Sociology Clep Exam Questions & Answers 2023/2024
Absolute poverty - ANSWER-A standard of poverty based on a minimum level of subsistence below which families should not be expected to exist.
Achieved status - ANSWER-A social position attained by a person largely through his or her own effort...
Sociology Clep Exam Questions &
Answers 2023/2024
Absolute poverty - ANSWER-A standard of poverty based on a minimum level of subsistence below
which families should not be expected to exist.
Achieved status - ANSWER-A social position attained by a person largely through his or her own efforts.
Activity theory - ANSWER-An interactionist theory of aging that argues that elderly people who remain
active will be best-adjusted.
Adoption - ANSWER-In a legal sense, a process that allows for the transfer of the legal rights,
responsibilities, and privileges of parenthood to a new legal parent or parents.
Affirmative action - ANSWER-Positive efforts to recruit minority group members or women for jobs,
promotions, and educational opportunities.
Ageism - ANSWER-A term coined by Robert N. Butler to refer to prejudice and discrimination against the
elderly.
Agrarian society - ANSWER-The most technologically advanced form of preindustrial society. Members
are primarily engaged in the production of food but increase their crop yield through such innovations as
the plow.
Alienation - ANSWER-The condition of being estranged or disassociated from the surrounding society.
Amalgamation - ANSWER-The process by which a majority group and a minority group combine through
intermarriage to form a new group.
Anomie - ANSWER-Durkheim's term for the loss of direction felt in a society when social control of
individual behavior has become ineffective.
,Anomie theory of deviance - ANSWER-A theory developed by Robert Merton that explains deviance as
an adaptation either of socially prescribed goals or of the norms governing their attainment, or both.
Anticipatory socialization - ANSWER-Processes of socialization in which a person "rehearses" for future
positions, occupations, and social relationships.
Anti-Semitism - ANSWER-Anti-Jewish prejudice.
Apartheid - ANSWER-The former policy of the South African government designed to maintain the
separation of Blacks and other non-Whites from the dominant Whites.
Argot - ANSWER-Specialized language used by members of a group or subculture.
Ascribed status - ANSWER-A social position "assigned" to a person by society without regard for the
person's unique talents or characteristics.
Assimilation - ANSWER-The process by which a person forsakes his or her own cultural tradition to
become part of a different culture.
Authority - ANSWER-Power that has been institutionalized and is recognized by the people over whom it
is exercised.
Bilateral descent - ANSWER-A kinship system in which both sides of a person's family are regarded as
equally important.
Bilingualism - ANSWER-The use of two or more languages in particular settings, such as workplaces or
educational facilities, treating each language as equally legitimate.
Birthrate - ANSWER-The number of live births per 1,000 population in a given year. Also known as the
crude birthrate.
,Black power - ANSWER-A political philosophy promoted by many younger Blacks in the 1960s that
supported the creation of Black-controlled political and economic institutions.
Bourgeoisie - ANSWER-Karl Marx's term for the capitalist class, comprising the owners of the means of
production.
Bureaucracy - ANSWER-A component of formal organization in which rules and hierarchical ranking are
used to achieve efficiency.
Bureaucratization - ANSWER-The process by which a group, organization, or social movement becomes
increasingly bureaucratic.
Capitalism - ANSWER-An economic system in which the means of production are largely in private hands
and the main incentive for economic activity is the accumulation of profits.
Castes - ANSWER-Hereditary systems of rank, usually religiously dictated, that tend to be fixed and
immobile.
Causal logic - ANSWER-The relationship between a condition or variable and a particular consequence,
with one event leading to the other.
Census - ANSWER-An enumeration, or counting, of a population.
Charismatic authority - ANSWER-Max Weber's term for power made legitimate by a leader's exceptional
personal or emotional appeal to his or her followers.
Class - ANSWER-A term used by Max Weber to refer to a group of people who have a similar level of
wealth and income.
Class consciousness - ANSWER-In Karl Marx's view, a subjective awareness held by members of a class
regarding their common vested interests and need for collective political action to bring about social
change.
, Classical theory - ANSWER-An approach to the study of formal organizations that views workers as being
motivated almost entirely by economic rewards.
Class system - ANSWER-A social ranking based primarily on economic position in which achieved
characteristics can influence mobility.
Closed system - ANSWER-A social system in which there is little or no possibility of individual mobility.
Coalition - ANSWER-A temporary or permanent alliance geared toward a common goal.
Code of ethics - ANSWER-The standards of acceptable behavior developed by and for members of a
profession.
Cognitive theory of development - ANSWER-Jean Piaget's theory explaining how children's thought
progresses through four stages.
Cohabitation - ANSWER-The practice of living together as a male-female couple without marrying.
Colonialism - ANSWER-The maintenance of political, social, economic, and cultural dominance over a
people by a foreign power for an extended period of time.
Community - ANSWER-A spatial or political unit of social organization that gives people a sense of
belonging, based either on shared residence in a particular place or on a common identity.
Concentric-zone theory - ANSWER-A theory of urban growth that sees growth in terms of a series of
rings radiating from the central business district.
Conflict perspective - ANSWER-A sociological approach that assumes that social behavior is best
understood in terms of conflict or tension between competing groups.
Conformity - ANSWER-Going along with one's peers, individuals of a person's own status, who have no
special right to direct that person's behavior.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Bensuda. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $10.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
