense of solidarity
B. members communicate with one another on a regular basis
C. relationships among members are intimate
D. there is a considerable amount of role playing

 
14. Max Weber argued that bureaucracy tends to make modern society more rational. By "rational" he meant:
A. reasonable
B. efficient
C. harmonious
D. humanitarian

 
15. All of the following are examples of secondary groups EXCEPT:
A. a sociology class
B. workers on an assembly line
C. a fraternity on a college campus
D. a jury deliberating on a murder case

 
16. A modern bureaucracy is characterized by all of the following EXCEPT:
A. positions with clearly defined responsibilities
B. career ladders
C. inefficiency
D. rules and procedures

 
17. One advantage of the extended family is greater:
A. freedom for the young
B. support for the elderly
C. flexibility
D. emphasis upon romantic love

 
18. The family in hyper-industrialized societies:
A. usually has no contact with its kinship network
B. places little value on romantic love
C. is less stable than the traditional extended family
D. performs more social functions than it did in the past

 
19. In the US, the two primary caretakers of children are
A. family and school
B. government and mass media
C. day care and peer groups
D. nannies ("au paires") and day care

 
20. A group of people related by blood, marriage, or adoption is referred to as a:
A. family
B. kinship network
C. consanguine group
D. sibling set

 
21. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Kin are a group of related people living together and sharing a common obligation and duties.
B. Sociologically, kinship and family can be regarded as the same phenomenon.
C. In preindustrial societies, kinship is often the basis of social organization.
D. in the US, both secondary and primary relatives are generally considered kinfolk.

 
22. According to your instructor (yada yada), the main function of the family in hyper-industrial society is to
A. provide a safe form of sex for adults
B. provide emotional support and a haven from the outside world
C. provide the chief economic production unit for the digitized economy
D. provide the economic base for launching children into the modern economy

 
23. One of the dysfunctions of the nuclear family is that it
A. treats children as merely an economic asset
B. hinders the social mobility often required in a hyper-industrial society
C. prevents individual family members from seeking personal fulfillment
D. often deprives the married couple of the support of other relatives

 
24. Which of the following statements about marriage in hyper-industrial society is NOT true?
A. It is on the verge of disappearing
B. most people do get married at some time in their lives
C. the majority of people who divorce go on to remarry
D. since World War II the divorce rate has increased significantly

 
25. Current trends related to the family suggest that the institution of the family is likely to:
A. disappear
B. remain a major institution of hyper-industrial societies
C. be replaced by other institutions
D. gain additional functions, especially economic ones

 

This is the end of the test. When you have completed all the questions and reviewed your answers, press the button below to grade the test.