sociology MCQ questions answers – Change your future

1. When politicians refer to the intention of the framers of the Constitution of the United States they are making recourse to.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) Traditional authority.

Exam Relevance: AP US Government, Political Science Exams, Constitutional Law Exams

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Traditional authority is based on long-standing customs and beliefs. When politicians refer to the intentions of the framers of the Constitution, they are invoking a historical and traditional basis for their arguments.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse traditional authority with legal rational authority, which is based on established laws and procedures rather than historical customs.

Explanations: The framers of the Constitution represent a historical and traditional basis for governance. By referring to their intentions, politicians are appealing to a long-standing tradition and the authority derived from it. This aligns with the concept of traditional authority, which relies on established customs and historical precedents.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. Traditional authority is based on historical customs and beliefs, which aligns with the reference to the framers' intentions.
Option B: Incorrect. Legal rational authority is based on established laws and procedures, not historical intentions.
Option C: Incorrect. Charismatic authority is based on the personal qualities of a leader, not historical traditions.
Option D: Incorrect. The reference to the framers' intentions specifically aligns with traditional authority, not all forms of authority.

Mnemonic: Framers' Intentions = Tradition

2. Between 1968 and 1998 global life expectancy at birth has.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (C) Risen from 50 to 61 years.

Exam Relevance: GMAT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Global life expectancy at birth has increased significantly over the past few decades due to improvements in healthcare, nutrition, and living conditions.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse the exact figures or the time period, leading to incorrect selection of options.

Explanations: Between 1968 and 1998, global life expectancy at birth increased from approximately 50 years to 61 years. This rise is attributed to advancements in medical technology, better access to healthcare, and improvements in living standards across many countries.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect, as the figures provided are not accurate for the given time period.
Option B: Incorrect, as life expectancy has increased, not decreased.
Option C: Correct, as it accurately reflects the rise in global life expectancy from 50 to 61 years.
Option D: Incorrect, as the figures provided are not accurate for the given time period.

3. Consider the following Statements: India is a secular country a survey is useful when a soiologist wants to study a large number of people : People can't change the social class they are born into. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) Only 1, 2.

Exam Relevance: UPSC, GRE, Civil Services

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: The question tests the understanding of the nature of India as a secular country and the utility of surveys in sociology. It also touches upon the concept of social mobility.

Common Mistakes: Students might incorrectly assume that social class is entirely immutable, leading them to include statement 3 as true.

Explanations: India is indeed a secular country, which means the state does not favor any particular religion. A survey is a useful tool for sociologists to gather data from a large number of people efficiently. However, people can change the social class they are born into through various means such as education, economic opportunities, and social policies. Therefore, only statements 1 and 2 are true.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct, as it includes statements 1 and 2, which are true.
Option B: Incorrect, as statement 3 is false.
Option C: Incorrect, as statement 3 is false.
Option D: Incorrect, as statement 2 is true and should be included.

4. C. Wright Mills once said that sociologists need to develop a sociological ..... to study how society affects individuals.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (B) Imagination.

Exam Relevance: Sociology exams, Social Science exams, Anthropology exams

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: C. Wright Mills emphasized the importance of sociological imagination in understanding the relationship between individual experiences and larger social structures.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse sociological imagination with sociological method, thinking it refers to specific research techniques rather than a way of thinking.

Explanations: C. Wright Mills argued that sociologists need to develop a sociological imagination to understand how societal structures and events influence individual lives. Sociological imagination is a critical perspective that allows individuals to see the connection between personal troubles and public issues, enabling a deeper understanding of social phenomena.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Culture is a broad term referring to the customs, beliefs, and behaviors of a society, but it does not specifically address the analytical perspective Mills emphasized.
Option B: Imagination is the correct term as it refers to the ability to understand the social context of individual experiences, aligning with Mills' concept.
Option C: Method refers to the techniques used in sociological research, which is not what Mills was referring to when he discussed sociological imagination.
Option D: Tool is too vague and does not capture the analytical perspective Mills emphasized.

Mnemonic: Sociological Imagination: See the Social in the Personal

5. What term describes ties between individuals established through marriage or blood?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (B) Kinship.

Exam Relevance: AP Human Geography, Sociology Exams

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: Kinship refers to the ties between individuals established through marriage or blood.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse kinship with family, which is a broader term that includes kinship but also encompasses other familial relationships.

Explanations: Kinship specifically describes the relationships formed through blood ties or marriage. It is a term used in anthropology and sociology to describe the social bonds and obligations that exist between individuals due to these connections.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Family is a broader term that includes kinship but also encompasses other familial relationships, such as adoptive or step relationships.
Option B: Kinship is the correct term for ties established through marriage or blood.
Option C: Network refers to a system of interconnected individuals or groups, which is not specific to familial or marital ties.
Option D: Tribe refers to a social group of people who share a common culture, language, or territory, which is not specific to familial or marital ties.

Mnemonic: Kinship: Kin = Kinship, Marriage + Blood = Kinship

6. The way that school mirrors the workplace e.g. it has a hierarchy, rules and reward systems.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (B) Correspondence principle.

Exam Relevance: Sociology exams, Education studies exams, Social theory exams

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: The correspondence principle suggests that the structure of schools mirrors the structure of the workplace, including hierarchies, rules, and reward systems.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse the correspondence principle with other sociological concepts such as meritocracy or universalistic standards.

