Sociology A Brief Introduction

Canadian 6th Edition Schaefer Test

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TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false.

1) In Canada, the ascribed statuses of race and gender can function as master statuses that have an
important impact on one's potential to achieve a desired professional and social status.
Answer: True False

2) A primary group member cannot also be an in-group member.

Answer: True False

3) Social behaviour is learned independently of social institutions.

Answer: True False

4) We change reference groups as we take on different statuses during our lives.

Answer: True False

5) The mass media is an example of a social institution.

Answer: True False

6) Robert was a skilled mechanic, often asked to help newer employees. This could cause him role
conflict.
Answer: True False

7) Émile Durkheim argued that mechanical solidarity is characteristic of the interdependence of people
in a complex society.
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 Answer: True False

8) A postmodern society is a technologically sophisticated society that is preoccupied with consumer

goods and information on a mass scale.
Answer: True False

9) Large formal organizations do not need to be regulated by supervisory organizations.

Answer: True False

10) Many unions have become examples of Michels' "Iron Law of Oligarchy."
Answer: True False

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

11) Role exit is defined as:

A) a difficulty that occurs when incompatible expectations arise within one social position
occupied by an individual
B) the process of disengagement from a role that is central to one's self-identity and the
re-establishment of an identity in a new role
C) a difficulty that occurs when incompatible expectations arise from two or more social positions
held by the same person
D) a set of expectations for people who occupy a given social position
Answer: B

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12) Which of the following is an achieved status?
A) a South African B) a major league baseball player
C) a Black Canadian woman D) a young girl
Answer: B

13) A social network is:

A) an attempt to reach agreement with others concerning some objective
B) the way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships
C) a series of social relationships that link a person directly to others, and therefore indirectly to
still more people
D) a social structure that derives its existence from the social interactions through which people
define and redefine its character
Answer: C

14) Weber's ideal type of bureaucracy includes:

A) employees hired for their qualifications
B) a strict division of labour in a hierarchical arrangement of positions
C) officials who perform their duties without any personal consideration or showing any personal
emotions to individuals
D) all these answers are correct
Answer: D

15) Which term is used by sociologists to refer to a set of expectations for people who occupy a given
social position or status?
A) social role B) achieved role C) structural role D) ascribed role
Answer: A

16) Which of the following statements about social roles is correct?

A) actual performance of a role varies from individual to individual within the same status.
B) the roles that belong to a social status are learned and performed in the same manner as all
other holders of that status.
C) role expectations and actual role performances always match each other.
D) social roles are performed in the same manner by those holding ascribed, but not achieved,
statuses.
Answer: A

17) Ascribed statuses may be based on an individual's:

A) age B) gender C) race D) all of these
Answer: D

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18) The specialized division of labour can work well when highly skilled people are needed for specific
tasks but can also reduce workers to an "appendage of a machine," producing , or cause
workers to fail to notice problems, termed .
A) trained incapacity; Inflexibility
B) alienation; Trained incapacity
C) written rules and regulations; Trained incapacity
D) the Communist Manifesto; Impersonality
Answer: B

19) Facebook is a social media site that facilitates . Emails and blogs were the first stage in the
creation of .
A) alternative forms of social reality; social relationships
B) coalitions; social networking
C) social networking; alternative forms of social reality
D) social relationships; coalitions
Answer: C

20) The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) has worked hard to change the _
status of older people. Its members could hold statuses such as retired professor or
lawyer.
A) ascribed; achieved B) master; ascribed
C) achieved; ascribed D) group; social
Answer: A

21) Charles Page used the term
part of daily life in an organization.
A) unofficial bureaucracy
C) iron law of oligarchy
Answer: D
in reference to unofficial activities and interactions that are
B) soft bureaucracy
D) bureaucracy's other face

22) Electronic communications are all of the following except it:

A) can leave no permanent record of transactions
B) can make messages easier to send around to all relevant parties in the workplace
C) can contribute to the fragmentation of work and the need to multi-task
D) can be convenient and more democratic
Answer: A

23) Which of the following statements about unions is not true?

