First Exam (Soc Terms)

When a major social change takes place and a sense of order is disrupted, people may feel a sense of anomie, or normlessness

Anomic suicide

What two key components did C. Wright Mills identify as being fundamental to understanding the sociological imagination?

C Wright Mills identified 2 components as being fundamental to understanding the sociological imagination; 1. What is the structure of this particular society as a whole? 2. Where does this society stand in human history?

What key questions did C. Wright Mills associate with the sociological imagination?

C. Wright Mills associated these three questions with the sociological imagination; 1. Who are you? 2. Where do you fit into society? 3. How have you been shaped by your society?

Which early social theorists viewed society as a type of living organism and are identified as being among the earliest structural functionalists?

Herbert Spencer and Emile Durkheim were some of the earliest structural functionalists. They viewed society and a living organism.

The aspect that is manipulated. The experimenter produces the change, independently of the subject's wishes, desires, or behavior

Independent Variable

Consider the following statement: Everyone in the population has the same chance of being included in the study. What concept does this statement illustrate?

random sampling

What term refers to a general statement about how some parts of the world fit together and how they work?

A theory refers to a general statement about how some parts of the world fit together and how that work. (generally it has been proven through repeated experimentation)

Explain the difference between a theory and a hypothesis.

A theory refers to a general statement about how some parts of the world fit together and how that work. (generally it has been proven through repeated experimentation) A hypothesis is a tentative statement that potentially explains a phenomenon. A theory is a general explanation of the relationship among a set of variables. A hypothesis is a tentative statement that is designed to test a prediction about the relationship between variables. HYPOTHESIS IS A STATEMENT. IT ISNT A LENGTHY EXPLANATION.

What key question did the political revolutions that swept across Europe after the French Revolution lead sociologists to ask?

After the French Revolution, political revolutions swept across Europe. This lead to sociologists asking a question, "what holds a society together?"

Suicide committed for the benefit of others. Falling on a grenade is one such example.

Altruistic suicide

Which sociological perspective views society as being composed of groups that engage in fierce competition for scarce resources?

Conflict theory views society as being composed of groups that engage in fierce competition for scarce resources.

The behavior that is measured in an experiment is called the

Dependent Variable

Identify three specific things that occurred when the French revolutionaries de-Christianized France.

During the effort to de-christianize France; street names with saints' were renamed, the traditional/biblical 7-day week was replaced with a week that consisted of 10 days, and priests and rebels were massacred.

A researcher is conducting experimental research on the effects of an anger management program for new parents. He has established two groups. Group A will participate in a special counseling program. Group B will go about their daily routines without participating in any counseling. What is the name of Group B in experimental research such as this?

Group B is considered the control group, their situation/variables are not manipulated by those conducting the experiment.

What might explain the observation that as the number of storks nesting on roofs in the winter increases, the number of human births nine months later increases?

It's cold outside, and families (couples) stay inside. Couples that stay inside, get bored and decide to make babies. Because it's cold outside, the stork's nest on the roof. This is a correlation. The nesting storks are not the cause of the increase in births 9 months later. CORRELATION NOT CAUSATION

Who spearheaded the French Revolution and was known as the Incorruptible?

Max Robespierre spearheaded the French revolution and was known as The Incorruptible.

What did Peter Berger claim was the first wisdom of sociology?

Peter Berger claimed that the first wisdom of sociology is "Things are not what they seem".

What definition of sociology distinguishes it from other social sciences?

Sociology is a study of how people fit within the historical period in which they live.

What sociological perspective stresses that society is a whole unit, made up of interrelated parts that work together harmoniously?

Structural functionalism is the sociological perspective that stresses that society is a whole unit, made up of interrelated parts that work together harmoniously. Society is a living organism.

Which theoretical perspective in sociology is most aligned with micro-level analysis?

Symbolic interaction is the theoretical perspective that aligns most closely with micro-level analysis.

What sparked the intellectual curiosity of many early social theorists?

The French Revolution and how it rapidly reconstructed a society sparked the curiosity of many early social theorists.

What did the YouTube video about Juan Mann illustrate?

The video about Juan Mann illustrates a society's tendency to be followers, establishing a social norm.

What objective is a researcher trying to accomplish when she asks a respondent general, non-sensitive questions to gain a feeling of trust before asking questions of a more sensitive and personal nature?

she is trying to develop a rapport with the respondent

Professor Freedman designed an experiment to see if wearing school uniforms influences student behavior. First, he randomly selected 50 subjects for this experiment from a fifth grade public school. Second, he had observers measure various aspects of students' behaviors (for example, cooperation, conformity, aggression, and courtesy) for several weeks. Third, after a period of time, students were given uniforms and told that they would have to dress according to this new dress code for school. Over the next six months, the observers measured various aspects of student behavior again. Their results showed clear changes in student behavior. Should the school adopt a uniform policy based on these results? Why or why not?

Clearly if the same students that were once acting out are now behaving better because of the uniforms, then this would be a good thing to consider.

To what early social theorists can we trace functional analysis?

Functionalism can be traced back to Spencer and Durkheim

Who was Harriet Martineau?

Harriet Martineau was the only women to make major contributions to early sociology.

What variable did Karl Marx claim was central to understanding human history?

Karl Marx believed that class conflict was central to understanding human history.

What did Robespierre's Festival of the Supreme Being suggest about his understanding of the functions of social institutions?

Robespierre understood that society will fixate on religion because it brings people who have similar values, together.

What theory is associated with the following principle: One's behavior depends on the way he or she defines himself or herself to others.

Symbolic interactionism is the theory associated with the principle "one's behavior depends on the way he or she defines him/her self to others.

Why did the French Revolution, not the American Revolution, give rise to the discipline of sociology? Identify three different arguments presented in the video viewed in class.

The French Revolution gave rise to the discipline of sociology because; 1. France had thousands of years of history. 2. There was a complete reconstruction of society after the wake of the revolution calmed. 3. Due to the political revolutions that moved across Europe, the transition into a new social order was not smooth

Every morning Jan measures her blood pressure on a digital machine that she bought at the drug store. The reading consistently shows her blood pressure at 130/70. When the doctor took her pressure at her office, Jan was surprised to see that it was 145/92. The doctor repeated the measure several times and found it to be near 145/92. Jan sent her machine to the manufacturer to see if it was giving an accurate measure. In fact, it was not. What can you say about the reliability of the measures taken on Jan's machine? What can you say about the internal validity of the measures?

The reliability of Jan's instrument was consistent because it delivered the same result. However, the internal validity was invalid because it was different that the true value. (Her scale was precise but not accurate... Sociology should adopt the correct terms... but that's just my opinion) The machine was reliable because it was giving the same number every time even though it was incorrect. But because it gave an incorrect number, its internal validity was invalid.

Describe the structure of French society before the French Revolution.

The structure of the French society was divided into 3 classes; clergy, nobility, and commoners.

When did sociology as a science emerge?

The study of Sociology emerged in the mid 1800s

What methodological concept does the following statement illustrate? "People who are more socially isolated are more likely to commit suicide than people who are more socially integrated."

egoistic

30. Consider the following experiment for the next set of questions. A sociologist wants to design a study that investigates how prosocial models influence altruistic behavior. She designs an experiment with two conditions. In the first condition subjects who are waiting for the experimenter to arrive are asked to deliver a package to a professor down the hall. On their way there, they see someone helping a secretary gather up a pile of papers that she has dropped. In the second condition, the subjects are also asked to deliver a package to a professor down the hall. In this case, they see the secretary picking up the papers, but no one else has stopped to help. After the subjects return to the main office, they are told that the experimenter had to cancel his appointment and that they are free to go. In fact, the experiment is not quite over. As the subjects leave the office, they pass a secretary who is struggling with 3 heavy boxes. The experimenter now notes whether the subjects offer to help her with the packages. a. What is the independent variable in this experiment? b. What is the dependent variable? c. What is the first condition in this experiment called? d. What is the second condition called? e. What must the researcher do to conclude that the independent variable did influence the variable in this experiment?

a) The independent variable is the secretary struggling with the boxes and the paper b) To see if the subjects will help her with the papers c) Control Group d) Experimental Group e) Do the experiment several times (post test)