Sociology: Chapter 1: Sociology and the Real World

the sense of dissatisfaction the modern worker feels as a result of producing goods that are owned and controlled by someone else (page 24)

Alienation

"normlessness"; term used to describe the alienation and loss of purpose that result from weaker social bonds and an increased pace of change (page 21)

Anomie

A. everyday actor Feedback: as an everyday actor. Ashley has practical knowledge of how driving works. She doesn't question the social behavior as a social analyst would do. She has learned it by watching others.

Ashley just got her driver's license permit. Today is the first day she ever driven a car. Without questioning why, Ashley begins driving on the right side of the road. In sociological terms, Ashley can best be described as a/an: a. everyday actor b. social analyst c. astute teenager d. experienced driver

Coined the term sociology and developed "positivism" as a theory.

Auguste Comte

D. identify laws that describe the behavior of a reality. FEEDBACK: Auguste Comte felt that to improve society as a whole required guidance in the form of how we construct our reality.

Auguste Comte is credited with coining the term "sociology," largely through the development of a theory of human thinking called positivism. What does positivism attempt to do? a. reinforce the uplifting and positive aspects of the social lives of humans b. identify laws that convey the true state of the natural world c. overcome the defects inherent in human laws to create a positive society d. identify laws the describe the behavior of a reality.

approaching the world without preconceptions in order to see things in a new way (page 10)

Beginner's Mind

owners; the class of modern capitalists who own the means of production and employ wage laborers (page 23)

Bourgeoisie

secondary groups designed to perform tasks efficiently, characterized by specialization, technical competence, hierarchy, written rules, impersonality, and formal written communication.

Bureaucracies

a type of sociology practiced at the University of Chicago in 1920s and 1930s that centered on urban settings and field research methods.

Chicago School

the recognition of social inequality on the part of the oppressed, leading to revolutionary action (page 24)

Class Consciousness

an intense energy in shared events where people feel swept up in something larger than themselves (page 21)

Collective Effervescence

the shared morals and beliefs that are common to a group and that foster social solidarity (page 21)

Collective conscience

Society exists with patterns of inequality and dominance.

Conflict Theory

a paradigm that sees social conflict as the basis of society and social change and that emphasizes a materialist view of society, a critical view of the status quo, and a dynamic model of historical change (page 23)

Conflict Theory

B. Level 5, group FEEDBACK: Sociologists study all levels of social phenomena, ranging from macro to micro. Different perspectives best address different levels of analysis.

Consider the macro-micro continuum in sociology. If you planned to study how your classmates in this particular class arranged their time to allow for the needed reading and writing work for the class, which level on this continuum would you turn to? a. Level 1, the self b. Level 5, groups c. Level 2, interaction d. Level 7, social institutions

a sociological approach that looks at how we create meaning in naturally occurring conversation, often by taping conversations and examining their transcripts.

Conversation Analysis

a contemporary form of conflict theory that criticizes many different systems and ideologies of domination and oppression (page 25)

Critical Theory

a sense of disorientation that occurs when entering a radically new social or cultural environment (page 11)

Culture Shock

Karl Marx's model of historical change, whereby two extreme positions come into conflict and create some new outcome (page 24)

Dialectical Model

the rationalization of modern society

Disenchantment

an approach pioneered by Erving Goffman in which social life is analyzed in terms of its similarities to theatrical performance.

Dramaturgy

a disturbance to or undesirable consequence of some aspect of the social system (page 22)

Dysfunction

A. Social Bonds that held agrarian societies together. Feedback:In Durkheim's view, agrarian societies were held together by mechanical solidarity, which refers to many people doing very similar kinds of work (rather than extensive specialization).

Emilie Durkheim suggested that mechanical solidarity created the: a. social bonds that held agarian societies together. b. conflict that held agrarian societies together. c. wide variety of societies that we have today. d. inequality that exists between the "haves" and the "have-nots."

based on scientific experimentation or observation (page 21)

Empirical

the study of "folk methods" and background knowledge that sustains a shared sense of reality in everyday interactions (page 31)

Ethnomethology

the tendency to favor European or Western histories, culture, and values over those of non-Western societies.

