SOC101 - Module 1 - Week 1 - Foundations of Sociology
What was Emile Durkheim's key insight on suicide?
Suicide has a social basis when looked at collectively
A researcher wanted to see which temperature would be ideal for students taking tests. He decided to create three different testing rooms set at three different temperatures. What kind of study is this?
experiment
Research designed to investigate relationships and test hypotheses is known as a(n)
experiment
Gayle was shopping and did not have much money to buy a lot of groceries. She saw a sign with a yellow smiley face and decided to shop at that store because she associated that sign with lower prices. Which sociological perspective explains why Gayle thought this way?
Symbolic interactionism
Émile Durkheim was most well-known for
Research on suicide
The double yellow arches often bring to mind cheap fast food for people who see them while they are driving. What perspective does this exemplify?
Symbolic interactionism
Who developed the concept of the sociological imagination?
C. Wright Mills
Which of the following was a topic of study in early sociology?
Economics
The concept of suicide being based on social solidarity among the members of a group was the perspective of
Emile Durkheim
Which scholar established the first department of sociology and is well-known for his research on suicide?
Emile Durkheim
Sociology
Has played a critical role in many important social reforms
Your boss at work tells you that the company is doing some research on how workers utilize their time at work, and the results show that everyone is on task nearly 100% of the time. These results might be influenced by the
Hawthorne effect
What is the sociological imagination?
A though process that looks at personal troubles in the context of larger public issues
Which would a quantitative sociologists use to gather data?
A large survey
What is the difference between a social structure and a social function?
A social structure is a stable, routine-like pattern of interaction, and a social function is any act or process that contributes to the maintenance of a social system.
Identify and differentiate between types of research methods, discussing the benefits and limitations of each
A survey targets a specific population, people who are the focus of a study, such as college athletes, international students, or teenagers living with type 1 (juvenile-onset) diabetes. Most researchers choose to survey a small sector of the population, or a sample: that is, a manageable number of subjects who represent a larger population. The success of a study depends on how well a population is represented by the sample. In a random sample, every person in a population has the same chance of being chosen for the study. According to the laws of probability, random samples represent the population as a whole. For instance, a Gallup Poll, if conducted as a nationwide random sampling, should be able to provide an accurate estimate of public opinion whether it contacts 2,000 or 10,000 people. As a research method, a survey collects data from subjects who respond to a series of questions about behaviors and opinions, often in the form of a questionnaire. The survey is one of the most widely used scientific research methods. The standard survey format allows individuals a level of anonymity in which they can express personal ideas. You've probably tested personal social theories. "If I study at night and review in the morning, I'll improve my retention skills." Or, "If I stop drinking soda, I'll feel better." Cause and effect. If this, then that. When you test the theory, your results either prove or disprove your hypothesis. One way researchers test social theories is by conducting an experiment, meaning they investigate relationships to test a hypothesis—a scientific approach. There are two main types of experiments: lab-based experiments and natural or field experiments. In a lab setting, the research can be controlled so that perhaps more data can be recorded in a certain amount of time. In a natural or field-based experiment, the generation of data cannot be controlled but the information might be considered more accurate since it was collected without interference or intervention by the researcher. As a research method, either type of sociological experiment is useful for testing if-then statements: if a particular thing happens, then another particular thing will result. The work of sociology rarely happens in limited, confined spaces. Sociologists seldom study subjects in their own offices or laboratories. Rather, sociologists go out into the world. They meet subjects where they live, work, and play. Field research refers to gathering primary data from a natural environment without doing a lab experiment or a survey. It is a research method suited to an interpretive framework rather than to the scientific method. To conduct field research, the sociologist must be willing to step into new environments and observe, participate, or experience those worlds. In field work, the sociologists, rather than the subjects, are the ones out of their element. The researcher interacts with or observes a person or people and gathers data along the way. The key point in field research is that it takes place in the subject's natural environment, whether it's a coffee shop or tribal village, a homeless shelter or the DMV, a hospital, airport, mall, or beach