Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 41

Sociology 14th Edition Macionis Test

Bank
Go to download the full and correct content document:
https://testbankfan.com/product/sociology-14th-edition-macionis-test-bank/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

Sociology 13th Edition Macionis Test Bank

https://testbankfan.com/product/sociology-13th-edition-macionis-
test-bank/

Sociology 16th Edition Macionis Test Bank

https://testbankfan.com/product/sociology-16th-edition-macionis-
test-bank/

Sociology Canadian 9th Edition Macionis Test Bank

https://testbankfan.com/product/sociology-canadian-9th-edition-
macionis-test-bank/

Sociology Canadian 8th Edition Macionis Test Bank

https://testbankfan.com/product/sociology-canadian-8th-edition-
macionis-test-bank/
Sociology 16th Edition Macionis Solutions Manual

https://testbankfan.com/product/sociology-16th-edition-macionis-
solutions-manual/

Sociology Canadian 9th Edition Macionis Solutions


Manual

https://testbankfan.com/product/sociology-canadian-9th-edition-
macionis-solutions-manual/

Sociology Canadian 8th Edition Macionis Solutions


Manual

https://testbankfan.com/product/sociology-canadian-8th-edition-
macionis-solutions-manual/

Society The Basics 14th Edition Macionis Test Bank

https://testbankfan.com/product/society-the-basics-14th-edition-
macionis-test-bank/

Society The Basics 14th Edition Macionis Solutions


Manual

https://testbankfan.com/product/society-the-basics-14th-edition-
macionis-solutions-manual/
Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

In this revision of the test bank, I have updated all of the questions to reflect the changes in
Sociology, 14th edition. There is also a new system for identifying the difficulty of the questions.
In earlier editions, the questions were tagged in one of three ways: factual (rote memorization),
conceptual (dealing with key concepts), and applied (application of sociological knowledge to a
situation). In this revision, the questions are now tagged according to the six levels of learning
that help organize the text. Think of these six levels as moving from lower-level to higher-level
cognitive reasoning. The six levels are:

REMEMBER: a question involving recall of key terms or factual material


UNDERSTAND: a question testing comprehension of more complex ideas
APPLY: a question applying sociological knowledge to some new situation
ANALYZE: a question requiring identifying elements of an argument and their interrelationship
EVALUATE: a question requiring critical assessment
CREATE: a question requiring the generation of new ideas

The 114 questions in this chapter’s test bank are divided into four types of questions.
True/False questions are the least demanding. As the table below shows, all of these questions
fall within the two lowest levels of cognitive reasoning (“Remember” and “Understand”).
Multiple-choice questions also fall within the three lowest levels of cognitive reasoning (adding
some “Apply” questions). Short answer questions span a broader range of skills (from
“Understand” to “Evaluate”). Finally, essay questions are the most demanding, falling within
the four highest levels of cognitive reasoning (“Apply,” “Analyze,” “Evaluate,” and “Create”).

Types of Questions
Easy to Difficult Level of Difficulty
True/False Mult Choice Short Answer Essay Total Qs
Remember 32 (84%) 30 (64%) 0 0 62
Understand 6 (16%) 21 (11%) 4 (40%) 0 31
Apply 0 7 (15%) 2 (20%) 2 (25%) 11
Analyze 0 0 2 (20%) 2 (25%) 4
Evaluate 0 0 2 (20%) 2 (25%) 4
Create 0 0 0 2 (25%) 2
38 58 10 8 114

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 1


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

CHAPTER 8: SEXUALITY AND SOCIETY

TRUE /FALSE QUESTIONS

1. There are few areas of life in which sexuality does not play some part.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 169)

2. U.S. culture discouraged open discussion of sexuality, so researchers did not begin to
study sexuality until the middle of the twentieth century.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 169)

3. Standards of human beauty are the same for people everywhere in the world.
(REMEMBER; answer: F; page 169)

4. Sociobiologists point out that, in every society throughout the world, people are attracted
to youthfulness.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 169)

5. Sociologists point out that human sexual behavior is very similar across all cultures.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: F; pages 170-171)

6. Every state in the United States permits lawful marriage between a woman and a man
who are first cousins.
(REMEMBER; answer: F; page 171)

7. People in all cultures respond to intersexual people with confusion or even disgust.
(REMEMBER; answer: F; page 170)

8. Primary sex characteristics refer to reproductive organs.


(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 169)

9. Although there is a human “sex drive,” our biology does not dictate any specific ways of
being sexual.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 170)

10. No sexual practice—not even the incest taboo—is found everywhere in the world.
(REMEMBER; answer: F; page 171)

11. Historically, public attitudes towards sexuality in the United States have been an
inconsistent mix of cultural repression and support for individual choice.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 172)

12. During the twentieth century, U.S. society experienced profound changes in sexual
attitudes and practices.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: T; pages 172-173)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 2


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

13. The publication of Alfred Kinsey’s first book in 1948 received considerable attention
because scientists were actually studying sex.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 172)

14. The baby boom generation—people born between 1946 and 1964—became the first
cohort in U.S. history to grow up with the idea that sex was part of everyone’s life,
married or not.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 173)

15. While the sexual revolution increased sexual activity overall, it changed behavior among
men more than among women.
(REMEMBER; answer: F; page 173)

16. The sexual counterrevolution did little to change the fact that most sexually-active people
in the United States had a high number of sexual partners.
(REMEMBER; answer: F; page 173)

17. The region of the world where people use birth control the least is North America.
(REMEMBER; answer: F; page 174)

18. Survey research shows that, even though the public remains divided on the issue, U.S.
society is more accepting of premarital sex today than it was a generation ago.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: T; pages 173-174)

19. Despite the widespread image of “swinging singles,” married people have sex with their
partners more often than singles do.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 175)

