SOC150 Prof. McIvor 1 Practice Midterm Answer Key 1. Which of the following are not ascribed statuses [Select All That Apply] Disability. Eye color. Canadian-born. Vegetarian. University student. Source- Tutorial 3. Created by Prof McIvor. 2. Sandra feels that midterm exams are unfair because factors like having more than one exam in a week make it harder for one person to do as well as another (assuming the other does not have more than 1 exam that week). Which of the following concepts BEST fits Sandra’s argument Equality of Opportunity. Equality of Condition. Nepotism. Fundamental Attribution error. Affinity bias. Ethnocentrism. Source- Tutorial 3. Created by Prof McIvor. 3. Why is the median of income preferred to average income The average is not adjusted for inflation and the median is. The average is influenced more by very high scores. The median is adjusted for taxes and transfers and the average is not. The median is used as the international standard and the average is not, which more easily allows for international comparisons. The median excludes those with no incomes, which the average does not. Source- Lecture 5- Part 1 starting at roughly 19:00 mark and slide 18. Created by Prof McIvor. 4. The race to the bottom is akin or similar to the prisoner’s dilemma. True False Source- Lecture 5, Part 2, roughly @16:15 minute mark and logic. Created by Prof McIvor. 5. What of the following course concepts is most closely related to the environment as an externality Choose the BEST answer. Tragedy of the commons. Social constructionism. Maquiladoras. Moral Foundation theory. Confirmation bias. Levies Source- The environment is able to be an externality because it is a common, which allows for tragedy of the commons. None of the other answers make sense here. Created by Prof McIvor. 6. The type of explanation that one believes for different social problems (i.e. whether they adopt an individual, biological, or social explanation) is important to consider because it predicts the type of solution that one recommends. True 2 False Source-
Lecture 1, Part 1: Slide 41 and beginning at roughly the 59:30 minute
mark of part 1 recording. Created by Prof McIvor. 7. Which of the following is/are NOT a sociological explanation for differences in student grades on exams People process stress differently on biological levels due to factors like allostatic load and their social location, which means the stress from exams may help or hurt performance differently for each person. Different people are naturally strong in different areas such as logical, emotional, spatial, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligence. Depending on the type of exam, this gives some people an advantage over others. Due to differences in traits like race and gender identity, different people feel different levels of belonging at university due to how well they are represented in the student body and staff. Feeling more or less comfortable in academic spaces can affect academic performance. Universities only ensure equal opportunity and neglect how performance is affected by needing to work part-time jobs or needing to rely on student loans due to family background. Nutritious food is a major factor for proper brain function and is also often much more expensive than nutrition deficient fast food. This advantages those with more financial resources. Exercise is a major factor in proper brain functioning, and some individuals do not exercise due to incompetence or indifference. Source-
Lecture 1: Slide 31, lecture 1, part 1 recording at 46:12 “we search
for social and structural explanations to the topics we study instead of relying on biological or individual explanations” (slide text). For
answer A, its talking about biological stress but how we process it
differently due to allostatic load and social location, which are both Sociological concepts and social forces. For answer B, no mention of social forces just that we have natural differences in intelligence. Answer c, differences in ascribed traits causing differences in feeling belonging due to representation is a social factor. Answer d, same goes for family socio-economic background. Answer e, being able to afford nutritious food is a social factor. Answer f is correct because they blame the individual here (incompetence and indifference). This is fundamental attribution error. Note not exercising COULD be due to social reasons (like exhaustion from working part-time jobs and being a student) but that is NOT stated in the wording here. Always watch the wording and don’t make assumptions beyond it. Created by Prof McIvor. 8. Which of the following IS a sociological explanation for crime rates Due to differences in hormones like testosterone, some people are more prone to experiencing large swings in anger that influence violent tendencies. Those who are expelled from high school, due to not having a high school diploma, have few options other than crime to earn an income above minimum wage. Some people reject the moral code of society due to having weaker ethical believes and this results in not seeing crime as morally wrong. Those who live in significant relative poverty are much more likely to believe society is unfair regarding wealth. Once someone does not believe the rules are fair, they are less likely to follow them. As children, our brains can develop in unexpected ways as a result of physical trauma. This can severely affect one’s ability to exercise self-control. Survival of the fittest relies on a population having great diversity in traits in order to survive in a diversity of external stimuli. We should therefore expect part of the population to have criminal or violent tendencies, which are helpful in the event of wars, a zombie apocalypse, and so on. Source-
