Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Download Sociology Down to Earth Approach 11th Edition Henslin Test Bank all chapters
Download Sociology Down to Earth Approach 11th Edition Henslin Test Bank all chapters
Download Sociology Down to Earth Approach 11th Edition Henslin Test Bank all chapters
https://testbankfan.com/product/sociology-a-down-to-earth-
approach-12th-edition-henslin-test-bank/
https://testbankfan.com/product/sociology-a-down-to-earth-
approach-13th-edition-henslin-test-bank/
https://testbankfan.com/product/sociology-a-down-to-earth-
approach-13th-edition-henslin-solutions-manual/
https://testbankfan.com/product/sociology-a-down-to-earth-
approach-canadian-6th-edition-henslin-test-bank/
Sociology A Down to Earth Approach Canadian 6th Edition
Henslin Solutions Manual
https://testbankfan.com/product/sociology-a-down-to-earth-
approach-canadian-6th-edition-henslin-solutions-manual/
https://testbankfan.com/product/essentials-of-sociology-a-down-
to-earth-approach-10th-edition-henslin-test-bank/
https://testbankfan.com/product/social-problems-a-down-to-earth-
approach-12th-edition-henslin-test-bank/
https://testbankfan.com/product/social-problems-a-down-to-earth-
approach-12th-edition-henslin-solutions-manual/
https://testbankfan.com/product/essentials-of-sociology-12th-
edition-henslin-test-bank/
Henslin, Sociology, 11/e
2) According to Karl Marx, capitalism was responsible for breaking the bonds of tradition.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 169-170
Skill: Knowledge
3) Weber discovered that countries dominated by the Roman Catholic faith were more likely to rely on the traditional
orientation to life and less likely to embrace capitalism as an economic system.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 170
Skill: Knowledge
4) The predecessor to the modern union was the guild, which prevented non-guild members from working at a particular
craft.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 171
Skill: Knowledge
5) Secondary groups have been a dominant part of society since the earliest times people joined together to share a culture
and territory.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 171
Skill: Knowledge
6) A division of labor, written rules, and impersonality are some of the key features common to bureaucracies.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 175
Skill: Knowledge
7) Based on Weber's "ideal type," the perfect bureaucracy is one that has the most extensive hierarchical structure.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 174
Skill: Knowledge
8) It is not unusual for a bureaucracy to lose efficiency because of a lack of communication between units or the presence of
an incompetent supervisor.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 175
Skill: Application
9) According to Marx, alienation refers to a worker's loss of ownership of the product of his or her labor.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 175
Skill: Knowledge
11) Bureaucracies tend to perpetuate their existence, even after their initial purpose has been fulfilled, through a process called
bureaucratic ritualism.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 176
Skill: Knowledge
12) A classic example of goal displacement is the shift in NATO's mission from protecting Europe from a Soviet invasion to
being a rapid deployment force to fight terrorism.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 176
Skill: Application
13) The common thread that runs through voluntary associations is their low-cost membership.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 177
Skill: Knowledge
14) The "iron law" of oligarchy is a term coined by sociologist Robert Michels to describe the tendency of formal
organizations to be dominated by a small, self-perpetuating elite.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 179
Skill: Knowledge
15) The "iron law" of oligarchy cannot exist in organizations dedicated to democratic principles.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 179
Skill: Application
16) Humanizing the work setting means hiring actual people to do the work rather than relying on robotic machines and
automated answering systems.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 180
Skill: Knowledge
17) Corporate culture contains "hidden" values that create self-fulfilling stereotypes that can positively or negatively affect an
individual's corporate career.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 181
Skill: Knowledge
18) Diversity in the workplace is based almost exclusively on skin color and race.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 182
Skill: Knowledge
19) Although many large corporations promote diversity and engage in highly visible multicultural activities, the underlying
goal of such programs remains to increase profits.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 182-183
Skill: Knowledge
2) Which of the following communities would be most aligned with the rational approach to life?
