Sociology MCQs
Sociology MCQs
Answer these 900+ Sociology MCQs and assess your grip on the subject of Sociology. Scroll below and get started!
1: Jason is a senior. He “collects” (a.k.a. steals) exams from his professor’s desk and sells them for profit to other students. He also has a network of students who work for him “collecting” exams. In order to keep the other students quiet, he physically threatens his “buyers” if they squeal. Jason is committing a(n) ______.
A. Street crime
B. Organized crime
C. Occupational crime
D. Hate crime
2: Someone decides to sell illegal drugs because he does not have any marketable job skills. Merton would refer to this as ______.
A. Conformity
B. Retreatism
C. Innovation
D. Rebellion
3: A global treaty forbids torture of war criminals, but the U.S. tortures some of its criminals anyway. Because the U.S. is a world superpower, its treatment of prisoners is not considered a state-organized crime.
A. True
B. False
4: How do women’s crimes generally differ from men’s?
A. Crime does not differ by sex.
B. Women are often in less of a position to commit crimes, and those crimes they do commit are often to procure resources.
C. Only women commit crimes of passion.
D. Women’s crimes typically involve children.
5: The criminal justice system tends to treat everyone equally, regardless of race, class, or sex.
A. True
B. False
6: The breakdown of norms guiding behavior that leads to social disorganization is ______.
A. Strain
B. Social dysfunction
C. Normalized society
D. Anomie
7: William Chambliss’s study of the Saints and the Roughnecks is an example of a(n) ______.
A. Self-fulfilling prophecy
B. Manifest function
C. Rebellion
D. Retreatism
8: People with higher statuses in society are less likely to be seen as deviant.
A. True
B. False
9: The idea of “peer pressure” (that students’ deviant peers encourage them to be deviant as well) fits most closely with labeling theory.
A. True
B. False
10: Which theory explains why people obey norms?
A. Social control theory
B. Strain theory
C. Rational choice theory
D. Conflict theory
11: According to some sociologists, labeling someone a deviant can actually increase their deviant behavior.
A. True
B. False
12: As societies modernize, which of the following can be expected?
A. A rise in anomie
B. A decrease in crime
C. An increase in the death penalty
D. Improved social solidarity
13: Globally, 35% of women have been the victim of physical or sexual violence.
A. True
B. False
14: The violation of social norms is called
A. Crime
B. Deviance
C. Wealth
D. Inequality
15: Differential Association theory is that which focuses on the learning of deviant behavior from those with whom we interact (e.g., family,peers, fellow employees)
A. True
B. False
16: Criminal offenses committed against a person,property, or group that are motivated by the offender’s bias against a religious, ethnic, or racial group is hate crimes
A. True
B. False
17: Labeling theory is that Theory that explains how people can be labeled deviant after committing a deviant act, which can then lead them to carry out further acts that reflect that label
A. True
B. False
18: Ongoing criminal enterprises run by an organized group whose ultimate purpose is economic gain through illegitimate means is organized crime
A. True
B. False
19: A violation of a norm that may be an isolated act or an initial act of rule breaking is primary deviance
A. True
B. False
20: Victimless crimes is public order crimes
A. True
B. False
21: The likelihood that someone who is arrested,convicted, and imprisoned will later be a repeat offender is recidivism rates
A. True
B. False
22: Occurs when an individual continues to violate a norm and begins to take on a deviant identity as a result of being labeled as deviant is secondary deviance
A. True
B. False
23: Occurs when a belief or a prediction becomes a reality, in part because of the prediction is self fulfilling prophecy
A. True
B. False
24: Stigmatize is branding Branding a person in a way that discredits that person’s claim to a “normal” identity
A. True
B. False
25: ___ Theory that contends that the opportunity or limitations embedded in the structures of society may contradict and undermine the goals and aspirations society encourages for its members, creating strains that lead to deviance
A. Strain
B. Law
C. Social control
D. All of these
26: The calculated use of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological is called
A. Terrrorism
B. Democracy
C. Corruption
D. All of these
27: Acts committed by or between individual consenting adults is victimless crimes
A. True
B. False
28: The violation of law committed by an individual or group in the course of a legitimate, respected occupation or financial activity is ____ collar crime
A. White
B. Black
C. Blue
D. Yellow
29: _____ is the final step in the mbo process.