20. Most married adults in the United States are sexually unfaithful to their spouses at some
point in their marriages.
(REMEMBER; answer: F; page 175)

21. The fact that many people are bisexual demonstrates that sexual orientation is not clear-
cut.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; pages 175)

22. Homosexuality and heterosexuality are mutually exclusive, meaning that all people fall
into one category or the other.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: F; pages 175)

23. There was no distinct category of “homosexual” people until about a century ago.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 176)

24. A majority of adults in the United States report engaging in homosexual activity at some
point in their lives.
(REMEMBER; answer: F; page 178)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 3


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

25. The existence of the Muxes in Mexico shows us that there can be more than two gender
categories.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: T; page 177)

26. Homophobia refers to a fear of sexuality.


(REMEMBER; answer: F; page 178)

27. Teenage pregnancy raises the risk of girls not finishing school and becoming poor.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 179)

28. The U.S. rate of teenage pregnancy was actually higher in the 1950s than it is today.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 179)

29. The sexual revolution raised the level of teenage pregnancy in the United States.
(REMEMBER; answer: F; page 179)

30. Pornography is a moral issue for some people and a power issue for others.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 180)

31. Prostitution is greatest in poor nations where women have fewer economic opportunities.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: T; page 180)

32. On U.S. campuses, the majority of women express dissatisfaction with the culture of
“hooking up.”
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 183)

33. Although some people think rape simply reflects a desire for sex, it is an expression of
power.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 182)

34. The structural-functional approach highlights patterns of inequality that are linked to
sexuality.
(REMEMBER; answer: F; pages 183-184)

35. The symbolic-interaction approach highlights the various meanings people attach to
sexuality.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 184)

36. The social-conflict approach highlights the ways sexual attitudes and practices are a
benefit to some people and a disadvantage to others.
(REMEMBER; answer: T; pages 185-186)

37. Heterosexism refers to rejecting or stigmatizing anyone who is not heterosexual.


(REMEMBER; answer: T; page 186)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 4


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

38. The abortion debate is about nothing more than the question of when life begins.
(REMEMBER; answer: F; pages 186-187)

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

39. A reason to study sexuality using the sociological perspective is


a. sexuality is both important and controversial.
b. many people do not understand sexuality very well.
c. sexuality plays a part in many areas of social life.
d. All of these are correct.
(REMEMBER; answer: d; pages 168-169)

40. Which concept refers to the biological distinction between males and females?
a. sex
b. primary sex characteristics
c. gender
d. gender roles
(REMEMBER; answer: a; page 169)

41. The development of breasts in females and deeper voices in males are examples of
a. gender norms.
b. primary sex characteristics.
c. secondary sex characteristics.
d. All of these are correct.
(REMEMBER; answer: c; pages 169-170)

42. Which concept refers to genitals that distinguish females and males?
a. gender
b. primary sex characteristics
c. secondary sex characteristics
d. sexual chromosomes
(REMEMBER; answer: b; page 169)

43. Which concept refers to humans who have some combination of female and male sexual
characteristics?
a. multi-sexed
b. bisexual
c. transsexual
d. intersexual
(REMEMBER; answer: d; page 170)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 5


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

44. If you often had the feeling of being “trapped in the wrong body,” you might be
a. a hermaphrodite.
b. a homosexual.
c. a transsexual.
d. a bisexual.
(APPLY; answer: c; page 170)

45. Comparative research indicates that


a. although sex has a biological foundation, sexual practices vary from place to
place as an element of the culture.
b. people throughout the world engage in the same sexual practices.
c. sex is a not permitted in some societies, but it is encouraged in others.
d. sexuality is defined entirely by a biological “sex drive.”
(UNDERSTAND; answer: a; pages 170)

46. One norm found everywhere is the incest taboo, which refers to norms forbidding
a. young children from engaging in sex.
b. sexual relations or marriage between certain relatives.
c. women from becoming sexually active before marriage.
d. sex except for the purpose of having children.
(REMEMBER; answer: b; page 171)

47. Sociologists offer several explanations why the incest taboo is found everywhere. Look at
the statements below and identify the statement that is NOT a claim made by
sociologists.
a. The incest taboo limits sexual competition within families.
b. The incest taboo helps define people’s rights and obligations towards each other.
c. The incest taboo helps clarify the kinship system.
d. The incest taboo discourages contact of family members with the larger society.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: d; pages 171-172)

48. About what share of the states in this country have laws that permit marriage between
first cousins?
a. 10 percent of the states
b. none of the states
c. all of the states
d. half of the states
(REMEMBER; answer: d; page 171)

49. When did the sexual revolution begin?


a. It began during the colonial era.
b. It began during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
c. It began in the 1940s and then grew quickly in the late 1960s.
d. It began about 1980.
(REMEMBER; answer: c; page 172)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 6


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

50. The importance of Alfred Kinsey’s research on sexuality in the United States was
a. making sexuality a focus of scientific study.
b. showing that people were less conventional than most of society thought.
c. encouraging a greater openness towards sexuality.
d. All of these are correct.
(REMEMBER; answer: d; pages 172-173)

51. The sexual counterrevolution had begun in the United States by


a. 1920.
b. 1960.
c. 1980.
d. 1995.
(REMEMBER; answer: c; page 173)

52. The effect of the sexual counterrevolution was


a. to keep sex only within marriage.
b. to encourage people to limit their number of sexual partners or, in some cases, to
abstain from sex entirely.
c. to finally close the historical “double standard.”
d. to discourage the use of birth control technology.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: b; page 173)

53. Survey research on attitudes towards premarital sex tells us that


a. the public is more accepting of premarital sex than it was a generation ago.
b. there has been little or no change in public attitudes towards premarital sex in
recent decades.
c. the public is less accepting of premarital sex than it was a generation ago.
d. almost no one today claims that premarital sex is wrong.
(REMEMBER; answer: a; pages 173-174)

