1. Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding sexual orientation and/or sexual identity?
a. There is significant evidence for a biological basis for sexual orientation.
b. There is significant evidence for a social basis for sexual identity.
c. There is no evidence for a biological basis for sexual orientation.
d. There is no evidence for a social basis for sexual identity.
2. Sexual behavior is not uniform among all societies. There is evidence that:
a. sexual identity is purely biological.
b. sex is not influenced by economic forces.
c. public policy never regulates sexual behavior.
d. sexual behaviors vary by social context.
3. Children learn sexual scripts by all of the following, except:
a. by playing games.
b. from their parents.
c. from the media.
d. through sexual experience.
4. In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that:
a. same-sex marriage is legal.
b. discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is illegal.
c. private sexual relations are a constitutional liberty.
d. sexual orientation is not a legal issue.
5. According to functionalism, sexual identity is:
a. learned in the family.
b. regulated by individuals.
c. socially constructed.
d. is compulsory.
6. According to conflict theory, sexual norms are:
a. functional.
b. frequently contested.
c. socially constructed.
d. deviant.
7. “Coming out” refers to:
a. the result of a single homosexual experience.
b. a series of events that makes an individual question his/her sexual identity.
c. the process of defining oneself as gay or lesbian.
d. the experience of sharing one’s sexual identity with others.
8. The development of sexual identity is:
a. linear.
b. predictive.
c. sequential.
d. an evolving process.
9. The first example of sexual politics in the U.S. was:
a. the legalization of gay marriage.
b. Pride parades.
c. anti-discrimination laws.
d. the feminist movement.
10. The double standard rests on a cultural expectation of:
a. women being sexually adventurous.
b. sexual scripts applying only to men.
c. sexual politics being more important than once thought.
d. men being more sexually active than women.
11. Which of the following is true regarding prostitution and arrests?
a. Male customers are more likely to be arrested than female prostitutes.
b. Female customers are more likely to be arrested than male prostitutes.
c. Minority prostitutes are less likely to be arrested than White prostitutes.
d. White prostitutes are less likely to be arrested than minority prostitutes.
12. Which perspective is reflected by a parent who teaches a child about the role of sexual norms in stabilizing the
family?
a. Functionalism
b. Conflict
c. Symbolic interactionism
d. Feminism
13. The U.S. Supreme Court defined the use of birth control as a right, not a crime, in _____and extended the same
right to unmarried people in _____.
a. 1960; 1961
b. 1945; 1965
c. 1965; 1972
d. 1996; 2003
14. Reproduction remains largely controlled by:
a. religion.
b. families.
c. women.
d. men.
15. Among women, the most common method of birth control is:
a. tubal ligation.
b. condoms.
c. diaphragms.
d. the birth control pill.
16. Since the legalization of abortion, the number of abortions has:
a. increased.
b. fluctuated.
c. decreased.
d. stayed the same.
17. If a person is a college graduate with a masters in sociology, he or she is _____.
a. more likely to be pro-choice
b. less likely to be pro-choice
c. more likely to be unconcerned about abortion
d. more likely to see abortion as illegal under all circumstances
18. The _____ refers to the widespread changes in men’s and women’s roles and a greater public acceptance of
sexuality as a normal part of social development.
a. feminist movement
b. sexual revolution
c. eugenics movement
d. gender revolution
19. The American Psychological Association defines sexualization as including any of the following conditions,
except:
a. that people are judged primarily on sexual appeal or behavior.
b. that physical attractiveness is equated with being “sexy.”
c. that people are objectified and have sexuality inappropriately imposed on them.
d. that children are involved in sexual activity more than what would traditionally be considered appropriate.
20. Miranda buys her daughter a doll in a sexy outfit. Which of the following trends is she being affected by?
a. The commercialization of sex
b. Heterosexualism
c. Pornography
d. Homphobia
21. John is engaging in heterosexism. Which of the following does he believe?
a. John assumes that heterosexuality is deviant.
b. John believes the institutionalization of heterosexuality is the only legitimate sexual orientation.
c. John believes in the systematic denial of rights to homosexuals.
d. John believes the weakening of social norms is related to sexual orientation.
22. Bobby’s view of hi s sexual identity is learned:
a. at birth.
b. in the context of his social relationships.
c. from his sexual orientation.
d. from his parents during childhood.
