Sociology Midterms Flashcard Set (Modules 1-6)

The Sociological Perspective

A person drinks a cup of coffee in the morning. A sociologist views this action as a social behavior even though one may think its a personal decision. In the sociologist’s eyes, they see this as “Symbolic Interactionism”, going to the coffee shop is a social ritual where people interact, build a sense of community, and negotiate meanings. What term would best describe the sociologist’s view on the action of the person drinking coffee.

Agency

Instead of working and being a regular functioning member of society, some people on social media climb through drive-through windows with a JBL speaker and blast “Trap Queen” by Fetty Wap while saying “No doors, no problem!!“. What term would best describe the free choices some people make on social media?

Structure

A person clocks into his 8 hour shift. Instead of doing what he wants, he has to work in order to provide for his family. What term would describe the invisible barrier that is the place where the person works?

Sociological Imagination

A person loses their job. That person sees it as a failure on their part. However, a sociologist sees the person’s job loss as more of a wide-spread problem due to automation, national recessions, or corporate-outsourcing. What term would best describe the way the sociologist see’s the person’s job loss?

Functionalism

Police, courts, and prisons work together to maintain social order, the three of them acting like organs in society that keep society going. What term would best describe this view on society?

Conflict Theory

Business owners want lower costs and higher profit. However, the workers want higher pay and better benefits. This disagreement between them causes friction. What term would best describe this friction between Business Owners and Workers due to limited resources?

Symbolic Interaction

A person owns an Apple Phone and a Mac Book. It may be for functionality, but under the surface, a person may have bought an apple phone because in society it is perceived as a symbol of wealth and the person with the phone wanted to belong. What term would best describe the connection between the person with the apple phone and society and it’s perception of said phone?

Sociology

Dating apps demonstrate how technology commodifies romance. Algorithms dictate who you see while the swiping mechanism gamifies human connection and alters how a generation views long-term commitment. What term could best be used to describe the change in dating within society?

Science

A person does research and makes a breakthrough in medical technology. That new breakthrough was used to save lives and was kept to prevent similar medical cases from happening in the future. What term could best describe the process of producing that knowledge and the knowledge produced in the process?

Natural Sciences

A person performs an experiment on plants in Arizona and determines which ones are the most adapted to living in Arizona and why that is the case. What term could best describe the experiment and the want to understand the plants?

Social Sciences

Sociologists have studied The Echo Chamber affect on social media and how most algorithms give information that aligns with the values of the person scrolling. What term could best describe the kind of research the Sociologists have been doing?

Deductive Reasoning

Researchers conduct a study on social media and isolation in society. Robert Putnam’s “Bowling Alone Theory” states modern shifts have weakened social capital and community bonds. The researchers present a scientific question: “If a person increases their daily social media usage, their physical, face-to-face community interactions will decrease.” The researchers then send out surveys about screen time and how lonely participants feel. What term would best describe the process that the researchers went about answering their question?

Inductive Reasoning

A person’s hand got burnt on a stove, the person thinks that all stoves work the same way. With that conclusion, the person thinks he should be more careful around stoves. What term would best describe the process the person went about answering his question?

Quantitative

When analyzing a spreadsheet, A data analyst notices statistics focused on the average number of goal contributions, high intensity sprints, and top speed to determine the effectiveness of athleticism in the premier league. What term would best describe the kind of data presented?

Qualitative

A researcher conducts a one on one interview with a customer of Safeway to get an understanding of how a person feels about the store’s customer service and product selection. What term would best describe the kind of data presented?

Dependent Variable

A researcher is setting up for an experiment and is trying to determine a city’s annual crime rate. What term would best describe the city’s annual crime rate in this experiment?

Independent Variable

A researcher is setting up for an experiment regarding a city’s annual crime rate. Factors such as, local unemployment rates, the concentration of community youth programs, or shifts in local policing policies all have been determined to affect the city’s crime rate. What term would best describe the factors in this experiment?

Correlation/Association

A school within a wealthy neighborhood has been shown to have consistently high-scoring SAT test-takers, with the average income of a two-parent household being over $200,000. What term would best describe the relation between the test scores and the average income of a two-parent household?

Macro-level Studies

A researcher focuses on Globalization and how it affects cultures worldwide. What term would best describe Globalization and the focus on it?

Micro-level Studies

A researcher focuses on mansplaining and interruptions of a man when a woman is talking to them in a corporate setting in Phoenix. What term would describe this research and the focus on it?

Culture

In England, it is normal to drive on the left side of the road. It is also common to support a local soccer team and go to their home games every weekend. What term would best describe this way to identify English people?

