SCC Social Institutions 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The term 'medicalization' in sociology refers to:
- The expansion of hospital systems
- The process by which non-medical conditions come to be defined and treated as medical problems (Correct answer)
- Advances in pharmaceutical research
- Universal healthcare policy
Correct answer: The process by which non-medical conditions come to be defined and treated as medical problems
Medicalization occurs when human conditions or behaviors previously not considered medical are redefined as illnesses requiring medical intervention, such as hyperactivity becoming ADHD.
Question 2: Which concept describes the tendency for governments to expand their power and control over more areas of social life?
- Decentralization
- Bureaucratization
- State expansion (Correct answer)
- Privatization
Correct answer: State expansion
State expansion refers to the growth of government involvement in areas such as education, healthcare, and family life that were once privately managed.
Question 3: Which sociological concept describes the norms that specify who is an appropriate marriage partner based on group membership?
- Exogamy
- Endogamy (Correct answer)
- Monogamy
- Hypergamy
Correct answer: Endogamy
Endogamy requires individuals to marry within their own social group, such as the same religion, caste, or ethnicity.
Question 4: Which theorist is most associated with the conflict perspective on education, arguing schools reproduce class inequality?
- Talcott Parsons
- Émile Durkheim
- Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis (Correct answer)
- Robert Merton
Correct answer: Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis
Bowles and Gintis argued in 'Schooling in Capitalist America' that education reproduces the class structure by teaching workers to be obedient and accept their subordinate roles.
Question 5: A theocracy is a political system in which:
- Power is distributed equally among citizens
- Religious leaders govern according to divine law (Correct answer)
- Military leaders hold political authority
- Economic elites control the government
Correct answer: Religious leaders govern according to divine law
In a theocracy, governmental authority is derived from and exercised in accordance with religious doctrine, often led by clergy.
Question 6: Which term describes the transfer of authority and power from parents to children within family systems?
- Primogeniture
- Socialization
- Inheritance norms
- Descent rules (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Descent rules
Descent rules determine how family membership, property, and status are transmitted across generations, whether through the father's line (patrilineal) or mother's line (matrilineal).
Question 7: The concept of 'institutional racism' refers to:
- Individual prejudice held by racists within organizations
- Policies and practices embedded in institutions that systematically disadvantage racial minorities (Correct answer)
- Segregation laws explicitly targeting racial groups
- Unconscious bias in personal interactions
Correct answer: Policies and practices embedded in institutions that systematically disadvantage racial minorities
Institutional racism exists in the rules, policies, and practices of organizations and institutions that create or reinforce racial inequality, even without explicit intent.
SCC Social Institutions 3
The term 'medicalization' in sociology refers to: