Free Sociological Theory MCQs with Answers
291 Sociological Theory 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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291 questions · page 25 of 30
241. "Geme in schaft"refers to a social system in which most relationships are _______________?
- A. Personal or traditional
- B. Impersonal
- C. Organizational
- D. None of these
Explanation: Gemeinschaft, Ferdinand Tönnies's term for community, is based on personal, intimate and traditional relationships. Its contrast, Gesellschaft, is associated with impersonal and contractual relations.
Correct answer: Personal or traditional242. Conflict theorists_____________?
- A. emphasize that the values of society serve all members of society
- B. see the capitalist ruling class as protecting the masses
- C. argue that criminal acts are acts which the ruling class brands as criminal
- D. None of the above reflects the thinking of conflict theorists
Explanation: Conflict theorists argue that powerful groups influence which behaviours are defined and punished as crimes, so criminal law often reflects ruling-class interests. They reject the idea that social values serve all groups equally.
Correct answer: argue that criminal acts are acts which the ruling class brands as criminal243. Pluralist theories suggest that_______________?
- A. the state,s power can be exercised through several different administrative structures
- B. the ruling elite is composed of people from various class backgrounds
- C. political parties must compete for the votes of consumers in the electorate
- D. there is a close alignment between class background and party preferenceMarriage
Explanation: Pluralism views political power as dispersed among competing groups, with parties seeking support from voters in the electorate. The other options describe elite theory or class-based explanations of politics.
Correct answer: political parties must compete for the votes of consumers in the electorate244. Which sociological perspective emphasizes the integrative power of religion in human society ?
- A. functionalist perspective
- B. conflict perspective
- C. interactionist perspective
- D. each of the above
Explanation: Functionalism views religion as a source of shared values, social solidarity, and integration. Conflict theory instead stresses religion’s connection with inequality, while interactionism focuses on meanings in religious interaction.
Correct answer: functionalist perspective245. According to Freud______________?
- A. man seeks consensus and harmony
- B. man lacks a constraining force
- C. man is inherently evil
- D. man feels the need to dominate others
- E. man is driven by biological needs
Explanation: Freud explained human behaviour largely through unconscious psychological forces rooted in biological drives and needs. This contrasts with views that primarily describe people as seeking harmony or consciously dominating others.
Correct answer: man is driven by biological needs246. Which theoretical perspective sees the family as benefiting some people more than others ?
- A. conflict
- B. functionalist
- C. interactionist
- D. structuralist
Explanation: The conflict perspective examines how social institutions distribute benefits and resources unequally, so it asks who gains more from family arrangements. Functionalism instead stresses the family’s contribution to social order and stability.
Correct answer: conflict247. Marx proclaimed that religion would disappear when ?
- A. a new trend of moral individualism became established
- B. a socialist revolution removed the need for capitalist ideology
- C. church attendance dropped below 15%
- D. people came to believe more in science and technology
Explanation: Marx regarded religion as an ideological response to alienation under capitalism, often described as the “opium of the people.” He expected it to lose its social function after a socialist revolution created a classless society.
Correct answer: a socialist revolution removed the need for capitalist ideology248. Which sociological perspective argues that to whatever extent religion actually does influence social behavior it reinforces existing patterns of dominance and inequality ?
- A. functionalist perspective
- B. conflict perspective
- C. interactionist perspective
- D. each of the above
Explanation: Conflict theory examines how institutions, including religion, can legitimise the dominance of powerful groups and reproduce inequality. Functionalism stresses social integration, while interactionism focuses on meanings in everyday interaction.
Correct answer: conflict perspective249. Which of the following perhaps the first sociologist to recognize the critical importance of religion in human societies stressed the social impact of religion ?
- A. Max Weber
- B. Emile Durkheim
- C. Karl Marx
- D. Talcott Parsons
Explanation: Durkheim treated religion as a central social institution and analysed how rituals and shared beliefs create social solidarity. Marx mainly emphasised religion’s ideological role, while Weber focused on its connection with social action and economic change.
Correct answer: Emile Durkheim250. What is the term used by Francis Fukuyama (1992) to describe the triumph of Western-style democracy has over other forms of government ?
- A. the end of history
- B. the rise of neoliberalism
- C. the fall of communism
- D. the birth of nationalism
Explanation: Fukuyama used “the end of history” to suggest that Western liberal democracy had emerged as the dominant final form of government after the ideological struggle with communism. The phrase refers to an ideological conclusion, not simply the fall of one regime.
Correct answer: the end of history