23. When a researcher starts with the premise that sexuality is socially defined, he or she is assuming _____.
a. that sexual orientation is always changing for everyone.
b. that social context establishes what social relationships mean.
c. that sexual identity is always fixed.
d. that sexual identity has no biological component.
24. According to the text, which of the following is trueaboutaperson’ssexuality?
a. There is a definitely a gene that determines sexual orientation.
b. Being homosexual or heterosexual depends on one’s genetic structure.
c. Social influences are an important part of every person’s sexual identity.
d. There is a definitely no gene that determines sexual orientation.
25. Laws dictate who is permitted to marry legally, and the media influence attitudes toward sexuality. From a
sociological perspective these examples demonstrate that
a. social institutions play a large role in directing human sexuality.
b. people are unable to think for themselves when it comes to sexuality.
c. in the U.S. there is general consensus on what is appropriate sexual behavior.
d. sexual scripts in the U.S. are more conservative than in other countries.
26. Strip bars, peep shows, phone sex, sex acts, sex magazines, and pornography rentals, are all examples of
a. the connection between sex and economic forces in society.
b. illegal sexual activities.
c. activities found only in the U.S.
d. the influence of the media in our society.
27. Government support for particular birth control technologies
a. is an example of the regulating of sexual and reproductive behavior.
b. does not occur within the U.S.
c. has no effect on the decisions that individuals make about reproductive behavior.
d. discriminates against women.
28. Which of the following statements is false about the sexual practices of the U.S. public?
a. Young people are becoming sexually active at an earlier age.
b. A significant number of people have extramarital sex.
c. Having only one sex partner in one’s lifetime is rare.
d. A slight majority of people are lesbian and gay.
29. Sociological research on sexual practices
a. has been extensive.
b. has focused more on attitudes than actual practices.
c. is fairly easy to do because American society is so fixated on sexuality.
d. is more expensive than other types of research.
30. Conflict theorists
a. relate sexuality to the stability of the family.
b. believe that all sexual relationships are oppressive.
c. are interested in the international sex trade and other economic issues related to sexuality.
d. focus on the social construction of sexuality.
31. Queer theory
a. views only one type of sexuality as normal.
b. interprets society as forcing sexual boundaries, or dichotomous, on people.
c. sees homosexuality as fixed in biology.
d. blames social institutions for a social misunderstanding of sexuality.
32. Sociologists have linked the international sex trade to all of the following, except:
a. global poverty.
b. the spread of AIDS worldwide.
c. economic development.
d. capitalism.
33. The system of international sex trafficking
a. is sometimes identified as a form of slavery.
b. involves young men and women equally.
c. is limited to women over the age of 18.
d. occurs mostly within capitalist countries.
34. Male sex tourists outnumber women by three to one in _____, where businessmen often travel to buy sexual
companionship.
a. Amsterdam
b. Thailand
c. Sweden
d. India
35. _____ sought to apply scientific principles of genetic selection to “improve” the offspring of the human race.
a. Eugenics
b. Genomics
c. Genecology
d. Gerontology
36. An example of a new reproductive technology that signify that reproduction is no longer inextricably linked to
biological parents include _____.
a. in vitro fertilization
b. birth control
c. adoption
d. sterilization
37. Sociologists note that the increasing use of reproductive technologies
a. will have the same impact on women, regardless of their social status.
b. may lead to a new eugenics movement.
c. is guided by tradition.
d. affects middle-class women more than others.
38. Risman et al (2002) found what regarding teen attitudes about sex?
a. Most of the change in teen sex activity is attributable to girls, not boys.
b. Most of the change in teen sex activity is attributable to both boys and girls.
c. Most of the change in teen sex activity is attributable to boys, not girls.
d. Most of the change in teen sex activity is attributable to neither boys nor girls.
39. About _____ percent of the U.S. public think that abortion should be legal in any circumstance.
a. 19
b. 26
c. 41
d. 54
40. Most teen pregnancies in the U.S.
a. are planned.
b. result in marriage.
c. are correlated with poverty and low educational attainment.
d. are to young teens (ages 13–17).
