Contemporary Social Issues Exam
Review
Course Introduction
Contemporary Social Issues explores pressing challenges and debates facing modern societies, including topics such as inequality, globalization, climate change, migration, health disparities, and social movements. The course encourages students to critically analyze the root causes, social implications, and policy responses to these issues by integrating perspectives from sociology, anthropology, political science, and economics. Through readings, case studies, and discussion, students develop a nuanced understanding of the complexity of contemporary problems and the roles that individuals, communities, and institutions play in addressing them.
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New Society 8th Edition by Robert J. Brym
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Introducing Sociology
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Q1) Science is less a method of inquiry than it is a collection of ideas.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) The federal government passes several laws getting tough on crime in order to protect the public and make citizens feel safe.This leads to overcrowding in prisons and several costly riots.According to sociologists,what are these unforeseen results of the government's action?
A) just desserts
B) latent functions
C) manifest causes
D) punitive consequences
Answer: B
Q3) Microstructures are patterns of social relations that lie outside and above your circle of intimates and acquaintances.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q4) What is the Postindustrial Revolution?
Answer: The technology-driven shift from manufacturing to service industries
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Chapter 2: Research Methods
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Q1) What is random-digit-sampling?
A) choosing subjects selectively from a sampling frame
B) dividing a population into equal and representative samples
C) procedures for producing experimental conditions
D) telephone procedures for establishing random samples
Answer: D
Q2) Pavel explained his research to a potential participant.He told her that he wanted to study the influence of a specific government policy on household finances in order to understand purchasing decisions in the family.Pavel was required to give this much detail.What is Pavel trying to obtain?
A) financial records
B) government approval
C) informed consent
D) data
Answer: C
Q3) A hallmark of science is its creativity.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Culture
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Q1) How do superstitions and religion differ from one another?
Answer: Superstitions are unique to the individuals who create them,while religion is widely shared and passed from one generation to the next.
Q2) According to the text,which of the following is a consequence of increasing cultural complexity?
A) Increasing bureaucracy results from increasing complexity.
B) Cultures become more diversified with more complexity.
C) Cultures become more similar,more homogeneous.
D) Freedoms decrease with respect to most choices.
Answer: B
Q3) Which of the following are aspects of globalization?
A) shrinking rates of international travel and communication
B) protectionism and buy-at-home or made-in-Canada policies
C) high taxes and tariffs on foreign and imported goods
D) international migration and increased contact between cultures
Answer: D
Q4) According to the text,what are the three characteristics of postmodern culture?
Answer: A mixing of elements from different times and places;erosion of authority;decline of consensus around core values
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Chapter 4: Socialization
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Q1) The self has become increasingly flexible,which affords more freedom for people to choose who they want themselves to be.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The ability to become human is only a potential;to be actualized,individuals require socialization.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Five-year-old hockey players called "Tykes" skate en masse;wherever the puck goes,they go,without differentiating their respective roles.However,older hockey players in the "Little NHL" have defencemen at the blueline and forwards forcing the play toward the goal.In what stage would sociologists classify the younger players?
A) game stage
B) play stage
C) generalized other stage
D) imitative stage
Q4) The text mentions several forms of socialization.Describe and explain two of them.
Q5) How do media inadvertently perpetuate stereotypes?
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Chapter 5: Gender and Sexualities
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Q1) According to the text,what is sexual pluralism?
A) progressive and diverse sex policies in Canada
B) decline of Christian morality and family values
C) the idea that when it comes to sex,"anything goes"
D) expression of sexuality in nontraditional ways
Q2) Sociobiology uses strictly sociological explanations to argue that the differences between men and women are natural.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A group of male friends are out having a pub crawl when they come across a gay couple walking hand in hand.The group taunt the gay couple with jibes and comments like,"You ought to find a girl like everyone else." Which term best identifies the pub crawlers' point of view?
A) gay bashing
B) heteronormativity
C) discrimination
D) prejudice
Q4) There is a one-to-one relationship between sex and gender.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: Communication and Mass Media
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Q1) According to Herman and Chomsky's analysis of the media,what is the "propaganda model"?
A) The media is an open forum where diversity of opinion is prevalent.
B) The media serves at the beck-and-call of the viewers' interests.
C) The media are not controlled by any specific socioeconomic interest.