Non-material culture

In Japan, the national language is Japanese. What term would best describe Japan’s national language’s intangibility?

Material Culture

China has red flags with golden stars on the left side of its flag. These flags hang everywhere in China. What term would best describe the tangibility of China’s flag?

Cultural Universal

Each country has their own language and flag. What term would best describe the similarity between the cultures with having flags and their own language?

Values

In America, many people work hard in order to provide a comfortable life for their family in the future. What term would best describe the cultural guidelines of working hard in America?

Informal Rules

Japanese fans at the World Cup always clean up after themselves regardless of the team’s result. What term would best describe their unwritten policy to always clean up after themselves?

Formal Rules

Laws in the United States were created to prevent criminal activity and have a punishment equal to the level of crime committed. What term would best describe the Laws in the United States?

Taboo

Pedophiles have an attraction to underaged people and that way of thinking is illegal and many people hate them. What term would best describe the way of thinking and the ostracization of the individual with that way of thinking?

Physical Rewards

After a good performance at your job, you receive a $500 bonus. What term would best describe the $500 bonus?

Social Rewards

A person goes viral on YouTube and amasses 10 million subscribers, and receives fame in that process. What term would best describe fame?

Internal Rewards

After praising God and calling out sin, Jack felt like he belonged with his friends, felt more confident in himself, and had higher self-esteem. What term would best describe belonging, confidence, and high self-esteem?

Globalization

With the creation of the internet, it made it way easier for countries to share goods, money, services, and ideas across the world. What term would best describe the the sharing of knowledge worldwide?

Cultural Lag

AI hit the world by storm and is able to create essays and finish homework in milliseconds. Universities are still adapting to stopping AI usage for the purpose of cheating on assignments and exams. What term would describe the quicker change in material culture than non-material culture?

Culture Shock

Jack moved from rural New Hampshire to Surprise, Arizona. He was amazed and confused with the sheer amount of places to shop at, places to eat, and the weather of his new home as it was different from back in his old home. What term best describes Jack’s amazed and confused state?

Ethnocentrism

A person who follows God looks at those who engage in secular activities such as partying, drinking, and hooking up as strange due to their way disallowing that lifestyle. What term would best describe the way in which the believer goes about looking on secular activity?

Subculture

Gamers is a broad term to describe people who enjoy playing video games. However, hackers are people who use exploits in order to break the game and have fun in their own way. What term best describes hackers in relation to gamers?

Counterculture

A communist group at ASU doesn’t believe in Capitalism and protests for Communism. What term would best describe the want to reject Capitalism for Communism?

Ideology

Capitalism values the free market and business to run the economy. What term would best describe Capitalism?

Socialization

From youth to adulthood, We go through institutions such as school, university, religion (if applicable), etc., to develop our identities. What term would best describe this lifelong process in our lives?

Agents of Socialization

Religion gives us values and beliefs in day-to-day life. What term would best describe a religion in Socialization?

Primary Socialization

Our parents teach us manners, values, beliefs, and behaviors for handling day-to-day life. What term best describes our parents in Socialization?

Cultural Capital

A kid is born into a Millionaire’s family. He has a higher chance of success due to having more resources and available knowledge on how to repeat their parents’ success compared to a kid from a poor family. What term would best describe the advantage the kid has?

Secondary Socialization

A school teaches us culture and social expectations outside of the home. What term would best describe a school in Socialization

Hidden Curriculum

A school teaches us that we need to be on time and follow schedules. This isn’t explicitly taught in school but it is learned with time. What term would best describe the informal lesson of punctuality?

Resocialization

A person is recruited into the military and goes through bootcamp where they learn a new set of norms, values, beliefs, and behaviors. What term would describe the re-education this person went through?

Total Institution

A person goes to prison and they have little freedom, are separated from wider society, and their life is highly regulated. What term would best describe prison?

“The Generalized Other”

In society, a person refrains from cutting in the grocery store line and playing loud music on public transit, even if no authority is around because it is embarrassing because they internalized what general society thinks is polite or rude. What term would best describe the internalization of values and expectations this person did?

The Looking-Glass Self

A person on social media posts a collection of their vacation photos. They see a lot of likes and imagine that a lot of people enjoy their content, and that directly affects their self-esteem and makes them happier. What term would best describe this person’s change in esteem due to how they thought others would see them?

Dramaturgy

You have two friend groups, Group 1 and Group 2. In Group 1, You are able to use more dark humor. Group 2 would not like Group 1’s humor, so you adapt your behavior to fit to Group 2 when hanging out with them. What term would best describe the adaptation of your behavior as you move from Group 1 to Group 2.