A) labour union power varies from one country to another
B) unions in Canada can have a significant influence on employers and elected officials
C) Canadian unions have a much larger increase in female membership than in USA
D) unions are still notorious for major and lengthy strikes in Canada
Answer: D

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24) The Canadian union movement is in transition. Which of the following does not account for the
changes?
A) feminization of the labour union movement
B) waning influence of unions headquartered outside of Canada
C) changing scope of union membership
D) government restrictions on union activities
Answer: D

25) A temporary or permanent alliance toward a common goal is called a:

A) in-group B) self-help group C) coalition D) negotiation
Answer: C

26) Ebaugh identified stages in a role exit. Which of the following terms for those stages is/are
accurate?
A) creation of a new identity B) action stage or departure
C) doubt and a search for alternatives D) all of these answers are correct
Answer: D

27) Jan, Randy, and Terry are science majors, and when they graduate from college, they find jobs as a
nurse, a midwife, and a hospital administrator, respectively. These new positions are examples of:
A) Definitions of reality B) Achieved statuses
C) Ascribed statuses D) Social networks
Answer: B

28) The "iron law of oligarchy" is a principle of organizational life according to which:
A) even democratic organizations will become bureaucracies ruled by a few individuals
B) organizations are established on the basis of common interests
C) an oligarchy inevitably becomes autocratic
D) each individual in a hierarchy tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence
Answer: A

29) A problem within hierarchical staffing structures has been dubbed "The Peter Principle." This refers
to:
A) every employee within a hierarchy who tends to rise to their level of incompetence
B) an employee who has been promoted to a position where their competence is no longer
adequate
C) a possible dysfunctional consequence of promotion based on merit
D) all of these answers are correct
Answer: D

30) The decision of an employer to advertise a job in such a way that it clearly targets white,
able-bodied males reflects which theoretical perspective on social institutions such as the economy?
A) feminist B) interactionist C) functionalist D) conflict
Answer: A

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31) Michael Harrington, author of "The Other America" is critical of the functionalist perspective on
post-industrial and its interest groups working for the common good. Harrington, arguing from the
perspective, states that _ in post-industrial society that:
A) interactionist; communications will be stronger and faster.
B) feminist; male dominance will continue to cause conflicts.
C) functionalist; consensus on major values and norms will continue.
D) conflict; social class conflicts will continue.
Answer: D

32) Which of the following is characteristic of the emergence of industrial societies?

A) individuals, villages, and regions began to exchange goods and services and become
interdependent.
B) formal educational institutions developed.
C) families and communities could not continue to function as self-sufficient units.
D) all of these
Answer: D

33) The drug Thalidomide, approved by the Canadian Government as safe for pregnant women, caused
serious physical abnormalities in babies. As adults they formed an alliance focused on suing the
government for financial help with health issues as they got older. This group is called by
sociologists an a(n):
A) formal group B) primary group C) coalition D) in-group
Answer: C

34) Ferdinand Tönnies would view hunting-and-gathering societies as examples of a:

A) Gesundheit B) Gemeinschaft C) Gesellschaft D) Glockenspiel
Answer: B

35) Some female workers were being studied in an effort to improve their working conditions, but no
matter what changes the experimenters made to their workplace, output increased. This is an
example of:
A) human relations management B) interactionism
C) the Hawthorne effect D) scientific management
Answer: C

36) According to Herbert Blumer, the distinctive characteristic of human interaction is that:
A) the reality of humans is shaped by our perceptions, and evaluations
B) humans interpret or define each other's actions
C) humans respond to behaviour based on the meaning we attach to the actions of others
D) all of these
Answer: D

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37) According to Lenski's sociocultural evolution theory, the Yanomamö, a South American culture,
live in a village and spend most of their time searching for food and tending small gardens. Their
primary tool is a stone ax, which they use for cutting down trees to expand their gardens. The
Yanomamö are an example of a(n):
A) postmodern society B) hunting-and-gathering society
C) horticultural society D) agrarian society
Answer: C

38) Philip Zimbardo's study of a simulated prison environment that used college students as prisoners
and prison guards:
A) demonstrated how social status is formed
B) indicated that it is impossible to replicate a "real life" situation in a laboratory
C) demonstrated that a social structure can influence the type of social interactions that occur
D) indicated that social interactions are not influenced by social structure characteristics
Answer: C

39) A university is an example of an organization known as a(n) because it uses rules of

procedure, hierarchical ranking in a division of labour, and employs staff based on their
qualifications.
A) bureaucracy B) informal organization
C) formal organization D) post-modern organization
Answer: A

40) William Graham Sumner distinguished between groups developing "we" and "they" outlooks
toward each other as:
A) in-groups and out-groups B) socialization groups
C) formal and informal groups D) primary and secondary groups
Answer: A

41) Which theoretical perspective would argue that the Thomas's use of "definition of the situation" in
social interaction would be determined by the dominant group in that society or culture?
A) interactionist B) feminist C) functionalist D) conflict
Answer: D

42) Thomas and Thomas note that people respond not only to the objective features of a person or
situation but also to the meaning that the person or situation has for them. This view represents
which sociological perspective?
A) conflict perspective B) feminist perspective
C) functionalist perspective D) interactionist perspective
Answer: D

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43) Which sociological perspective is especially interested in ascribed statuses, because they often
confer privileges or reflect a person's membership in a subordinate group?
A) conflict perspective B) interactionist perspective
C) global perspective D) functionalist perspective
Answer: A

