MCAT Sociology 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Emile Durkheim identified 'anomie' as a condition in which:
- Social norms are weakened or absent, leaving individuals without moral guidance (Correct answer)
- Social inequality becomes so extreme that revolution is inevitable
- Religious institutions lose their power to regulate behavior
- Individuals become too integrated into group norms
Correct answer: Social norms are weakened or absent, leaving individuals without moral guidance
Anomie describes a breakdown or absence of social norms that can result from rapid social change, leading to increased rates of suicide, crime, and deviance.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes 'social capital' as used by Pierre Bourdieu and Robert Putnam?
- The network of social relationships and connections that provide individuals with access to resources and opportunities (Correct answer)
- The accumulated wealth that a social class passes down through generations
- The cultural knowledge required to navigate higher education institutions
- The economic value assigned to unpaid social labor such as caregiving
Correct answer: The network of social relationships and connections that provide individuals with access to resources and opportunities
Social capital refers to the benefits individuals gain through their social networks, including information, support, and access to opportunities.
Question 3: A physician who treats a patient differently based on the patient's race without conscious awareness is exhibiting:
- Implicit bias (Correct answer)
- Institutional racism
- Stereotype threat
- Discrimination
Correct answer: Implicit bias
Implicit bias refers to unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect decisions and behaviors without the individual's deliberate awareness.
Question 4: The 'sick role' as described by Talcott Parsons includes the expectation that a sick person will:
- Seek professional medical care and try to get well (Correct answer)
- Accept permanent disability as a new social identity
- Be exempt from all social obligations indefinitely
- Rely on family members rather than physicians for care
Correct answer: Seek professional medical care and try to get well
Parsons' sick role grants the ill person exemption from normal duties but requires them to seek competent medical help and cooperate with treatment.
Question 5: Which sociological perspective would most likely argue that the healthcare system perpetuates inequality by serving the interests of the wealthy and pharmaceutical companies?
- Conflict theory (Correct answer)
- Functionalism
- Symbolic interactionism
- Social exchange theory
Correct answer: Conflict theory
Conflict theory views social institutions, including healthcare, as structures that maintain power imbalances and serve the interests of dominant groups.
Question 6: A first-generation college student who excels academically but struggles to network with professors due to not knowing unwritten professional norms is experiencing a deficit in:
- Cultural capital (Correct answer)
- Social capital
- Economic capital
- Human capital
Correct answer: Cultural capital
Cultural capital includes the knowledge, behaviors, and skills that confer advantages in navigating institutions like higher education, which first-generation students may lack.
Question 7: The concept of 'medicalization' refers to:
- The process by which non-medical problems are defined and treated as medical conditions (Correct answer)
- The increasing use of evidence-based medicine in clinical practice
- The expansion of health insurance coverage to previously uninsured populations
- The integration of mental and physical healthcare into a single system
Correct answer: The process by which non-medical problems are defined and treated as medical conditions
Medicalization occurs when human experiences such as childbirth, aging, or sadness are reframed as medical disorders requiring professional intervention.
MCAT Sociology 3
Emile Durkheim identified 'anomie' as a condition in which: