Contemporary Social Issues
Final Exam Questions
Course Introduction
Contemporary Social Issues examines the major challenges and debates facing societies around the world today. This course explores topics such as inequality, discrimination, globalization, environmental concerns, migration, gender dynamics, and the impact of technology on society. Students will analyze the historical context and current perspectives on these issues, enhance their critical thinking skills, and learn to engage thoughtfully in discussions about potential solutions. The course encourages a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on sociology, political science, economics, and cultural studies to understand both the roots and consequences of current social phenomena.
Recommended Textbook Society The Basics 12th Edition by
John J. Macionis
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16 Chapters
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Sociology: Perspective, theory, and Method
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Sample Questions
Q1) Sociologists use the term "empirical evidence" to refer to
A)information that is based on a society's traditions.
B)information that squares with common sense.
C)information we can verify with our senses.
D)information that most people agree is true.
Answer: C
Q2) Which of the following is an accurate criticism of the structural-functional approach?
A)It ignores inequality that can generate tension and conflict.
B)It focuses too much on social dysfunction.
C)It focuses too much on power divisions in society.
D)It is a politically liberal view of society.
Answer: A
Q3) What is the term for the value that occurs most often in a series of numbers?
A)the mean
B)the mode
C)the median
D)the standard deviation
Answer: B
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Culture
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Sample Questions
Q1) Across the United States,mores vary more than folkways.
A)True
B)False Answer: False
Q2) Cultural change results from invention,discovery,and diffusion.
A)True
B)False Answer: True
Q3) Cultural values in the United States always go together-they are all consistent with one another.
A)True
B)False Answer: False
Q4) The U.S.has a popular culture,but not a high culture.
A)True
B)False Answer: False
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Socialization: From Infancy to Old Age
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Sample Questions
Q1) Anticipatory socialization refers to trying to avoid unpleasant social experiences.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) On the basis of Melvin Kohn's study of what parents expect of their children,high-income parents are likely to be MOST concerned when their child
A)is given a "tardy slip" for being late to school.
B)needs to be told what he should draw during free art time.
C)is labeled a "nonconformist."
D)is said to have an "active imagination."
Answer: B
Q3) When Cooley used the concept of the "looking-glass self," he claimed that A)people are self-centered.
B)people see themselves as they think others see them.
C)people see things only from their own point of view.
D)our actions are a reflection of our values.
Answer: B
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5
Chapter 4: Social Interaction in Everyday Life
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Thomas theorem states that situations defined as real are real in their consequences.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Ekman claims that a major function of emotions is to A)let us be "ourselves."
B)support group life by building connections with others.
C)limit the power of society over us.
D)give people a feeling of independence from others.
Q3) At any given time you hold a number of statuses.These statuses make up your A)master status.
B)role set.
C)achieved statuses.
D)status set.
Q4) Because men typically have more power in daily interactions than women,they are more likely to intrude on the personal space of women.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What is nonverbal communication? How do people use it in everyday life?
Q6) Identify several ways gender affects personal performances.
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Groups and Organizations
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are the differences between categories and social groups?
Q2) The leadership style that allows group members the most autonomy is "laissez-faire."
A)True
B)False
Q3) Generally,people in secondary relationships think of others as being a means to some end.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Think about the process of McDonaldization.Looking at the list below,all but one of the traits is correctly linked to McDonaldization.Which is NOT a trait of McDonaldization?
A)efficiency
B)creativity
C)ability to calculate results
D)control through automation
Q5) What is the meaning of "in-group" and "out-group"? How do they both affect the opinions and behavior of individuals? Give an example of each operating as a reference group.
Q6) What are the important differences between primary and secondary groups?
Page 7
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Chapter 6: Sexuality and Society
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Sample Questions
Q1) If you were teaching a class about the symbolic-interaction approach to sexuality,on which of the following topics would you likely focus?
A)understanding men's power over women
B)raising public concern about sexual harassment
C)how individuals in various settings engage in different sexual behavior and attach different meanings to sexual activity
D)understanding why society must regulate with whom and when people reproduce
Q2) Elite prostitutes-young,attractive,and well-educated women-are widely referred to as
A)streetwalkers.