44) Which sociological perspective emphasizes that social roles contribute to a society's stability by
enabling members to anticipate the behaviour of others and to pattern their own actions
accordingly?
A) conflict perspective B) feminist perspective
C) interactionist perspective D) functionalist perspective
Answer: D

45) Which sociological perspective suggests that a society or a relatively permanent group must
accomplish certain major tasks if it is to survive?
A) functionalist perspective B) interactionist perspective
C) feminist perspective D) conflict perspective
Answer: A

46) Daniel Bell views post-industrial societies as consensual, because he believes that post-industrial
societies are characterized by interest groups concerned with such national issues as health,
education, and the environment working for the common good. Bell's view represents which
sociological perspective?
A) conflict perspective B) interactionist perspective
C) feminist perspective D) functionalist perspective
Answer: D

47) An individual can acquire an achieved status by:

A) establishing a friendship. B) attending school.
C) inventing a new product. D) all of these
Answer: D

48) Which of the following statements about a primary group is correct?

A) It will always contain at least three members
B) It plays an important role in the socialization process and in the development of roles and
statuses
C) It is formal and impersonal
D) There is little intimacy involved
Answer: B

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49) Which statement best describes recent change in the Canadian union movement?
A) it has evolved into a gender balanced movement
B) there has been increasing membership from the private sector
C) there has been increasing membership from the public sector
D) its membership has become male dominated
Answer: C

50) Michels argued that an oligarchy will form even in democratic organizations since:
A) leadership tends to continue when the leaders have relevant skills and knowledge
B) members of an organization who are general staff expect leadership from those above them
C) leaders have charisma
D) all of these answers are correct
Answer: D

51) Minimal hierarchical organizations offer employees which of the following?

A) project teams that work more efficiently
B) fewer issues over misunderstood regulations
C) a better chance of having their ideas heard
D) less serious bureaucratic oversights and blind spots
Answer: C

52) A doctor who is a general practitioner in a small community is seeing patients in his office when his
receptionist calls him to say he has a patient in emergency and is needed at the hospital immediately.
That doctor is experiencing:
A) role conflict B) master status C) role strain D) cultural norms
Answer: C

53) A construct or model that serves as a measuring rod against which specific cases can be evaluated is
called a(n):
A) questionnaire B) metaphor C) ideal type D) coalition
Answer: C

54) Among the most crucial aspects of the relationship between dominant and subordinate groups is the
ability of the dominant group to:
A) define social reality B) mould the "definition of the situation"
C) define a society's values D) all of these
Answer: D

55) A(n) is any number of people with similar norms, values, and expectations who interact
regularly and consciously.
A) organic solidarity B) group
C) negotiation team D) aggregate
Answer: B

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56) A society whose economic system is engaged in the processing and control of information is called
a(n):
A) industrial society B) post-industrial society
C) postmodern society D) agrarian society
Answer: B

57) In Canada, we listen to music imported from Jamaica, eat sushi and other Japanese foods, and watch
movies produced in Italy. These are all features of a(n):
A) industrial society B) postmodern society
C) post-industrial society D) pre-industrial society
Answer: B

58) Émile Durkheim suggested that as a society becomes more complex, the nature of solidarity
becomes more:
A) organic B) mechanical C) preservationist D) institutionalized
Answer: A

59) Organized work teams are increasingly common. The types of such teams include which of the
following?
A) project and task force teams B) minimal hierarchy and collective teams
C) competitive and cooperative teams D) worker and management teams
Answer: A

60) Which of the following is not a functional prerequisite for a permanent group to survive?
A) replacing personnel
B) providing and maintaining a sense of purpose
C) maintaining status and privilege
D) preserving order
Answer: C

61) Amy belonged to a drama club that was successful at drawing in large audiences for its plays.
Edward belonged to another drama club that produced edgy new plays to smaller audiences. Amy
and Edward each regard the other as belonging to an inferior group based on audience size for Amy
and edginess for Edward. They are each members of a(n):
A) primary group and secondary group B) reference group and socialization group
C) formal group and informal group D) in-group and out-group
Answer: D

62) Which term is used to refer to incompatible expectations that arise when the same person holds two
or more social positions?
A) role exit B) role ambiguity C) role conflict D) role strain
Answer: C

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63) Elaine is a university student who works part-time. On the same weekend, Elaine is planning to
study for a mid-term on the following Monday, needs to work on a joint project with a fellow
student, is called in to work all-day Saturday, and receives a phone call from her mother who has to
come into town and needs to stay for the weekend. Elaine is experiencing:
A) role exit B) role conflict
C) role strain D) both role strain and role conflict
Answer: D

64) The difficulty that arises when the same social position imposes conflicting demands and
expectations is known as:
A) role conflict B) resocialization C) role strain D) role exit
Answer: C

65) Which of the following is an example of social interaction?

