Contemporary Social Issues
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Course Introduction
Contemporary Social Issues explores the major challenges and debates shaping modern societies, including topics such as social inequality, poverty, gender roles, race and ethnicity, environmental sustainability, and globalization. Through interdisciplinary approaches, students critically examine the root causes, consequences, and possible solutions to pressing social problems at local, national, and global levels. The course encourages informed discussion, analysis of current events, and the development of perspectives necessary for active civic engagement and positive social change.
Recommended Textbook
The Sociology Project Introducing the Sociological Imagination 1st Canadian Edition by Jeff Manza
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20 Chapters
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Page 2
Chapter 1: The Sociological Imagination
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Sample Questions
Q1) The term sociology was first used by_________.
A)Marx
B)Martineau
C)Comte
D)Durkheim
Answer: C
Q2) In what different ways do we characterize ourselves in social settings?
Answer: As we interact with others,we engage in a process of working within the rules and norms of society to try to present a pleasing version of ourselves.Examples include our Facebook and professional website profiles,our business cards,and the different ways we characterize ourselves in social settings when we meet new people or introduce ourselves to a group.
Q3) Which of the following is a discipline that emerged from sociology?
A)economics
B)political science
C)anthropology
D)criminology
Answer: D
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3
Chapter 2: Social Theory
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Q1) According to Marx's theory of society,what social classes are in constant competition? What characterizes each of these social classes and overall class conflict in society? Finally,how can you apply this theory to contemporary social life?
Answer: Karl Marx identifies the two classes of society under capitalism as the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.The basis of the conflict between these two classes is the bourgeoisie's greater access to special resources that Marx refers to as capital.Capital allows the bourgeoisie to make investments,own property,and hire workers.The proletariat,or working class,must seek employment and sell their labour to make ends meet.This social arrangement has a polarizing effect on these two groups,resulting in inequality.The owners and executive of large corporations that control the production and distributions of goods,services,and cultural ideas are modern-day examples of the bourgeoisie;everyone else in society would be equivalent to the proletariat.
Q2) Max Weber focused primarily on individual action as a foundation of __________.
A)social order
B)material conditions
C)morality
D)social forces
Answer: A
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Studying the Social World
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Q1) When determining correlations,sociologists sometimes fall victim to spurious relationships.What is a spurious relationship,and how did the Coleman Report demonstrate a spurious relationship between school resources and test scores?
Answer: A spurious relationship is an apparent relationship between two variables that turns out to be false.When two factors seem to move in the same direction but both are themselves caused by something else (i.e. ,a third factor),sociologists refer to the apparent relationship between the first two factors as a spurious relationship. The Coleman Report demonstrated that a relationship between school resources and student test scores was largely a spurious relationship.While it looked like one caused the other,in fact other factors-namely,family background and the racial composition of schools-were behind the relationship.If you wanted to reduce inequality in student testing outcomes,equalizing funding would not do much.Instead,one would have to begin to better racially integrate U.S.public schools so that the school peers of African-American students more closely resembled those that a typical white student encountered in schools.
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Social Interaction
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Sample Questions
Q1) What happens to people who are incapable of viewing rules as flexible guidelines for rational and appropriate behaviour?
A)They strike people as silly or incompetent.
B)They get along better with authority figures than other types of people.
C)They become leaders of complex organizations.
D)They go more or less unnoticed.
Q2) Which of the following expectations are parts of the role set of traditional university students?
A)respect authority figures,pay for food in restaurants,drive safely
B)attend religious services,vote in elections,treat senior citizens with respect
C)respect the teacher,show up for lectures,complete assigned papers,take exams
D)binge drink,sleep until noon,eat a diet mostly of pizza
Q3) In his experiment,Zimbardo randomly assigned participants to what roles?
A)guard and prisoner
B)guard and civilian
C)teacher and student
D)parent and child
Q4) How does conversational precision come into play in people's day-to-day communicating methods? Give an example.
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Chapter 5: Social Structure
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Q1) As we are socialized into our roles,we conform to the rules and norms imposed by our social structure.Consequently,we contribute to __________.