resort. Rothman had conducted a form of study called participant observation, in which researchers join people and participate in a group's routine activities for the purpose of observing them within that context. This method lets researchers experience a specific aspect of social life. A researcher might go to great lengths to get a firsthand look into a trend, institution, or behavior. Researchers temporarily put themselves into roles and record their observations. A researcher might work as a waitress in a diner, live as a homeless person for several weeks, or ride along with police officers as they patrol their regular beat. Often, these researchers try to blend in seamlessly with the population they study, and they may not disclose their true identity or purpose if they feel it would compromise the results of their research. Ethnography is the extended observation of the social perspective and cultural values of an entire social setting. Ethnographies involve objective observation of an entire community. Institutional ethnography is an extension of basic ethnographic research principles that focuses intentionally on everyday concrete social relationships. Developed by Canadian sociologist Dorothy E. Smith, institutional ethnography is often considered a feminist-inspired approach to social analysis and primarily considers women's experiences within male-dominated societies and power structures. Smith's work is seen to challenge sociology's exclusion of women, both academically and in the study of women's lives (Fenstermaker, n.d.). Sometimes a researcher wants to study one specific person or event. A case study is an in-depth analysis of a single event, situation, or individual. To conduct a case study, a researcher examines existing sources like documents and archival records, conducts interviews, engages in direct observation and even participant observation, if possible.Researchers might use this method to study a single case of, for example, a foster child, drug lord, cancer patient, criminal, or rape victim. However, a major criticism of the case study as a method is that a developed study of a single case, while offering depth on a topic, does not provide enough evidence to form a generalized conclusion. In other words, it is difficult to make universal claims based on just one person, since one person does not verify a pattern. While sociologists often engage in original research studies, they also contribute knowledge to the discipline through secondary data analysis. Secondary data don't result from firsthand research collected from primary sources, but are the already completed work of other researchers. Sociologists might study works written by historians, economists, teachers, or early sociologists. They might search through periodicals, newspapers, or magazines from any period in history.
Which materials are considered secondary data?
Books and articles written by other authors about their studies
Which is the best definition of validity?
It refers to how well a study measures what it was designed to measure
Which person or organization defined the concept of value neutrality?
Max Weber
Which of the following statements best aligns with what a sociologist might say?
Personal decisions an individual makes do not exist in a vacuum
Paradigms are defined as
Philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and the experiments performed in support of them
Auguste Comte coined the term ________ as the scientific study of social patterns.
Positivism
If you want to do research about personal opinions and behaviors, it's best to
Provide a survey
Which of the following statements are true?
Structural functional theory uses a macro-level orientation. Structural functional theory sees society as a complex and interconnected machine. Both a and c
Sociological imagination is an idea that allows people to
Understand that their personal troubles are part of a framework of larger social issues
content analysis:applying a systematic approach to record and value information gleaned from secondary data as it relates to the study at hand secondary data analysis:using data collected by others but applying new interpretations
glossary
Weber believed humans could not be studied purely objectively because they were influenced by:
their culture
To study the effects of fast food on lifestyle, health, and culture, from which group would a researcher ethically be unable to accept funding?
A fast-food restaurant
A woman purchases a glass of wine at a bar. What would someone using the sociological imagination see in this scenario?
A woman who is engaging in a social norm
Which statement provides the best operational definition of "childhood obesity"?
Body weight at least 20 percent higher than a healthy weight for a child of that height
In what ways might Karl Marx say that do schools promote class structure?
By focusing resources on students in wealthy school districts
Evidence that comes from direct experience, scientifically gathered data, or experimentation is considered
Empirical evidence
Why is choosing a random sample an effective way to select participants?
Everyone has the same chance of being part of the study
Which statement illustrates value neutrality?
In 2003, states like Arkansas adopted laws requiring elementary schools to remove soft drink vending machines from schools
Which founder of sociology believed societies changed due to class struggle?