A) a twentieth-century tribal village in the Amazon River Basin
B) a sixteenth-century community of peasants in Sherwood Forest
C) a nineteenth-century steel mill town in Pennsylvania
D) a fourteenth-century feudal village in France
Answer: C
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 168-169
Skill: Application
3) In which two societies would someone find relationships based on history that is diffuse and long-term?
A) agricultural and industrial societies
B) horticultural and agricultural societies
C) horticultural and postindustrial societies
D) industrial and postindustrial societies
Answer: B
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 168-169
Skill: Application
4) Hank lives in a society that believes in the acceptance of rules, efficiency, and practical results. Frank lives in a society
that believes in customs and close personal relationships. Which society is more likely to be industrialized?
A) The society based on customs and relationships will be industrialized.
B) Both societies will have the same degree of industrialization.
C) The society that believes in rules, efficiency, and practical results will be industrialized.
D) Neither society will be industrialized.
Answer: C
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 169
Skill: Application
5) In which two societies are people evaluated based on "the bottom line"?
A) the horticultural and pastoral societies
B) the pastoral and agricultural societies
C) the industrial and postindustrial societies
D) the agricultural and industrial societies
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 169
Skill: Knowledge
7) What is the widespread acceptance of using rules, efficiency, and practical results to determine human affairs and the
building of social organizations around this concept?
A) the Peter Principle
B) urbanization
C) the rationalization of society
D) Northcote's Law
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 169
Skill: Knowledge
8) One of the first theorists to argue that the adoption of capitalism is responsible for the decline of traditional orientations to
social life was ________.
A) Max Weber
B) Karl Marx
C) Emile Durkheim
D) Georg Simmel
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 169
Skill: Knowledge
9) The early theorist who proposed that religious beliefs are the key to whether or not a society embraces capitalism was
________.
A) Karl Marx
B) Herbert Spencer
C) Max Weber
D) Emile Durkheim
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 170
Skill: Knowledge
10) What was the specific Protestant theology that influenced Max Weber's theories of social change and the development of
The Spirit of Capitalism?
A) Jehovah’s Witness
B) The Book of Mormon
C) 7th Day Adventist
D) Calvinism
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 170
Skill: Knowledge
13) Most sociologists would embrace which theorist's explanation for the development of rationality as the guiding force in
modern society?
A) Marx's view on capitalism
B) Weber's view on Protestantism
C) Neither Marx's view nor Weber's view
D) Both views are equally shared by sociologists.
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 170
Skill: Knowledge
14) The Ku Klux Klan, March of Dimes, and Boy Scouts of America all have specific objectives that guide their operations.
Even though their respective activities and membership rosters indicate significant differences, all three would share the
classification of being ________.
A) aggregates of traditional societies
B) social institutions
C) formal organizations
D) ideal bureaucracies
Answer: C
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 171
Skill: Application
15) Samantha works for an organization that is hierarchical and has a division of labor, written rules, communications and
records, one in which the administration treats workers impersonally. Based on these characteristics, we can conclude that
Samantha works for a(n) ________.
A) nonprofit organization
B) voluntary association
C) bureaucracy
D) oligarchy
Answer: C
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 171-172
Skill: Application
16) In the bureaucratic structure of a medium-sized university, approximately where would one find the instructor for this
course, provided that he or she is not the chair of the sociology department?
A) at or near the top of the chart
B) in the upper third of the chart
C) in the middle of the chart
D) at or near the bottom of the chart
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 172
Skill: Comprehension
17) Which sociologist is given credit for coining the concept of the "McDonaldization of Society"?
A) Jeffrey Reiman
B) Douglas Massey
C) Howard Winet
D) George Ritzer
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 173
Skill: Knowledge
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 5
Henslin, Sociology, 11/e
18) A model that is a composite of the most efficient and highest-rated characteristics of many specific examples is called a(n)
________.
A) perfect world
B) comparative society
C) alpha model
D) ideal type
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 174
Skill: Knowledge
19) The university's administration has increased class size without receiving input from the faculty or considering that some
courses need to have low enrollments. In view of this, what is the most probable reaction the professors will take to this
latest administrative decision?