A)reproducing the current social structure
B)the present path-dependency
C)the resocialization of ourselves
D)the rejection of our own free will
Q2) Where does the process of socialization typically begin?
A)in communities
B)in families
C)in schools
D)in peer groups
Q3) Which of the following statements about socialization is true? People who are socialized to the same norms __________.
A)make the same moral judgments
B)have the same tastes
C)respond to identical incentives in predictable ways
D)behave in different and occasionally unpredictable ways
Q4) How does socialization instil roles and norms in the individual?
Q5) Why are social hierarchies important to any society's social structure?
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Chapter 6: Culture, media, and Communication
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Q1) What principal purpose does group style serve?
A)It establishes acceptable forms of dress for group members.
B)It distinguishes a group from other groups through a set of norms and practices.
C)It is a measure of the formality of a group,whether high or low.
D)It allows groups to screen outsiders from group activities.
Q2) Ethnography is a research method based on __________.
A)lengthy and intimate observation of a group
B)detailed questionnaires and experiments
C)the reconstruction and interpretation of past cultures
D)experiential exchanges between two or more ethnicities
Q3) Research has shown that most North Americans have two tools available to them in their cultural tool kits regarding romantic love.What are they?
A)love as a choice and love as a commitment
B)love as a conversation and love as a commitment
C)love as a choice and love as a challenge
D)love as a conversation and love as a challenge
Q4) What does it mean that the North American elite are increasingly becoming cultural omnivores?
Q5) How do corporations contribute to the framing of media?
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Chapter 7: Power and Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) During the 2012 presidential election campaign,Mitt Romney revealed that he paid less than __________ percent of his income in federal taxes.
A)15
B)22
C)27
D)32
Q2) Which of the following statements best explains why it is difficult to bring about change in federal politics?
A)Change in federal politics is difficult because of the power of federal bureaucracies.
B)Change in federal politics is difficult because the main components of the state must remain in equal amounts of power.
C)Change in federal politics is difficult because employees in the federal bureaucracies are constantly shifting with administrations.
D)Change in federal politics is difficult because we have proportional representation.
Q3) Explain the role of the state in the distribution of power to the poor and disadvantaged.
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Markets, organizations, and Work
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Sample Questions
Q1) During a break at the company that employs them both,Liz and Phil discuss what they dislike about their jobs.Liz is eager to implement some innovative ideas,but her boss is neither enthusiastic about her suggestions nor hopeful that upper management would adopt them.Phil is new to the company,but is already bored with the tedious routine of his job.They both dream about a more exciting,innovative workplace.Liz and Phil's complaints are indicative of the negative aspects of __________.
A)a bureaucracy
B)an open market
C)an organization
D)outsourcing
Q2) Of the following higher education institutions,which two are most likely to be in the same niche market?
A)University of Alberta and Red Deer College
B)Humber College and the University of British Columbia
C)University of Toronto and York University
D)Memorial University and Holy Apostles College and Seminary
Q3) How has the organization known as Apple Computer changed and survived over time?
Q4) Why are entrepreneurs important to market economies?
Q5) How does serving a niche help organizations survive?
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Chapter 9: Social Stratification, inequality, and Poverty
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Q1) Most "one percenters" __________.
A)have jobs
B)live off of inheritances
C)pay extra taxes
D)are blue-collar workers
Q2) Lana,a single woman with no dependents,is unable to afford basic necessities,such as housing and healthcare.What type of poverty is she experiencing?
A)relative poverty
B)absolute poverty
C)feminization of poverty
D)institutional poverty
Q3) In general,technology __________ jobs that require higher levels of education while it __________ jobs that require middle and lower levels of education.
A)replaces;complements
B)complements;replaces
C)replaces;reserves
D)complements;reserves
Q4) What is the significance and limitations of the poverty line?
Q5) How is inequality of opportunity measured?
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Chapter 10: Race and Ethnicity
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Sample Questions
Q1) Amir had to flee his country due to threats on his life from his corrupt government.Amir has come to Canada under which of the following classifications?
