Social Problems Practice Test

These questions are part of the practice quiz. Start practicing

• Which term describes a way of life of a people including their values, beliefs, and social practices?
• Define 'social determinants of health' and name at least three.
• What is policing reform?
• What is 'the achievement gap' and which groups does it typically affect in the U.S. education system?
• What is the difference between crime and deviance?
• Which sector would include agriculture and mining?
• What is the 'culture of poverty' thesis and its criticisms?
• What best describes mass incarceration and its link to race and inequality?
• Which statement best describes welfare state policies?
• Which perspective emphasizes inequality and power disparities as drivers of social problems?
• Define policy analysis in the context of social problems; what are key steps?
• In functionalist theory, what is a dysfunction?
• What approach is suggested to address toxic masculinity?
• Which term best describes informal, spontaneous actions of people in a crowd that can influence policy or culture?
• According to labeling theory, social labels influence behavior by:
• What is social stratification?
• In sociology, how is a theory defined?
• Global inequality and its relation to domestic social problems?
• Which idea states that social problems are created in the process of socialization and labeling of situations as problems?
• What theory explains global inequality by the positions of nations within a global capitalist world economy?
• What is gentrification and one social problem it can create?
• Which term refers to a social system that hierarchically ranks categories of people based on unequal distribution of valued resources such as income and power?
• The idea that success has costs and whom policies should help reflects which political stance?
• Which statement best describes intersectionality in analyzing social problems?
• What are the major urban sociology trends regarding gentrification and displacement, and what policy options are commonly discussed?
• Which statement describes neoliberalism's influence on social welfare programs in recent decades?
• Deviance is best understood as?
• What is greenwashing?
• Which of the following best illustrates a multi-level intervention for a social problem such as youth gun violence?
• De facto segregation is best described as?
• In social problems discourse, why is it important to distinguish sexual orientation from gender identity?
• What is a key concern when collecting data for social problems research?
• Which category describes nations that are aspiring or developing within the world-systems framework?
• The term for strategies used to address social problems is?
• What is the gig economy and how can it contribute to social problems?
• Why is the median income often preferred over the mean when interpreting income inequality?
• Relative deprivation can fuel dissatisfaction and protests even when absolute poverty is low.
• Which research method is described as Field Research: Joining in?
• Debates about how a society should distribute its material resources are categorized as which type of strategies?
• Which perspective is most associated with the emphasis on learning culture and the importance of socialization?
• Explain social policy and name a major social policy program in the United States.
• Which economic model is described as communal ownership and elimination of social distinctions?
• The sociological imagination enables us to do which of the following?
• The transformation of raw materials into manufactured goods occurs in which sector?
• Democratic socialism corresponds to which economic model?
• What is the purpose of inclusionary zoning in urban policy?
• What are the two main components that typically identify a social problem?
• Which term is commonly used for the growth of global trade and investment across borders?
• Which social institution is described as directing social goals and the use of power?
• Which statement best describes policy options in social problem solving?
• The 1996 TANF welfare reform act in the United States is best described as:
• What is the concept of 'social stratification,' and how does it relate to poverty?
• Which statement best describes neoliberal influence on social welfare?
• Which statement best defines environmental racism?
• Which statement best distinguishes functionalist and conflict perspectives on social problems?
• The digital divide is best understood as:
• A major critique of the culture of poverty thesis is that it:
• Which of the following is a benefit of social capital?
• Relative deprivation can fuel which of the following?
• Which sector is primarily involved in the transformation of raw materials into finished goods?
• Which statement best describes racialization?
• Urban sociology studies life in urban areas. Which consequence is commonly associated with urbanization?
• How do aging populations affect social welfare programs?
• In world-systems theory, which group consists of poorer nations?
• Which theory explains population growth in stages associated with development, including pre-industrial and post-industrial phases?
• Which term refers to the shared values, beliefs, and practices of a group that are transmitted across generations?
• Which system historically provided benefits to women, new immigrants, children, the elderly, and the poor?
• Which policy implication is associated with pluralism models of immigrant integration?
• Which statement best defines the primary sector?
• Which statement correctly defines relative poverty?
• The term describing form strategies used to address social problems is?
• How do media representations influence public perception of social problems?
• Stigma is best described as?
• How does policy feedback influence the politics of social problems?
• Which perspective views society as a complex system with interrelated parts like family, education, economy, and religion, aiming for stability?
• Which sector involves extraction of raw materials from the environment?
• What is relative deprivation?
• Which statement best describes advancing health equity?
• Which sector is most closely associated with providing services such as healthcare, finance, and education?
• Which statement best describes the secondary sector?