Explanations: The correspondence principle posits that schools are structured to prepare students for the workplace by reflecting its hierarchical and rule-based nature. This includes the presence of a hierarchy (e.g., teachers, principals), rules (e.g., attendance policies, behavior codes), and reward systems (e.g., grades, awards). This concept aligns with the idea that schools are designed to socialize students into the norms and expectations of the workplace.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Merit refers to the idea that rewards are based on individual achievement, which does not directly address the structural similarities between schools and workplaces.
Option B: The correspondence principle directly addresses the structural similarities between schools and workplaces, making it the correct answer.
Option C: Universalistic standards refer to the application of the same rules and standards to all individuals, which is a component of the correspondence principle but not the overarching concept.
Option D: Social solidarity refers to the bonds that hold a society together, which is not directly related to the structural similarities between schools and workplaces.

Mnemonic: Schools and Work: Hierarchy, Rules, Rewards (SHRR)

7. If you are asked by an interviewer to give 2 examples of your favorite movies and why.....this is what type of question?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) Open-ended.

Exam Relevance: SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: Open-ended questions allow for a wide range of responses and encourage detailed answers. They do not limit the respondent to a specific set of choices.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse open-ended questions with close-ended questions, which have limited, specific answers.

Explanations: The question asks for examples of favorite movies and the reasons behind them, which allows for a broad range of responses. This type of question does not restrict the answer to a specific set of choices, making it open-ended.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. The question allows for a wide range of responses and encourages detailed answers, fitting the definition of an open-ended question.
Option B: Incorrect. Close-ended questions have limited, specific answers, which does not apply to the given question.
Option C: Incorrect. The question is clearly open-ended, not a combination of open and close-ended.
Option D: Incorrect. The question is open-ended, not neither open nor close-ended.

8. An example of a..... would be all the high school football players in the state of Nebraska.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (C) Population.

Exam Relevance: AP Statistics, IB Mathematics, SAT Math

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: A population in statistics refers to the complete set of elements or items having common characteristics that are subject to analysis.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse a population with a sample, which is a subset of the population.

Explanations: The term "population" is used to describe the entire group of individuals or items that are the subject of a statistical study. In this case, all the high school football players in the state of Nebraska constitute the entire group being studied, making it a population.

Option Analysis:

Option A: A sample is a subset of the population, not the entire group.
Option B: Variables are characteristics or quantities that can vary or be measured, not the group being studied.
Option C: The population is the entire group of interest, which in this case is all high school football players in Nebraska.
Option D: A survey is a method of collecting data from a sample or population, not the group itself.

9. Martha and Susan work at the local factory ten hours a day five days a week They make the minimum wage with no overtime pay insurance or benefits One day they discuss their situations over lunch and express frustration over the fact that they never seem to make enough money to "get ahead"By the end of the conversation they have motivated each other to volunteer to work on Sundays They figure that if they work just a little harder they will make enough money to increase their social status Marx would say these women are demonstrating.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (D) False consciousness.

Exam Relevance: Sociology exams, Political Science exams, Philosophy exams

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: False consciousness refers to the Marxist concept where workers are unaware of their exploitation and believe their situation is due to their own actions or lack thereof.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse false consciousness with class consciousness, which involves workers recognizing their exploitation and seeking collective action.

Explanations: Marx would argue that Martha and Susan are demonstrating false consciousness because they believe that working harder (volunteering to work on Sundays) will improve their social status, rather than recognizing the systemic issues of exploitation and the capitalist system that prevent them from truly getting ahead.

Option Analysis:

Option A: This option suggests dedication, but it does not capture the Marxist critique of workers' misunderstanding of their exploitation.
Option B: Class consciousness involves workers recognizing their exploitation, which is not what Martha and Susan are demonstrating.
Option C: Capitalist enthusiasm implies a positive attitude towards capitalism, which is not the focus of the question.
Option D: False consciousness is the correct term for workers' misunderstanding of their exploitation and belief that individual effort can overcome systemic issues.

10. Wallerstein's world-systems theory is inspired by.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) Marxism.

Exam Relevance: Sociology PhD exams, World Systems Theory exams, Global Political Economy exams

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Wallerstein's world-systems theory is a macro-sociological approach that examines the global economic system and its historical development.

Common Mistakes: Students may confuse world-systems theory with other sociological theories that also examine global structures, such as functionalism or post-structuralism.

Explanations: Wallerstein's world-systems theory is inspired by Marxism because it shares the Marxist focus on economic structures and class relations. Wallerstein applies these ideas to a global scale, analyzing the capitalist world economy and the relationships between core, periphery, and semi-periphery countries. This approach emphasizes the exploitation and dependency inherent in the global economic system, aligning closely with Marxist critiques of capitalism.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. Wallerstein's theory is inspired by Marxism due to its focus on economic structures and class relations.
Option B: Incorrect. Interactionism focuses on micro-level social interactions, not global economic structures.
Option C: Incorrect. Functionalism emphasizes the interdependence of social institutions, not the economic exploitation inherent in Wallerstein's theory.
Option D: Incorrect. Post-structuralism focuses on deconstruction and the fluidity of meaning, not economic structures.

Set 1Next Set ➡

3 thoughts on “sociology MCQ questions answers - Set 1”

Anonymous January 28, 2020

It is the best app in the world …..but sir hindi medium walo ke liye problem hai…..gyan ke mamle me ye ganga ki tarh hai
ghodwadikar anand April 19, 2020

send me sociology mcq pdf
SHANKARAPPA D A September 12, 2020

Please send sociology mcq e book,,,, thank you,,,

3 thoughts on “sociology MCQ questions answers - Set 1”

Leave a Reply