Karl Marx
Who believed that the history of society was one of class struggle?
Karl Marx
Which of these levels of theories relate to large-scale issues in society?
Macro-level
What research method did John S. Lynd and Helen Merrell Lynd mainly use in their Middletown study?
Participant observation
Which research technique would most likely be used by a symbolic interactionist?
Participant observation
Which of the following is NOT an example of a sociological hypothesis?
The more CD's Jamila buys, the less money she has in her bank account
Reliability is defined as
a measure of a study's consistency that considers how likely results are to be replicated if a study is reproduced
Harriet Martineau wrote that women's rights
appeared to be at odds with with the ideal of equality
The power elite includes political leaders, corporate CEOs, military leaders, and
bankers
The main difference between ethnography and other types of participant observation is:
ethnography isn't based on hypothesis testing
Research that gathers primary data from a natural environment is called
field research
A sociologist defines society as a group of people who reside in a defined area, share a culture, and who:
interact
Studying sociology helps people analyze data because they learn:
interview techniques to apply statistics to generate theories all of the above
All of the following are public health benefits of exercise EXCEPT
lower blood pressure
A manifest function differs from a latent function in that
manifest functions are the intended consequences and latent functions are unintended
The difference between positivism and antipositivism relates to:
whether sociological studies can predict or improve society
Why do people study sociology?
Although people may have their own views about who they are, studying sociology may help them to see how society views them, depending on a number of factors
If you are studying the impact of a new type of teaching curriculum in the psychology classroom, the classroom where the old curriculum is still taught is considered the ________.
Control group
Your instructor tells your class that you are all participating in a study on the effectiveness of note-taking in class. The results show your class test scores improve significantly. Before concluding that your class takes effective notes, the research should be aware of the You were correct. Multiple Choice QuestionHawthorne effect.independent variable.experimenter bias.
Hawthorne effect
What is the goal of research?
It is implemented in order to answer questions and increased understanding of society.
Carla noticed that most students got to the college around 8:00 am, and proposed that in order to get a good parking spot, a student would need to get to the college before 7:45 am. She decided to observe for a few weeks to see if she was right. What would be a hypothesis for this potential research study?
There would be a difference in the parking spots at 7:45 and when they got there at 8:00
The practice of remaining impartial and without bias or judgment during the course of a study and in publishing results is known as You were correct. Multiple Choice Questionthe code of ethicsethical practicevalue neutrality
Value neutrality
What is an experiment?
When a research investigates relationships to test a hypothesis
A random sample is
When every person in society has an equal chance of being chosen for a study
Informed consent is ________.
a crucial part of the research process
Which sociological perspective would see school as an institution that reinforces class structure and power?
conflict theory
The shared practices, values and beliefs of a group refer to their
culture
The social institution that meets legal (i.e. right to make medical decisions), economic (i.e. inheritance), and social/emotional needs in a society is ________.
family
Which sociological perspective is most likely to be concerned with patriarchy and inequality?
feminism
Carla noticed that most students got to the college around 8:00 am, and proposed that in order to get a good parking spot, a student would need to get to the college before 7:45 am. She decided to observe for a few weeks to see if she was right. This type of research is You were correct. Multiple Choice Questionsecondary data analysisan experimentfield research
field research
Field research
gathers primary data from a natural environment without doing a lab experiment or a survey
experiment: the testing of a hypothesis under controlled conditions
glossary
The social institution of family meets a variety of social needs that include:
legal, economic, and social/emotional
When new theories are developed, they are generally compared and tested against the already-established philosophical and theoretical frameworks, known as
paradigms
What is secondary data analysis?
research utilizing the already completed work of other researchers
A symbolic interactionist may compare social interactions to:
theatrical roles
According to C. Wright Mills,
there is an intricate relationship between the individual and society
If a study measures what it was designed to measure, then it is considered
valid
Sociological studies test relationships in which change in one ______ causes change in another.
variable
A researcher wanted to see which temperature would be ideal for students taking tests. He decided to create three different testing rooms set at three different temperatures. What kind of study is this?
