Current social problems ex 1

The objective element of a social problem refers to:

The existence of a social condition

Which is the best example of the subjective element of a social problem?

A majority of Americans believe that homelessness is a serious social problem.

Which example best demonstrates the sociological imagination?

A person's unemployment is connected to the closing of factories throughout their community.

The way a society is organized is called its:

Structure

Which of the following is an example of an ascribed status?

Native American

Ideas about what is desirable or good in a society are called:

Values

Cheating on a spouse is generally considered a violation of a:

More

A wedding ring exchanged during a ceremony is an example of a:

Symbol

Which of the following best describes the social structure of a society?

Institutions, social groups, statuses, and roles

What is the first step in conducting a research study?

Formulating a research question

In the research question, "Do people who live in cities walk more than people who live in suburbs?", whether a person lives in a city or suburb is the:

Independent variable

A dependent variable is best described as:

The effect or outcome being studied

Which research method involves analyzing information that has already been collected by another researcher or organization?

Secondary analysis

A researcher spends several months living with and participating in the activities of a particular social group. This is an example of:

Participant observation

An ethnography is primarily designed to study:

Social or cultural behavior from the point of view of the subjects

A worldwide disease outbreak such as COVID-19 is called a:

Pandemic

Which term describes the worldwide increase in obesity?

Globesity

Someone travels to another country for less expensive medical treatment while also receiving transportation and lodging services. This is an example of:

Medical tourism

Which factor is associated with higher maternal mortality?

Lack of trained medical personnel

The "Latino paradox" refers to the finding that:

Some Latino immigrants have better health outcomes than would be expected based on socioeconomic disadvantages.

Which of the following is one explanation for the Latino paradox?

Strong family, community, and social support

Which statement about mental illness and violent crime is supported by the material?

Only a small percentage of violent crimes are caused by people with mental illness.

Deinstitutionalization refers to:

Shifting mental healthcare from long-term institutions toward medication and community-based treatment

Negative stereotypes about people with mental illness contribute to a:

Stigma

Which sociological perspective focuses on how socioeconomic status, power, and profit influence healthcare?

Conflict theory

Which perspective is most interested in how failures in one social institution can affect other institutions?

Structural-functionalism

The Affordable Care Act introduced the concept of mental health:

Parity

Pharmacologically, a drug is:

A substance other than food that alters the structure or functioning of a living organism

Drug abuse is defined sociologically as drug use that:

Violates acceptable social standards and results in adverse consequences

Chemical dependency refers to:

Compulsive drug use in which the user is unable to stop

Which type of dependency involves withdrawal symptoms when an individual stops taking a drug?

Physical dependency

Which sociological perspective focuses on the meanings people attach to drug use?

Symbolic interactionism

According to Howard Becker's research, marijuana users learn to:

Recognize, interpret, and enjoy the sensations associated with marijuana use

A conflict theorist would be most likely to argue that drug laws and punishments are influenced by:

Differences in power between social groups

Which drug was legally available in the United States during the 1800s and early 1900s?

Opium

The U.S. "War on Drugs" initially emphasized:

Prohibition and criminalization

According to the symbolic interactionist perspective, a person may continue using drugs when they:

Learn to interpret the drug experience in positive terms

The two major approaches traditionally associated with U.S. drug policy are:

Demand reduction and supply reduction

Which of the following is an example of an official source of crime statistics?

FBI crime statistics

Victimization surveys are especially useful because they can:

Help reveal the "dark figure" of crime that official statistics may miss

According to the textbook, which crime is the most common worldwide?

Theft

Worldwide, the largest category of crime suspects is generally:

Young adult males

Robert Merton's strain theory argues that crime can result when:

Society promotes cultural goals but does not provide equal legitimate means to achieve them

Which of the following is a violent index offense?

Robbery

Which of the following is a property crime?

Burglary

A person steals money from their employer while performing their job. This is an example of:

Occupational crime

A corporation illegally dumps toxic waste in order to save money. This is an example of:

Corporate crime

According to the textbook, white-collar crime includes:

Occupational, corporate, and political crime

Which statement about race and crime is most consistent with the textbook?

Official crime statistics can reflect differences in criminal justice practices and social class as well as differences in offending.

The principle of deterrence is based on the idea that:

The threat or use of punishment can discourage unwanted behavior.

A researcher documents that the unemployment rate in a community has risen from 5% to 12%. Which element of a social problem does this information demonstrate?

Objective element

Residents of a town begin arguing that the increasing unemployment rate is harmful to families and that government officials should take action. This represents the:

Subjective element

Which situation would provide evidence for the subjective element of a social problem?