54. Thinking about the Laumann study of sexual patterns among U.S. adults, which of the
following statements is correct?
a. Over a lifetime, almost everyone has about the same amount of sexual experience.
b. Single people have more sex than married people.
c. There are striking differences in sexual experience within the U.S. population.
d. in the age of AIDS , almost all sex is limited to married partners.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: c; page 175)

55. Research on extramarital sex shows that about _____ of married men and about _____ of
married women remain faithful to their spouse throughout their married lives.
a. 25 percent; 40 percent
b. 25 percent; 75 percent
c. 75 percent; 50 percent
d. 75 percent; 90 percent
(REMEMBER; answer: d; page 175)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 7


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

56. Which of the following concepts refers to a person’s romantic and emotional attraction to
another person?
a. sex role
b. sexual orientation
c. sexual experience
d. personal transsexuality
(REMEMBER; answer: b; page 175)

57. Sexual attraction to someone of the same sex is called


a. heterosexuality.
b. bisexuality.
c. homosexuality.
d. asexuality.
(REMEMBER; answer: c; page 175)

58. Sexual attraction to people of both sexes is called


a. heterosexuality.
b. bisexuality.
c. homosexuality.
d. asexuality.
(REMEMBER; answer: b; page 175)

59. Sarah feels little or no sexual attraction to people of either sex. Her sexual orientation is
called
a. heterosexuality.
b. bisexuality.
c. homosexuality.
d. asexuality.
(APPLY; answer: d; page 175)

60. The majority of evidence indicates that sexual orientation is rooted in


a. human biology, although social experience plays some role.
b. how societies construct sexuality.
c. individual choice.
d. the way young children are raised.
(REMEMBER; answer: a; pages 176-177)

61. In 2010, about what percentage of U.S. adults claimed homosexuality is “always wrong”
or “almost always wrong”?
a. almost 100 percent
b. about 47 percent
c. about 30 percent
d. only 5 percent
(REMEMBER; answer: b; page 178)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 8


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

62. About ______ of men and _____ of women in the United States define themselves as
“partly” or “entirely” homosexual.
a. 30 percent; 30 percent
b. 28 percent; 14 percent
c. 10 percent; 6 percent
d. 2.3 percent; 1.3 percent
(REMEMBER; answer: d; page 178)

63. The concept “homophobia” refers to


a. fear of pregnancy.
b. fear of one’s own sexuality.
c. fear of close personal interaction with people thought to be gay, lesbian, or
bisexual.
d. fear of attracting sexual interest from another person.
(REMEMBER; answer: c; page 178)

64. Which of the following categories of teenagers would you correctly place at highest
probability of pregnancy?
a. teenage women with low incomes and weak families
b. teenage women with high incomes
c. teenage women with little sexual experience
d. All of these are correct.
(APPLY; answer: a; page 179)

65. People who oppose pornography argue that


a. it may contribute to a breakdown in morals.
b. it may contribute to violence against women.
c. it unfairly depicts women as the playthings of men.
d. All of these are correct.
(REMEMBER; answer: d; page 180)

66. From a global perspective, prostitution is most common in


a. high-income nations, where women are free to choose their profession.
b. poor nations, where women have fewer economic opportunities.
c. all nations because prostitution is found in every country to about the same extent.
d. Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, where women have
fewer choices about their lives.
(REMEMBER; answer: b; page 180)

67. Elite prostitutes—young, attractive, and well educated women—are widely referred to as
_____.
a. streetwalkers
b. brothel workers
c. call girls or escorts
d. None of these is correct.
(REMEMBER; answer: c; pages 180-181)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 9


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

68. Prostitution is regarded by many people in the United States as a


a. victimless crime.
b. corporate crime.
c. crime against the person.
d. white-collar crime.
(REMEMBER; answer: a; page 182)

69. A reason NOT to view prostitution as simply a matter of personal choice involving adults
is that
a. prostitution subjects many women to outright violence.
b. prostitution plays a part in spreading sexually transmitted diseases, including
AIDS.
c. many poor women become trapped in a life of selling sex.
d. All of these are correct.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: d; pages 182)

70. Which one of the following statements about rape is NOT true?
a. Many rapes are not reported to the police.
b. Official rape statistics include only victims who are women.
c. In most cases of rape, the victim does not know the attacker.
d. Most men who rape men are not homosexual.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: c; page 182)

71. Which of the following statements is a widespread—but false—idea about rape?


a. Many rapes take place in the home.
b. Women who are raped must have encouraged their attackers.
c. Men who rape are interested in power rather than sex.
d. “Date rape” is a common problem on college campuses.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: b; page 182)

72. The campus culture of “hooking up” involves sexual relationships between partners with
which of these characteristics?
a. Individuals know little about each other.
b. Individuals typically have been drinking alcohol.
c. Individuals have no further obligation to each other.
d. All of these are correct.
(REMEMBER; answer: d; page 183)

73. Which theoretical approach rests on the idea that society needs to regulate human
sexuality?
a. the structural-functional approach
b. the symbolic-interaction approach
c. the social-conflict approach
d. queer theory
(REMEMBER; answer: a; pages 183)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 10


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

74. Based on what you know about the history of human sexuality, once a society gains birth-
control technology
a. social control of sexuality becomes more strict.
b. families, rather than individuals, make choices about sexual partners.
c. social norms regarding sexuality become more permissive.
d. the incest taboo no longer is observed.
(APPLY; answer: c; page 184)

75. Assume that you are investigating the consequences of the incest taboo for kinship
organization in a number of societies. Which theoretical approach are you using?
a. the structural-functional approach
b. the symbolic-interaction approach
c. the social-conflict approach
d. queer theory
(APPLY; answer: a; page 183)

76. The more global our view of sexuality


a. the more variety we see in the meanings people attach to sexuality.
b. the greater the evidence that biology defines sexuality.
c. the clearer we see that sexual practices are mostly the same all around the world.
d. All of these are correct.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: a; pages 184-185)

77. If you were to study the changing meaning of virginity over the last century in our
society, you would discover that the norm stating that people remain virgins until
marriage
a. has changed little.
b. has become stronger with regard to women.
c. has become stronger with regard to men.
d. has become weaker.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: d; pages 185)

78. If you were teaching a class about the symbolic-interaction approach to sexuality, on
which of the following topics would you likely focus?
a. understanding men’s power over women
b. raising public concern about sexual harassment
c. how individuals in various settings engage in different sexual behavior and attach
different meanings to sexual activity
d. understanding why society must regulate with whom and when people reproduce
(APPLY; answer: c; pages 184-185)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 11


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

79. Which theoretical approach points to the ways in which sexuality is linked to social
inequality?
a. the structural-functional approach
b. the symbolic-interaction approach
c. the social-conflict approach
d. All of these are correct.
(REMEMBER; answer: c; pages 185-186)

80. Read the four statements below. Which statement is NOT consistent with the social-
conflict approach?
a. The process of reality construction is highly variable, so that one group’s views of
sexuality may well differ from another's.
b. Defining women in sexual terms devalues them, turning women into objects of
men’s interest.
c. U.S. culture often depicts sexuality in terms of sport and violence, such as when
we speak of men “scoring” with women, and men “hitting on” women.
d. When police enforce laws against prostitution, the person most likely to be
arrested is the female prostitute, not her male “client.”
(APPLY; answer: a; pages 185-186)

81. Queer theory is a growing body of knowledge asserting that


a. sex has always seemed strange to most people.
b. no sexual practice should be considered wrong.
c. people fear discovering their homosexuality.
d. there is a heterosexual bias in U.S. society.
(REMEMBER; answer: d; page 186)

82. Which of the following concepts refers to stigmatizing anyone who is not heterosexual as
“queer”?
a. homophobia
b. heterosexism
c. heterophilia
d. homophilia
(REMEMBER; answer: b; page 186)

83. Criticism of the social-conflict approach’s view of sexuality would include the fact that
a. sexuality is not a power issue for everyone.
b. U.S. society has taken many steps to reduce gender inequality.
c. gay people have made significant strides towards greater opportunity and social
acceptance.
d. All of these are correct.
(UNDERSTAND; answer: d; page 187)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 12


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

84. The text suggests that the most widely contested issue involving sexuality in the United
States in recent years has been
a. homosexuality and gay rights.
b. abortion.
c. prostitution.
d. teen pregnancy.
(REMEMBER; answer: b; pages 186-187)

85. According to national survey data, what percentage of adults in the United States state
that a woman should be able to obtain an abortion for any reason?
a. 92 percent
b. 72 percent
c. 42 percent
d. 22 percent
(REMEMBER; answer: c; pages 186)

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

86. Define the concept of sex. Distinguish between primary sex characteristics and secondary
sex characteristics and explain how these are linked to people’s sex.
(UNDERSTAND; pages 169-170)

87. What are several functions of the incest taboo for society as a whole?
(UNDERSTAND; pages 171-172)

88. What significant changes took place during the sexual revolution? What about during the
sexual counterrevolution?
(UNDERSTAND; pages 172-173)

89. In what regions of the world do people make the most and least use of birth control
technology? Can you explain this pattern?
(ANALYZE; page 174)

90. Define the following terms: heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and asexuality.
Explain why sexual orientation is sometimes not easy to apply to specific individuals.
(APPLY; pages 175-177)

91. Why do some people consider prostitution to be a victimless crime? Can you provide
arguments against this position?
(EVALUATE; pages 180-182)

92. State two common myths about rape. Explain why these beliefs are wrong.
(EVALUATE; page 182)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 13


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

93. What are the traits of the campus culture of “hooking up”?
(UNDERSTAND; page 183)

94. Why would societies seek to control human sexuality? Why would some societies be
more permissive than others?
(ANALYZE; pages 183-185)

95. What is the basic assertion of queer theory? Using this approach, what criticism would
you make of our society?
(APPLY; pages 186-187)

ESSAY QUESTIONS/TOPICS FOR SHORT PAPERS

96. Many people think of sexuality as a biological matter; however, sexuality is largely
cultural. Explain the biological foundation of sex—how people become female and
male—and then go on to explain why sexuality as a dimension of social life is mostly
cultural. Consider the variation in attitudes and behavior towards the cultural character of
sexuality over time and from society to society.
(ANALYZE)

97. Explain the significance of the sexual revolution and the sexual counterrevolution. What
changed in each case? How do these opposing trends show that U.S. society is of two
minds—permissive and restrictive—regarding sexuality? Do you think that our society is
becoming more accepting or less accepting of diversity in sexual behavior? Why?
(EVALUATE)

98. Is there a culture of “hooking up” on your campus? Why has this pattern evolved on
many campuses at this point in our society’s history? What do you see as the advantages
and disadvantages of “hooking up”?
(EVALUATE)

99. Apply the three theoretical approaches to the topic of sexuality. What are important
insights provided by the structural-functional, symbolic-interaction, and social-conflict
approaches?
(APPLY)

100. Consider the issue of rape. Why have most cases of rape gone unreported? Why is this
pattern changing now? What factors make date rape an important issue on college
campuses? What strategies for change might reduce this problem?
(ANALYZE)

101. How does sexuality play a part in social inequality? Consider factors including
prostitution and pornography and their effects on women. Also, consider heterosexism
and its effects on the social standing of gay and intersexual people.
(APPLY)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 14


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

102. Explain the significance of the Muxes of central Mexico for our understanding of gender.
Develop a similar argument that takes the existence of transgender people in the United
States into account. In other words, what cultural changes would be necessary for our
society to recognize the full range of sexual diversity that exists here?
(CREATE)

103. Is it possible for a society to exist without clear-cut categories of “female” and “male”? If
so, describe what such a society would be like. If not, explain why not.
(CREATE)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 15


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

Name ________________________________

Quick Quiz: Chapter 8


Sexuality and Society

Multiple Choice:

1. The sexual counterrevolution had begun in the United States by


a. 1920. c. 1980.
b. 1960. d. 1995.