A) The faculty will call a wildcat strike to protest the insensitivity of the administration.
B) The faculty will stage a "blue flu" and call in sick on the first day of class.
C) More faculty members will feel they have lost ownership of their classes and are just "employees."
D) More faculty members will apply to be administrators to ensure this type of action will not be repeated.
Answer: C
Diff: 5 Page Ref: 175
Skill: Synthesis
20) The experience of being cut off from the product of one's labor, which results in a feeling of powerlessness, is called
________.
A) anomie
B) alienation
C) displacement
D) rationalization
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 175
Skill: Knowledge
21) Patti Sue is having difficulty adjusting to George, the new office supervisor. George is quite a "bean counter" and has
shown a great deal of insensitivity toward everyone in the office. In view of this, what is the most likely course of action
Patti Sue and the other office workers will take?
A) They will probably resign from their positions in protest.
B) The entire office staff will call in sick tomorrow.
C) Patti Sue will contact a lawyer to discuss a class action lawsuit.
D) All the affected office workers will develop a greater sense of social solidarity.
Answer: D
Diff: 6 Page Ref: 175
Skill: Evaluation
22) Tom works as an agent for a large insurance company. At his work station, he has taped pictures of his wife and
granddaughter and of last year's Caribbean vacation. Sociologists would see these pictures as an attempt by Tom to
________.
A) resist alienation
B) bond with his supervisor, who is also a grandparent
C) promote his "all-American" status to his colleagues
D) simply decorate his office
Answer: A
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 175
Skill: Application
24) Sam, an aspiring and talented young attorney, has been promoted every year since he joined the law firm of Howard,
Howard, and Fine. Unfortunately, Sam feels he cannot handle the responsibilities of his latest promotion. In an effort to
keep his newly acquired job title, Sam has begun to take credit for the work done by the employees he supervises. Sam's
behavior is an example of ________.
A) the iron law of oligarchy
B) the Ouchi theorem
C) bureaucratic ritualism
D) the Peter principle
Answer: D
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 176
Skill: Application
25) When the former Soviet Union collapsed, NATO forces were no longer needed to protect Europe from a communist
invasion. Rather than disband NATO, it was turned into a "rapid response force" to fight terrorism. Sociologists would
call this shift in focus an example of ________.
A) the Thomas theorem
B) goal displacement
C) the Peter principle
D) bureaucratic ritualism
Answer: B
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 176
Skill: Application
26) The Boy Scouts, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, most civic organizations, and many groups that people join because of
mutual interest are all examples of ________.
A) voluntary associations
B) bureaucratic alienation
C) bureaucracies
D) informal organizations
Answer: A
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 177
Skill: Application
27) Which Frenchman toured America in the early nineteenth century, noting the many voluntary organizations in which
Americans held membership and documenting these findings in his book, Democracy in America?
A) Alexander Maconochie
B) Alexis de Tocqueville
C) Pierre DuPont
D) Philippe Pinel
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 177
Skill: Knowledge
29) A common thread that runs through all voluntary associations is ________.
A) the size of the group
B) the purpose of the association
C) mutual interest among members
D) an effort to maintain social order
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 178
Skill: Knowledge
30) The concept of the "iron law" of oligarchy was developed by sociologist ________.
A) Michael Burawoy
B) Irving Janis
C) Robert Michels
D) Ryan Graham
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 179
Skill: Knowledge
32) By a narrow margin, Dr. Moreau was elected chair of the largest academic department at Faber College. She appointed
faculty members who support her views to the most influential and important committees in the department. This group of
loyal colleagues, on which Dr. Moreau is relying to advance her policies, is an example of a(n) ________.