Experiment
Differentiate between the three main theoretical paradigms/perspectives in sociology
Functionalism, also called structural-functional theory, sees society as a structure with interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of the individuals in that society. Functionalism grew out of the writings of English philosopher and biologist, Hebert Spencer (1820-1903), who saw similarities between society and the human body; he argued that just as the various organs of the body work together to keep the body functioning, the various parts of society work together to keep society functioning (Spencer 1898). The parts of society that Spencer referred to were the social institutions, or patterns of beliefs and behaviors focused on meeting social needs, such as government, education, family, healthcare, religion, and the economy. Durkheim believed that individuals may make up society, but in order to study society, sociologists have to look beyond individuals to social facts. Social facts are the laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, customs, fashions, rituals, and all of the cultural rules that govern social life (Durkheim 1895). Each of these social facts serves one or more functions within a society. For example, one function of a society's laws may be to protect society from violence, while another is to punish criminal behavior, while another is to preserve public health.
case study:in-depth analysis of a single event, situation, or individual correlation:when a change in one variable coincides with a change in another variable, but does not necessarily indicate causation ethnography:observing a complete social setting and all that it entails field research:gathering data from a natural environment without doing a lab experiment or a survey participant observation:when a researcher immerses herself in a group or social setting in order to make observations from an "insider" perspective primary data:data that are collected directly from firsthand experience
Glossary
Which best describes the results of a case study?
Its results are not generally applicable
Research results that are subjective and often based on what is seen in a natural setting is considered
Qualitative data
Research on immigration to Pittsburg in the 1910s that relies on census records is an example of
Secondary data analysis
Karl Marx believed that
Social conflict leads to societal changes
Describe and apply the scientific method to sociology
Sociologists make use of tried and true methods of research, such as experiments, surveys, and field research. But humans and their social interactions are so diverse that these interactions can seem impossible to chart or explain. It might seem that science is about discoveries and chemical reactions or about proving ideas right or wrong rather than about exploring the nuances of human behavior. However, this is exactly why scientific models work for studying human behavior. A scientific process of research establishes parameters that help make sure results are objective and accurate. Scientific methods provide limitations and boundaries that focus a study and organize its results. The scientific method involves developing and testing theories about the world based on empirical evidence. It is defined by its commitment to systematic observation of the empirical world and strives to be objective, critical, skeptical, and logical. It involves a series of prescribed steps that have been established over centuries of scholarship. But just because sociological studies use scientific methods does not make the results less human. Sociological topics are not reduced to right or wrong facts. In this field, results of studies tend to provide people with access to knowledge they did not have before—knowledge of other cultures, knowledge of rituals and beliefs, or knowledge of trends and attitudes. No matter what research approach they use, researchers want to maximize the study's reliability, which refers to how likely research results are to be replicated if the study is reproduced. Reliability increases the likelihood that what happens to one person will happen to all people in a group. Researchers also strive for validity, which refers to how well the study measures what it was designed to measure. Returning to the crime rate during a full moon topic, reliability of a study would reflect how well the resulting experience represents the average adult crime rate during a full moon. Validity would ensure that the study's design accurately examined what it was designed to study, so an exploration of adult criminal behaviors during a full moon should address that issue and not veer into other age groups' crimes, for example. In general, sociologists tackle questions about the role of social characteristics in outcomes. For example, how do different communities fare in terms of psychological well-being, community cohesiveness, range of vocation, wealth, crime rates, and so on? Are communities functioning smoothly? Sociologists look between the cracks to discover obstacles to meeting basic human needs. They might study environmental influences and patterns of behavior that lead to crime, substance abuse, divorce, poverty, unplanned pregnancies, or illness. And, because sociological studies are not all focused on negative behaviors or challenging situations, researchers might study vacation trends, healthy eating habits, neighborhood organizations, higher education patterns, games, parks, and exercise habits.