2. Research on extramarital sex shows that about _____ of married men and about _____ of married
women remain faithful to their spouse throughout their married lives.
a. 25 percent; 40 percent c. 75 percent; 50 percent
b. 25 percent; 75 percent d. 75 percent; 90 percent

3. In 2004, about what percentage of U.S. adults claimed homosexuality is “always wrong” or “almost
always wrong”?
a. almost 100 percent c. 20 percent
b. about 55 percent d. 5 percent

4. Prostitution is regarded by many people in the United States as a


a. victimless crime. c. crime against the person.
b. corporate crime. d. white-collar crime.

5. Which theoretical approach rests on the idea that society needs to regulate human sexuality?
a. the structural-functional approach c. the social-conflict approach
b. the symbolic-interaction approach d. queer theory

6. The text suggests that probably the most widely contested issue involving sexuality in the United States
in recent years has been
a. homosexuality and gay rights. c. prostitution.
b. abortion. d. teen pregnancy.

7. Which theoretical approach points to the ways in which sexuality is linked to social inequality?
a. the structural-functional approach c. the social-conflict approach
b. the symbolic-interaction approach d. All of these are correct.

True/False

__________ 8. Sociobiologists point out that, in every society throughout the world, people are attracted
to youthfulness.
__________ 9. A majority of adults in the United States report at least some homosexual experience.

Short Answer

10. State two common myths about rape. Explain why these beliefs are wrong.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 16


Macionis, Sociology, 14/e

Name ________________________________

Quick Quiz: Chapter 8


Sexuality and Society

Multiple Choice:

1. The sexual counterrevolution had begun in the United States by


a. 1920. c. 1980.
b. 1960. d. 1995.

2. Research on extramarital sex shows that about _____ of married men and about _____ of
married women remain faithful to their spouse throughout their married lives.
a. 25 percent; 40 percent c. 75 percent; 50 percent
b. 25 percent; 75 percent d. 75 percent; 90 percent

3. In 2004, about what percentage of U.S. adults claimed homosexuality is “always wrong” or
“almost always wrong”?
a. almost 100 percent c. 20 percent
b. about 55 percent d. 5 percent

4. Prostitution is regarded by many people in the United States as a


a. victimless crime. c. crime against the person.
b. corporate crime. d. white-collar crime.

5. Which theoretical approach rests on the idea that society needs to regulate human sexuality?
a. the structural-functional approach c. the social-conflict approach
b. the symbolic-interaction approach d. queer theory

6. The text suggests that probably the most widely contested issue involving sexuality in the
United States in recent years has been
a. homosexuality and gay rights. c. prostitution.
b. abortion. d. teen pregnancy.

7. Which theoretical approach points to the ways in which sexuality is linked to social inequality?
a. the structural-functional approach c. the social-conflict approach
b. the symbolic-interaction approach d. All of these are correct.

True/False

___True____ 8. Sociobiologists point out that, in every society throughout the world, people are
attracted to youthfulness.
___False___ 9. A majority of adults in the United States report at least some homosexual
experience.

Short Answer

10. State two common myths about rape. Explain why these beliefs are wrong.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 17


Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
A correspondent of the author of “British Birds” says that, one
morning in June, when walking in his shrubbery within about eighty
yards of a White-throat’s nest, which he was taking great interest in,
he found a portion of the shell of one of the eggs of this bird, and,
fearing that a magpie had been plundering it, hastened to the spot,
but found to his satisfaction that the nest was then full of newly-
hatched birds. “The shell had,” he says, “been instinctively taken
away by the mother in order to prevent the discovery of the place of
her retreat.” He adds that the mother-bird was very shy, and usually
dropped from her nest with the most astonishing rapidity, and,
treading her way through the grasses and other entanglements,
disappeared in a moment. The young, too, seemed greatly to dislike
observation, and on his taking one into his hand to examine it, it
uttered a cry, no doubt of alarm, on which all the other little things
leapt out of their abode, although not more than half-fledged, and
hopped amongst the grass. It is a singular fact that almost every kind
of young bird, if they be caused to leave their nest through alarm, or
by being handled, can never be induced to stay in the nest again,
though they may be put back into it time after time.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE BULL-FINCH.
This bird, which is common to all parts of the country, is very shy,
and for the greater part of the year haunts the woods and thickets. In
spring, however, its fondness for tender fruit-buds tempts it into
gardens and orchards, where, being considered an enemy, it is
destroyed without mercy. It is a question, however, whether it
devours these young buds as favourite food, or whether it may not
be the equally distinctive grub or insect which is the temptation; and
thus, that it ought rather to be regarded as the friend than the enemy
of the gardener and fruit-grower. At all events, the general opinion is
against the poor bull-finch. He is declared to be a devourer of the
embryo fruit, and no mercy is shown to him. The Rev. J. G. Wood,
always a merciful judge where birds are concerned, thinks that public
opinion is unfairly against him. He says that a gooseberry tree, from
which it was supposed that the bull-finches had picked away every
blossom-bud, yet bore the same year an abundant crop of fruit,
which certainly proved that they had picked away only the already
infected buds, and so left the tree in an additionally healthy state,
doubly able to mature and perfect its fruit.
Bull-finches seldom associate with other birds, but keep together in
small flocks as of single families. Its flight, though quick, is somewhat
undulating or wavering; and in the winter it may sometimes be seen
in large numbers flitting along the roadsides and hedges, being
probably forced out of some of its shyness by the stress of hunger.
Its ordinary note is a soft and plaintive whistle; its song, short and
mellow. It is, in its native state, no way distinguished as a singing-
bird, but at the same time it is possessed of a remarkable faculty for
learning tunes artificially, of which I may have more to say presently.
The bull-finch begins to build about the beginning of May. She places
her nest, as we see in our illustration, in a bush, frequently a
hawthorn, at no great distance from the ground. The nest is not very
solidly put together; the foundation, so to speak, being composed of
small dry twigs, then finished off with fibrous roots and moss, which
also form the lining. The eggs, five or six in number, are of a dull
bluish-white, marked at the larger end with dark spots.
Although there is so little to say about the bull-finch in his natural
state—excepting that he is a handsome bird, with bright black eyes,
a sort of rich black hood on his head; his back, ash-grey; his breast
and underparts, red; wings and tail, black, with the upper tail-coverts
white—yet when he has gone through his musical education, he is
not only one of the most accomplished of song-birds, but one of the
most loving and faithfully attached little creatures that can come
under human care. These trained birds are known as piping bull-
finches.
BULL-FINCH AND NESTLINGS. [Page 102.
Bishop Stanley, in his “History of Birds,” thus
describes the method by which they are taught:— How it is taught to
pipe.
“In the month of June, the young ones, which are
taken from the nest for that purpose, are brought up by a person,
who, by care and attention, so completely tames them that they
become perfectly docile and obedient. At the expiration of about a
couple of months, they first begin to whistle, from which time their
education begins, and no school can be more diligently
superintended by its master, and no scholars more effectually trained
to their own calling, than a seminary of bull-finches. They are formed
first into classes of about six in each, and, after having been kept a
longer time than usual without food, and confined to a dark room, the
tune they are to learn is played over and over again, on a little
instrument called a bird-organ, the notes of which resemble, as
nearly as possible, those of the bull-finch; sometimes, also, a
flageolet is used for this purpose, and birds so taught are said to
have the finer notes. For awhile the little moping creatures will sit in
silence, not knowing what all this can mean; but after awhile one by
one will begin to imitate the notes they hear, for they have great
power of imitation as well as remarkably good memories. As soon as
they have said their lesson all round, light is admitted into the room,
and they are fed.
“By degrees the sound of the musical instrument—be it flageolet or
bird-organ—and the circumstance of being fed, become so
associated in the mind of the hungry bird, that it is sure to begin
piping the tune as soon as it hears it begin to play. When the little
scholars have advanced so far they are put into a higher class, that
is to say, are turned over each to his private tutor; in other words,
each bird is put under the care of a boy who must carry on its
education, and who plays on the little instrument from morning to
night, or as long as the bird can pay attention, during which time the
head-master or feeder goes his regular rounds, scolding or
rewarding the little feathered scholars by signs and modes of making
them understand, till they have learned their lessons so perfectly,
and the tune is so impressed on their memories, that they will pipe it
to the end of their days; and let us hope, as I believe is the fact, that
they find in it a never-ending delight.
“Just as in human schools and colleges, it is only the few out of the
great number who take the highest honours or degrees, or become
senior wranglers, so it is not above five birds in every hundred who
can attain to the highest perfection in their art! but all such are
valued at a very high price.”
It is allowable to hope that the poor bull-finch, which has thus
industriously applied himself to learn, and has thus become
artificially gifted with the power of pleasing, takes great satisfaction in
his accomplishment. Perhaps also the association with his human
teacher calls forth his affection as well as his power of song, for it is
a fact that the piping bull-finch is, of all birds, given to attach itself to
some one individual of the family where it is kept, expressing, at their
approach, the most vehement delight, greeting them with its piping
melody, hopping towards them, and practising all its little winning
ways to show its love, and to court a return of caresses.
“An interesting story,” says the bishop, “was told by Sir William
Parsons, who was himself a great musician, and who, when a young
man, possessed a piping bull-finch, which he had taught to sing,
‘God save the king.’ On his once going abroad, he gave his favourite