A) consortium
B) inner circle
C) primary group
D) out-group
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 179
Skill: Knowledge
33) According to Rosabeth Moss Kanter, why do "hidden values" exist in an organization?
A) to assist women and minorities in gaining promotions
B) to help the organization be successful
C) as a means to promote teamwork
D) as self-fulfilling stereotypes to direct the organization
Answer: D
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 180
Skill: Application
35) In her study of 47 corporations, what was the relationship that Rosabeth Moss Kanter discovered between the flexibility of
a corporation and corporate profit?
A) Kanter discovered a null relationship existed between the two variables.
B) Kanter discovered that the relationship was direct, showing that greater flexibility increases profits.
C) Kanter discovered a spurious relationship existed between the two variables.
D) Kanter discovered that the relationship was indirect, indicating flexibility created duplication and waste.
Answer: B
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 180
Skill: Knowledge
36) Max Weber’s prediction that ________ would come to dominate social life has withstood the test of time more than any
other prediction in sociology.
A) enterprises
B) corporations
C) bureaucracies
D) religions
Answer: C
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 180
Skill: Knowledge
37) Organizing a workplace in such a way that it develops rather than impedes human potential is known as ________.
A) restructuring a workplace
B) empowering workers
C) humanizing a work setting
D) instilling employee loyalty
Answer: C
Diff: 4 Page Ref: 180
Skill: Analysis
38) Bob works at an automobile factory that organizes its workers into small groups that meet regularly to discuss ways to
increase production and efficiency. Individual workers are often singled out and recognized for their contributions to the
organization. These are examples of attempts to ________.
A) increase profits by downsizing
B) alienate the "deadbeats" in the corporation
C) increase the number of employees
D) humanize the work setting to develop employee potential
Answer: D
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 180
Skill: Application
41) __________ refers to preconceived ideas of what someone is like that lead to the person’s behaving in ways that match
the stereotype.
A) The Peter principle
B) Humanizing
C) Emotional integration
D) Self-fulfilling stereotype
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 181
Skill: Knowledge
42) It is believed by some sociologists that attempts to humanize the workplace are simply ways to manipulate workers into
cooperating in their own exploitation. This belief is most aligned with the ________ perspective.
A) functionalist
B) symbolic interactionist
C) conflict
D) structuralist
Answer: C
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 181
Skill: Application
43) One of the latest fads to build corporate teamwork and solidarity is the "cook-off." Which statement best summarizes this
activity?
A) Workers meet at a neutral site to "blow off steam" and tell the CEO everything they feel is wrong about the
organization.
B) Men and women engage in reverse sensitivity training in which the men become the object of harassment by the
women.
C) Employees call in with the "blue flu" in retaliation for what they perceive as unfair labor practices by management.
D) Teams of workers prepare culinary dishes to be judged by professional chefs.
Answer: D
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 181
Skill: Application
44) Using the number of consultants specializing in quality circles as the measurement, how has the use of quality circles in
U.S. companies changed since 1983?
A) The use of quality circles has increased significantly.
B) The use of quality circles has remained about the same.
C) The use of quality circles rose until the mid-1990s, then leveled off.
D) The use of quality circles has decreased significantly.
Answer: D
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 181
Skill: Application
46) Based on the research of Rosabeth Moss Kanter, what is meant by the term "hidden" corporate culture?
A) the values and beliefs of the corporation that shape employees' attitudes
B) the tendency to promote individuals to their level of incompetence
C) an organization's tendency to shift goals to perpetuate its existence
D) the placement of minorities in highly visible but powerless positions
Answer: A
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 181
Skill: Application
47) As diversity in the workplace continues to increase, more than half of U.S. workers include which three groups?
A) older adults, minorities, and women
B) minorities, immigrants, and women
C) immigrants, the Amish, and older adults
D) working class, homosexuals, and young adults
Answer: B
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 182
Skill: Knowledge
48) Most major companies sponsor "diversity training" lectures and workshops for their employees. What is the ultimate
purpose of these efforts?
