Free Social Institutions MCQs with Answers
141 Social Institutions 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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21. Which term describes societies where the family name and the inheritance of property passes down the male line ?
- A. matrilineal
- B. androlineal
- C. homolineal
- D. patrilineal
Explanation: Patrilineal societies trace family membership and inheritance through the father’s or male line. Matrilineal systems trace them through the mother’s line, while the other terms are not the standard concepts here.
Correct answer: patrilineal22. It is difficult to ascertain the true extent of domestic violence because___________?
- A. there is a large dark figure of unreported incidents
- B. the changing definitions of legal categories have made it harder to convict offenders
- C. researchers are not allowed access to official statistics
- D. there is no valid or reliable way of researching such a sensitive topic
Explanation: Domestic violence has a substantial dark figure because many incidents are never reported to police or recorded by official agencies. Fear, dependence, stigma and concern about consequences commonly discourage victims from reporting.
Correct answer: there is a large dark figure of unreported incidents23. In West marriage appears to be in decline because________________?
- A. the proportion of people living alone has fallen to 29%
- B. many people are cohabiting in long term relationships
- C. the upward curve of remarriages compensates for the drop in first marriages
- D. all of the above
Explanation: Marriage rates may decline partly because many couples now form long-term cohabiting relationships without marrying, making cohabitation a substitute for marriage in some cases. Option a states a fall in living alone, which would not explain marriage decline, and therefore makes ‘all of the above’ incorrect.
Correct answer: many people are cohabiting in long term relationships24. The social construction of childhood can be traced back to_____________?
- A. the introduction of compulsory education
- B. increasingly emotional ties between parents and children
- C. new consumer goods for children such as clothes toys and books
- D. all of the above
Explanation: Childhood became a distinct social category through compulsory schooling, increasingly affectionate parent-child relationships, and a growing market for children’s goods. Since all three historical developments contributed, the inclusive option is correct.
Correct answer: all of the above25. The nuclear family means_____________?
- A. a group of people sharing living accommodation and meals
- B. a network of relatives extended within or between generations
- C. the new family created when an adult leaves home and gets married
- D. a two-generation unit of parents and their children
Explanation: A nuclear family consists of parents and their children, normally forming a two-generation household. A wider network of relatives describes an extended family, while a newly formed family after marriage is a family of procreation.
Correct answer: a two-generation unit of parents and their children26. Conflict theorists contend that_______________?
- A. organizational goals reflect the priorities of those who occupy the top positions
- B. bureaucracies are arenas for cooperation in which the dominant social values of justice and equality take precedence
- C. factories are organized and operate independently of market pressures
- D. bureaucracies result from the centralizing tendencies of socialism and help to redistribute wealth and power
Explanation: Conflict theorists view organizations as reflecting unequal power, so their goals generally serve the priorities of people at the top. The other statements present bureaucracies as neutral or redistributive, which conflicts with this perspective.
Correct answer: organizational goals reflect the priorities of those who occupy the top positions27. The application of rules and regulations in an unimaginative and mechanical fashion refers to_____________?
- A. the iron law of oligarchy
- B. Parkinson's law
- C. the peter principle
- D. trained incapacity
Explanation: Trained incapacity occurs when training becomes so rigid that people apply rules mechanically and cannot adapt to circumstances. Parkinson’s law concerns bureaucratic expansion, while the Peter principle concerns promotion to incompetence.
Correct answer: trained incapacity28. What is the term for associations that members enter and leave freely ?
- A. coercive organizations
- B. total institutions
- C. utilitarian organizations
- D. voluntary organizations
Explanation: Voluntary organizations are entered and left by choice, such as clubs, charities, and professional associations. Coercive organizations restrict membership, while total institutions regulate most aspects of members’ lives.
Correct answer: voluntary organizations29. Which term describes families in which at least one adult has children from a previous marriage or relationship ?
- A. beanpole families
- B. cohabiting families
- C. reconstituted families
- D. horizontal families
Explanation: A reconstituted or blended family includes children from a previous marriage or relationship of at least one adult. Beanpole refers to a multigenerational family structure, not remarriage and stepchildren.
Correct answer: reconstituted families30. Which of the following is NOT a reason for the rising divorce rate in the West ?
- A. women have become less economically dependent
- B. a reduction in the stigma attached to divorce
- C. marriage is seen in terms of personal satisfaction
- D. increased acceptance of same-sex relationships
Explanation: Economic independence for women, reduced stigma and the expectation of personal satisfaction have all been linked to rising divorce. Greater acceptance of same-sex relationships is not normally identified as a cause of increased heterosexual divorce.
Correct answer: increased acceptance of same-sex relationships