Directions:
Select the indicated number of test items from the two parts listed below.
Your response to each item should be at least one complete paragraphs.
Include a reference for each item. Cite the reference at the end of each test item using the APA format.
Include the test item number in your answers. For example, Section I, item # 2.
Part I: Select three of the following from Part I.
A signpost of the second wave of the feminist movement in the United States was Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique. What concept does the phrase "feminine mystique" refer to?
What is social stratification? How does this concept relate to forms of social inequality based on social class, race and gender? Use a theory of social stratification to explain the unequal distribution of power within the different levels of society.
According to Max Weber, the traditional source of wealth-owning the means of production-isn't the only factor in determining social status. How does Weber conceptualize power and prestige? Why does he argue that power and prestige, in addition to material wealth, are important factors in determining a person's social status?
Conflict theory argues that disputes within the family are really about competition for resources. What sort of resources are being fought over? Who tends to receive fewer resources? How does conflict play out within the family?
Interactionists argue that people learn their gender identities from everyday interactions and that the family is the primary source for gender socialization. Explain some of the ways that parents and siblings can teach gender.
Today society is more accepting of interracial marriage than it was in the past, but interracial marriage still doesn't happen nearly as often as it would if love were really blind. What were the obstacles to interracial romance in the past? What are they today?
How does the media contribute to the objectification of women and men in commercials and advertisements? What are some of the consequences of portraying men and women in stereotypical ways?
Part II: Select two of the following from Part II.
Studies show that people from higher socioeconomic backgrounds tend to live longer and report feeling healthier than people from the lower classes. What are some explanations for this phenomenon?
Recent weeks have seen devastating confrontations between police and African Americans particularly in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods. How might sociologists examine these tragic outcomes and propose solutions to improve relationships between police and minority communities?
Studies show that young men aged 15 to 24 are four to five times likelier than young women to die from car accidents, homicides, and drownings. Explain this statistic in terms of gender socialization.
Provide examples to show how society is transforming itself from modern to postmodern. Compare the features of modernity with postmodernity.
Explain the difference between social movements organized around regressive and progressive social change. Give an example of each.