Impression Management

When posting on social media, a person tries to wear trendy items to stay up to date with everyone and to shape how others see them. What term would best describe the person’s attempt to shape their social media presence?

Front Stage

My sociology professor during lecture teaches us for the sole purpose of educating us, the students, on sociology. We do not interact with him outside of his job. What term would best describe my sociology professor’s teaching behavior?

Back Stage

Outside of social settings, I am usually quite quiet and I tend to keep to myself. What term would best describe my step back out of the social setting into my quiet space?

Status

Daichi’s Dad is a higher up business executive at Asics, making him well-known in the business world in Japan. What term would best describe the social position of Daichi’s dad in Japan?

Ascribed Status

Daichi is the son of an executive at ASICS. This makes him more likely to achieve a higher-paying job due to his father’s career success. What term would best describe the status Daichi has?

Achieved Status

Lionel Messi played soccer as a young boy and his family was very poor. Eventually, through pure talent and hard work alone, he rose to become the greatest player of all time. What term would best describe the status that Lionel Messi has?

Roles

A doctor has to diagnose illnesses objectively, prioritize patient health, and maintain confidentiality. What term would best describe the obligations and privileges attached to their status as a doctor?

Role Conflict

Jack has to study for mid-terms, but also has to work as well. What term could best describe the tension between the student and worker in Jack?

Role Strain

Elliot wants to be a good friend and good student, his friend wants to hang out, but he has a paper due. What term would best describe the tension between being a good friend and a good student?

Reality

Society expects two people of different races to not get a long. However, when two people of two different races conversate, they end up getting along and becoming friends. What term would best describe what actually happened between the two people of different races?

Subjective meanings

$20 can be nothing to a wealthy business person, while $20 can mean everything to a broke college kid. What term would best describe the creation of interpretations between a shared item, the $20 bill?

Habitualization

Jack wakes up at 6 am for a week straight without skipping a day. Eventually he gets used to waking up at 6 am with no distractions. What term would best describe his repeated waking becoming a part of his routine?

Institutionalization

The Five-Day Workweek was created in American work life back during the Gilded Age, however, Human beings do not naturally operate on a fixed Monday-to-Friday schedule. However, this became the norm even in the modern day. What term would best describe the shift to the five-day workweek?

Objective Reality

A bank is stable. However a rumor goes around that they’re losing money, so many people who do business with the bank pull out their money so the bank has to close due to the lack of customers. What term would best describe the human created pattern via a false rumor?

Cultural Imperialism

America used Manifest Destiny to push their own values on island nations while obtaining their resources. What term would best describe Manifest Destiny?

Cultural Relativism

In India, arranged marriages are common. A person in America questions why they might do it this way instead of their way. What term would best describe this way of seeing?

Xenocentrism

People in America constantly criticize India for being “unhygienic”. What term would best describe this belief that American culture is superior to India’s?

Ideal Culture

In a perfect world, everyone is happy and does their job with no deviation from the norms. What term would best describe these standards society would like to live up to?

Real culture

In reality, most people think of themselves and are willing to deviate from the norms of day-to-day life. What term would best describe what really happens in society?

Sanction

A person receives a speeding ticket for speeding. What term would describe this penalty for wrong-doing?

Mores (mor-ays)

In Christianity, it is normal to wait for marriage to have intercourse. This is because it is seen as immoral in the Bible. What term would describe these norms embodied by morals and principles?

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

In English, historical terms like "fireman," "policeman," or "chairman" implicitly framed these positions as inherently male. What term would best describe this experience of the world through the English language and the understanding of the world through English culture and meanings in the English language?

High Culture

Michelin start restaurants are usually the go-to places to eat high quality and luxury food for the elite. What term would best describe this experience in elite society?

Low Culture

Living paycheck to paycheck and struggling is common for the poor. What term would best describe this experience in lower-class society?

Popular Culture

Buying designer clothing to impress others has been a trend in modern society. Many people reciprocate this so that they can look better for their peers. What term would best describe this pattern in mainstream society?

Social Group

Jorge recently joined a club at his school, and in this club he is surrounded by many who share the same identity and talk about the things in their life for hours on end, Jorge feels that he found his people and he belongs in this group, what term would be used to describe Jorge’s club?

Primary Group

James and Harold have been friends since they could walk, they are now 18 years old and support each other emotionally when they go through hard times and know everything about each other. What term would best describe Harold and James’s friendship?

Secondary Group

Nico joins a football club where it is greatly emphasized that gegenpressing and playing with passion is essential. This mentality is drilled into the players as they play for the club. What term would best describe this football club?