Eurocentric

a denial of the truth on the part of the oppressed when they fail to recognize that the interests of the ruling class are embedded in the dominant ideology (page 24)

False Consciousness

a theoretical approach that looks at gender inequities in society and the way that gender structures the social world.

Feminist Theory

A precursor to naturalistic sociologists and translated introduction to Positive Philosophy into English.

Harriet Martineau

Coined the term "survival of the fittest," and his philosophy is often referred to as social Darwinism.

Herbert Spencer

a system of beliefs, attitudes, and values that directs a society and reproduces the status quo of the bourgeoisie (page 24)

Ideology

C. Symbolic Interactionism FEEDBACK: Symbolic interactionists explore the ways we understand meaning through interaction.

Kai needed a doctor, and his friend told him that Dr. Madeira was "very good." Kai scheduled an appointment with him the next day. Which perspective would explore how Kai defined the meaning of the term "good?" a. structural functionalism b. conversation analysis c. symbolic interactionism d. dramaturgy

D. the control and ownership of the means of production. FEEDBACK: The theories and writings of Karl Marx have had a profound effect on many aspects of society and scholarship. The concept of the means of production, the way in which wealth can be created, was a central part of his work.

In regard to social classes, what sharp distinction did Karl Marx draw between the proletariat (laborers) and the bourgeoisie (owners) in a society? a. the prevalence and degree of false consciousness b. the ability to stage a revolution c. the perception of social inequality d. the control and ownership of the means of production

A. conflict perspective FEEDBACK: Sociological perspectives are much like a photographer's lens. A wide-angle lens will capture the "big picture," much like conflict and functionalist perspectives explore the "big picture" or the macro level of analysis.

In terms of sociological perspectives, a photographer's wide-angle lens is most likely to capture which perspective? a. conflict perspective b. micro perspective c. symbolic interactionist perspective d. dramaturgical perspective

A. Manifest FEEDBACK: Manifest functions are the obvious, intended functions of a social structure.

In the field of education, teaching students to solve math problems is an example of what kind of function? a. manifest b. latent c. disturbance d. structural

Max Weber's pessimistic description of modern life, in which we are caught in bureaucratic structures that control our lives through rigid rules and rationalization (page 26)

Iron Cage

C. Macro FEEDBACK: Joe is looking at large-scale social patterns, a macro approach. If he opted to speak to local foster care children and parents about their experiences, this would be an example of a micro approach.

Joe wants to know how changes in North Carolina state laws have related to foster care rates over the last twenty years. Which level of analysis might Joe be likely to use in his research? a. micro b. middle c. macro d. midrange

the less obvious, perhaps unintended functions of a social structure (page 22)

Latent Functions

A. True Feedback: Macrosociologists study large-scale social behavior, initially as a way to better understand sweeping transformations occurring as a result of the industrial Revolution.

Macro-sociological theory is the study of grad social behavior such as social order, social change, and social inequality. True or False?

the level of analysis that studies large-scale social structures in order to determine how they affect the lives of groups and individuals (page 16)

Macrosociology

the obvious, intended functions of a social structure for the social system (page 22

Manifest Function

anything that can create wealth: money, property, factories, and other types of businesses, and the infrastructure necessary to run them (page 23)

Means of Production

the type of social bonds present in premodern, agrarian societies, in which shared traditions and beliefs created a sense of social cohesion (page 21)

Mechanical Solidarity

the level of analysis that studies face-to-face and small-group interactions in order to understand how they affect the larger patterns and structures of society (page 14)

Microsociology

an approach that integrates empiricism and grand theory (page 34)

Midrange Theory

A. Culture Shock FEEDBACK: Culture shock often happens when a person is exposed to an unfamiliar environment.

Nasko moved to the United States from Bulgaria at the age of nine. After moving, he felt disoriented because the environment was so strange to him. He experienced: a. culture shock. b. rapid social movement. c. cultural fear. d. relocation confusion.

the type of social bonds present in modern societies, based on difference, interdependence, and individual rights (page 21)

Organic Solidarity

a set of assumptions, theories, and perspectives that make up a way of understanding social reality (page 18)

Paradigms

the theory that sense perceptions are the only valid source of knowledge (page 18)

Positivism

Social reality is diverse and best explored via mini-narratives.