Lecture 1: Slide 31, lecture 1, part 1 recording at 46:12 “we search
for social and structural explanations to the topics we study instead of relying on biological or individual explanations” (slide text). Option A: is natural explanation Option B is social due to minimum wage being a government decision. Option C is an individual explanation. Again this COULD be due to social forces but they aren’t stated here. Option
D is a social explanation due to relativity of poverty here (speaks to
levels of income inequality in a society) and how it affects their perceptions of fairness. Option E is a biological explanation (brain trauma). Option F is an evolutionary/natural/biological argument as well. 3 Created by Prof McIvor. 9. Jacque and his three siblings agree to get a dog and share the associated responsibilities. It goes great in the beginning, but after a few months, Rene (one of the siblings) stops helping. Which of the following DO NOT fit with the potential solutions to this problem that were discussed in class [Select All That Apply] The three other siblings also stop taking care of the dog. The other siblings do Rene’s portion of the work. The other siblings threaten Rene to do his share or else. The other siblings find someone to adopt the dog. The other siblings recruit a new fourth person to join the agreement. Source- Lecture 3, Part 3: slide 98. Created by Prof McIvor. 10. What theoretical tradition BEST fits the following description: There has been a gradual reduction in funding for education at all levels over the last 40 years. Tatyana argues that this has resulted in worse education and a reliance on learning through memorization (like using multiple-choice questions) versus critical thinking (like using essay or short answer questions). She argues that the direct result of this trend is a greater belief in conspiracy theories due to less critical thinking skills in the population as a whole. She uses the example of Trump supporters violently attacking the US capital buildings last year due to a false belief that the election was rigged as an example of this. Structural Functionalism. Conflict Theory. Feminism. Critical Race Theory. Symbolic Interactionism. Source-
Lecture 2, part 2: slides 42-45/roughly 9:00-21:00 minute marks of part
2 recording, Lecture 3- Part 1 slides 23-24 and 22:00 of recording
(conflict theory’s 4 main points), Lecture 3- Part 3 slides 87-88 and
beginning at 3:00 of recording (Symbolic Interactionism’s 4 main points). In lecture 3, part 1 at 26:45 mark I did also say these types of questions would be good test questions. This is a description of social structures like the education system and how they undermine stability, hence why structural functionalism. Created by Prof McIvor. 11. It is possible to buy mineral rights on crown land in Canada True. False. Source- Lecture 3, Part 2: slide 61. Created by Prof McIvor. 12. Which of the following is the clearest conclusion that can be drawn about current politics based on moral foundation theory Conservatives value the things that liberals value at much lower rates. Liberals value the things that conservatives value at much lower rates. The innate makeup of human brains means that political agreement is highly unlikely in any society. Fundamental attribution error is a primary driver of conservative versus liberal beliefs. Path dependency theory is a primary driver of liberal versus conservative beliefs. Source- Lecture 2, Part 3: TED talk at the start of Part 3. Created by Prof McIvor. 13. Filled with anger over Crane’s refusal to put shrimp in their homemade dumplings, Po yells that he would rather not make dumplings than make them without shrimp. Which of the following BEST represents Po’s statement All or nothing arguments. Self-serving bias. Pessimism bias. Externality. Alienation. 4 Source- Tutorial 3 slide 24, tutorial 2 slides 11 & 22. Created by Prof McIvor. 14. Based on course content, what is the BEST way to do good editing Use software like Grammarly. To be deliberate while writing and limit the amount of editing needed as a result. Give yourself enough time after writing before editing. Avoiding confirmation bias and being concise while writing. Avoiding the Dunning Kruger Effect. Exchanging papers with a peer and editing each other’s work. Source- Tutorial 1, slide 34. Created by Prof McIvor. 