A) to stimulate an understanding of cultural differences
B) to professionally develop staff
C) to increase company profits and competitiveness
D) to emphasize the qualities that will lead to a worker's success
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 182-183
Skill: Knowledge
49) The author makes the analogy of the computer being "Big Brother." This analogy is based on the classic novel, ________.
A) The Time Machine
B) Animal Farm
C) 1984
D) War of the Worlds
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 183
Skill: Knowledge
40) The use of video cameras to peer over employees' shoulders, the monitoring of air quality within the workplace, and the
prohibiting of smoking by employees anywhere on company property is what sociologist Gary Marx calls ________.
A) a total institution
B) the hidden curriculum
C) the inner circle
D) a maximum-security society
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 183
Skill: Knowledge
52) Investigators who use specialized software to recover every note employees have written and every website they have
visited are known as ________.
A) web investigators
B) hackers
C) computer specialists
D) cybersleuths
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 184
Skill: Knowledge
53) Using computers at work to download music, play computer games, trade stocks, and make purchases on eBay are
examples of a growing corporate problem called ________.
A) cyberfraud
B) computer profiling
C) computer monopoly
D) cyberslacking
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 184
Skill: Knowledge
54) In the global economic shakeout, companies that survive, whether thriving or hanging by their fingernails, will be
________.
A) bureaucracies
B) entrepreneurs
C) giant corporations
D) oligopolies
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 184
Skill: Knowledge
55) In order to withstand fierce global competition, corporations must practice ________ and stay ________ in order to
survive.
A) efficiency; nimble
B) accountability; organized
C) takeovers; competitive
D) downsizing; practical
Answer: A
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 184
Skill: Knowledge
6) What did George Ritzer mean when he coined the phrase the "McDonaldization of society"?
Answer: the standardization of everyday life, including the robot-like assembly of food, one-stop shopping at malls,
packaged vacation tours, and short news blips
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 173
Skill: Comprehension
12) What are three qualities that permanent voluntary associations (e.g., Boy Scouts, Kiwanis Club, the Democratic Party)
share?
Answer: (1) they have large memberships;
(2) they have clear lines of command;
(3) they are bureaucracies
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 177
Skill: Knowledge
13) What characteristics would individuals who make up an organization's inner circle likely possess?
Answer: (1) promoting the group;
(2) firmly standing behind the group's goals;
(3) having authority to maintain the organization in its existing form
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 179
Skill: Application
14) Why are organizations that are classified as oligarchies less likely to embrace change?
Answer: They have only a few members who share leadership roles, so change would redistribute the power and upset
the status quo of the existing ruling group.
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 179
Skill: Application
15) What did Rosabeth Moss Kanter discover about the relationship between a corporation's level of bureaucratic structure
and its profit-making potential? Why?
Answer: Flexible corporations are more profitable because their flexibility encourages greater creativity, productivity,
and company loyalty.
Diff: 6 Page Ref: 180
Skill: Evaluation
18) How do conflict theorists view the motives of management when it humanizes the work setting?
Answer: as a camouflage for the ongoing confrontational relationship between workers and owners
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 181
Skill: Comprehension
2) Discuss Weber's explanation of why capitalism thrived in Protestant countries but was rejected in countries dominated by
Roman Catholics.
Answer: Protestants embraced change in the social structure because of the Calvinist ideology of predestination. Based
on this ideology, it was believed that before birth, people were destined for either heaven or hell and they did
not know their destiny until death. But this concept produced anxiety for Protestants and they looked for a
"sign" that they were chosen for heaven. This sign became the visible success in life characterized by hard
work, investments, and the accumulation of wealth. Excess money was invested to make more money, thus
increasing the "sign" that someone was saved. The investment strategy led to capitalism. Catholics, unlike
Protestants, embraced the traditional methods of understanding the world and resisted change. They emphasized
dedication to family, church, and king. Accepting one's lot in life and remaining rooted in the social structure
discouraged the capitalist philosophy embraced by Protestants.