A. Appraise overall performance
B. Develop an action plan
C. Review progress
D. Set goals
30: _____ risks refer to those that are direct results of implementing risk responses
A. Secondary
B. Planning
C. Workarounds
D. Sensitivity analysis
31: ________ refers to the process of monitoring, comparing, and correcting work performance.
A. Controlling
B. Leading
C. Planning
D. Organizing
32: __________ provided dynamic leadership for the american federation of labor during its early years.
A. Karl Marx
B. Kenneth Adams
C. George Meany
D. Samuel Gompers
33: A ________ includes both positive and negative aspects about the job and the company.
A. College recruiting
B. 360-degree appraisal
C. Realistic job preview
D. Selection
34: A company called ____ provides digital certifications for web transactions.
A. GoDaddy
B. VeriSign
C. Microsoft
D. US-CERT
35: A company is using a ______ pay structure in which more efficient workers earn higher wages.
A. Differential rate
B. Scientific
C. Soldiering
D. False
E. Inputs
36: A patrilocal culture is one in which __________.
A. Family of procreation
B. The conjugal family consisted of an autonomous married couple able to live outside their parents' household.
C. A wife is required to live with and obey her husband's parents
D. Women became responsible for the emotional demands of relationships
37: A social networking web site _____.
A. Can be used for nonbusiness purposes
B. Violence or obscenity
C. Delete material that violates the site's policies
D. Ads can be targeted to reach people with the desired demographic characteristics
38: _____ norms are those that are situationally created to support a collective action.
A. Emergent Norms
B. Societies
C. Organic Intellectuals
D. Mobilization for Action
39: _____ planning normally is performed by middle managers and typically has a one-year time frame.
A. Task significance
B. Tactical planning
C. Operational
D. Centralization
40: _________ refer to the ability to motivate, to inspire trust, and to communicate with others.
A. Soft skill
B. Hard skill
C. Human skill
D. Conceptual Skills
41: A fraternity is an example of an organization because it is comprised of people who ________.
A. Share the same values, traditions, and customs
B. Share the same goals and values
C. Share goals and function within a common structure
D. Function under the same set of rules and regulations
42: Female voters _____ male voters.
A. Are slightly outnumbered by
B. Are about the same in number as
C. Greatly outnumber
43: In his study of differences in cultural environments, geert hofstede found that ________.
A. People are largely the same from culture to culture with respect to values
B. The views of managers differ greatly from those of employees with respect to values
C. The views of IBM employees differ widely from the general population with respect to values
D. People vary from culture to culture in five value categories
44: Mead describes the active, creative, and spontaneous part of the self as the ________.
A. I
B. Id
C. Ego
D. Me
45: Mechanical solidarity is to gemeinschaft as ________ solidarity is to gesellschaft.
A. Organic.
B. Tribal.
C. Folk.
D. Natural
46: Media buying is an example of a(n) _____ market.
A. Horizontal
B. Vertical
C. None of these
D. Both of these
47: The anthropologist oscar lewis suggested the cause of poverty lies in ________
A. Too few available jobs
B. More economic inequality
C. Economic; social
D. Mostly middle-class
48: The incest taboo ________
A. Exists only in industrial societies
B. Is found in all societies
C. Is found among all living species
D. All of these are correct
49: With professionalization, __________ gained control over the entire medical establishment.
A. The American Medical Association
B. licensed medical doctors
C. insurance companies
D. Medical schools
50: A ____ is simply a means of classifying people according to a shared trait or a common status.
A. Common status
B. Social category
C. Public category
51: A basic need addressed by _____ is to regulate reproduction.
A. Medicine
B. The family
C. The economy
D. Education
52: An example of a dependent variable in an experiment might be _____.
A. Eye color
B. Level of depression
C. Gender
D. Blood type
53: An example of a primary group is _________
A. Family groups
B. Love relationships
C. Crisis support groups
D. All
54: An example of a secondary group is _________
A. Employment
B. Vendor-to-client relationships
C. A doctor
D. A mechanic
E. All
55: A type of reference group is ________.
A. Membership
B. Aspirational
C. Avoidance
D. All of the above
56: ________ is a proactive approach to the problem of crime.
A. Crime prevention
B. Probable cause
C. Compstat
D. Criminal justice procedure
57: What is an absolute monarchy?
A. A political system under which a king or queen has complete control of a country.
B. A political system under which a president has complete control of a country.
C. A political system under which the church has complete control of the country.
D. A political system under which the government is voted in by the people.
58: Achieved status is a status that we either earn or choose and that is not subject to where or to whom we were born.