A)family class
B)economic class
C)refugee class
D)humanitarian class
Q2) Which immigration era was designed to prevent diseases from entering Canada?
A)White Settler Society,1600s-1800s
B)Early Twentieth-Century Immigration,1880s-1915s
C)The Wars and the Great Depression,1915-1946
D)Humanitarian Measures: 1970-2001
Q3) During which of the following immigration eras did Canada adopt the use of a security certificate?
A)Post-9/11
B)Humanitarian Measures: 1970-2001
C)Post-War Expansion Years: 1946-1970
D)The Wars and the Great Depression,1915-1946
Q4) Discuss how psychologists have explained racism and the shortcomings of these explanations.How do sociologists explain racism?
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Chapter 11: Gender and Sexuality
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Q1) __________ refers to the impact that social forces have on the individual in terms of what it means to be male or female;__________ refers to how males and females differ in terms of anatomy,chromosomes,and hormones.
A)Patriarchy;gender
B)Gender;patriarchy
C)Sex;gender
D)Gender;sex
Q2) People who are born with some defining anatomical characteristics of each sex are called which of the following?
A)intersexed
B)transgendered
C)sex segregated
D)dual-sexed
Q3) What is meant by the term gender revolution? What is its impact on the lives of women?
Q4) Analyze and describe ways in which men's lives have been affected by the gender revolution.
Q5) What is socialization? Discuss how it is different for males and females.
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Chapter 12: Families and Family Life
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Q1) Why is it misleading to label the homemaker-breadwinner family type that rose to prominence in Canada in the 1950s "traditional" or "ideal," and how have families changed since then?
Q2) What is meant by the "sleeper effect" in understanding the consequences of divorce?
A)Children of divorce may not feel its harmful consequences until years after the divorce.
B)Children of divorce have trouble sleeping for years after the divorce.
C)Adults experience a resurgence of love for their divorced spouses for years after their divorces.
D)Adults require sleeping medications for years after their divorces because of persistent depression.
Q3) Which social class,according to researcher Annette Lareau,is most likely to engage in "concerted cultivation"?
A)the middle class
B)the working class
C)the lower class
D)the underclass
Q4) How could a couple minimize the consequences of the second shift?
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Chapter 13: Sociology of Religion
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Q1) Which of the following statements best answers the question of why the United States is more religious than other developed nations?
A)Other developed nations are more technologically and scientifically advanced than the United States.
B)Other developed nations' political parties claim no religious affiliation.
C)The United States is home to many diverse and competing ethnicities and religions and lacks a strong educational and welfare system.
D)The United States was founded on the strong religious belief system of its founders.
Q2) Why do sociologists claim that "Sunday is the most segregated day of the week" in the United States?
A)because there are strong patterns regarding the social backgrounds of people who identify with different religions,denominations,and congregations
B)because it is still legal for religious institutions to discriminate based on race
C)because religious institutions are not equally available to all Americans
D)because most people don't attend church on Sundays
Q3) What is the relationship between conventionality and the religiosity of women?
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Chapter 14: Education
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Sample Questions
Q1) In a sociological context,SES is an abbreviation for __________.
A)socioeconomic sanctions
B)socioeconomic stability
C)socioeconomic statistics
D)socioeconomic status
Q2) Is schooling equally available to all children around the world? Explain your answer.
Q3) Besides learning skills and knowledge,schools serve three other major purposes.What are they?
A)economic,future preparation,and socialization functions
B)economic,citizenship,and gender role functions
C)future preparation,socialization,and self-worth functions
D)socialization,self-worth,and online learning functions
Q4) Describe the gender differences in educational achievement.What are some of the reasons for these differences?
Q5) Funding for public education in Canada comes from which of the following?
A)federal government
B)municipal government
C)provincial government
D)donations
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Chapter 15: Health and Medicine
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Sample Questions
Q1) ________ describes how the social contexts we inhabit at different stages throughout our lives affect our later health outcomes.
A)Epidemiology
B)Life course outcomes
C)Health disparities
D)Socioeconomic status
Q2) Discuss the relationship between education and health.