Diff: 4 Page Ref: 170
Skill: Analysis
3) What do formal organizations and bureaucracies have in common? How are they different?
Answer: Bureaucracies qualify as formal organizations because they are secondary groups designed to achieve specific
objectives. Not all formal organizations are bureaucracies, however. A formal organization may share some of
the characteristics of a bureaucracy without qualifying as being one. Some formal organizations, such as
voluntary groups, are based on mutual interest rather than efficiency. Voluntary organizations are also less
formal, more personal, and less hierarchical than a bureaucracy.
Diff: 4 Page Ref: 171–172
Skill: Analysis
5) What is "McDonaldization"? Describe some of its positive as well as negative consequences for social life.
Answer: George Ritzer uses the term "McDonaldization" to refer to the standardization of everyday life that results in
the robot-like assembly of food, one-stop shopping, familiar franchises, packaged vacation tours – all the
outward signs of an efficient and highly dependable, but predictable, lifestyle. While McDonaldization can
increase efficiency and predictability, it also results in a reduction of spontaneity and creativity, thus producing
a bland sameness and further entrapping individuals in Weber's "iron cage."
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 173
Skill: Knowledge
6) Discuss the "ideal" versus the "real" bureaucracy. Does the ideal bureaucracy exist? Defend your answer.
Answer: The ideal bureaucracy is based on Weber's "ideal type" – a composite of characteristics based on many specific
examples to form the perfect bureaucratic organization. The real bureaucracy operates on a daily basis to
provide for the needs and services of a society (police and fire protection, economic production, religion,
education, and others). The real bureaucracy has inherent flaws but manages to exist in spite of them. In all
likelihood, the "ideal" bureaucracy does not exist. Bureaucracies are composed of people, and people have
flaws. They form coalitions and are subject to bias. In view of this, the probability of an ideal bureaucracy is
remote.
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 174
Skill: Comprehension
7) How do bureaucracies perpetuate themselves through goal displacement? Provide an example of goal displacement.
Answer: Goal displacement is the adoption of new goals by an organization when the organization's original goals have
been met or are no longer needed. By changing its purpose, the organization can continue to exist. In many
cases, once the bureaucracy has become established, there are benefits to its continuation. These benefits
include salaries for officers and directors, support services, and the accumulation of property and capital. To
dissolve the bureaucracy means a loss in paid positions, company cars, personal expense accounts, and other
benefits, as well as a discontinuation of fees paid to others for services. Examples of goal displacement: the
March of Dimes' goal changed from finding a cure for polio to fighting birth defects after Jonas Salk discovered
a cure for polio; NATO's purpose changed from protecting western Europe from Soviet invasion to acting as a
rapid deployment force to combat terrorism.
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 176
Skill: Application
8) Discuss the history of voluntary associations and what motivates people to join this type of organization.
Answer: Voluntary association’s history can be traced as far back as 1830 when a Frenchman named Alexis de
Tocqueville traveled to the United States and observed that Americans joined a lot of voluntary associations.
These groups are made up of volunteers who organize themselves on the basis of common interests. The
motivation to join a voluntary association varies among individuals, while the main reason is a strong
conviction concerning the purpose of the association and to help fulfill the group’s goals. Others join for
political reasons or to enhance a job or college application.
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 178
Skill: Knowledge
10) What is an "oligarchy"? According to Robert Michels, why do oligarchies develop in organizations?
Answer: Oligarchy refers to a system in which many are ruled by a few. Michels coined the phrase "the iron law of
oligarchy" to refer to the way in which formal organizations come to be dominated by a small, self-perpetuating
elite. While the majority of the members become passive, an elite inner group keeps itself in power by passing
the leading positions from one clique member to another. The purpose of the oligarchy is to perpetuate the
status quo and to support the interests of these elite few.