B)brothel workers.
C)call girls or escorts.
D)None of the other responses is correct.
Q3) The symbolic-interaction approach highlights the various meanings people attach to sexuality.
A)True
B)False
Q4) What are the traits of the campus culture of "hooking up"?
Q5) What are several functions of the incest taboo for society as a whole?
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Chapter 7: Deviance
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Sample Questions
Q1) Identify four justifications for punishment.Do you think punishment accomplishes each of these goals? Why or why not?
Q2) In the United States,men account for about _____ of all arrests for violent crime.
A)about 20 percent
B)about 40 percent
C)about 60 percent
D)about 80 percent
Q3) Organized crime refers to supplying legal goods and services at below market prices.
A)True
B)False
Q4) In legal terms,a crime is composed of which two components?
A)the act and criminal intent
B)a criminal and a victim
C)the act and the social harm
D)the law and the violation
Q5) Apply each of sociology's three theoretical approaches to the topic of deviance.What are the basic insights we gain from each theoretical approach?
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Chapter 8: Social Stratification
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Sample Questions
Q1) The concept of social mobility refers to changes in people's positions in the social hierarchy.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Briefly describe the main characteristics of caste systems and class systems.How are these systems linked to different systems of economic production (agrarian versus industrial technology)? What part does meritocracy play in each type of stratification? How does each type of stratification justify inequality?
Q3) Summarize the Davis-Moore thesis.Specifically,what are the functional consequences of inequality for society as a whole? Illustrate the thesis by pointing out various jobs and the relative rewards each job commands.Conclude by noting several criticisms of the Davis-Moore thesis.
Q4) Ravi was born into a caste system in a small village in Sri Lanka.He can expect to A)earn his social position through his own efforts.
B)change his social position many times throughout his life.
C)have the same social standing as his parents.
D)choose his life's work for himself after finishing college.
Q5) What traits define the "working class" in the United States?
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Chapter 9: Global Stratification
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which theoretical approach claims that rich nations of the world are "overdeveloped" while poor nations are "underdeveloped"?
A)modernization theory
B)dependency theory
C)both modernization theory and dependency theory
D)neither modernization theory nor dependency theory
Q2) In an essay,analyze the difference economic development makes by describing the differences that distinguish high-income nations,middle-income nations,and low-income nations.Consider population size,land area,typical patterns of work,urban and rural residence,gender equality,and the extent of poverty.
Q3) Wallerstein pointed to several factors that cause dependency among low-income nations.Which of the following is a factor that Wallerstein did NOT claim to be a cause of dependency?
A)narrow,export-oriented economies
B)lack of integration into the world economy
C)lack of industrial capacity
D)foreign debt
Q4) State the basic ideas of dependency theory.Provide several criticisms of this approach.
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Chapter 10: Gender Stratification
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the major insight of intersection theory? Provide earnings data to support this approach.
Q2) Patriarchy provides advantages,but not disadvantages,to males.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The concept of "glass ceiling" refers to
A)the barrier that prevents women from being promoted.
B)the fact that women's dreams are easily broken.
C)the fact that cleaning the home is all most women do.
D)the barrier that keeps women in service work.
Q4) In a short essay,answer the following questions: Is social class or gender more important in shaping the life of an individual born in the United States today? How does each factor matter? Provide reasons for your choice.Consider how social class and gender interact.
Q5) In which of the following nations does the political power of women come closest to that of men?
A)United States
B)Norway
C)China
D)Cuba
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Chapter 11: Race and Ethnicity
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Sample Questions
Q1) Arab Americans are a U.S.minority that
A)is increasing in population size.
B)has ancestors from many different nations.
C)has Islam as the dominant religion.
D)All of these responses are correct.
Q2) Which statement about African Americans is correct?
A)Many of the largest U.S.cities have elected black mayors.
B)An African American president was elected in 2008.
C)A majority of African Americans are working class or poor.
D)All of these responses are correct.
Q3) More than one-third of African Americans earn $48,000 or more each year.
