Sociology Questions

A(n) _________ is defined as a group that strongly influences a person's behavior and social attitudes, regardless of whether that individual is an actual member.

A(n) __________ is a highly structured group formed for the purpose of completing certain tasks or achieving specific goals.

Sociologist __________ suggested that small groups have distinctive interaction patterns that do not exist in larger groups.

A(n) __________ is defined as an abstract model that describes the recurring characteristics of some phenomenon (such as bureaucracy).

A(n) __________ is defined as a web of social relationships that links one person with other people and, through them, with other people they know.

Bureaucratic organizations are characterized by __________, the specialization where each member has highly specialized tasks to fulfill.

Hannah, a college graduate, recently joined a consultancy firm as an executive assistant. Because this is her first job, Hannah is not clear about the expectations associated with her role. She is even not sure if she should address her colleagues by deferential greetings such as "ma'am" and "sir" or by their names. This scenario best illustrates __________.

Social institutions are transformed in __________ societies. The family diminishes in significance as the economy, education, and political institutions grow in size and complexity.

A(n) __________ is an organizational model characterized by a hierarchy of authority, a clear division of labor, explicit rules and procedures, and impersonality in personnel matters.

Wendy, a 30-year-old lawyer at a prestigious law firm, belonged to a lower-middle class family and did not have many privileges at home while growing up. Therefore, when she was appointed the youngest partner at the firm and started earning much more, she bought a house in a posh area of the city and a new BMW 5 to flaunt her wealth. In this context, Wendy used __________ to inform others of her new social position.

A(n) __________ is defined as a collection of two or more people who interact frequently with one another, share a sense of belonging, and have a feeling of interdependence.

Anish, a 32-year-old, lives in an industrial society and works as an assembly-line worker at an automobile company. He and the other workers in the company perform highly specialized tasks, leading them to be dependent on each other. However, interaction among them is impersonal and status oriented. According to Durkheim, this type of social cohesion is called __________.

Sociologist __________ asserted that preindustrial societies are held together by strong traditions and by the members' shared moral beliefs and values. As societies industrialized and developed more-specialized economic activities, social solidarity came to be rooted in the members' shared dependence on one another.

A(n) __________ status is a social position conferred at birth or received involuntarily later in life, based on attributes over which the individual has little or no control, such as race/ethnicity, age, and gender.

Samantha is a college student who attends morning classes at the university and works part-time at a local bookstore from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Next Monday, Samantha has an exam at 5:00 p.m., when she is supposed to be working. These incompatible demands of her statuses as a student and an employee best illustrate __________.

A physician who wants to provide his or her patients with the best possible health care but is required by insurance companies or governmental regulations to keep operating costs down will experience:

__________ occurs when people disengage from social roles that have been central to their self-identity.

_________ focus on the instrumental tasks of a group and demand compliance from others. In times of crisis, such as a war or natural disaster, they may be commended for their decisive actions. In other situations, however, they may be criticized for being dictatorial and for fostering intergroup hostility.

The process of maintaining or changing behavior to comply with the norms established by a society, subculture, or other group is referred to as:

A __________ group is a small, less specialized group in which members engage in face-to-face, emotion-based interactions over an extended period of time.