15. Structural Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism can all be considered ‘ideal types.’ True False Source: Lecture 3, slide 20 and 21. Created by Prof McIvor. 16. Twins are an example of how two people can have identical social locations. True False Source- Lecture 1: Slide 7 and beginning at roughly the 10-minute mark of part 1 recording. A specific example is at 10:11 “there are no two individuals with the exact same social location.. even if you took twins in the same family those twins are going to be different” . Created by Prof McIvor. 17. Bureaucracy can be considered the embedding of rationality into a formal structure in order to protect an organization’s instrumental goals. True False Source- Lecture 4, Part 1: 28:28 minute mark of the recording. Created by Prof McIvor. 18. Tuition is so high in Canada because the Canadian federal government does NOT subsidize the tuition of domestic students. True False Source- Lecture 4, Part 1: roughly 31:00 minute mark of the recording. Created by Prof McIvor. 19. Which of the following topics would be off-limits to Sociology due to social factors having no influence A colony of penguins living in Antarctica that has never encountered humans before. The treatment plans of patients suffering from Schizophrenia. Childhood obesity. Fashion Trends. The effects of encouragement on learning. Trick question, all of the other answers are topics that Sociology can study. Source- Lecture 1, slide 27. Created by Prof McIvor. Questions 20-23. Match each scenario with the MOST relevant type of bias. Each answer should be only used once (i.e. you can select the same answer for more than one scenario but you SHOULD NOT do this). Rene has the freedom to choose an essay topic. She decides to write on how children of immigrants, like herself, experience different levels of pressure to succeed in university. Social Location bias. 5 Sameen is excited to attend the freedom rally in Ottawa. While there, her belief that the Canadian government is stealing people’s freedom is strengthened. Confirmation bias. Hillary believes that we need to stop providing welfare for those without work because it encourages lazy people to just rely on society versus working. Fundamental Attribution Error. Before class, Muhammad has his first conversation with his romantic crush and it goes well. They write a surprise exam in class and Muhammad leaves the exam feeling confident that he did well. Optimism Bias. Tanisha hates the smell of foreign food. She wants the public transit system in Toronto to ban food on vehicles for this reason. Cultural Bias. Fernanda believes that there simply isn’t enough scientific evidence to be sure that global warming is really occurring. Dunning-Kruger Effect. [unused options] Self-Serving Bias, Pessimism Bias, Immediacy Bias. Source- social location bias: Lecture 1, Part 1: Slide 9 . “What you choose to write an essay on” (18:00 mark). Confirmation bias: Lecture 1, Part 1: Slide 10. Roughly 18:30 mark of Lecture 1, Part 1. Fundamental
Attribution Error: Lecture 1, Part 1: Slide 10. Roughly 20:15 mark of
Lecture 1, Part 1 “Another type of bias is the opposite of this and it’s called self-serving bias”. Optimism bias, slide 12 and roughly 21:20 mark of Lecture 1- Part 1. Created by Prof McIvor. 24. How does social location contribute to bias Choose the best answer. Social location shapes our experiences in the world, so what seems “true” to one person is shaped by their race/class/gender, and so on. Social location shapes our experiences in the world, so we should only speak about social issues we have personal experience in. Social location means that we always need to conduct research from academic spaces. Social location means that we need to work to be perfectly objective. Social location means that we always fall victim to optimism bias, so we need to take steps to view things pessimistically. Social location means that we will always fall victim to pessimism bias so we need to take steps to view things optimistically. Source: Lecture 1, Created by Course TA Yuki 25. How do sociologists conduct research that avoids bias Choose the best answer. By only conducting research on our own racial or ethnic community. By collecting data and analyzing it according to rigorous scientific methods. By only conducting research through surveys. By confirming the findings with people who share our social location. By confirming the findings with people who do NOT share our social location. By operationalizing variables in ways that avoid the Dunning-Kruger Effect Source: Lecture 1, Created by Course TA Yuki 26. As sociologists, we engage in research with complete objectivity. True False Source:
Lecture 1, Sociology is a science, and objectivity (defined as reaching
conclusions based on empirically verifiable facts collected with
sound scientific principles rather than personal opinions, feelings,
preferences, or experiences) is an integral part of research.