• Which of the following does NOT belong to ethical data collection practices?
• Banking and education are typical examples of which sector?
• Which term refers to a social system of ascribed status and land ownership?
• What is the sociological imagination?
• In sociological imagination as critical thinking, what is the main goal?
• Which issue is described as infant mortality being twice the national rate?
• Migration policy refers to what?
• Do all social problems have solutions?
• According to the material, which theory posits that inequality and poverty originate from personal deficiency and social disorganization rather than systemic exploitation?
• Debates involving moral judgement about how people should live are categorized as which type of strategies?
• What is collective behavior in sociology?
• How does white colorblind racism differ from overt racism, and what policy problem does it create?
• Which of the following is an example of how social capital benefits a community?
• What is racial essentialism and how does it differ from racial prejudice?
• Define reproduction of inequality in sociological terms.
• Environmental justice advocates for which principle?
• Describe the concept of collective efficacy in community studies.
• From a systems perspective, homelessness arises from the interaction of which factors?
• Which term best describes cross-border economic activity driven by firms operating in multiple countries?
• What best characterizes health equity as opposed to health equality?
• How does housing insecurity contribute to broader social problems?
• Which determinant is NOT typically linked to food insecurity?
• Which broad category includes issues such as homelessness, infant mortality, educational challenges, crime, and political alienation?
• Which social institution is described as providing services and distributing resources?
• Why is cross-sectional data not sufficient to determine causality in social problems?
• In Marxian or Bourdieu frameworks, how does education function as a mechanism of social reproduction?
• Which social problem is characterized by high school dropout rates and low college attendance?
• Which component best captures the public recognition and demand for change in framing social problems?
• Racialization can lead to the social dynamic of?
• What term describes social labeling that discredits an individual and leads to discrimination?
• Which term best describes someone who favors more sweeping change in society and emphasizes organized social reform?
• Which groups are typically affected by the achievement gap in the U.S. education system?
• How does stigma by association influence employment discrimination?
• Which of the following is described as surveys and research: asking questions?
• Describe gender socialization and its impact on labor market outcomes.
• In economic terms, what does income refer to?
• Which of the following is not a common basis for social stratification?
• What does path dependency imply in social policy?
• What is 'mass incarceration' and which policy area is it most associated with?
• The expansion of economic activity with little regard for national borders is called?
• Health disparities are best described as?
• Which type of nations are identified as core wealthy nations in the world-systems framework?
• Deindustrialization refers to a decline in industrial activity within a country or region.
• What social policy is described as an attempt to reduce economic inequality?
• In functionalist theory, social problems are seen as arising from dysfunctions in a stable system.
• Which term describes firms that operate across national borders to conduct business?
• Which term refers to the overarching framework that includes slavery, caste, estate, and class as forms of ranking people?
• Wealth is defined as the value of all economic assets owned minus debts, with substantial disparities such as the richest 5% controlling a large share. Which statement best captures this definition?
• Which theory focuses on micro-level meanings and labeling as shaping perception of social problems?
• Ageism is best defined as?
• Which is one of the four challenges to studying social problems?
• Which sector is described as including services, information, and high technology?
• Explain the demographic transition theory and its stages in relation to modern social problems.
• What does power refer to in conflict theory when analyzing social problems?
• What is intersectionality and why is it important for analyzing social problems?
• A statement that a modern society is organized around the unequal distribution of resources aligns with which perspective?
• Public welfare programs typically include which of the following?
• What is the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity?
• A housing discrimination case involving overlapping identities illustrates which concept?
• Which of the following are examples of workplace inequality?
• Which statement best reflects the impact of economic inequality on political participation and democracy?
• What factors contribute to the gender pay gap?
• Common pathways into homelessness include?
• Juvenile delinquency and its explanations include which theories?
• Which process involves identifying and labeling issues as harmful and in need of change in order to address them as social problems?
• Which analysis focuses on how social interactions and labels construct concepts like poverty and inequality?
• Which scenario exemplifies environmental justice?
• Which statement best captures the environmental justice goal?
• According to the structural functionalist approach, inequality and poverty are primarily caused by what?
• Which of the following is NOT described as a main function of the criminal justice system under functionalist theory?
• What does rational choice theory assume in explaining delinquency?
• Urbanization can contribute to which of the following social problems?
• Define food insecurity and differentiate between low food security and very low food security.
• Which economic model emphasizes collective ownership and meeting basic needs?
• What is environmental racism?
• Which perspective emphasizes conflicts between the have and have-nots as a central cause of social problems?
• Which of the following is a key idea of functionalism in analyzing social problems?
• In the described framework, debates along a continuum of left to right politics are categorized as which type of strategies?