A) Sally and Veronica, a lesbian couple, argue about a new piece of gay-rights legislation
B) Felipe watches television and does needlepoint
C) Mary takes her dog for a walk
D) all of these
Answer: A

66) The text gives the example of Rick Hansen's "Man in Motion" world tour and athletic successes as a
challenge to traditional assumptions about disability, illustrating that redefining or reconstructing
social reality by a subordinate group is an important aspect of:
A) social reality B) social inequality
C) social change D) dominant and subordinate groups
Answer: C

67) Human beings create the elements of social structure through:

A) groups and social networks as well as statuses and social roles
B) social institutions and socialization
C) a dynamic process involving meaningful interaction
D) all of these answers together are correct
Answer: D

68) Which of the following terms refer to the way in which a society is organized into predictable
relationships?
A) culture B) social interaction
C) socialization D) social structure
Answer: D

69) Helen Rose Fuchs Ebaugh created a four-stage model applicable to:
A) role exit B) sociocultural evolution
C) social networking among businesswomen D) role conflict among professionals
Answer: A

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70) Sociological research that maps Internet relationships among Facebook users is an example of
research on:
A) social networks B) ascribed statuses
C) social institutions D) role exit
Answer: A

71) Which term is used by sociologists to refer to any of the full range of socially defined positions
within a large group or society?
A) culture B) social structure C) Gemeinschaft D) status
Answer: D

72) Formal organizations may vary in:

A) specificity of goals B) size
C) degree of efficiency D) all of these
Answer: D

73) When her employer opened up opportunities for telecommuting, Jane realized she could:
A) spend more time with her child by working later in the evening or while her child was in school
B) save on travel and environmental costs
C) lose out on the informal social networks of which she was a part — she might lose some
workplace friendships too
D) all these answers are correct
Answer: D

74) A group of businesswomen meet on a monthly basis to assist one another in advancing their careers.
They give each other job leads and advice, and they invite business leaders to attend their sessions
to provide further assistance. This group is an example of:
A) social networking B) role connection
C) impression management D) status assistance
Answer: A

75) A master status is a:

A) series of social relationships linking a person directly to others, and therefore indirectly to still
more people
B) term used by sociologists to refer to any of the full range of socially defined positions within a
large group or society
C) social position attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts
D) status that dominates others and thereby determines a person's general position within society
Answer: D

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76) Jeremy went to work in a large manufacturing organization after university. He noticed a strong
division of labour, observing that many workers seemed bored with their work, but also that some of
the most skilled even seemed careless at times, making mistakes that no one picked up on. Jeremy
thought back to his sociology classes and realized he was seeing:
A) supervisors ensuring uniform performance of tasks
B) alienation and the effects of unionization
C) alienation and trained incapacity
D) a bureaucracy that resembled Weber's ideal type
Answer: C

77) In Gerhard Lenski's view, societal organization is highly dependent on its level of:
A) banking B) farming C) technology D) education
Answer: C

78) Which term is used by sociologists when speaking of any group that individuals use as a standard
for evaluating themselves and their own behaviour?
A) primary group B) secondary group C) tertiary group D) reference group
Answer: D

79) An ascribed status is a social position:

A) that is reached as a result of negotiation
B) "assigned" to a person by society without regard for the person's unique talents or
characteristics
C) that is earned
D) attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts
Answer: B

80) Herbert Blumer found that interaction is based on the meanings attached to the actions of others.
Those meanings reflect:
A) the age of the actors
B) the norms and values of the social culture in which the interaction takes place
C) personalities of those interacting
D) how the social reality of the actors was defined
Answer: B

81) Simone works for a company that provides an on-site day care center and fitness club for its
employees. Such practices are adopted by businesses in an effort to address what kind(s) of
concerns?
A) the role of people, communication, and participation within small groups
B) the dangers of collective bargaining
C) the conflict perspective's critique of capitalism
D) workers' feelings, frustrations, and emotional needs for job satisfaction in bureaucracies
Answer: D

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82) Which of the following is an example of a formal organization?
A) diners in a chain restaurant B) the General Motors Corporation
C) a community college basketball team D) the people in a Toronto subway station
Answer: B

83) Which of the following is most likely to be a primary group?