In-Group

Juan is a local to Barcelona supports FC Barcelona and describes his love for the club as “bleeding red and blue” and calls himself a “Culer”, while when referring to the team he supports to as “us”. What term would best describe the kind of group Juan is in?

Out-Group

West Ham Fans and their fierce rivals, Millwall FC are separated North/South of the Thames River. In the Dockers Derby, the respective fans of each club refer to the other as “A bunch of bell-ends them lot”. What term best describes West Ham fans’ distaste for Millwall and their separation of identity from them?

Reference Groups

John gets on social media after a hard eight hour shift at McDonald’s and sees a group of guys his age flaunting their multi-million dollar start up and all of the luxury items they have. John begins to question himself and if he’s moving through life at the right pace. What term would be best used to describe the group of guys and their multi-million dollar start up?

Social Bonds

Grant has a deep emotional connection to his parents. When it’s time for him to get up and go to school, he gets up and gets himself to school every day and does the right thing due to his compassion for his parents and they support and trust him in every action he does. What term would be best to describe Grant’s relationship with his parents?

Social Isolation

Pranav is a new student in a predominantly white high school. The population of the high school is around 4,000 students. Due to him immigrating from Pakistan, he is still learning English and is struggling to find friends, even though the halls are filled with people. What term would best describe Pranav’s current situation?

Social Cohesion

Gerald’s neighborhood, undergoing a flood, works together to share food, bail water out of homes, and provide shelter to those who don’t. What term would be best used to describe the bond Gerald’s neighborhood has?

Mechanical Solidarity

The Amish are well known for their lack of technology usage, traditional behaviors, and classical fashion choices. What term would describe the Amish people the best?

Organic Solidarity

The United States is known as a “melting pot” of all cultures, and as the land of the free and opportunity. People rely on each other through their jobs to maintain the economy of the US. What term describes society in the USA?

Collective Conscience

Most of the world agrees that “Soccer” is called “Football”. What term would be best to describe the shared opinion of the sport name?

Social Networks

A classroom full of students have been together for a full year, they have learned together, ate together, played together, and laughed together. What term would best describe the classroom?

Tie

Two roommates have lived together throughout college and they’ve become close friends as a result of that. What term would be best to describe their connection?

Weak Ties

Two people who share a mutual friend hang around each other just because their mutual friend is hanging out with them. However, the two people have started to learn about each other and discovered they are apart of two similar business clubs, both being able to provide new information. What term would best describe the connection between the two people who share a mutual friend?

Strong Ties

Brad and Ben have been friends since 5th grade, they are now seniors and Brad recently went through a breakup with his girlfriend of two years. Ben is there for Brad and offers to take him out for some ice cream to make him feel a little better. What term would best describe Brad and Ben’s relationship?

Organization

Arizona State University was founded to give students a proper education in the desert of Tempe, Arizona, and to provide the most career opportunities. ASU is also #1 in Innovation. What term best describes Arizona State University as a school?

Normative / Voluntary Organization

Jack joins InterVarsity because they both share interest in Christianity and worshipping God. What kind of organization is InterVarsity to Jack?

Utilitarian Organization

Jack joins Domino’s so that he can pay off his college debt and have his own money to spend and invest with. What kind of organization is Domino’s to Jack?

Coercive Organization

Jack commits Insider Trading and goes to prison for five years. What kind of organization is prison to Jack?

Organizational Structure

A business owner divides the powers of his business between a Vice President, a Vice President of Finance, a Vice President of Operations, and a Vice President of Marketing. What term would best describe how the owner distributed his powers?

Organizational Culture

Levi’s and its employees believe in delivering quality at an exceptional value to their shoppers. They make sure their clothing is of the highest quality as well as being reasonably affordable to a consumer. What would best describe the mentality of Levi’s and its employees?

Social Structure

The Government of the United States is split up into three powers: Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches. These powers balance each other and work together to run the United States. These three powers make up the societal framework of the United States and they organize American society. What term would best describe the Government of the United States?

Deviance

A person refuses to stand for the national anthem at a baseball game, those who are standing give him nasty looks and murmur about his choice. What could the action the person who refused to stand for the national anthem be described as?

Social Control

A person refuses to stand for the national anthem at a baseball game, those who are standing give him nasty looks and murmur about his choice. What could the nasty looks the people gave the person who refused to stand for the national anthem be described as?

Informal Social Control

After a person refused to stand at a baseball game for the national anthem, a person recorded his choice and posted it on social media to criticize and embarrass the person for disrespecting those who served for the US. What could the action of posting the person who refused to stand for the national anthem at the baseball game be described as?