A)True
B)False
Q4) List and define four patterns of minority and majority interaction.Provide an example of each from U.S.history or events in other parts of the world.
Q5) Native Americans immigrated to the United States about the time Christopher Columbus came to the Americas.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 12: Economics and Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Name three technological revolutions that reorganized societal production and resulted in broad changes to many other dimensions of social life.What factors caused these revolutions? What changed as a result?
Q2) A conglomerate is
A)a giant corporation composed of many smaller corporations.
B)a corporation in the manufacturing sector.
C)a corporation engaged in both legal and illegal activity.
D)any company that completely dominates a market.
Q3) Globalization of the economy means that
A)world regions specialize in one sector of economic activity.
B)more and more products pass through several nations.
C)a small number of businesses represent a huge share of global economic output.
D)All of these responses are correct.
Q4) Politics is a social institution that is defined in terms of a society's
A)distribution of power,goals,and decision making.
B)technology.
C)income distribution.
D)means of production.
Q5) What is welfare capitalism? How does Denmark illustrate the operation of this system?
Page 14
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Chapter 13: Family and Religion
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Sample Questions
Q1) In today's high-income nations,children are
A)an economic asset.
B)an economic liability.
C)able to earn more than the amount parents spend to raise them.
D)leaving home to go to work earlier in life than ever before.
Q2) Provide a distinctive trait or pattern about each of the following: American Indian families,Latino families,African American families,and Asian American families.
Q3) Typically,industrial societies make use of which of the following systems to trace ancestry?
A)bilateral descent
B)matrilineal descent
C)patrilineal descent
D)None of these responses is correct.
Q4) The MOST difficult transition in married life is typically
A)the birth of a first child.
B)the death of a spouse.
C)the last child leaving home.
D)retirement.
Q5) Why do researchers have difficulty measuring religiosity?
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Chapter 14: Education, health and Medicine
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Sample Questions
Q1) Applying the social-conflict approach,what are the problems in the U.S.educational system? Consider quality of public schooling,inequality among schools,and access to higher education.Consider class,gender,race,and ethnicity in your essay.
Q2) In which of the following nations does the government control most health care?
A)China
B)Great Britain
C)Japan
D)the United States
Q3) Eating disorders are a result of how our society defines success and attractiveness among women.
A)True
B)False
Q4) 84.A symbolic-interaction approach to health and medicine emphasizes
A)the meanings people attach to health and illness.
B)social inequality in terms of health.
C)how societies must excuse ill people from most responsibilities.
D)All of these responses are correct.
Q5) Based on the work by Theodore Sizer,what are five consequences of bureaucracy in U.S.schools?
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Chapter 15: Population, urbanization, and Environment
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Sample Questions
Q1) To calculate a crude birth rate,divide the number of live births in a year into the total population and multiply the result by 1,000.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Throughout most of human history,families had many children because A)children were a source of needed labor.
B)birth control was not reliable.
C)high death rates meant that many children did not reach adulthood.
D)All of these responses are correct.
Q3) What is "environmental racism"?
Q4) The concept "environmental deficit" refers to
A)long-term harm to the environment caused by a short-sighted focus on material affluence.
B)the fact that too few people are engaged in the study of the natural environment.
C)the fact that natural scientists ignore the social dimensions of environmental problems.
D)efforts to protect the environment to benefit future generations.
Q5) What three urban revolutions have reshaped human societies?
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Chapter 16: Social Change: Modern and Postmodern
Societies
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Sample Questions
Q1) The class-society approach to modernity focuses on which of the following?
A)marked social stratification
B)productive specialization
C)loss of traditional community
D)rationality
Q2) What did Emile Durkheim say about modernization changing society's solidarity? What about modernization affecting specialization? What,exactly,changes as societies modernize?
Q3) Applying mass-society theory,you would claim that the biggest micro-level problem facing individuals in modern society is
A)poverty.
B)too much tradition.
C)powerlessness.
D)establishing a clear personal identity.
Q4) Modernity is the product of social changes brought on by the Industrial Revolution.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Is modernization the same around the world? Why or why not?
Q6) What are the three important causes of cultural change?
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