Postmodernism

a paradigm that suggests that social reality is diverse, pluralistic, and constantly in flux.

Postmodernism

a perspective that assumes organisms (including humans) male practical adaptations to their environment; humans do this through cognition, interpretation, and interaction.

Pragmatism

the application of theory to practical action in an effort to improve aspects of society

Praxis

the ordinary, mundane, or everyday (page 21)

Profane

workers; those who have no means of production of their own and so are reduced to selling their labor power in order to live (page 23)

Proletariat

social theory about gender and the sexual identity; emphasizes the importance of difference and rejects ideas of innate identities or restrictive categories

Queer Theory

the application of economic logic to human activity; the use of formal rules and regulations in order to maximize efficiency without consideration of subjective or individual concerns.

Rationalization

the holy, divine, or supernatural (page 21)

Sacred

the application of the theory of evolution and the notion of "survival of the fittest" to the study of society (page 20)

Social Darwinism

the unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige among members of a society (page 23)

Social Inequality

the disciplines that use the scientific method to examine the social world, in contrast to the natural sciences, which examine the physical world (page 10)

Social Sciences

a group of people who shape their lives in aggregated and patterned ways that distinguish their group from others (page 9)

Society

a quality of the mind that allows us to understand the relationship between out individual circumstances and larger social forces.

Sociological Imagination

a way of looking at the world through a sociological lens (page 10)

Sociological perspective

the systematic or scientific study of human society and social behavior, from large-scale institutions and mass culture to small groups and individual interactions (page 9)

Sociology

d. the scientific study of society and social behavior Feedback: sociology is the scientific study of society and social behavior. It encompasses nearly all levels of structure and interactions in society.

Sociology is: a. the study of individual behavior b. the study of personal issues and illnesses c. the nonscientific study of small group interactions d. the scientific study of society and social behavior

A. poltical science FEEDBACK: Sociology overlaps with many other social sciences while offering a unique sociological perspective.

Sociology overlaps with many other disciplines while also offering a unique perspective. Considering Figure 1.1 on page 10 in your text, select the discipline with which sociology overlaps. a. political science b. mathematics c. biology d. physics

D. Dramaturgy FEEDBACK: Dramaturgy is a theoretical perspective that uses the metaphor of the theater to understand how individuals present themselves to others.

Solidad carefully considers how she wants to present herself at her job interview later today. She intends to offer a very different presentation of herself than she did with her friends over drinks last night. Solidad recognizes that the way she presented herself last night is very different than the approach she will use today. With which theoretical paradigm does this statement best align? a. conversation analysis b. pragmatism c. ethnomethodology d. dramaturgy

the degree of integration or unity within a particular society; the extent to which individuals feel connected to other members of their group (page 21)

Solidarity

Society is orderly and is a unified system.

Structural Functionalism

a paradigm based on the assumption that society is a unified whole that functions because of the contributions of its separate structures (page 20)

Structural Functionalism

a social institution that is relatively stable over time and that meets the needs of society by performing functions necessary to maintain social order and stability (page 22)

Structure

Meanings are created and interpreted through interaction.

Symbolic Interactionism

a paradigm that sees interaction and meaning as central to society and assumes that meanings are not inherent but are created through interaction

Symbolic Interactionism

the new social system created out of the conflict between thesis and antithesis in a dialectical model (page 24)

Synthesis

abstract propositions that explain the social world and make predictions about the future (page 18)

Theories

B. the actor takes for granted what the analyst can grasp deeply, and the analyst must struggle to understand that the actor implicitly understands FEEDBACK: The everyday actor uses "reciped," or practical, knowledge while the social analyst questions the answers and explores "why" things are the way they are.

There is a key difference between the everyday actor and the social analyst in their interactions with the social world that can be summed up as: a. the actor possesses knowledge that the analyst will never be able to understand, but the analyst can understand things that are not part of the actor's world. b. the actor takes for granted what the analyst can grasp deeply, and the analyst must struggle to understand what the actor implicitly understands. c. there is no difference between how the actor and the analyst can understand the real social world. d. the actor understands well what has happened in the past, but the analyst is able to assess what is happening in the present.

the existing social arrangements in a dialectical model (page 24)

Thesis

A. Thomas is part of a different economy and workforce than his grandfather so his experiences are different. Feedback: C. Wright Mills explored the ability to understand "the intersection between biography and history." He believed that every great theorist must possess this ability. He called this the "sociological imagination." Using our sociological imagination, we can see that while Thomas and his father and grandfather may have all had similar training and skills (biography) they all had unique work experiences based on the different job markets they entered (history).