However, complete objectivity is not possible in the social sciences,
and we confront and address our own biases. Created by Course TA Hammad 6 27. The CEO of a company decides not to hire a candidate named Mr. Singh because he privately fears that someone with a “foreign sounding” name does not speak good English. However, he simply tells Mr. Singh that the job has already been filled. From the perspective of Mr. Singh, what is this an example of Choose the best answer. Overt discrimination. Subtle discrimination. Systemic discrimination. Pointed discrimination. Fundamental Attribution Error. Immediacy Bias. Source:
Lecture 1, This is subt
le discrimination because it doesn’t overtly
target immigrants (Mr. Singh will not know why he was really not hired.), and it’s not systemic because it’s perpetuated by one person. Slide 17. Created by Course TA Yuki 28. Which of the following fit what Karl Marx referred to as the bourgeoisie [Select All that Apply] The owner of a factory that produces buttons. The computer engineer who makes $200k a year at Google. The foreman who oversees the construction of a new skyscraper. The professor at U of T who has the power to fail students. A manager at Foxcon, the Apple factory that produces Iphones in China. Elon Musk, owner of the car company Tesla. Source: This question is trying to clarify that owning the means of production is not the same as being rich or having power. Lecture 4, Slide 105. Created by Course TA Yuki 29. Which of these is an example of the free-rider problem Choose the best answer. Some employees at a company accept a pay cut so that the lowest-paid employees can get a pay raise; company morale increases as a result of more equity. Some employees at a company consistently leave work early, leaving the other employees to work harder, yet everyone gets paid the same amount. Some employees at a company receive a bonus as a result of their hard work over the holiday period, while others who did not work as hard do not receive the bonus. Some employees at a company vote to form a union, but more employees vote against the union; the unionization effort fails. A company lays off a quarter of its workforce but the overall workload does not decrease and is spread out among those left. One group on a class project works exceedingly hard on their project, another puts in minimal effort. However, both groups receive the same grade from the Professor. Source: Lecture 3, Application of concept on slide 96. Created by Course TA Yuki 30. Which of these is the LEAST likely to be a way that symbolic interactionists would explain nationalism Children learn national allegiance through rituals like singing O Canada in school. International sporting events like the Olympics are an opportunity to showcase national pride. Increasing international cooperation since World War II shows the decreasing significance of nations. National flags are displayed at the United Nations to showcase distinct nations. Nations protect certain animals due to their national significance, such as how the bald eagle is protected in the United States of America. The annual celebration of the founding of a country, such as Canada Day on July 1st. Source: Lecture 3, slide 109. Created by Course TA Yuki 31. Match each scenario with the MOST relevant type of discrimination. Each answer should be only used once (i.e. you can select the same answer for more than one scenario but you SHOULD NOT do this). 7 A company whose promotional opportunities are mostly available over a round of golf that it holds during the monthly company picnic. Systemic Discrimination Male executives continuously double guessing input from the sole female executive on the board of a company. Subtle Discrimination A company that does significant business internationally, refusing to hire members of the LGBTQ+ community. Overt Discrimination Other Options: Ethnocentrism, Decline bias Source: Lecture 3, slide 16-17. Created by Course TA Hammad 32. Members of marginalized communities are appropriately represented in sociological literature and theory. True False Source: Lecture 3, slide 7-15. Although sociology is working toward being more inclusive, and representative of members from marginalized
communities, it is still a work in progress. Despite the resistance to
this effort, sociology as a discipline is working to work toward change and progress in this respect. Created by Course TA Hammad 33. Which of the following statement LEAST represents Marx’s concept of alienation Forcing workers to engage in complex and unpredictable work Preventing individuals from achieving self-actualization Separating workers from the benefits of their labour Separating workers from connection with each other Workers losing touch with aspects of their essential human nature. Workers routinely being asked to work overtime. Source:
Lecture 3, slide 7-15. the first three answers for B, C, D, E, F, all
provide some rewording of aspects of alienation (Lecture 4, slide
34 & 35), while answer A is contrary to what causes alienation –
