Sociology test 1 study guide

Anthropologists often develop culture shock when visiting a new culture that is very different from what they are used to. They temporarily find themselves unable to understand their surroundings, and everything seems strange. Sociologists attempt to create this same feeling, but with one key difference. What is it?

Sociologists try to create this effect without necessarily moving to a new place or geographic location.

Metaphorically, what part of sociology would a zoom lens on a camera be most like?

microsociology

Which type of research is most likely to use field notes?

participant observation

Which school of social theory argues that everything is relative, fragmented, temporary, contingent, and ephemeral?

postmodernism

According to Karl Marx, what is the most important factor in a person's social life?

relationship to the means of production

Which social theory focuses on micro-level interactions?

symbolic interactionism

Which of the following statements best describes the approach taken by macrosociologists?

Macrosociology directly examines large-scale social structures in order to see how they affect individual lives

You are looking over the courses being offered at your school and you see a class called "The Sociology of Media and Popular Culture." You don't think you need this course because you listen to lots of music, watch a wide variety of television, and often go to the movies. What would a sociologist tell you?

You only have reciped knowledge.

Although functionalism is less popular today, what accounts for the strong appeal it had for early sociologists?

Functionalism helps to bring order to a rapidly changing and messy social world

Instructor Poe argues that a society's system of economic production shapes the existing culture. Additionally, certain groups of people have greater access to components of culture than do others. Instructor Poe can best be described as a

conflict theorist

Durkheim suggested that mechanical solidarity created the

social bonds that held agrarian societies together.

Which of the following theories focuses on how our behaviors are dependent upon the ways we interpret, make sense of, and define ourselves, others, and social situations?

symbolic interactionism

Max Weber believed that, as the Industrial Revolution progressed, society became increasingly rationalized. How did he define rationalization?

the application of economic logic to all aspects of social life

Some Marxists believe that conflict between medieval burghers and small merchants on the one hand, and the nobility on the other, led to the creation of modern capitalism, which was distinct from either of the opposing forces. What would Marx call this model of historical change?

the dialectical model

What is sociology?

the study of society and social behavior

Max Weber helped lay the groundwork for sociologists who would develop symbolic interactionism as a theory, because he believed that a social scientist should approach the study of human action:

with verstehen (understanding), which emphasizes the need for empathy with actors' experiences

What does Max Weber mean when he says that modern people are trapped in an "iron cage"?

Most aspects of life are increasingly controlled through rigid rules and rationalization.

If you possess a sociological imagination and someone asks you to study unemployment rates in a city of fifty million people where fifteen million are unemployed, what would you conclude?

We should consider the economic and political structures of the society

C. Wright Mills argued that not only do "people often feel that their private lives are a series of traps," but also that "they are often quite correct" in this feeling. However, he does not feel that we are ultimately helpless. Why not?

While larger social forces influence individual lives, there are many ways in which we can affect society as well.

It is expected that you will forget many or even most of the facts you learn in an introductory sociology class. What is the most important element of the course to not forget?

a new way of looking at and thinking about the social world

According to the theoretical position developed by Karl Marx, what is the engine of social change?

conflict between social groups

Unlike sociologists, most people base their knowledge of the world on:

conventional wisdom, background knowledge, and personal experience.

While on vacation three thousand miles from home, Candice wants to go to a restaurant where the locals go. She wants something different than she can get back home. While looking for a place to eat, she sees all the same chain restaurants she has near her home. This is an example of

cultural leveling

The _____ perspective explores how society is structured and maintains order.

functionalist

Which of the following is a latent function of the educational system in the United States?

keeping children out of trouble while parents are at work

This perspective explores the ways in which components of culture such as norms and values contribute to the organization and stability of society.

structural functionalism

Which of the following theories views society as a whole unit, made up of interrelated parts that work together?

structural functionalism

Who coined the term sociology?

Auguste Comte

_____ is the dissemination of beliefs and practices from one group to another.

Cultural diffusion

Why is it important to be objective when you conduct research?

If you're not objective, you might misinterpret the data instead of letting the facts speak for themselves.

Which of the following is a major critique of conflict theory?

In focusing on conflict and change, it sometimes ignores the stable and enduring parts of society

Charles Horton Cooley famously said, "each to each a looking-glass reflects the other that doth pass." What about this quote exemplifies symbolic interactionist theory?

It focuses on individual, face-to-face interaction

Which of the following is the most serious critique of structural functionalism?

It tends to argue that any social feature that exists must serve a function.

According to Robert Merton, what is the difference between manifest and latent functions?

Manifest functions are intended and obvious

Macrosociology and microsociology seem to make very different assumptions about how society works. How does sociology, as a discipline, deal with these two very different perspectives?

Most sociologists think of these two perspectives as being on a continuum with each other, adopting whatever perspective seems most useful for a particular problem.

Which of the following statements about quantitative and qualitative research is correct?

Qualitative research works with nonnumerical data and often tries to understand how people make sense of their social world, whereas quantitative research translates the social world into numbers and often tries to find cause-and-effect relationships.

Which of the following illustrates a causal relationship?

Sara babysat for four hours. She earned twenty dollars

Larry is in high school when a guidance counselor comes in to tell students about their options after they graduate. He tells Larry that because of his high grades, he should consider college. He tells Larry's friend Dale, however, that he might want to get a job because his math grades are below average. Dale says that he always wanted to go to college so he can run his own business, but the guidance counselor tells him that not everyone can be a boss and some people (like Dale) will have to be the workers so that there is stability. What perspective is the guidance counselor using?

Structural Functionalism

According to symbolic interactionism, what is the relationship between the self and society?

The self is shaped by society, but society is also shaped by the self

If you find a sociologist who studies simple greetings in hallways, the way people play tic-tac-toe, or some other element of everyday interaction, what sort of sociologist have you found?

an ethnomethodologist

What is the term used to describe sociological research intended to solve social problems, such as that done by Jane Addams?

applied sociology

What institutions does Max Weber believe characterize modern industrialized societies?

bureaucracies

When William goes on vacation to Germany, he sees older children having a small glass of wine with their parents while at dinner. William, who is from the United States, is shocked and considers this practice abnormal. This is an example of

ethnocentrism

When Charles and Kim visit Great Britain, Charles quickly decided to NOT drive the rental car because he perceives the drivers as strange and weird and he wants nothing to do with them. Kim, on the other hand, is excited about driving the car. She is looking forward to learning how to do things differently than in the United States. In this example, Charles is experiencing _____ while Kim is experiencing _____.

ethnocentrism; cultural relativism

Teaching students to solve math problems is an example of a _____ function of education

manifest