in charge to his sister, with a strict injunction to take the greatest care
of it. On his return, one of his first visits was to her, when she told
him that the poor little bird had been long in declining health, and
was, at that moment, very ill. Sir William, full of sorrow, went into the
room where the cage was, and, opening the door, put in his hand,
and spoke to the bird. The poor little creature recognised his voice,
opened his eyes, shook his feathers, staggered on to his finger,
piped ‘God save the king,’ and fell down dead.”
We see in the piping bull-finch—a bird which in its
education is closely associated with man—the The Devoted
deep and devoted affection of which it is capable; Affection of Birds.
and if we could only live with the animal creation as their friends and
benefactors, we should no longer be surprised by such instances of
their intelligence and love.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE MISSEL-THRUSH.
This is the largest of our British song birds. It remains with us
through the whole year, not being migratory, excepting in so far as it
moves off in considerable flocks into Herefordshire and
Monmouthshire for the sake of the mistletoe which abounds in the
orchards there, on the viscous berries of which it delights to feed,
and whence it has obtained its familiar name of missel, or mistletoe
thrush. It is generally believed that this curious parasitic plant was
propagated or planted upon the branches of trees, by this bird
rubbing its bill upon the rough bark to clean it from the sticky
substance of the berry, and thus introducing the seeds into the
interstices of the bark.
MISSEL-THRUSHES AND NEST. [Page 106.
The Missel-thrush is a handsome bird; the head, back, and upper
coverts of the wings olive-brown, the latter tipped with brownish-
white, spotted with brown; the breasts and under parts pale yellow,
covered with black spots; the legs are yellow and the claws black.
It is a welcome bird, being the earliest harbinger of spring, the first
singer of the year. Long before the swallow is thought of, before
even the hardy familiar robin has begun his song, its clear rich voice
may be heard on Christmas or New Year’s day, often amidst wild
winds and winterly storms, whence its also familiar name, the storm-
cock. It is known by different names in different parts of the country.
The origin of its more general appellation—the missel-thrush—I have
already mentioned. In the midland counties it is called the thrice
cock, but why I know not. In Wales it is known as Pen-y-llwyn, which
means the head or master of the coppice. Why it is so called I will
mention presently.
The nest of the missel-thrush is large and well
constructed, being made of almost every material A Description of
ordinarily used for nest-making purposes—moss, the Nest.
and hay, and straw, and dry leaves, and little twigs, and locks of
wool, with occasional odds and ends of every possible kind. All these
are woven and wrought together very compactly; not, however,
without loose straws and little tangles of wool hanging about. Within
is a smooth casing of mud, as in the nest of the throstle, and within
that a second coating of dry grass. Our picture represents all as
being now complete. The busy labours of the year are now over; the
eggs, four or five in number, of a greenish-blue, marked with reddish
spots, are laid, and the mother-bird has taken her patient seat upon
them, whilst her mate, from the branch above, sings as if he never
meant to leave off again.
The song of this bird is loud, clear, and melodious—a cheering,
hopeful song; and when heard amidst the yet prevailing winter-
storms, as if in anticipation of better times, it well deserves our
admiration. It resembles, to a certain degree, the song of the
blackbird and the thrush, and is often mistaken for them; but it has
not the short, quick, and varied notes of the one, nor the sober,
prolonged, and eloquent melody of the other. On the contrary it is of
an eager, hurrying character, as if it could not sufficiently express its
emotion, and yet was trying to do so.
The missel-thrush is a bird of very marked character, and is both
bold and chivalrous. Its harsh, jarring note of anger and defiance is
the first to be heard when a bird-enemy is at hand. If a cuckoo or
hawk is anywhere near meditating mischief, the missel-thrush is
vehement in his expression of displeasure. In our own
neighbourhood, where the jays in summer come from the wood to
carry the young of the sparrows from their nests in the ivied boles of
the trees round our garden, the outcry of the parent sparrows
instantly arouses the sympathetic missel-thrushes, who, with a
scolding defiance, rush to the rescue. Of course these birds, which
are of so militant a character, and so loud in protesting against a
wrong done to another, will be equally alive to their own rights, and
active in defending their own nests and young. Some naturalists
have suggested that this combatant temper and extraordinary
courage are but the natural consequence of the bird finding its nest
open to common attack; for, being of a large size, and built early in
the year whilst the trees are yet leafless, it is visible to every enemy
and depredator.
Mr. Thompson says: “Often have I seen a pair of these birds driving
off magpies, and occasionally fighting against four of them. One pair
which I knew attacked a kestrel which appeared in their
neighbourhood when the young were out. One of them struck the
hawk several times, and made as many more fruitless attempts, as
the enemy, by suddenly rising in the air, escaped the cunning blow.
They then followed the kestrel for a long way, until they were lost to
our sight in the distance.”
The old Welsh name of “master, or head of the coppice,” refers to
the same warlike spirit. “The missel-thrush,” says Gilbert White,
“suffers no magpie, jay, or blackbird to enter the garden where he
haunts, and is, for the time, a good guardian of the new-sown crops.
In general, he is very successful in defence of his family. Once,
however, I observed in my garden that several magpies came
determined to storm the nest of the missel-thrush. The parent-birds
defended their mansion with great vigour, and fought resolutely. But
numbers at last prevailed, and the poor missel-thrushes had the pain
of seeing their nest torn to pieces, and their young carried off.”
The missel-thrushes, however, as the year goes
on, make for themselves enemies even more The Gardeners’
formidable than hawks or magpies; these are the Enemy.
gardeners. Towards the end of summer, when the young have flown,
and they and the parent-birds congregate in large flocks, having then
nothing to do but to enjoy themselves, like human families when
children are all home for the holidays, they too go abroad on their
excursions of pleasure; not, however, to sea-side watering places,
but into gardens where the cherries and raspberries are ripe. Poor
birds! Little aware of their danger, or if they be so, defiant of it in the
greatness of the temptation, they make sad havoc amongst the fruit,
and many unfortunates are shot or snared, and then hung up amidst
the cherry-boughs or the raspberry-canes as a terror to their
associates. It is a pity we cannot make them welcome to some and
yet have enough left for ourselves.
The berries of the mountain-ash and the arbutus, and later on in the
year those of the holly and ivy, supply them with food, as do also in
the spring and summer insects of various kinds—caterpillars and
spiders—so that in this respect they are good friends to the
gardener, and might, one thinks, be made welcome to a little fruit in
return.
CHAPTER XX.
THE YELLOW-HAMMER, OR YELLOW-HEAD.
This, though an extremely pretty bird, is so common that very little
notice is taken of it. Its colours are varied and beautiful: the back and