A. False
B. True
59: What are agents of socialization?
A. People, groups, and experiences that influence our behavior and self-image.
B. Leaders of religious groups
C. People who work in law enforcement
D. People who are in the military
60: What is an agricultural or agrarian society?
A. A society in which everyone is a farmer
B. A society that raises crops by using animal-drawn plows.
C. A society that uses machines to plant and harvest crops.
D. A society that only raises livestock
61: What is the American Dream?
A. The belief that all people in America have an equal chance to be rich and famous
B. The belief that all Americans are born into perfect families and will never experience hardship
C. The belief that all Americans are born free and have the same opportunities
D. The belief that all Americans, regardless of the conditions of their birth, have an equal chance to achieve success.
62: What is the definition of absolute poverty?
A. The inability to afford movies or other forms of entertainment.
B. A lack of food and water.
C. The condition of having too little income to buy the necessities-- food, shelter, clothing, health care.
D. A condition in which one is not able to buy items not considered necessities.
63: What is another term for absolute poverty?
A. Relational poverty
B. Extreme poverty
C. Root cause of poverty
D. Poverty
64: What is achieved status?
A. A social position that is based on wealth
B. A social position that is based on heredity
C. A social position that is based on luck
D. A social position (status) obtained through an individual's own talents and efforts.
65: What is the definition of an Aggregate?
A. A collection of people who occupy a common space
B. A collection of people who are related to one another
C. A collection of people who know one another
D. A collection of unrelated people who do not know one another but who may occupy a common space
66: What is the primary means of subsistence in agrarian societies?
A. Large scale cultivation using plows and draft animals
B. Trade and bartering
C. Small scale cultivation using hoes and manual labor
D. Hunting and gathering
67: What does the term "alienation" mean?
A. Contentedness
B. The separation or estrangement of individuals from themselves and from others.
C. Unhappiness
D. Happiness
68: What is the definition of Amalgamation?
A. The combination of two or more companies
B. The combination of two or more metallic elements
C. The union of several political parties
D. The biological as well as cultural assimilation (merging) of racial or ethnic groups.
69: What does "anomaly" mean in terms of science?
A. Problems that cannot be explained or solved in terms of a prevailing paradigm.
B. Observations or problems that can be explained or solved in terms of a prevailing paradigm.
C. Discoveries that scientists were not expecting to make.
D. Unusual science experiments.
70: What is an anomaly?
A. In science, anomalies are observations or problems that cannot be explained or solved in terms of a prevailing paradigm.
B. Observation of physical events that occur outside the range of normal human experience.
C. An event that is out of the ordinary or inexplicable.
D. A person who behaves in an unusual or peculiar way.
71: What is anomie?
A. A breakdown or confusion in the norms, values, and culture of a group or a society.
B. A condition of complete normlessness.
C. A sudden, within a group or society, loss of cultural institutions and values.
D. A complete destruction of all norms, values, and culture within a group or society.
72: What does the word "apartheid" mean?
A. The South African equivalent of the Jim Crow laws in the United States
B. A system of racial segregation in Namibia
C. A city in Gauteng, South Africa
D. The recent policy of racial separation in South Africa enforced by legal political and military power.
73: What does assimilation mean?
A. The act of a majority group forcibly converting a minority group to their own belief system.
B. The belief that all groups are equal and should be treated the same.
C. The merging of minority and majority groups into one group with come common culture and identity.
D. The forced removal of a minority group from their homeland.
74: What is the definition of "assimilation"?
A. The process of making a foreign substance alike
B. The action of a liquid in which it flows into the spaces between particles
C. The process or result of reducing or being reduced in size or level
D. The merging of minority and majority groups into one group with a come mon culture and identity.
75: What is an Association?
A. A group of people bound together by common goals and rules, but not necessarily by close personal ties.
B. A group of people bound together by common goals and rules, and by close personal ties.
C. A group of people bound together by common goals but not by rules.
D. A group of people not bound together by common goals and rules.
76: What is athletics?
A. A form of work that is closer to sport than to play.
B. A form of sport that is closer to work than to play.
C. A form of work that is closer to play than to sport.
D. A form of sport that is closer to play than to work.
77: What is authority?
A. Power regarded as legitimate
B. The legitimate right to exercise power
C. Someone in a position of power
D. The right to make decisions and enforce them
78: Which of the following is an example of bias?