A) the members of a neighbourhood softball team
B) the American Civil Liberties Union
C) university students
D) all of the players in the National Hockey League
Answer: A

84) Bureaucratization is:

A) organized patterns of beliefs and behaviour centered on basic social needs
B) the process through which an organization identifies an entirely new objective because its
traditional goals have been either realized or denied
C) the process by which an organization or group models itself on a large organization, such as
McDonald's, using qualified staff, organized in an impersonal and hierarchical division of
labour, and following task specific rules and procedures
D) an element or process of society that may disrupt a social system or lead to a decrease in
stability
Answer: C

85) Social interaction is:

A) the process of learning norms, values, beliefs, and other requirements for effective participation
in social groups
B) the ways in which people respond to one another
C) a series of relationships linking a person directly to others, and therefore indirectly to still more
people
D) the way in which a society is organized into predictable relationships
Answer: B

86) Which of the following statements about social institutions is correct?

A) they are built according to British architectural standards
B) they are organized patterns of beliefs and behaviours
C) they form and are disbanded rapidly in all human societies
D) they are concerned with highly abstract and ancient philosophical questions
Answer: B

87) Which statement best describes telecommuters?

A) they are employees who live at least 100 km from their workplace
B) they are employees who are not part of formal organizations
C) they are employees who only work on Internet projects
D) they are employees who work at home and are linked to work via phone, fax, and Internet
Answer: D

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88) According to William I and Dorothy Thomas, "If men define situations as real, . This is
a(n) perspective.
A) they are interpreting and defining the situation from a male viewpoint; feminist
B) they are real in their consequences; interactionist
C) they will usually interact defensively; conflict
D) then they are contributing to society; functionalist
Answer: B

89) Which of the following statements about functional prerequisites is correct?

A) they limit consensus concerning their values or commitment to the group
B) they include the production and distribution of goods and services
C) they foster the development of meaningful dialogue
D) they encourage the need to explore new territories
Answer: B

90) The conflict view holds that social institutions:

A) maintain the privileges of the powerful individuals and groups within a society
B) provide and maintain a sense of basic fairness
C) train personnel equitably
D) preserve order and equality
Answer: A

91) Marxists and functionalists agree that:

A) unions have become oligarchic
B) unions are increasingly bureaucratized
C) unions today bear little resemblance to their early appearance
D) unions are a logical response to impersonal, large, and alienating organizations
Answer: D

92) A primary group is a small group that is:

A) used as a standard for evaluating oneself and one's behaviour
B) characterized by intimate, face-to-face association and cooperation
C) characterized by impersonality, with little intimacy or mutual understanding
D) characterized by impersonality and face-to-face associations
Answer: B

93) Rick Hansen, a wheelchair athlete who is also a CEO of the foundation he founded, a father, an
athlete, and has many other accomplishments. His achieved status challenges:
A) prejudice and discrimination focused on his ascribed rather than his achieved status
B) views of him that place his disability as more important than his other statuses, including his
gender
C) the stigma attached to his master status giving rise to prejudicial treatment
D) all of these answers are correct
Answer: A

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 94) Which of the following is a form of organizational restructuring?
A) work teams
B) collective decision making
C) minimal hierarchy
D) all of these are forms of organizational restructuring
Answer: D

95) Which statement best describes the position taken by the classical theorists of formal organizations?
A) employers manage companies mostly according to Roman tradition
B) employers foster the development of job satisfaction
C) workers are motivated almost entirely by economic rewards
D) workers are encouraged to respect their superiors
Answer: C

ESSAY. Write your answer in the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper.

96) Define the differences between ascribed and achieved statuses, and give examples to support your
answer.
Answer: In Sociology, status refers to a person's social position. Individuals may occupy many statuses
at the same time such as student and friend. An ascribed status is one that is assigned to a
person without regard to their abilities or characteristics. The text gives the example of Jeffrey
Moore who has a learning disability. He certainly did not ask for that or achieve it, but it has
caused him distress because he has experienced discrimination due to his disability. Disability
is an ascribed status. Achieved status comes to us mainly through our own efforts and choices.
Marriage is an achieved status and more obviously so is being a professor or a postsecondary
student. Ascribed statuses influence achieve statuses strongly. It will be more difficult for
Jeffrey to do well in university, or in his career because he has to work around his learning
disability. But he can still achieve in the more general sense of the term, and will have
achieved statuses such as employee, friend etc.

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97) Define the concepts of in-groups, out-groups and reference groups, and describe the role of each
type of group. Give examples to illustrate your answer.
Answer: Most of our interactions take place in a group, from family to school or work. In each group
we are influenced by norms and values specific to that group. Sometimes a group can have a
more special meaning to its members. For example a church community may unite around its
social services such as a food bank. Sometimes that leads members to think of themselves as
better than another group, for example a different church or religion, that they think are not
offering services to disadvantaged people. They see themselves as "we" or "us" and the other
group as "them" or "they." "They" are inferior, do not behave well like we do, and not one of
"us." "They" are an out-group, and "we" are members of an in-group. Conflict between
in-groups and out-groups can be violent, ranging from fights over scarce resources to war and
genocide. Members of an in-group may use that group as their guide to norms, values and
ways to behave, since they already perceive it as superior, they may model their behaviour on
the group's norms. Those members are using their group as a reference group. It may also be a
standard against which others measure their own behaviour and achievement, such as a
musician who models their behaviour on a rock band they admire. They are not a member of
that group but they admire and want to copy its behaviour and aspire to its success.

