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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- A. matrilineal
- B. androlineal
- C. homolineal
- D. patrilineal
Explanation: Patrilineal societies trace family membership and inheritance through the father’s or male line.
Correct answer: patrilineal- A. there is a large dark figure of unreported incidents
- B. the changing definitions of legal categories have made it harder to convict offenders
- C. researchers are not allowed access to official statistics
- D. there is no valid or reliable way of researching such a sensitive topic
Explanation: Domestic violence has a substantial dark figure because many incidents are never reported to police or recorded by official agencies.
Correct answer: there is a large dark figure of unreported incidents- A. the proportion of people living alone has fallen to 29%
- B. many people are cohabiting in long term relationships
- C. the upward curve of remarriages compensates for the drop in first marriages
- D. all of the above
Explanation: Marriage rates may decline partly because many couples now form long-term cohabiting relationships without marrying, making cohabitation a…
Correct answer: many people are cohabiting in long term relationships- A. the introduction of compulsory education
- B. increasingly emotional ties between parents and children
- C. new consumer goods for children such as clothes toys and books
- D. all of the above
Explanation: Childhood became a distinct social category through compulsory schooling, increasingly affectionate parent-child relationships, and a…
Correct answer: all of the above- A. a group of people sharing living accommodation and meals
- B. a network of relatives extended within or between generations
- C. the new family created when an adult leaves home and gets married
- D. a two-generation unit of parents and their children
Explanation: A nuclear family consists of parents and their children, normally forming a two-generation household.
Correct answer: a two-generation unit of parents and their children- A. organizational goals reflect the priorities of those who occupy the top positions
- B. bureaucracies are arenas for cooperation in which the dominant social values of justice and equality take precedence
- C. factories are organized and operate independently of market pressures
- D. bureaucracies result from the centralizing tendencies of socialism and help to redistribute wealth and power
Explanation: Conflict theorists view organizations as reflecting unequal power, so their goals generally serve the priorities of people at the top.
Correct answer: organizational goals reflect the priorities of those who occupy the top positions- A. the iron law of oligarchy
- B. trained incapacity
- C. the peter principle
- D. Parkinson's law
Explanation: Trained incapacity occurs when training becomes so rigid that people apply rules mechanically and cannot adapt to circumstances.
Correct answer: trained incapacity- A. coercive organizations
- B. total institutions
- C. voluntary organizations
- D. utilitarian organizations
Explanation: Voluntary organizations are entered and left by choice, such as clubs, charities, and professional associations.
Correct answer: voluntary organizations- A. beanpole families
- B. cohabiting families
- C. horizontal families
- D. reconstituted families
Explanation: A reconstituted or blended family includes children from a previous marriage or relationship of at least one adult.
Correct answer: reconstituted families- A. increased acceptance of same-sex relationships
- B. a reduction in the stigma attached to divorce
- C. marriage is seen in terms of personal satisfaction
- D. women have become less economically dependent
Explanation: Economic independence for women, reduced stigma and the expectation of personal satisfaction have all been linked to rising divorce.
Correct answer: increased acceptance of same-sex relationships- A. the high rate of divorce
- B. the trend towards later marriages
- C. social resistance to cohabitation
- D. an ageing population with a growing number of households made up of widows/widowers
Explanation: Later marriage, divorce and population ageing can all increase the number of one-person households.
Correct answer: social resistance to cohabitation- A. family
- B. tribe
- C. network
- D. kinship
Explanation: Kinship means socially recognised ties based on blood descent or marriage.
Correct answer: kinship- A. both parents are expected to co-operate in the continued care of their children
- B. one parent has total responsibility for the child's welfare and socialization
- C. fathers are more likely to be absent from their children's lives
- D. parents must provide for all of their children in equal measure
Explanation: Joint parenthood means divorce does not end either parent's continuing responsibility for the children.
Correct answer: both parents are expected to co-operate in the continued care of their children- A. full time employment family-building and adult responsibility
- B. active non-work and independence after retirement
- C. illness isolation and increasing dependence on others
- D. the transition from education to work and distinctive youth culturesFamily Law
Explanation: The third age refers to the relatively active and independent period after retirement, when people may pursue leisure, voluntary work, or…
Correct answer: active non-work and independence after retirement- A. secondary socialization and strict discipline
- B. emotional support and sexual gratification
- C. oppressing women and reproducing the labor force
- D. primary socialization and personality stabilization
Explanation: Parsons viewed the family as performing primary socialization of children and stabilizing the emotional personalities of adults.
Correct answer: primary socialization and personality stabilization- A. consists of the interpersonal networks that arise in a formal organization
- B. is defined and prescribed by the formal organization
- C. develops because rules are too specific to provide workable solutions for general situations
- D. increases the hassle of "red tape"Clubs & Organizations
Explanation: An informal organization is the network of personal relationships and unofficial interactions that develops within a formal organization.
Correct answer: consists of the interpersonal networks that arise in a formal organization- A. less hierarchy and less authoritarianism
- B. larger work groups
- C. self-managed teams
- D. more worker participation in decision making
Explanation: Recent management strategies generally favour flatter hierarchies, employee participation, and self-managed teams.
Correct answer: larger work groups- A. bureaucracies
- B. informal organizations
- C. formal organizations
- D. task hierarchies
Explanation: Formal organizations are deliberately established to achieve stated objectives through defined roles and procedures.
Correct answer: formal organizations- A. Members share a common socioeconomic background
- B. Members withhold dissent and exercise self- censorship
- C. Members share an illusion of invulnerability
- D. Members demand conformity and apply pressure to those who express doubts about a proposed course of action
Explanation: Groupthink involves conformity pressure, self-censorship, and an illusion of invulnerability among cohesive members.
Correct answer: Members share a common socioeconomic background- A. two
- B. five
- C. four
- D. three
Explanation: A group of about five is often treated as the optimum size for problem solving because it provides several ideas and perspectives while…
Correct answer: five