Q3) The social-trajectory model emphasizes how __________ influences what social position a person will achieve later in life.
A)suffering illness early in life
B)the family a person is born into
C)the wealth a person accumulates
D)the occupation a person holds
Q4) Who oversaw the curriculum in medical schools?
A)the medical school itself
B)the Canadian Medical Association
C)the College of Physicians and Surgeons
D)the Public Health Association
Q5) How does socioeconomic status affects one's health?
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Chapter 16: Crime, deviance, and Social Control
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Q1) A CIA black site is a __________.
A)secret holding facility used by the CIA to conduct international legal proceedings against high government officials
B)foreign prison operated by the CIA in which prisoners accused of terrorist activities can be interrogated outside the reach of any legal authority
C)drone launching facility
D)kind of torture in which terrorist suspects are deprived of light and go temporarily blind
Q2) The heaviest users of morphine in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries were __________.
A)doctors
B)middle-class white women
C)Chinese immigrants
D)Civil War veterans
Q3) Which of the following is an example of statistical deviance?
A)A man cheats on his wife when he travels.
B)The Occupy Wall Street protesters marched without a permit.
C)A group of friends gets stoned every weekend.
D)A man decides to sing loudly while he is shopping for groceries.
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Chapter 17: Social Movements and Revolutions
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Q1) Which of the following is most likely to represent a movement that seeks to change a human emotional response or redirect empathy?
A)conservative rights
B)animal rights
C)antifracking
D)Tea Party
Q2) Why are sociologists today less likely to utilize the value judgments of "success" and "failure" when assessing a movement's effect on society?
A)The term "outcome" recognizes a broader range of effects,including unintended consequences.
B)Theorists cannot use the words "success" or "failure" without being intellectually dishonest.
C)Future movements must always take up where past movements leave off.
D)Movements evolve in ways that prevent sociologists from finding points in time where such judgments "stick."
Q3) In what way do cultural sociologists believe they have a better theory than political process theorists? Provide one movement as an example.
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Chapter 18: Environmental Sociology
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Q1) Two major branches of the environmental justice movement exist.One concerns itself with environmental problems as violations of civil rights and the other is largely concerned with __________.
A)environmental rights of the white working class
B)protecting people from exposures to toxic substances
C)landfills and the like
D)global warming
Q2) The field of __________ revealed how so-called primitive societies __________ nature.
A)anthropology;are dependent on
B)environmental sociology;are interdependent on C)ecology;are based on D)archaeology;worship
Q3) __________ is one of the earliest American texts that inspired its readers to value the environment for its intrinsic rather than economic value.
A)Uncle Tom's Cabin
B)Nature
C)The Raven
D)Walden
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Page 20
Chapter 19: Population
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to current statistics,how many Americans over 18 report having a chronic disease?
A)almost one in six
B)almost one-quarter
C)almost half
D)almost one-third
Q2) Imagine you are a sociologist interested in tracking the number of people who come and go from a certain geographic area during a set period of time.Which of the following variables would you be most interested in studying?
A)migration
B)chronic illness
C)mortality
D)fertility
Q3) Which of the following would a government trying to decrease fertility rates in its country most likely do?
A)provide more educational opportunities for women
B)eliminate expensive policies like Social Security
C)reduce access to healthcare for unmarried individuals
D)restrict access to contraceptives
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Page 21
Chapter 20: Globalization
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Q1) What is China's position in the global value chain and what are Chinese export processing zones like?
Q2) Since the 1970s,governments across the world have enacted which type of economic policy?
A)industry-protective policies
B)labour-supportive policies
C)market-based policies
D)risk-averse policies
Q3) Capital-intensive industry involves a lot of what?
A)high-technology machinery
B)outsourcing
C)value chains
D)manual labour
Q4) Evidence suggests that globalization is promoting __________.
A)a flattening out of the world as a whole
B)densely woven ties between all corners of the world
C)interchangeable migration corridors
D)regional trading blocs
Q5) Explain the relationship of outsourcing to global value chains.
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