Community members believe drug addiction is damaging their community and needs to be addressed.

A sociologist wants to determine whether the amount of time students spend studying affects their exam scores. What is the independent variable?

Amount of time spent studying

In the same study, what is the dependent variable?

Exam scores

A researcher asks whether living in a rural or urban area affects access to healthcare. Which is the dependent variable?

Access to healthcare

A sociologist sends 2,000 people a questionnaire asking about their political opinions. Which research method is being used?

Survey

A researcher changes one condition for one group of participants and compares their behavior with a control group. This is:

An experiment

A sociologist uses previously collected Census data to study changes in poverty over the past 20 years. This is:

Secondary analysis

A researcher spends several months living with and observing a group in its natural environment. Which method is this?

Field research

Which research method would be most appropriate for studying how members of a group behave in their everyday environment?

Field research

A society considers honesty to be an important quality that people should have. Honesty is an example of a:

Value

Students are expected to raise their hands before speaking in class. This expectation is an example of a:

Norm

Which situation best represents a more?

Being unfaithful to your spouse

Which behavior is most likely to be considered a folkway?

Using a napkin while eating at a formal dinner

During a graduation ceremony, students wear caps and gowns that represent their educational achievement. The caps and gowns are examples of:

Symbols

The movement away from long-term psychiatric hospitalization toward medication and community-based treatment is known as:

Deinstitutionalization

The high number of people with mental illnesses being held in correctional facilities is referred to as:

Criminalization of mental illness

Which situation best illustrates deinstitutionalization?

Long-term psychiatric hospitals are replaced by community-based mental health services.

Which perspective focuses on how different institutions work together to maintain stability in society?

Structural-functionalism

A sociologist argues that wealthy groups have more influence over healthcare policy because they possess greater economic and political power. Which perspective is being used?

Conflict theory

A researcher studies how people attach different meanings to being labeled a "drug addict." Which perspective would be most appropriate?

Symbolic interactionism

Which theory would be most concerned with power, inequality, and competing interests between groups?

Conflict theory

Which theory would be most interested in how labels and meanings influence individual behavior?

Symbolic interactionism

A person compulsively uses a drug and feels unable to stop using it. This is best described as:

Chemical dependency

A person believes they need a drug in order to feel emotionally well or function normally. This is:

Psychological dependency

A person experiences withdrawal symptoms after suddenly stopping a drug. This demonstrates:

Physical dependency

Which scenario best illustrates psychological dependency?

Someone believes they cannot relax or feel happy without using a particular drug.

A government program teaches students about the dangers of drug use in an attempt to reduce people's desire to use drugs. This is:

Demand reduction

Police increase efforts to prevent illegal drugs from entering the country. This is an example of:

Supply reduction

Which strategy focuses primarily on reducing people's desire or willingness to use drugs?

Demand reduction

Police departments and government agencies collect records of reported arrests and crimes. These are examples of:

Official statistics

Researchers ask people whether they have personally been victims of crimes, including crimes that may never have been reported to police. This is a:

Victimization survey

Researchers ask people whether they themselves have committed crimes. This is a:

Self-report survey

Why might victimization surveys identify crimes that do not appear in official crime statistics?

Some crimes are never reported to police.

According to strain theory, crime can result when:

Society emphasizes goals but does not provide everyone with equal legitimate means to achieve them.

A teenager strongly desires financial success but has few legitimate opportunities to achieve it. He begins selling illegal drugs to obtain money. Which theory best explains this behavior?

Strain theory

Which concept is most central to strain theory?

The gap between cultural goals and legitimate means

Which of the following is a violent crime?

Robbery

A person threatens someone with a weapon and takes their wallet. This is:

Robbery

An employee uses their position at a company to steal money from their employer. This is:

Occupational crime

A corporation intentionally violates environmental regulations to increase its profits. This is:

Corporate crime

A government official illegally uses their position for personal financial gain. This is:

Political crime

Which statement best describes the difference between crime and victimization?

Crime refers to illegal behavior, while victimization refers to experiencing or being harmed by crime.

A person has their car stolen but never reports the theft to police. Which statement is most accurate?

The person experienced victimization even though the crime may not appear in official statistics.

The idea that punishment can discourage people from committing crimes is known as:

Deterrence

A state increases penalties for drunk driving in hopes that people will think twice before driving while intoxicated. This policy is based on:

Deterrence

Which statement best describes deterrence?

The threat or use of punishment is intended to discourage criminal behavior.

A criminal justice policy is designed to make the consequences of committing a crime more severe so that potential offenders will avoid the behavior. The primary goal is:

Deterrence