Free Social Institutions MCQs with Answers
141 Social Institutions MCQs from Sociology, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.
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141 questions · page 10 of 15
91. What proportion of the world's societies today are thought to be authoritarian rather than democratic ?
- A. about half
- B. one fifth
- C. one third
- D. one tenth
Explanation: Comparative sociology texts commonly estimate that roughly one-third of the world's societies are authoritarian rather than democratic. The exact proportion changes with definitions and time period, but one-third is the intended approximate figure.
Correct answer: one third92. In What year did the 15 constituent republics of the USSR declare independence thereby ending the Soviet Union as a functioning state ?
- A. 1989
- B. 1998
- C. 2001
- D. 1991
Explanation: The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 after its constituent republics declared independence, with the USSR formally ending in December of that year. The other dates do not correspond to its dissolution.
Correct answer: 199193. Which conception of welfare refers to the provision of a "safety net" for disadvantaged populations ?
- A. behaviorist
- B. egalitarian populist
- C. residua list
- D. social insurance
Explanation: The residualist conception treats welfare as a last-resort safety net for people who cannot meet their needs through the family or market. Social insurance is broader and usually based on contributory entitlement rather than only residual assistance.
Correct answer: residua list94. All societies confront three basic economic problems Which of the following is NOT one of them ?
- A. determining what goods and services to produce
- B. determining how to employ limited resources
- C. determining how much each individual should be paid
- D. determining for whom goods and services should be produced
Explanation: The basic economic questions are what to produce, how to produce it using scarce resources, and for whom to produce it. Deciding each person's pay is a distributional issue, not one of the three fundamental allocation questions.
Correct answer: determining how much each individual should be paid95. In a democracy ?
- A. the powers of government derive from the consent of the governed
- B. the procedures for changing government officials may change with each administration
- C. the people govern directly
- D. the government tolerates little opposition
Explanation: In a democracy, governmental authority is ultimately based on the consent of the governed, expressed directly or through elected representatives. Direct rule by the people is only one form of democracy, while authoritarian systems tolerate little opposition.
Correct answer: the powers of government derive from the consent of the governed96. __________ is the political process that has to do with the authoritative formulation of policies that are binding and pervasive throughout society ?
- A. Democracy
- B. Power
- C. Government
- D. Totalitarianism
Explanation: Government is the institutional political process through which binding and society-wide policies are formulated and implemented. Democracy and totalitarianism describe types of political rule, while power is the capacity behind political decisions rather than the process itself.
Correct answer: Government97. According to the functionalist perspective what are the four functions served by the state ?
- A. enforcement of norms planning and direction arbitration of conflicting interests and protection against other societies
- B. oppression of minorities enforcement of norms planning and direction protection against enemies within society
- C. enforcement of norms planning and direction protection against other societies protection against enemies within society
- D. arbitration of conflicting interests maintaining social contracts distributing goods and services protection against internal threats
Explanation: A functionalist view assigns the state four broad tasks: enforcing norms, planning and directing collective activity, arbitrating conflicts, and protecting society from external threats. Option a contains all four, whereas the other choices replace one or more with narrower or non-functionalist claims.
Correct answer: enforcement of norms planning and direction arbitration of conflicting interests and protection against other societies98. The conflict perspective would note that____________?
- A. Physicians serve as "gatekeepers" for the sick role either verifying a patient's condition as "illness" or designating the patient as "recovered"
- B. Patients play an active role in health care by failing to follow a physician's advice
- C. Multinational corporations based in industrialized countries have reaped significant profits by "dumping" unapproved drugs on unsuspecting Third World countries
- D. The designation "healthy " or "ill" generally involves social definition by others
Explanation: The conflict perspective highlights how powerful corporations can use unequal global relationships to profit, including by marketing or dumping unapproved drugs in poorer countries. The gatekeeper idea is associated more with functionalist analysis of the sick role.
Correct answer: Multinational corporations based in industrialized countries have reaped significant profits by "dumping" unapproved drugs on unsuspecting Third World countries99. Which sociological perspective emphasizes that patients should not always be viewed as passive but instead as an actor who often shows a powerful intent to see the physician ?
- A. functionalist perspective
- B. conflict perspective
- C. interactionist perspective
- D. labeling theory
Explanation: The interactionist perspective examines the meanings and actions created in face-to-face encounters, including how patients actively seek medical care. Functionalism focuses more on the social functions of illness and medicine, while labeling theory focuses on social definitions of illness.
Correct answer: interactionist perspective100. Which of the following is a criticism of the sick role ?
- A. Patients judgments regarding their own state of health may be related to their gender age social class and ethnic group
- B. The sick role may be more applicable to people experiencing short-term illnesses than those with recurring long-term illnesses
- C. Even simple factors such as whether a person is employed or not seem to affect willingness to assume the sick role
- D. all of the above
Explanation: All three statements criticize the sick role because its expectations do not apply equally across illnesses or social groups. Parsons's model fits short-term illness best and can overlook differences based on class, gender, employment, and long-term health conditions.
Correct answer: all of the above