A. The Baby Boom
B. Scientific method
C. The influence of a scientist's personal values and attitudes on scientific observations and conclusions.
D. Theories
79: What is the birth rate?
A. Number of births per year per 1000 people.
B. Number of deaths per year per 1000 women 15 to 44 years old.
C. Number of births per year per 1000 women 15 to 44 years old.
D. Number of births per year.
80: What is a form of economic organization in which private individuals accumulate and invest capital?
A. Capitalism
B. Feudalism
C. Mercantilism
D. Marxism
81: What is a closed system of social stratification in which prestige and social relationships are based on hereditary position at birth?
A. Racial system
B. Caste system
C. Social system
D. Class system
82: What does the word "charisma" mean?
A. A popular uprising
B. A natural skill or talent
C. The exceptional mystical or even supernatural quality of personality attributed to a person by others.
D. Having a strong personality
83: What is a charismatic leader?
A. An individual who is skilled in public speaking
B. An individual who enlists the strong emotional support of followers through personal and seemingly supernatural qualities.
C. A leader elected by a group
D. An individual with a strong sense of integrity
84: What does charter refer to in the context of schools?
A. A document outlining the conditions under which a ship sails.
B. The capacity of certain schools to confer special rights on their graduates.
C. A document that granted a city the legal right to self-governance.
D. An agreement between a ruler and his or her vassals.
85: What is the capacity of charter schools to confer on their graduates?
A. Priority registration
B. Extra-curricular benefits
C. Reduced tuition
D. Special rights
86: What is Church A?
A. A place where people go to informal worship services.
B. An organization with formal and traditional religious doctrine, beliefs, and practices.
C. A small, intimate gathering of religious people.
D. A religious institution that is not affiliated with a particular denomination.
87: What is a city?
A. A place with a lot of people
B. A relatively permanent settlement of large numbers of people who do not grow or gather their own food.
C. A large building
D. A place with a lot of pollution
88: What does civil law deal with?
A. Contract law
B. Common law
C. Wrongs against the individual
D. Criminal law
89: What is the branch of law that deals largely with wrongs against the individual?
A. Business law
B. Criminal law
C. Employment law
D. Civil law
90: What is civil religion?
A. The domination of one religious group over another.
B. The complete separation of religion and politics.
C. The state enforcement of religious laws.
D. The interweaving of religious and political symbols in public life.
91: What is Class?
A. A social hierarchy based on race.
B. A social hierarchy based on gender.
C. A social hierarchy based on prestige and/or property ownership.
D. A social hierarchy based on religion.
92: What is the struggle between competing classes called?
A. Economic conflict
B. Social conflict
C. Class conflict
D. Class struggle
93: Class consciousness is _____.
A. A way of thinking that is exclusive to the upper class
B. The sense of common class position and shared interests held by members of a social class.
C. A set of beliefs shared by members of the same social class
D. A method of social interaction between different classes
94: What is a class system?
A. A system of stratification based primarily on the unequal ownership and control of political resources.
B. A system of stratification based primarily on the unequal ownership and control of economic resources.
C. A system of stratification based primarily on the unequal ownership and control of social resources.
D. A system of stratification based primarily on the unequal ownership and control of cultural resources.
95: What does a closed system in organizational theory mean?
A. The degree to which an organization is controlled by its environment.
B. The degree to which an organization is open to its environment.
C. The degree to which an organization is influenced by its environment.
D. The degree to which an organization is shut off from its environment.
96: What is cognitive development?
A. The systematic improvement of intellectual ability through a series of stages.
B. The ability to reason and make decisions
C. The ability to remember and recall information
D. The ability to think and understand
97: What does the word "cohort" mean?
A. A section of a Roman legion
B. A group of people sharing something in common
C. A generation
D. A period of 10 years
98: What is commitment?
A. The state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.
B. A group of people who are willing to do what is necessary to stay together
C. A group of people who are willing to do what is necessary to achieve a goal.
D. Willingness of members of a group to do what is needed to maintain the group.
99: What is a community?
A. A collection of people in a geographical area
B. A website
C. A social media platform
D. A location-based app
100: What is the meaning of complementary marriages?
A. Marriages in which husband and wife have similar family roles.
B. Marriages in which husband and wife take distinctly separate family roles.
C. Marriages in which husband and wife take on each other's family roles.
D. Marriages in which husband and wife do not have any family roles.
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