namely that workers are forced to engage in simple, repetitive/monotonous work. Created by Course TA Lance Questions 34 & 35. Match each scenario with the MOST relevant concept. Each answer should be only used once (i.e. you can select the same answer for more than one scenario but you SHOULD NOT do this). Due to the abhorrent treatment of a minority group by that nation’s government, Canada has passed a law to abolish trade with that country. Sanction After the housing crisis of 2008, some people were unable to continue to pay their mortgages, resulting in the bank seizing their homes. Levies To help regulate the volume of trade on certain goods, the government places limits on the amount of that product imported to Canada. Quota After increasing economic conflicts with a specific country, the United Nations decided to restrict trade to that country as a means to influence them to resolve conflict. Embargo Other Options. Tariff, free trade agreement Source: Lecture 4, slide 92. Created by Course TA Lance 8 36. Marx explained how the rise of the wealthy class can be explained by the process of reaping the profits made by the working class by paying them a lesser wage than their products are worth. The concept that BEST represents this is called: Alienation Instrumental Value Surplus Value Competition as a coercive force Bureaucracy Non-tariff barrier Source: Lecture 4, slide 106. Created by Course TA Lance 37. Marx explained how the rise of the wealthy class can be explained by the process of reaping the profits made by the working class by paying them a lesser wage than their products are worth. The concept that BEST represents this is called: Methodical inquiry Conceptualization Operationalization Ideal Types Objectivity Social Constructionism Source:
this statement is a rewording of the definition for operationalization,
found on slide 13 of lecture 5. Created by Course TA Lance 38. The Consumer Price Index is BEST described as A measure of inequality A measure of income A measure of wealth A measure of inflation A measure of surplus value A measure of stock value Source: an easier direct question about what the CPI measures, found on slide 14 of lecture 5. Created by Course TA Lance 39. The collective effect of strain and challenges of daily life can impact one’s ability to maintain personal well-being. Which of the following course concepts BEST represents this statement Allostatic load The Matthew Effect Objective well-being Subjective well-being Alienation Labeling theory Source: Slide 32 of lecture 5. Created by Course TA Lance 40. Market income is the best measure for identifying changes in inequality because it includes additional payments like employment insurance and the Canadian Pension Plan. True False Source:
Slide 49 of lecture 5. This statement was made to be true if it
mentioned after-tax income (slide 49). By switching it with market income it becomes incorrect. Created by Course TA Lance 41. Match each scenario with the MOST relevant concept. Each answer should be only used once (i.e. you can select the same answer for more than one scenario but you SHOULD NOT do this). 9 An individual in a low-income country is unable to regularly purchase a sufficient amount of food on a daily basis due to earning roughly $0.87 per day. Extreme Poverty An individual is having difficulties making rent with all their other expenses after moving to Vancouver, where the cost of living is greater Relative Poverty An individual needs to live on social assistance to be able to afford all basic living expenses, like housing, water, and food. Absolute poverty Other Options: Net Worth Drawdown Quintile Source: Lecture 5, slide 110. Created by Course TA Lance 42. Erika is interested in better understanding issues related to gun control in Canada. After some preliminary research online, she finds consistent answers that point to a singular conclusion on the topic, leading her to confidently conclude that she knows how to best resolve the issue. What type of bias BEST reflects what Erika is experiencing Self-Serving Bias The Dunning-Kruger Effect Optimism Bias Pessimism Bias Immediacy bias Ethnocentrism Source:
Slide 32 of lecture 1, Part 1. The situation describes how a person can
overestimate their understanding of a topic based on limited knowledge. Created by Course TA Lance 43. George is a sociologist who is looking to expand his understanding of social forces. He decides to focus on what aspects of his social world he takes for granted by trying to view simple acts as foreign concepts he is unfamiliar with. What general principle of sociology BEST fits what George is practicing See the familiar in the strange See the general in the particular See the strange in the familiar See the particular in the strange Social Constructionism Prisoner’s Dilemma Source:
Slide 42 of lecture 1, Part 1. The situation describes how a person can
overestimate their understanding of a topic based on limited knowledge. Created by Course TA Lance 44. Decline bias is defined by the idea that we need to effect social change in society to avoid things becoming worse. True False Source:
Slide 49 of lecture 5. this is the inversion of the definition of
decline bias, where social change is avoided as it may cause a decline in the progress made in society over time. Created by Course TA Lance 10 45. While researching crime, Professor Welsh noted that crime creates jobs in law enforcement and related careers, maintaining social stability in society. She also noticed that crime reinforces shared values when criminals are caught and punished. Which approach to the study of crime has Professor Welsh probably adopted Conflict Theory Symbolic Interactionism Structural Functionalism Critical Race Theory Feminism Source:
Slide 42 of lecture 2. This focuses on aspects of functionalism like