• Absolute poverty is defined as lack of basic needs below a fixed threshold. Relative poverty is deprivation relative to society's standards. Which pair illustrates these definitions?
• Which scholar is associated with the World System theory in the notes?
• People who live within a territory who share an identity and culture define which concept?
• What is feminist theory?
• Which item is listed as a challenge to studying social problems due to researchers' tendency to be biased by their own social context?
• What is the digital divide?
• Which class is described as 35% of the population and primarily composed of blue-collar workers?
• In the notes, which entity is said to dictate a nation's position in the global economy?
• What is a common social consequence of gentrification?
• What is food insecurity?
• Which term refers to the ownership of human beings?
• Which of the following is a common component of social capital?
• Relative deprivation is defined as?
• What is the welfare cliff?
• Which statement best describes assimilation as a model of immigrant integration?
• Which concept describes the expansion of economic activity with little regard for borders, often linked to multinational corporations?
• The approach that seeks to limit the scope of societal change and focuses on the individual rather than social failure is?
• Which statement is one of the eight assertions about social problems?
• Which statement describes absolute poverty versus relative poverty?
• What is the systematic study of social and group behavior in society?
• What is the gender pay gap and what are some contributing factors?
• Which of the following summarizes major health disparities observed across racial/ethnic groups in the United States?
• The world economy that transcends national borders and organizes nations is called what?
• In debates on health policy, recognizing illness as socially constructed would likely push for prioritizing what?
• Which of the following are common mechanisms that create educational inequality?
• Which form of power is described as horizontal, with equal voice and citizen rights?
• Why do definitions of social problems change over time?
• What does the social construction of illness imply for public health policy?
• How does research ethics apply to social problems research?
• What tax structure rises as income increases?
• From the structural functional perspective, what is the role of social institutions?
• Labeling theory states that?
• Residential segregation contributes to unequal access to which resources?
• Which economic model emphasizes private ownership, pursuit of personal profit, and laissez-faire policies?
• In the described feedback loop, which statement is true?
• Which term describes a religious social hierarchy?
• Which term describes social ranking based on one's relation to the economy?
• Which theory emphasizes that poverty and inequality are socially constructed through cultural symbols of success and consumption?
• Stigma by association can reduce employment prospects by which mechanism?
• In a stratified society, people experience stratification differently based on what?
• Which research method is used to look for cause?
• Which research method uses Secondary or existing data?
• How is deviance defined and socially constructed?
• Which class is described as comprising 20% of the population and consisting of recipients of government aid?
• What is toxic masculinity, and how does it relate to violence?
• What is the difference between income and wealth, and why do both matter for social problems?
• What role do social movements play in social problems?
• What is universal healthcare and what is a major policy challenge in implementing it in the United States?
• What is social capital?
• Which of the following describes the dark figure of crime?
• Discuss the role of immigration in shaping social problems and public policy.
• Explain the concept of social capital and how it can influence community resilience.
• Where does ageism manifest in social institutions?
• Which statement about policy feedback is accurate?
• Which form of power distribution is described as vertical, with stratification and rule by the rich (plutocracy)?
• How would you best describe the gig economy?
• How do structural functionalism and social conflict view education's role in inequality?
• In sociological theories of education, which perspective argues that education reproduces social inequality through tracking and credentialing?
• Environmental justice is defined as what?
• Which statement best describes the social model of disability?
• Which of the following is a common base for social stratification?
• Which statement describes a migration policy challenge?
• The culture of poverty thesis proposes that poverty is transmitted across generations due to:
• Which term describes someone who argues for wholesale social change to solve a social problem and can be ultra liberal or ultra organized?
• What are neighborhood effects influence educational attainment by shaping students' what?
• Which perspective focuses on how people create meaning and understanding through social interaction and socialization?
• From conflict theory, social problems may have what effect on inequality?
• Which of the following best defines substance use disorder and mentions social factors that influence its prevalence?
• Which statement describes market-based solutions to social problems?
• What is the term for the concentration of racial disparities in urban areas and its effects on access to resources?
• De facto segregation differs from de jure segregation because de facto segregation:
• From a systems perspective, homelessness requires a combination of which elements?
• Which statement best captures how many social problems are connected on a global level?
• Disability rights movements emphasize what view?
• Which class is described as 22% of the population and associated with white-collar jobs?
• The official poverty line in the United States is historically defined by the Census Bureau's poverty threshold. What is a key limitation of this measure?
• What is a potential effect of religious in-group/out-group dynamics?
• What role does social policy play in addressing poverty? Provide one example.
• Which theoretical perspective emphasizes that poverty is the result of exploitation by the ruling class and should be eliminated?