Explain the sociological imagination and the relationship between the individual and the broader workings of society
Sociologists often study culture using the sociological imagination, which pioneer sociologist C. Wright Mills described as an awareness of the relationship between a person's behavior and experience and the wider culture that shaped the person's choices and perceptions. It's a way of seeing our own and other people's behavior in relationship to history and social structure (1959). One illustration of this is a person's decision to marry. In the United States, this choice is heavily influenced by individual feelings; however, the social acceptability of marriage relative to the person's circumstances also plays a part. Remember, though, that culture is a product of the people in a society; sociologists take care not to treat the concept of "culture" as though it were alive in its own right. Reification is an error of treating an abstract concept as though it has a real, material existence (Sahn 2013).
Define sociology and describe the historical and social context from which it emerged
Sociology is the study of groups and group interactions, societies and social interactions, from small and personal groups to very large groups. A group of people who live in a defined geographic area, who interact with one another, and who share a common culture is what sociologists call a society. Sociologists study all aspects and levels of society. Sociologists working from the micro-level study small groups and individual interactions, while those using macro-level analysis look at trends among and between large groups and societies. For example, a micro-level study might look at the accepted rules of conversation in various groups such as among teenagers or business professionals. In contrast, a macro-level analysis might research the ways that language use has changed over time or in social media outlets. The term culture refers to the group's shared practices, values, and beliefs. Culture encompasses a group's way of life, from routine, everyday interactions to the most important parts of group members' lives. It includes everything produced by a society, including all of the social rules. All sociologists are interested in the experiences of individuals and how those experiences are shaped by interactions with social groups and society as a whole. To a sociologist, the personal decisions an individual makes do not exist in a vacuum. Cultural patterns and social forces put pressure on people to select one choice over another. Sociologists try to identify these general patterns by examining the behavior of large groups of people living in the same society and experiencing the same societal pressures. Since ancient times, people have been fascinated by the relationship between individuals and the societies to which they belong. Many topics studied in modern sociology were also studied by ancient philosophers in their desire to describe an ideal society, including theories of social conflict, economics, social cohesion, and power (Hannoum 2003). In the thirteenth century, Ma Tuan-Lin, a Chinese historian, first recognized social dynamics as an underlying component of historical development in his seminal encyclopedia, General Study of Literary Remains. The next century saw the emergence of the historian some consider to be the world's first sociologist: Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) of Tunisia. He wrote about many topics of interest today, setting a foundation for both modern sociology and economics, including a theory of social conflict, a comparison of nomadic and sedentary life, a description of political economy, and a study connecting a tribe's social cohesion to its capacity for power (Hannoum 2003). In the eighteenth century, Age of Enlightenment philosophers developed general principles that could be used to explain social life. Thinkers such as John Locke, Voltaire, Immanuel Kant, and Thomas Hobbes responded to what they saw as social ills by writing on topics that they hoped would lead to social reform. Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) wrote about women's conditions in society. Her works were long ignored by the male academic structure, but since the 1970s, Wollstonecraft has been widely considered the first feminist thinker of consequence.
Social solidarity refers to
The social ties of a group
Wright Mills is known for his contribution of ________ to the field of sociology.
The sociological imagination
What is sociology?
The study of society and social interaction
Which of the following best describes sociology as a subject?
The study of society and social interaction
In a study, a group of ten-year-old boys are fed doughnuts every morning for a week and then weighed to see how much weight they gained. Which factor is the dependent variable?
The weight gained
Which of the following is NOT an example of ethnography?
Undercover experiences of a female living among the wealthy
Sociologists want to
Understand society in a disciplined way.