Diff: 6 Page Ref: 179
Skill: Evaluation
11) What does it mean to humanize the work setting? How would functionalists, symbolic interactionists, and conflict
theorists view the humanizing of a work setting?
Answer: "Humanizing a workplace" means organizing it in a way that develops rather than impedes human potential.
Functionalists would view humanizing the work setting as a means by which the corporate machine can run
more smoothly and can recognize the importance of each of its members. Symbolic interactionists would view
the corporation as being more family-oriented, more diverse, or more sensitive to the needs of workers, though
the exact view would depend on the manner in which the workplace was changed and the interpretation of each
employee. Conflict theorists simply see humanizing the workplace as being an "end around" move to
camouflage the ever-present confrontation between workers and owners.
Diff: 4 Page Ref: 180-181
Skill: Analysis
13) Briefly summarize how fads in the corporate culture have changed in the past twenty years.
Answer: Twenty years ago, business practices were called "quality circles," in which workers and a manager met
regularly to try and improve the quality of both working conditions and the company’s products. Thousands of
companies across the U.S. practiced quality circles, but have since changed to a "team concept" for problem
solving. Today, other fads in the workplace are common. For example, "cook-offs" are the latest fad, in which
corporate teams slice, chop, and sauté against the clock while professional chefs oversee and judge the event.
Team-building exercises will soon pass and be replaced by yet another fad.
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 181
Skill: Comprehension
15) Discuss how Japanese corporations are reversing their corporate models.
Answer: To compete in the capitalist global market successfully, Japanese corporations have found that management by
consensus is not always practical or effective. Sony's founder, Akio Morita, made his own quick decisions.
Japanese corporations such as Toyota and Honda now give bonuses to managers who meet their goals, and
other corporations now lay off workers. Two companies, Mazda and Nissan, are now managed by foreign
investors.
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 185
Skill: Comprehension
2) What are formal organizations? What are some of the formal organizations within the university upon which students
must rely?
Answer: Formal organizations are secondary groups designed to achieve explicit objectives. Within the university are a
host of formal organizations, some more formal than others. Included among them are the admissions office,
registrar's office, financial aid office, and bursar. Voluntary associations (clubs and extracurricular groups)
qualify as "formal" organizations even though they have entirely different atmospheres, memberships, and
goals.
Diff: 5 Page Ref: 171
Skill: Comprehension
3) In Down-to-Earth Sociology, "The McDonaldization of Society," the concept of the "McDonaldization" of education is
described (and lamented). What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of a completely rationalized, standardized
college education?
Answer: The advantages might include the elimination of poor professors and courses; the tailoring of courses to the
precise career needs of students; the exact matching of instructional methods with the learning styles of students
to maximize efficiency of learning; and the reduction in cost of instruction as information is packaged and
delivered in standard, efficient, computerized form. The disadvantages might include the abandonment of
attempts to provide stimulating, intellectually challenging relationships between students and individual
professors; the loss of spontaneity and creativity in the process of learning; and the sharp reduction in
variability of ideas and information taught and learned.
Diff: 5 Page Ref: 173
Skill: Synthesis
5) Why are workers generally not promoted beyond their "level of incompetence," as predicted by the Peter principle?
Answer: The worker or supervisor may recognize the highest level at which the worker can perform competently, so the
worker is promoted no further. Not all workers aspire to be promoted as high as they can, because they are
satisfied with lower-level jobs. The number of positions declines as one moves up in a bureaucracy, so not
enough positions exist for everyone who is eligible to be promoted. Many workers may be reluctant to accept
promotions to jobs if they have to leave behind or supervise their current coworkers.
Diff: 6 Page Ref: 176
Skill: Evaluation
7) What are voluntary associations? What are some of the voluntary associations a student can participate in on this campus?
Answer: Voluntary associations are made up of people who voluntarily organize on the basis of some mutual interest.