wings, bright red; the central part of each feather, brownish-black;
the head and throat, bright yellow; the feathers of the upper part
tipped with black; the breast, brownish-red. The colours of the
female are much duller.
The yellow-hammer resembles linnets, finches, and sparrows in
character and habits, and often associates with them, resorting to
the fields in open weather, and often perching in hedges and bushes
as well as in trees. In the winter, when the weather is severe, it
congregates, with other birds, about houses, farm-buildings, and
stack-yards.
One of the most pleasing features of autumn is, to my mind, these
flocks of kindred birds, which are at that time all abroad and yet
together, circling in their flight, all rising as you approach, and
wheeling away into the stubble-field, or into the distant hedges, now
rich with their wild fruits—the blackberry, the wild rose hip, and the
bunches of black-privet berries—and then away again, as you
approach, with their variously modulated notes, through the clear air
into the yet more distant stubble or bean-field.
The flight of the yellow-hammer is wavy and graceful, and, alighting
abruptly, he has a curious way of jerking out his tail feathers like a
little fan. All at once a whole flock of them will descend from a
considerable height and settle on the twigs of a tree, clothing it as
with living leaves. Whatever number the flock may consist of, there is
no impatient hurry or jostling among them to get the best perch,
every individual settling as if on its own appointed place. As I have
already observed, nothing is more charming at this season than
these congregated companies of small birds. All the cares of life are
now over, their young broods are around them, and now, with
nothing to do but to enjoy themselves in the freedom of nature,
where—on every hand, on every bush and tree, and in every
outlying field—though the crops are now carried, all except, perhaps,
here and there a solitary field in which the bean-shocks stand up
black in the golden autumnal sunshine; but here, and there, and
everywhere, a full table is spread, and they are welcome to enjoy.
In spring and summer, the yellow-hammer sings a peculiar but
mournful sort of little ditty, composed of a few short, sonorous notes,
concluding with one long drawn out. In the midland counties, where
stocking-weaving is the business of the people, the note of the bird is
said to resemble the working of the machine—ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-e-e-
chay—the prolonged latter syllable being what the stockinger calls,
in the machine movement, “pressing over the arch.” In other parts of
the country this bird’s song is interpreted as “A little bit of bread, and
—no-cheese!” which may just as well be “A little bird am I, and—no
thief!”
YELLOW-HAMMER AND NEST. [Page 112.
The food of this bird consists of the seeds of all kinds of grasses,
chickweeds, polygonums, and other such weeds; also, in summer,
when food is needed for the young, insects and larvæ.
The winter congregations break up in April, and
then the yellow-hammer begins to think of family Its Picturesque
Nest.
joys and cares. But, unlike their relations the
sparrows and finches, the he-birds take everything quietly, without
having their little skirmishes to show their spirit and prowess, like the
knights of old, at the tournament, before the admiring ladies. The
yellow-hammer does everything quietly, choosing his mate in an
orderly way; and now that the buds are swelling on the trees, the
primroses gemming the hedge-banks, and the golden catkins
hanging on the willows by the watersides, hither come the little
yellow-hammers, and, having selected some sweet, hidden spot,
under a bush, or on the fieldy banks amongst the thick herbage—we
see it a month later in our picture, when the buds have expanded
into leaves, in a wild growth of beautiful grasses and herbage—begin
to make their nest. How picturesque it is! William Hunt never painted
anything more beautiful. The nest itself is somewhat large, and of
simple construction, woven externally of coarse bents and small
pliant twigs, and lined with hair and wool. Here the hen lays four or
five eggs of a purplish white, marked with dark, irregular streaks,
often resembling musical notes.
These poor little birds are extremely attached to their home and their
young, so much so, that if these be taken by the pitiless bird-nester,
they will continue for some days about the place uttering the most
melancholy plaint, which, though still to the same old tune as the
song of their spring rejoicing, has now the expression of the deepest
woe.
The author of “British Birds” thus sums up their various characteristic
actions:—“When perched on a tree, especially in windy weather,
they crouch close to the twigs, draw in their necks, and keep their
tails declined. After pairing, the male is generally seen on a bush or
tree, raising his tail by sudden jerks, and slightly expanding it. His
notes are then usually two chirps, followed by a harsher note—cit,
chit, chirr—with considerable intervals. When feeding in the stubble-
fields, they advance by very short leaps, with their breasts nearly
touching the ground; when apprehensive of danger they crouch
motionless, and when alarmed give information to each other by
means of their ordinary short note.”
CHAPTER XXI.
THE MAGPIE.
You have here a living portrait of the Magpie, sitting, so to speak, on
his own door-sill, and contemplating it with rather a sentimental air,
perhaps rather with tender admiration; and as to his dwelling, it is,
we must confess, a wonderful structure—a half-timbered edifice, so
to speak, walled-round and roofed-in, with its front-door and all
complete.
The magpie is one of our most beautiful as well as most amusing
and characteristic birds. He is cousin to the jackdaw, and has, like
him, odd ways of his own. In all countries where he is found, he is
just the same. An old Greek poet, who lived two thousand years ago,
speaks of him as a great mimic, and such an inordinate talker, that,
in his own satirical humour, he pretends to believe that magpies
were originally a family of young ladies, in Macedonia, who were
noted for the volubility of their tongues. Handsome he is, as well as
talkative, and very droll and mischievous.
Being such, we need not wonder that his nest is very original. He
likes to place it in a secure angle of branches, on some lofty tree, as
we see it here, fifty feet or so from the ground; and prefers to have it
on a tree bare of branches to a considerable height, knowing that it
is then more inaccessible. He is wise in all this, for its bulk being so
large it is discernible to a great distance. As magpies, however, are
found almost everywhere, and in some parts of the country, the north
of Scotland for instance, where there are no trees, the poor magpie
is then obliged to build in a bush, and do the best he can. In such a
case, in Norway, he was known to barricade his nest with thorny
branches, brought thither by himself for that purpose, till it was next
to impossible for the domicile to be invaded. A cat could not get to it,
and a man only with hedging-mittens on his hands, and by help of a
bill-hook.
Like the rook, the magpie inhabits the same nest for several years,
perhaps for the whole of his life, putting it into repair every year
before he again needs it for family use—like a wealthy country family
taking possession of their ancestral mansion in the spring.
And now, turning to our picture, we find our magpie in excellent
circumstances. Every thing has gone well with him. Here he is, and I
will have the pleasure of giving you a bit of every-day magpie life, as
sketched by that true pen-and-ink artist, the author of “British Birds.”
Our scene opens a few minutes before the time indicated in our
picture:—

You might also like