D) The media filters content to reduce or eliminate subversive views.
Q2) According to critics,what is the danger of media concentration?
A) It emphasizes technology over content.
B) It limits the range of perspectives to which the majority of people have access.
C) It limits the capacity of individuals for critical and independent thought.
D) It promotes the production and distribution of undemanding and standardized products.
Q3) Which concept refers to the integration of previously separate communications technologies,such as telephone,television,and radio into one device?
A) concentration
B) conglomeration
C) compression
D) convergence
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Chapter 7: Social Stratification
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Q1) In what ways do ascribed statuses continue to limit opportunities for many Canadians?
Q2) In a particular type of system,people know exactly where they fit in and there is little to no room for social mobility.For example,some members of this system will face legal barriers if they attempt to enter into Indian politics.What type of system is this?
A) socialist
B) capitalist
C) caste
D) meritocratic
Q3) A poor,young man born in a coastal outport in Newfoundland grows up and gets a law degree from a prestigious law school while waiting on tables in the cafeteria where his classmates eat.Eventually he becomes a top-notch lawyer and then premier of the province.Which term would sociologists use to describe his upward career path?
A) equal opportunity
B) social mobility
C) social promotion
D) meritocratic mobility
Q4) Identify and describe the four types of occupational mobility.
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Chapter 8: Gender Inequality
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Q1) A woman who is a nurse has three daughters,and her daughters are,respectively,a social worker,a schoolteacher,and a hair-salon manager.Which term best exemplifies the career choices of the four women?
A) biological-based occupations
B) human capital typed occupations
C) vertical segregation
D) horizontal segregation
Q2) Which term is used to depict the cultural ideal of a loving mother who selflessly devotes her time and energy to her children?
A) devoted parenting
B) helicopter parent
C) intensive motherhood
D) culture of motherhood
Q3) Surveys show that older people,on average,tend to be more gender-egalitarian than younger people as a result of their years of exposure to women in nontraditional roles.
A)True
B)False
Q4) What is the gender wage gap? How has it changed in Canada since 1992?
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10
Chapter 9: Race and Ethnic Relations
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Q1) A Canadian general presided over a United Nations mission ill-equipped to stop tribal warfare in Africa and the slaughter of one tribe ensued.He has since voiced the opinion that a black person's life in Africa is not treated as being worth the same as a white person's life in Eastern Europe because there are no economic interests in that part of Africa.Which ethnic relations theory coincides with the general's statement?
A) normative-theory
B) north-south theory
C) power-conflict theory
D) primordialist theory
Q2) A woman tells her husband,"I am going to hire Julie to clean the house because she is from Country X and immigrants from there are very hard workers." What is this woman reinforcing?
A) prejudice
B) discrimination
C) institutional racism
D) racial stereotyping
Q3) Define the Quiet Revolution and explain its significance in present-day Canadian society.
Q4) Define institutional racism and list the three forms that it can take.
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Chapter 10: Development and Underdevelopment
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Q1) Compare and contrast two of the theories of development outlined in the text.Identify the strategies you think might work and explain why others would not work.
Q2) A major research study involving 38 percent of the world's population in developing countries concluded that prices in these countries were much higher than expected.What are the implications of these higher costs in those areas?
A) These economies are growing.
B) Neoliberal policies are working.
C) Wages are matching prices.
D) Inequality is increasing.
Q3) Paulo is a political candidate in Argentina.The media has reported that he is highly likely to be elected,solely due to his stance on economic policy.What position has Paulo taken?
A) He is in favour of neoliberal economic policies.
B) He is opposed to neoliberal economic policies.
C) He promises to introduce neoliberal economic policies.
D) He promises to welcome foreign investment.
Q4) List the early historical factors that drastically impeded the Global South's ability to develop in the modern era.
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Families
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Q1) In 2005,Jack made an application to the Compassionate Care program to receive financial assistance in order to provide care for a family member in the last stage of cancer.His application came back with the word "denied" stamped on it.Which of the following would be included to explain the denial of assistance?
A) The program does not recognize your common-law spouse Lisa in our criteria for benefits.
B) The program does not recognize your cohabitation with John in our criteria for benefits.
C) The program does not provide assistance for care being provided to your father's common-law partner.
D) The program does not provide assistance for care being provided to your step-mother.
