Sociology Flashcards
7 cards from real MCAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Sociology flashcards as text
Which sociological concept describes the process by which individuals learn the norms, values, and behaviors appropriate to their culture?
Answer: Socialization
Socialization is the lifelong process through which individuals internalize the norms, values, and roles of their society.
A researcher finds that individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds have poorer health outcomes even when controlling for access to healthcare. This best illustrates the concept of:
Answer: Fundamental cause theory
Fundamental cause theory posits that socioeconomic status is a root cause of health disparities because it determines access to resources that protect health across many risk factors.
Erving Goffman's concept of 'impression management' refers to:
Answer: The process by which people control how others perceive them in social interactions
Goffman described impression management as deliberate efforts individuals make to control the impressions others form of them, similar to actors on a stage.
Which of the following is an example of a master status?
Answer: Being identified primarily as 'the cancer patient' rather than as a professional or parent
A master status is a social position that overrides all other statuses a person holds, as when a serious illness becomes the defining characteristic others use to identify someone.
The Thomas Theorem states that:
Answer: If people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences
The Thomas Theorem holds that subjective perceptions of reality shape behavior and outcomes, even when those perceptions may be objectively incorrect.
In Merton's strain theory, an individual who rejects both the cultural goals of society and the legitimate means to achieve them, then substitutes new goals and means, is classified as a:
Answer: Rebel
Rebels reject society's goals and means and actively seek to replace them with alternative ones, as seen in revolutionary social movements.
The concept of 'intersectionality' in sociology was developed to explain:
Answer: How overlapping social identities such as race, gender, and class create compounded experiences of privilege or oppression
Intersectionality, developed by Kimberlé Crenshaw, describes how multiple social identities interact to shape unique experiences of discrimination or advantage.