41. Teenage pregnancy correlates strongly with all of the following, except:
a. poverty
b. joblessness
c. lower educational attainment
d. marriage
42. From a sociological perspective, sex
a. is a strictly private matter.
b. is rooted in social norms, values, and institutions.
c. should be limited to people who are married.
d. is completely biological behavior.
43. The term for the attraction that a person feels for others of the same or different sex is _____.
a. gender identity
b. sexual identity
c. sexual orientation
d. sexuality
44. What is the term for the definition that one has of oneself, and involves one’s sexual relationships?
a. Gender identity
b. Sexual identity
c. Sexual orientation
d. Sexuality
45. What is the relationship between the concepts of sexual orientation and sexual identity?
a. Sexual orientation is something deeply rooted in an individual; sexual identity develops within a social
context.
b. Sexual identity is biological; sexual orientation is socially constructed.
c. They mean essentially the same thing.
d. One’s sexual orientation determines one’s sexual identity.
46. If having gay, lesbian, and bisexual relations and attractions is a choice, this means that
a. one may decide to change one’s sexual orientation.
b. people have no control over their attractions.
c. there is a biological basis to sexual attractions and relationships.
d. it is not possible to change one’s sexual orientation.
47. In some cultures women do not believe that orgasm exists. Sociologists view this as evidence that
a. there is a need for more sex education throughout the world.
b. in some cultures women do not have orgasms.
c. sexual attitudes and behavior vary cross-culturally.
d. only men experience orgasm.
48. When discussing sexuality with individuals from previous generations college students often find that sexual
attitudes:
a. remain the same overtime.
b. are difficult to document.
c. are often easy to talk about.
d. change and fluctuate over time.
49. Which of the following statement is true of sexual values and attitudes in American society?
a. There is greater tolerance of casual sex today than ever before.
b. The age at which young people are having sex has been increasing over the past two decades.
c. Havingonlyonesexpartnerinone’slifetimeisrare.
d. Fewer people are having sex before marriage than in the past.
50. Research indicating that sexual identity is learned points to
a. sexual knowledge and sexual identity first begin to develop when a person starts having sex.
b. sexual socialization takes place at a very early age.
c. peers have little or no impact on sexual attitudes.
d. what we learn when we are young has no real impact on our sexual attitudes and behaviors as adults.
51. The sociological term for the concept that teaches us what appropriate sexual behavior for each gender is called_____.
a. dramaturgical roles
b. institutional sexism
c. sexual scripts
d. gender constructs
52. Attitudes in the U.S. toward sex before marriage
a. have become increasingly conservative, overall.
b. are more liberal than those of people in western Europe.
c. are more conservative than those of people in western Europe.
d. have been very consistent throughout history.
53. When it comes to attitudes in the U.S. toward gays and lesbians,
a. a majority of people believe that homosexual relations between consenting adults should be legal.
b. only 20% believe that marriage between couples of the same sex should be legal.
c. there has been little change over the years.
d. most people agree with the policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” in employment situations.
54. In the sociological study of sexual practices
a. behavior is studied more often than attitudes.
b. people are generally very consistent in terms of what they say and do.
c. actual behavior is difficult to document.
d. survey findings have been well-documented.
55. Information that is available on sexual practices in the U.S. indicates that
a. most people still have only one sexual partner throughout their lives.
b. young people are becoming sexually active at a later age.
c. very few people have extramarital sex.
d. having sex tends to be very frequent.
56. The theoretical framework that emphasizes how sexuality contributes to the stability of society is the _____.
a. functionalist perspective
b. conflict perspective
c. symbolic interaction perspective
d. social exchange perspective
57. According to _____ theory, norms that restrict sex to marriage encourage the formation of families.
a. functionalist
b. conflict
c. symbolic interaction
d. social exchange
58. _____ gives legitimacy to heterosexual behavior, but not homosexual behavior, in order to maintain
complementary roles and the ideal of the nuclear family.
a. Functionalist theory
b. Conflict theory
c. Symbolic interaction theory
d. Social exchange theory
59. According to _____ theory, the call for a return to “family values” produces the uniformity in values necessary for
social order.
a. functionalist
b. conflict
c. symbolic interaction
d. social exchange
60. The theoretical perspective that sees sexuality as part of the power relations and economic inequality in society is
_____.
a. functionalist theory
b. conflict theory
c. social exchange theory
d. symbolic interaction theory