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98) On a 4-lane street, a new-looking black Toyota truck, driven by a young-looking man, keeps
over-taking and then falling behind a mid-sized sedan driven by a middle-aged woman. Outside a
grocery store the truck pulls in front of the sedan, which had slowed down a little, knocking an
elderly man in front of the sedan off his bicycle. The truck then drives away. When the police arrive,
by-standers tell them it was deliberate — the truck driver aimed to knock the man off his bicycle.
The sedan driver, however, says it was an accident. She argues the driver was in a hurry and became
careless. Discuss this event, using what you have learned about the elements of social structure.
Answer: The black truck maybe associated with young men, and the make, a Toyota, is an import,
making it a more expensive vehicle. Gender is a master status, and an ascribed status. Most
feminist theorists would argue that male is regarded as a superior status. The driver's
behaviour may reflect a feeling of superiority, perhaps derived from an in-group to which the
driver belongs, such as members of a social class that regards itself as superior, and that in
turn may encourage the handling of the truck in an aggressive manner. Becoming a driver is
an achieved status, but the kind of driver one is will be influenced by memberships in other
groups such as a peer group or social class. An in-group is one that feels superior to an
out-group, such as seniors, regarding their behaviour as unacceptable. While a senior's
behaviour may be unacceptable to young men, it might elicit admiration from a seniors' group,
because the rider is continuing to use a bicycle and stay fit. Membership in a group influences
how we define a situation. The meaning attached to the accident could turn it into a deliberate
act. The sedan driver, on the other hand, has been witnessing the driving of the truck for
several blocks. She may not have interpreted it as aggressive, but rather as someone in a hurry,
continually trying to get into the fastest moving lane, maybe driving carelessly but not
deliberately hurting the cyclist, and then driving away out of fear of the consequences and/or
shame. The definition of the situation by those who saw the event becomes two conflicting
accounts. But a definition of the situation can be real in its consequences. Will the police
arrest the driver or will they let him off with a warning due to his membership in a privileged
group?

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 99) Discuss the status of Canadian labour unions in private and public sector employment today.
Answer: Labour unions consist of organized workers who share either the same skill, or the same
employer. Originally they were formed to protect workers' jobs and extract concessions from
employers. The power of labour unions varies from one country to another, and Canada differs
a good deal from the United States. Canada's union membership, for example, is much higher
than in the United States, and the disparities between male and female workers, and between
part-time and full time workers' union membership are much greater in the States. For
example, Canada has experienced a far greater increase in union rates of women, and unions
in Canada sometimes have significant influence on governments, although this varies from
one province to another. Quebec, Saskatchewan and British Columbia are considered
friendlier toward unions than provinces such as Alberta. There is also a difference between
private sector union membership and membership in the public sector. In fact, claims are
made that unions are in transition. First there has been a feminization of the movement due to
the increased number of women in the workforce, including in the heavily unionized public
sector, increased unionization of part-time and temporary workers and the expansion of
unions into formerly non-unionized employment in the service sectors. Unionization has
increased with the growth of the public sector and decreased in the private sector. Labour
market trends such as globalization, increases in self-employment, and the rise of
non-standard work are blamed for the weakening of the ability to mobilize and have altered
people's relationship to their work. Both Marxists and Functionalists would see unions as a
logical response to the growth of large formal, alienating organizations, but as manufacturing
has declined, unions have changed their approach. Some have become large bureaucratic
organizations themselves, more concerned with maintaining their own power than serving the
needs of their workers. Some have even been charged with the discriminatory practices they
were set up to combat.