There are probably dozens of examples of voluntary organizations on campus. Clubs (Sociology Club, College
Young Democrats), special interest groups (Black Student Union, Gay and Lesbian Student Union), fraternities,
sororities, and sports teams all qualify as voluntary associations.
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 177
Skill: Knowledge
8) Apply the three major sociological perspectives (functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and conflict) to explain the
popularity of membership in voluntary associations in America.
Answer: (1) Voluntary associations are functional for society because they help to maintain order, mediate between
government and individuals, teach skills needed by the society, and promote beneficial social change.
(2) Voluntary associations meet many symbolic needs that people have, including the need to belong to a group,
to have an identity, and to feel as though one is doing something worthwhile.
(3) The conflict perspective can also explain voluntary association membership. Individuals with similar
interests join together and pool their resources in a collective effort to dominate a competing group or to
influence government to change laws or procedures in a way that benefits members of the group.
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 178
Skill: Application
10) Cyberslacking is addressed in Sociology and the New Technology, "Cyberloafers and Cybersleuths: Surfing at Work."
Describe methods of loafing on the job that do not require a computer, and discuss how cyberloafing may actually be a
positive alternative to these "old technology" methods.
Answer: Employees can loaf in a number of ways without a computer, and some become quite inventive and expert at it.
Some examples:
(1) taking long lunch hours for personal business, such as to pay bills;
(2) disappearing from the job to use the restroom and read a magazine;
(3) keeping track of the days the boss is off and capitalizing on these;
(4) using the telephone to call friends and family, especially long-distance contacts. Positive alternatives to
cyberslacking:
(1) remaining at the assigned desk;
(2) paying bills online is quicker than driving to the bank or other businesses;
(3) using the computer for whatever reason builds computer skills;
(4) contacting friends and family by e-mail is less expensive and time-consuming than making long distance
telephone calls.
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 184
Skill: Application
Economic Documents
Ricardo’s Letters to Malthus (1810-1823). Edited by J. Bonar. 8vo.
7s. 6d.
Letters to Trower and others (1811-1823). Edited by J. Bonar
and J. H. Hollander. 8vo. 7s. 6d.
Lloyd’s Prices of Corn in Oxford, 1583-1830. 8vo. 1s.
The History of Agriculture and Prices in England, a.d. 1259-1793.
By J. E. Thorold Rogers.
Vols. I and II (1259-1400). 8vo. 84s. net.
Vols. III and IV (1401-1582). 8vo. 32s. net.
Vols. V and VI (1583-1702). 8vo. 32s. net.
Vol. VII. In two Parts (1702-1793). 8vo. 32s. net.
First Nine Years of the Bank of England. By the same. 8vo. 8s. 6d.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful
comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.
Some hyphens in words have been silently removed, some added, when a
predominant preference was found in the original book.
Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or
archaic usage, have been retained.
Pg 7: ‘the lands abovereserved,’ replaced by ‘the lands above reserved,’.
Pg 64: ‘the great dependancies’ replaced by ‘the great dependencies’.
Pg 101: ‘held a meeeting’ replaced by ‘held a meeting’.
Pg 185: ‘town of Springfield; In’ replaced by ‘town of Springfield; in’.
Pg 218: ‘their bona fide debts’ replaced by ‘their bonâ fide debts’.
Pg 222: ‘were finally withdran’ replaced by ‘were finally withdrawn’.
Pg 309: ‘as confidential sercetary’ replaced by ‘as confidential secretary’.
Pg 313: ‘Wellington was begining’ replaced by ‘Wellington was beginning’.
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HISTORY OF
CANADA, 1763-1812 ***
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also
govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most
countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside
the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to
the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying,
displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works
based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The
Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright
status of any work in any country other than the United States.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form,
including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if
you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project
Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or
other format used in the official version posted on the official
Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at
no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a
means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other
form. Any alternate format must include the full Project
Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the
method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The
fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark,
but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to
the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty
payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on
which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your
periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked
as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information
about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation.”
• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
1.F.
Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.