social stability and reinforcing shared values. Created by Course TA Lance 46. Which of the following BEST explains why we seek to analyze social problems from a number of different theoretical perspectives We can identify conflicting interpretations of social problems to determine which is the best. We can focus on individual aspects of social problems to understand them in isolation. We can gain a more well-rounded and complete understanding of the social problem. We can separate perspectives to develop a purely objective understanding of the problem. We can ensure we follow the principles of the scientific method. It allows us to move past our social location bias because we each always identify most with one of the theoretical perspectives over the others. Source: Answer c provides a correct statement based on slide 41 in lecture 2. Created by Course TA Lance. 47. One issue of climate change is that businesses can cause environmental costs in the production process that are not reflected in the price of goods and services. What is this called Choose the BEST answer. Regulation Expropriation Dependency Externality Drawdown Surplus liability. Source:
This question provides a paraphrase of the definition of externality,
based on slide 52. The specific inclusion of additional costs, not reflected in production, and byproducts point to Externality as the answer. Created by Course TA Lance. 48. Which statement BEST represents the moral foundation of authority/respect That we must unite the country from division to maintain order Believing that policing best protects citizens from injustice That welfare is a means to establish a fair distribution of resources Believing that protecting the vulnerable is a priority for our success as a society That we must prioritize those closest to us. That we must not tarnish the reputation of our group by highlighting past historical failures. Source: Lecture 2, Each answer reflects the key points of different aspects of moral foundation theory. B best represents authority
and respect by exemplifying the appeal to authority in social stability
and justice. Each of the other answers reflects other elements of moral foundation theory. Created by Course TA Lance. 49. Many Canadians oppose measures that would force companies and individuals to start paying for environmental harms, e.g. through a carbon tax. Which of the following is this BEST an example of Misinformation Path dependency Moral foundation theory 11 Earth as externality Echo Chambers Ethnocentrism Source: Lecture 2, slides 52-55. Created by Course TA Yuki. 50. In a conversation about climate change, your friend says that it’s important to protect Canadian interests first, so Canada should not have to reduce carbon emissions if other large polluters like China and India won’t commit to the same goals. What is this an example of Authority In-group loyalty Harm Purity Fairness Drawdown Source: Lecture 2, moral foundation theory. Created by Course TA Yuki. 51. When your natural gas furnace breaks down, you need a replacement. You have the option to further renovate your house and install solar panels for heating, or get a gas furnace. While there would be savings down the line if you used solar panels, you decide it’s not worth the upfront investment and you simply get a new gas furnace. What is this an example of Misinformation Path dependency Moral foundation theory Earth as externality Race to the bottom Earth as an Externality Source: Lecture 2, slide 56-57. Created by Course TA Yuki. 52. Political parties are unwilling to enact climate change policy because the payoff from those policies is far in the future, and they need tangible wins in order to get re-elected. What is this a direct example of [Select All that Apply] Confirmation bias Optimism bias Cultural bias Immediacy bias Value Rationality Instrumental Rationality Source:
Lecture 2, slide 69 for immediacy bias and Lecture 4, slide 14 for
instrumental rationality. Created by Course TA Yuki. 53. According to structural functionalists, what can we do to affect climate change Choose the BEST option. Climate change can only be tackled by reducing inequality among nations. Climate change can be tackled by voting in elections. People of colour should lead the conversation on climate change because they are most affected by it. Climate change will only be solved by a change in consumer demands or, in other words, a change to the current supply & demand dynamic. Climate change should not be tackled if it comes at the expense of economic growth. Climate change requires citizens of the world to unite and cease the race to the bottom. Source: Lecture 2, slide 83. Created by Course TA Yuki. 12 54. Ali has been an active member in an online forum discussing why police should be defunded. He mainly gets his information on this topic only from this specific online community, resulting in him developing a very one-sided view of the problem. What of the following directly represents what Mohammed is engaged in [Select all that apply] Affinity Bias Immediacy Bias Reactivity Bias Echo Chamber. Moral Foundation Theory. Self-serving bias Source: Lecture 2, slide 72. Created by Course TA Lance. 55. Which of the following represent passive income [Select all that apply] Kammy starts her own cleaning business specific to AirBnBs and is the only employee. Yakira invests in stocks of Apple and sees an 8% return over the course of a year. Fernando finally graduates from law school and begins work