100) Describe the various components of a bureaucracy as suggested by Max Weber. How did Weber
perceive the efficiency of bureaucracies? Give examples from any chapters in the text read so far, or
from your own experience.
Answer: Bureaucracies are formal organizations, structured to facilitate the management of large
organizations, although they do not have to be large to be considered a bureaucracy. Weber
defined bureaucracies by their characteristics, first constructing an ideal type or model of a
bureaucratic organization, regardless of their purpose. He identified five basic characteristics:
1) Division of labour; work is divided into specific tasks and performed by people whose skills
are refined as they continually perform the task. 2) Hierarchy of authority; each position is
supervised by the one above it until the most senior position is reached. 3) Written rules and
regulations; This ensures that a task is always performed in the same way. Students are often
familiar with this as they work their way through application, registration and graduation from
a post-secondary institution. 4) Impersonality; no personal considerations are given, and
performance is more or less without emotional display. 5) Employment based on technical
qualifications; no longer is employment based on who you know, but rather on what you
know, and have proved you know through required assessments. Most students are in
university because they have specific qualifications in mind for future employment, and they
know that their teachers, the professors at a university, have several years of post-secondary
education, several degrees, research projects and publications. Weber was well aware that
18
while this model was more efficient for large organizations than the previous often
family-based types, he also saw many weaknesses, such as alienation of workers, in some
cases demonstrating trained incapacity development of blind spots in regard to obvious
problems. The text gives the example of responses to the bombing of the World Trade Centre.
Another example is the response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Rules and regulations
can also be applied for their own sake, in what Merton termed goal displacement application
because they are there may be inappropriate to the circumstances. Laurence Peter identified
and named the Peter Principle promotion of employees continues until they reach the level at
which they are no longer competent for the position. Bureaucracy lends itself to scientific
management to an organization that does not pay attention to the needs of its workers. It can
discourage ambition and loyalty to a company, and produce a narrow perspective that stifles
imagination. The text gives the example of McDonald's, and shows how its bureaucratic
principles have both led to its widespread success, and undermined its success in some
markets where those principles violate local culture. In the chapter on culture the text notes
how Western media, available around the world, can introduce children to cultural values not
embraced by their parents or other authorities with whom they interact.

19
Answer Key
Testname: UNTITLED5

1) TRUE
2) FALSE
3) FALSE
4) TRUE
5) TRUE
6) FALSE
7) FALSE
8) TRUE
9) FALSE
10) TRUE
11) B
12) B
13) C
14) D
15) A
16) A
17) D
18) B
19) C
20) A
21) D
22) A
23) D
24) D
25) C
26) D
27) B
28) A
29) D
30) A
31) D
32) D
33) C
34) B
35) C
36) D
37) C
38) C
39) A
40) A
41) D
42) D
43) A
44) D
45) A
46) D
47) D
48) B
49) C
50) D
20
Answer Key
Testname: UNTITLED5

51) C
52) C
53) C
54) D
55) B
56) B
57) B
58) A
59) A
60) C
61) D
62) C
63) D
64) C
65) A
66) C
67) D
68) D
69) A
70) A
71) D
72) D
73) D
74) A
75) D
76) C
77) C
78) D
79) B
80) B
81) D
82) B
83) A
84) C
85) B
86) B
87) D
88) B
89) B
90) A
91) D
92) B
93) A
94) D
95) C

21
Answer Key
Testname: UNTITLED5

96) In Sociology, status refers to a person's social position. Individuals may occupy many statuses at the same
time such as student and friend. An ascribed status is one that is assigned to a person without regard to
their abilities or characteristics. The text gives the example of Jeffrey Moore who has a learning disability.
He certainly did not ask for that or achieve it, but it has caused him distress because he has experienced
discrimination due to his disability. Disability is an ascribed status. Achieved status comes to us mainly
through our own efforts and choices. Marriage is an achieved status and more obviously so is being a
professor or a postsecondary student. Ascribed statuses influence achieve statuses strongly. It will be more
difficult for Jeffrey to do well in university, or in his career because he has to work around his learning
disability. But he can still achieve in the more general sense of the term, and will have achieved statuses
such as employee, friend etc.
97) Most of our interactions take place in a group, from family to school or work. In each group we are
influenced by norms and values specific to that group. Sometimes a group can have a more special
meaning to its members. For example a church community may unite around its social services such as a
food bank. Sometimes that leads members to think of themselves as better than another group, for
example a different church or religion, that they think are not offering services to disadvantaged people.
They see themselves as "we" or "us" and the other group as "them" or "they." "They" are inferior, do not
behave well like we do, and not one of "us." "They" are an out-group, and "we" are members of an
in-group. Conflict between in-groups and out-groups can be violent, ranging from fights over scarce
resources to war and genocide. Members of an in-group may use that group as their guide to norms, values
and ways to behave, since they already perceive it as superior, they may model their behaviour on the
group's norms. Those members are using their group as a reference group. It may also be a standard
against which others measure their own behaviour and achievement, such as a musician who models their
behaviour on a rock band they admire. They are not a member of that group but they admire and want to
copy its behaviour and aspire to its success.
98) The black truck maybe associated with young men, and the make, a Toyota, is an import, making it a more
expensive vehicle. Gender is a master status, and an ascribed status. Most feminist theorists would argue
that male is regarded as a superior status. The driver's behaviour may reflect a feeling of superiority,
perhaps derived from an in-group to which the driver belongs, such as members of a social class that
regards itself as superior, and that in turn may encourage the handling of the truck in an aggressive
manner. Becoming a driver is an achieved status, but the kind of driver one is will be influenced by
memberships in other groups such as a peer group or social class. An in-group is one that feels superior to
an out-group, such as seniors, regarding their behaviour as unacceptable. While a senior's behaviour may
be unacceptable to young men, it might elicit admiration from a seniors' group, because the rider is
continuing to use a bicycle and stay fit. Membership in a group influences how we define a situation. The
meaning attached to the accident could turn it into a deliberate act. The sedan driver, on the other hand,
has been witnessing the driving of the truck for several blocks. She may not have interpreted it as
aggressive, but rather as someone in a hurry, continually trying to get into the fastest moving lane, maybe
driving carelessly but not deliberately hurting the cyclist, and then driving away out of fear of the
consequences and/or shame. The definition of the situation by those who saw the event becomes two
conflicting accounts. But a definition of the situation can be real in its consequences. Will the police arrest
the driver or will they let him off with a warning due to his membership in a privileged group?