Thomas has a degree in engineering just as his father and grandfather do. his grandfather was able to get a job straight out of college and stay with the same company until he retired. After trying for over a year, Thomas was only able to find contracted hourly engineering work. He has decided to pursue a graduate degree with the hopes of finding full time employment when he graduates. Using sociological imagination, how might we better understand this decision. a. Thomas is part of a different economy and workforce than his grandfather so his experiences are different. b. Thomas is not putting out enough effort so he is less successful than his grandfather. c. Engineering is less important than it used to be d. Thomas interviews poorly.

"emphathic understanding"; Weber's term to describe good social research. which tries to understand the meanings that individuals attach to various aspects of social reality

Verstehen

B. assigned meanings as social processes requiring the interaction of many individuals. FEEDBACK: George Herbert Mead was a key contributor to symbolic interactionism.

What basic idea associates George Herbert Mead with symbolic interactionism? a. the discovery of truth in the evaluation of its usefulness in everyday life b. assigned meanings as social processes requiring the interaction of many individuals c. the nature of race relations in America d. women's unique and special responsibility in the solving of social problems

A. Disenchantment FEEDBACK: Weber believed that contemporary life was filled with disenchantment caused by the rationalization of modern society, in which bureaucratic rules prevail.

What did Max Weber believe people would experience more of as the dehumanizing features of bureaucratic processes became increasingly prevalent in society? a. disenchantment b. anomie c. alienation d. simple frustration

C. Sociology FEEDBACK: This is an informal definition of sociology that reminds us that neither the individual nor society exists in isolation.

What is it that Howard Becker defines as the study of people "doing things together"? a. social expectations b. social psychology c. sociology d. family

D. Being open and receptive to new experiences helps us understand what we do not already know. FEEDBACK: Utilizing a sociological perspective requires us to look beyond individual experiences or effort and focus more on wide societal changes.

What quality of a sociologist is brought out by the exercise called "Beginner's Mind," which is discussed in the chapter? a. Finding ways to actively engage ourselves in a large crowd of people helps hone our knowledge about our own social abilities. b. Being clear on our well established ways of thinking helps promote an open-minded approach. c. Getting in touch with our own inner feelings and perceptions helps us understand those of others. Correct! d. Being open and receptive to new experiences helps us understand what we do not already know.

a. midrange theory FEEDBACK: Midrange theory is an approach that integrates empiricism and grand theory.

What style of theorizing integrates empirical data gathered via specific research projects with larger-scale theories about social structure? a. midrange theory b. modernism c. deconstructionism d. scaled theory

B. deconstruction FEEDBACK: Postmodernism is a relatively new theoretical perspective that is interested in taking apart existing "grand narratives" and deconstructing existing knowledge; Section: New Theoretical Approaches.

Which of the following concepts is central to postmodernism? a. construction b. deconstruction c. conversation analysis d. power imbalance

B. functionalist FEEDBACK: Structural functionalism was the dominant theoretical perspective within sociology well into the mid-twentieth century. It assumes that the whole of a society functions as a result of all its constituent parts.

Which sociological perspective explores how society is structured and maintains order? a. conflict b. functionalist c. symbolic interactionist d. postmodern

C. feminist Theory FEEDBACK: Feminist theory is an offshoot of conflict theory that specifically focuses on gender inequalities and the way that gender structures the social world.

Which theory developed as a result of applying conflict theory assumptions specifically to gender inequality? a. queer theory b. critical theory c. feminist theory d. gender duality theory

the opposition to the existing arrangements in a dialectical model (page 24)

antithesis

a type of critical postmodern analysis that involves taking apart or disassembling old ways of thinking

deconstruction

a paradigm that places trust in the power of science and technology to create progress, solve problems, and improve life.

modernism