Q2) According to your text,what has been an outcome of the growing secularism in Canadian society?
A) Censure of divorce,cohabitation,and same-sex relationships is lessening.
B) Males have become more preoccupied with work.
C) Males and females have become more individualistic.
D) Females are experiencing more relationship crises.
Q3) According to Talcott Parsons,what functions does the family perform?
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Page 13
Chapter 12: Work and Occupations
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Q1) There were quality-control issues with one toaster model that was being made in the factory.As part of the problem-solving process,teams of employees were formed to discuss the challenge and suggest solutions.The toaster production problem was solved.What aspect of the workplace did this process help to improve?
A) increasing productivity
B) humanizing the workplace
C) standardizing the workplace
D) creating pride in the workplace
Q2) An immigrant dentist found that he had to take some additional courses and pay the Canadian Dental Association $10,000 before he could practise in Canada.He had no problem with taking the courses,but he did not have $10,000 to pay the association.What was the intended effect of this payment requirement?
A) It created professional dominance for dentists.
B) It created intrinsic rewards for dentists.
C) It created a nonstandard job opportunity.
D) It created a labour-market shelter.
Q3) The bureaucratization of society has had an effect on the workplace.Discuss this effect with reference to the ideas of Weber and Ritzer.
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Education
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Q1) According to the text,which of the following effects can youth subcultures have in the educational environment?
A) They are viewed by teachers as supporting behaviours that frustrate socializing efforts.
B) They are used by educators in proactive ways to co-opt subversive student values.
C) Overall,they are prosocial and encourage students to perform well academically.
D) They serve as a useful marker of identity among peer groups within schools.
Q2) John's counsellor at high school recommended that he take the lower-level math courses,reducing John's confidence in his mathematical abilities.John wanted to be an astronomer,but now feels he needs to find a new career because astronomers need strong math skills.Which educational practice does this example illustrate a drawback of?
A) streaming
B) hierarchy construction
C) mobilization
D) structuration
Q3) Explain how school choice is growing in Canada.
Q4) Define and explain the significance of the hidden curriculum in education.
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Page 15
Chapter 14: Religion
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Q1) According to the text,which of the following formed part of Marx's thinking about religion?
A) Religion deprives the masses of equal participation in capitalism.
B) Religion is a necessary opiate for the poor and disadvantaged.
C) Capitalism does not need religion;religion needs capitalism.
D) Religion should be an integral component of a socialist society.
Q2) In his term paper,Jacques argues that religion is and will continue to be an influential force in societies around the world.Which thesis would Jacques use as a framework for his writing?
A) persistence
B) stability
C) secularization
D) spiritual influence
Q3) Provide a summary of the personal,interpersonal,and societal consequences of religion discussed in the text.Do they apply to your own experiences? Explain.
Q4) According to the text,more than 50 percent of the people who attend church services less than once a month would consider greater involvement if it was worthwhile for themselves or their families.What did they mean by this?
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Deviance and Crime
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Q1) What term is given to the rules that prescribe the standards of everyday behaviour?
A) morals
B) regulations
C) laws
D) norms
Q2) In a fit of jealous rage,a man attacks his wife's lover.After a few months in jail,he vows that no matter what,he will never commit a crime again-because of his negative incarceration experience.What was this decision based on?
A) general recidivism
B) specific recidivism
C) specific deterrence
D) general deterrence
Q3) Which theory explains deviance as the result of a failure to develop positive social bonds in home and at school?
A) strain theory
B) differential association theory
C) routine activity theory
D) control theory
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17
Chapter 16: Population and Urbanization
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Q1) Who first proposed the concentric-zone model?
A) Herbert Gans
B) Robert Park
C) Ernest Burgess
D) Homer Hoyt
Q2) What recent phenomenon allows middle-class homeowners to have physical security and freedom from exposure to the social problems of the inner city?
A) edge city
B) private communities
C) publicly shared communities
D) gentrification
Q3) Overurbanization is a phenomenon whereby the population of urban areas grows faster than the urban economy,services,and resources can absorb it.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Women are among those most likely to settle in gentrified areas of the inner city.Why?
Q5) Why is Don Mills important in the study of suburbs?
Q6) How might urbanization fuel large-scale violence in developing countries?