Which of the following correctly describes the steps of the scientific method?
ask a question, research, create hypothesis, conduct experiment, draw conclusions, report results
If you are studying the impact of a new type of teaching curriculum in the psychology classroom, the classroom where the old curriculum is still taught is considered the ________.
control group
Which sociological perspective focuses on relationships and inequalities between women and men?
feminism
antipositivism:the view that social researchers should strive for subjectivity as they worked to represent social processes, cultural norms, and societal values generalized others:the organized and generalized attitude of a social group positivism:the scientific study of social patterns qualitative sociology:in-depth interviews, focus groups, and/or analysis of content sources as the source of its data quantitative sociology:statistical methods such as surveys with large numbers of participants significant others:specific individuals that impact a person's life verstehen:a German word that means to understand in a deep way
glossary
code of ethics:a set of guidelines that the American Sociological Association has established to foster ethical research and professionally responsible scholarship in sociology value neutrality:a practice of remaining impartial, without bias or judgment during the course of a study and in publishing results
glossary
conflict theory:a theory that looks at society as a competition for limited resources constructivism:an extension of symbolic interaction theory which proposes that reality is what humans cognitively construct it to be dramaturgical analysis:a technique sociologists use in which they view society through the metaphor of theatrical performance functionalism:a theoretical approach that sees society as a structure with interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of individuals that make up that society symbolic interactionism:a theoretical perspective through which scholars examine the relationship of individuals within their society by studying their communication (language and symbols) theory:a proposed explanation about social interactions or society
glossary
conflict theory:a theory that looks at society as a competition for limited resources critical race theory:a theory that looks at structural inequality based on white privilege and associated wealth, power, and prestige dominant gender ideology:the assumption that physiological sex differences between males and females are related to differences in their character, behavior, and ability (i.e., their gender) feminism:the critical analysis of the way gender differences in society structure social inequality patriarchy:a set of institutional structures (like property rights, access to positions of power, relationship to sources of income) that are based on the belief that men and women are dichotomous and unequal categories
glossary
conflict theory:a theory that looks at society as a competition for limited resources functionalism:a theoretical approach that sees society as a structure with interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of individuals that make up that society grand theories:an attempt to explain large-scale relationships and answer fundamental questions such as why societies form and why they change hypothesis:a testable proposition macro-level:a wide-scale view of the role of social structures within a society micro-level theories:the study of specific relationships between individuals or small groups paradigms:philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and the experiments performed in support of them social solidarity:the social ties that bind a group of people together such as kinship, shared location, and religion symbolic interactionism:a theoretical perspective through which scholars examine the relationship of individuals within their society by studying their communication (language and symbols) theory:a proposed explanation about social interactions or society
glossary
correlation:when a change in one variable coincides with a change in another variable, but does not necessarily indicate causation Hawthorne effect:when study subjects behave in a certain manner due to their awareness of being observed by a researcher interview:a one-on-one conversation between the researcher and the subject participant observation:when a researcher immerses herself in a group or social setting in order to make observations from an "insider" perspective population:a defined group serving as the subject of a study primary data:data that are collected directly from firsthand experience quantitative data:represent research collected in numerical form that can be counted qualitative data:comprise information that is subjective and often based on what is seen in a natural setting random sample:a study's participants being randomly selected to serve as a representation of a larger population samples:small, manageable number of subjects that represent the population secondary data analysis:using data collected by others but applying new interpretations surveys:collect data from subjects who respond to a series of questions about behaviors and opinions, often in the form of a questionnaire
glossary
culture:a group's shared practices, values, and beliefs figuration:the process of simultaneously analyzing the behavior of an individual and the society that shapes that behavior reification:an error of treating an abstract concept as though it has a real, material existence society:a group of people who live in a defined geographical area who interact with one another and who share a common culture sociological imagination:the ability to understand how your own past relates to that of other people, as well as to history in general and societal structures in particular sociology:the systematic study of society and social interaction
