Sociology Theoretical Perspectives Quiz

What is a theoretical perspective?

• The way the brain interprets an image or event

• A set of assumptions about an area of study

• The language, norms, values, beliefs, knowledge, symbols, and physical objects that are shared by members of a society or group

• The way people interact with each other

How does functionalism explain social change?

• By focusing on the pattern of social behavior in a group or society

• By emphasizing the contributions of each part of a society and the idea that societies tend to return to a state of stability after some upheaval

• By focusing on interaction among people based on mutually understood symbols

• By emphasizing conflict, competition, change, and constraint within a society

According to the conflict perspective, what role does power play in social change?

• It leads to the interdependence among the parts in a social system

• It emphasizes the imbalance of power in social relationships and social institutions

• It refers to the way in which someone's actions are coordinated with his or her environment

• It is the ability of one party to get other parties to do its will or to ensure that it will benefit from the actions of other parties

How does symbolic interactionism explain social change?

• By emphasizing the imbalance of power in social relationships and social institutions

• By focusing on the pattern of social behavior in a group or society

• By focusing on interaction among people based on mutually understood symbols

• By emphasizing the contributions of each part of a society and the idea that societies tend to return to a state of stability after some upheaval

What is the difference between a manifest function and a latent function?

• Manifest function is unintended and unrecognized, while latent function is intended and recognized

• Manifest function refers to the interdependence among the parts in a social system, while latent function refers to the pattern of social behavior in a group or society

• Manifest function is intended and recognized, while latent function is unintended and unrecognized

• Manifest function is the ability of one party to get other parties to do its will, while latent function is the way in which someone's actions are coordinated with his or her environment

What do the supporters of symbolic interactionism mean by the term symbol?

• The language, norms, values, beliefs, knowledge, symbols, and physical objects that are shared by members of a society or group

• Something chosen to represent something else, such as an object, a word, a gesture, a facial expression, or a sound

• The way the brain interprets an image or event

• The ability of one party to get other parties to do its will or to ensure that it will benefit from the actions of other parties

What is the role of conflict and constraint according to the conflict perspective?

• To see social living as a contest, and to focus on the ways in which people cooperate to reach common goals

• To emphasize the imbalance of power in social relationships and social institutions, and to focus on the disagreements among various groups in a society or between societies

• To focus on the disagreements among various groups in a society or between societies, and the ways in which people cooperate to reach common goals

• To emphasize the contributions of each part of a society and the idea that societies tend to return to a state of stability after some upheaval

How does the conflict perspective explain social change?

• By focusing on interaction among people based on mutually understood symbols

• By emphasizing the contributions of each part of a society and the idea that societies tend to return to a state of stability after some upheaval

• By focusing on the pattern of social behavior in a group or society

• By emphasizing conflict, competition, change, and constraint within a society

What is functional integration according to sociology?

• The pattern of social behavior in a group or society

• The interdependence among the parts in a social system

• The ability of one party to get other parties to do its will or to ensure that it will benefit from the actions of other parties

• The language, norms, values, beliefs, knowledge, symbols, and physical objects that are shared by members of a society or group

What is social action according to sociology?

• The language, norms, values, beliefs, knowledge, symbols, and physical objects that are shared by members of a society or group

• The interdependence among the parts in a social system

• The pattern of social behavior in a group or society

• The way in which someone's actions are coordinated with his or her environment