Page 18
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Chapter 17: Sociology and the Environment
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Q1) Discuss the three waves of the current environmental movement.What was the focus of each one? Should it arise,what do you think will be the focus of a fourth wave? Explain your answer.
Q2) The command-and-control approach to environmental protection serves as the foundation for the Kyoto Protocol.
A)True
B)False
Q3) What is the "tragedy of the commons" a reference to?
A) how individual irrationality can result in group rationality
B) how the countries producing the least greenhouse gas per capita reap the greatest benefits
C) how companies that produce the pollution are penalized the most
D) how the pursuit of short-term individual gain leads to long-term collective costs
Q4) Who developed the risk society thesis?
A) Anthony Giddens
B) Ulrich Beck
C) Robert Bullard
D) Erving Goffman
Q5) Over the last few decades,organic food has become more popular.Why?
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Chapter 18: Health and Aging
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Q1) Picture and describe two older people you know (or have imagined);one who is very healthy and active and one who is in poor health and quite frail.Can you explain why they are so different? Discuss their life circumstances,individual choices,or random events that have helped to positively (negatively)influence their health today,making connections to information gathered from this chapter on health and aging.
Q2) At the age of 68,Edith is diagnosed with diabetes and her husband,Archie,ensures that she takes her medication and eats properly.He takes her to the necessary doctor appointments.When Archie dies,which of the following individuals would most likely be tending to Edith's health needs?
A) her daughter Sally
B) her son Michael
C) her brother Randy
D) her sister Ethel
Q3) What is the purpose of the Canada Health Act?
A) to ensure that hospital care is provided for all Canadian residents
B) to provide health care services for those who can pay for the services
C) to provide for socialized medicine in Canada
D) to ensure that residents of provinces and territories have access to necessary health care
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Page 20
Chapter 19: Politics and Social Movements
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Q1) There was a vote in parliament on a proposed new tax on corporations.The local Member of Parliament voted against the tax,because she believed defeating the tax would be best for the capitalist system.Which kind of analysis of the situation would the MP's reasoning represent?
A) instrumentalist
B) structuralist
C) pluralist
D) elitist
Q2) The provincial teachers' contract was expiring in two months' time and at union meetings it was proposed that all members be ready to strike if the government did not agree with their new contract demands.A number of teachers argued that this was not the time for excessive demands,given the likelihood of their demands being rejected.Which statement would explain this assertion?
A) Numerous media articles were bashing the education process and the teaching profession.
B) Economic indicators were reporting another decline in economic growth.
C) Job creation rates were exceeding those of the previous year.
D) School boards were reporting an increase in student enrolments.
Q3) What was the Occupy Wall Street movement,and what did it achieve?
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Page 21
Chapter 20: Globalization
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Q1) Stella likes the latte served by Starbucks,but when she buys a cup of coffee she prefers to support local businesses and goes to the family-owned shop on the corner.What is this Stella's small contribution to?
A) global brand backlash
B) local consumption
C) consumption considerations
D) global consumption protest
Q2) In an effort to encourage investment,the president of Country X reduced tariffs,making the country more attractive to Company Y,which came in and built a large factory.Company Y used local,cheap labour,but made a product these people could not afford to buy.The product was shipped to Country Z,where citizens could purchase and enjoy the new product.What term refers to this set of relationships between countries?
A) bottom-up globalization
B) top-down globalization
C) global market forces
D) global demand forces
Q3) Define the terms "majority world" and "minority world".
Q4) How have corporations responded to anti-corporate criticism?
Q5) What is the basis of neoliberal economic policies?
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Chapter 21: Networks, Groups, and Bureaucracies
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Q1) A president of a large corporation sends out an email memo to initiate some corporate cultural change,but after six months is frustrated with the lack of results.Why might this be the case?
A) A president's work is mainly public relations,not leading the company.
B) No one really reads their memos.
C) His ideas are impractical,since he lacks knowledge about the company's base.
D) Just because someone has the authority to do something doesn't mean he has the respect.
Q2) According to research,which leadership style is least effective?
A) laissez-faire
B) democratic
C) authoritarian
D) transactional
Q3) Much social life in a complex society involves belonging to secondary groups.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Discuss the sociological explanations for the origins of evil.Use genocide or war as your example.
Q5) Outline a comprehensive strategy for getting a job.Use insights gained from the text.
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