glossary
dependent variables:a variable changed by other variables hypothesis:a testable educated guess about predicted outcomes between two or more variables independent variables:variables that cause changes in dependent variables interpretive framework:a sociological research approach that seeks in-depth understanding of a topic or subject through observation or interaction; this approach is not based on hypothesis testing literature review:a scholarly research step that entails identifying and studying all existing studies on a topic to create a basis for new research operational definitions:specific explanations of abstract concepts that a researcher plans to study reliability:a measure of a study's consistency that considers how likely results are to be replicated if a study is reproduced scientific method:an established scholarly research method that involves asking a question, researching existing sources, forming a hypothesis, designing and conducting a study, and drawing conclusions validity:the degree to which a sociological measure accurately reflects the topic of study
glossary
dominant gender ideology:the assumption that physiological sex differences between males and females are related to differences in their character, behavior, and ability (i.e., their gender) heterosexism:is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination that favor male-female sexuality and relationshipsfeminism:the critical analysis of the way gender differences in society structure social inequality patriarchy:a set of institutional structures (like property rights, access to positions of power, relationship to sources of income) that are based on the belief that men and women are dichotomous and unequal categories standpoint theory: theory that feminist social science should be practiced from the standpoint of women
glossary
dynamic equilibrium:a stable state in which all parts of a healthy society work together properly dysfunctions:social patterns that have undesirable consequences for the operation of society function:the part a recurrent activity plays in the social life as a whole and the contribution it makes to structural continuity functionalism:a theoretical approach that sees society as a structure with interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of individuals that make up that society latent functions:the unrecognized or unintended consequences of a social process manifest functions:sought consequences of a social process paradigms:philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and the experiments performed in support of them social facts:the laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, customs, fashions, rituals, and all of the cultural rules that govern social life social institutions:patterns of beliefs and behaviors focused on meeting social needs
glossary
empirical evidence:evidence that comes from direct experience, scientifically gathered data, or experimentation meta-analysis:a technique in which the results of virtually all previous studies on a specific subject are evaluated together
glossary
personal troubles:private problems experienced by one individual and the range of their immediate relation to others public issues:issues that lie beyond one's personal control and the range of one's inner life, rooted in society instead of at the individual level. sociological imagination:the use of imaginative thought to understand the relationship between the individual (personal troubles) and the broader workings of society (public issues).
glossary
Kenneth and Mamie Clark used sociological research to show that segregation was:
harmful
Seeing patterns means that a sociologist needs to be able to:
identify similarities in how social groups respond to social pressure
C. Wright Mills once said that sociologists need to develop a sociological __________ to study how society affects individuals.
imagination
One-to-one interactions and communications are analyzed on a
micro-level
Berger describes sociologists as concerned with:
monumental moments in people's lives common everyday life events both a and b
Using secondary data is considered an unobtrusive or ________ research method.
nonreactive
Social institutions are best defined as
patterns of beliefs and behaviors focused on meeting specific social needs
Research results that are subjective and often based on what is seen in a natural setting is considered
qualitative data
Value neutrality requires that researchers
remain impartial and without bias or judgment
Research on immigration to Pittsburg in the 1910s that relies on census records is an example of
secondary data analysis
Culture refers to
shared practices, values, & beliefs
A thought process proposed by C. Wright Mills is characterized by thinking outside of the box and looking at the relationship between the individual and the broader workings of society. What is this thought process called?
sociological imagination
Some might consider casinos a bane to society while another might view it as an exciting place of opportunity. What does this indicate?
symbolic interactionism can provide different meanings to different people
Some might consider casinos a bane to society while another might view it as an exciting place of opportunity. What does this indicate? You were correct.
symbolic interactionism can provide different meanings to different people
If a researcher's hypothesis is that the greater amount of time teenagers spend playing video games, the higher their grades in math, then the independent variable is
time playing video games
Sociologists want to
understand society in a disciplined way
A measurement is considered ______ if it actually measures what it is intended to measure, according to the topic of the study.
valid
Which statement best describes functionalism?
views society as a structure of interrelated parts that meets the needs of those who live in that society