22
Answer Key
Testname: UNTITLED5

99) Labour unions consist of organized workers who share either the same skill, or the same employer.
Originally they were formed to protect workers' jobs and extract concessions from employers. The power
of labour unions varies from one country to another, and Canada differs a good deal from the United
States. Canada's union membership, for example, is much higher than in the United States, and the
disparities between male and female workers, and between part-time and full time workers' union
membership are much greater in the States. For example, Canada has experienced a far greater increase in
union rates of women, and unions in Canada sometimes have significant influence on governments,
although this varies from one province to another. Quebec, Saskatchewan and British Columbia are
considered friendlier toward unions than provinces such as Alberta. There is also a difference between
private sector union membership and membership in the public sector. In fact, claims are made that unions
are in transition. First there has been a feminization of the movement due to the increased number of
women in the workforce, including in the heavily unionized public sector, increased unionization of
part-time and temporary workers and the expansion of unions into formerly non-unionized employment in
the service sectors. Unionization has increased with the growth of the public sector and decreased in the
private sector. Labour market trends such as globalization, increases in self-employment, and the rise of
non-standard work are blamed for the weakening of the ability to mobilize and have altered people's
relationship to their work. Both Marxists and Functionalists would see unions as a logical response to the
growth of large formal, alienating organizations, but as manufacturing has declined, unions have changed
their approach. Some have become large bureaucratic organizations themselves, more concerned with
maintaining their own power than serving the needs of their workers. Some have even been charged with
the discriminatory practices they were set up to combat.

23
Answer Key
Testname: UNTITLED5

100) Bureaucracies are formal organizations, structured to facilitate the management of large organizations,
although they do not have to be large to be considered a bureaucracy. Weber defined bureaucracies by
their characteristics, first constructing an ideal type or model of a bureaucratic organization, regardless of
their purpose. He identified five basic characteristics: 1) Division of labour; work is divided into specific
tasks and performed by people whose skills are refined as they continually perform the task. 2) Hierarchy
of authority; each position is supervised by the one above it until the most senior position is reached. 3)
Written rules and regulations; This ensures that a task is always performed in the same way. Students are
often familiar with this as they work their way through application, registration and graduation from a
post-secondary institution. 4) Impersonality; no personal considerations are given, and performance is
more or less without emotional display. 5) Employment based on technical qualifications; no longer is
employment based on who you know, but rather on what you know, and have proved you know through
required assessments. Most students are in university because they have specific qualifications in mind for
future employment, and they know that their teachers, the professors at a university, have several years of
post-secondary education, several degrees, research projects and publications. Weber was well aware that
while this model was more efficient for large organizations than the previous often family-based types, he
also saw many weaknesses, such as alienation of workers, in some cases demonstrating trained incapacity
development of blind spots in regard to obvious problems. The text gives the example of responses to
the bombing of the World Trade Centre. Another example is the response to Hurricane Katrina in New
Orleans. Rules and regulations can also be applied for their own sake, in what Merton termed goal
displacement application because they are there may be inappropriate to the circumstances. Laurence
Peter identified and named the Peter Principle promotion of employees continues until they reach the
level at which they are no longer competent for the position. Bureaucracy lends itself to scientific
management to an organization that does not pay attention to the needs of its workers. It can discourage
ambition and loyalty to a company, and produce a narrow perspective that stifles imagination. The text
gives the example of McDonald's, and shows how its bureaucratic principles have both led to its
widespread success, and undermined its success in some markets where those principles violate local
culture. In the chapter on culture the text notes how Western media, available around the world, can
introduce children to cultural values not embraced by their parents or other authorities with whom they
interact.

24