Chapter 2

Collective conscience

A collective psyche that results from the blending of many individual mentalities but exists above any one individual

Charles Darwin coined the term "survival of the fittest." True / False

False

Unmarried people have a lower rate of suicide than married people. True / False

False

Marx and Engels felt that the misery of the lower classes was created by their willingness to make poor life choices. True / False

False A common theme in the writings of Marx and Engels was a profound sense of outrage at the misery produced in the lower classes by the industrial order.

According to Merton, manifest functions are not intended, but they are recognized. True / False

False According to Merton, manifest functions are both intended and recognized.

Spencer, the "father of sociology," first called the discipline social physics. True / False

False Comte, the "father of sociology," first called the discipline social physics.

Conflict theorists regard society as being in a state of equilibrium, while structural functional theorists regard society as being in a constant state of competition and change. True / False

False Conflict theorists regard society as being in a constant state of competition and change, while structural functional theorists regard society as potentially being in a state of equilibrium.

Durkheim concluded that suicide is a religious phenomenon. True / False

False Durkheim concluded that suicide is a social phenomenon.

Latent functions are the consequences of a social system, leading to the breakdown of the system. True / False

False Dysfunctions are the consequences of a social system, leading to the breakdown of the system.

Evolutionary theory suggests that societies are like factories. True / False

False Evolutionary theory suggests that societies are like biological organisms.

Feminist sociologists believe that gender is basic only to the five major institutions of society. True / False

False Feminist sociologists believe that gender is basic to all social structure and organization.

Together, Herbert Spencer and Charles Darwin coined the term "survival of the fittest." True / False

False Herbert Spencer coined the term "survival of the fittest."

Verstehen is one form of anomic suicide. True / False

False In Weber's work, the concept of verstehen, meaning understanding human action by examining the subjective meaning that people attach to their own behavior and the behavior of others, was very important.

In exchange theory, power is the basis of social relationships. True / False

False In exchange theory, expectations of reciprocation is the basis of social relationships.

Marx believed that both the proletariat and the bourgeoisie needed to develop class consciousness. True / False

False Marx believed that the proletariat were oppressed and needed to develop class consciousness.

Sociologists from the Chicago School explained human behavior in terms of religious doctrine. True / False

False Sociologists from the Chicago School explained human behavior in terms of science.

Spencer viewed society as progressing through an orderly evolution, and he thought that planned social change would help this progress. True / False

False Spencer argued that planned change would disrupt the orderly evolution of society.

Weber argued that determining social class was both an objective process and a subjective process, involving how we perceive power, wealth, and prestige.

False Weber argued that determining social class was a subjective process, involving how we perceive power, wealth, and prestige.

When students try to see where their teacher is coming from in her/his lectures or assignments, the students are most likely applying the concepts of __________. Herbert Spencer Émile Durkheim Karl Marx Max Weber

Max Weber

Altruistic suicide

Suicide that results from being overly integrated into groups and the group meaning taking on more importance than the individual

Egoistic suicide

Suicide that results from lack of social integration into meaningful groups, leaving the individual with a sense of being isolated

Fatalistic suicide

Suicide that results from oppressive social conditions that lead one to a fatal sense of hopelessness

Anomic suicide

Suicide that results from sudden changes in society or in one's life, leading to a disruption in the patterns that guide one's life

Bourgeoisie

The class of people who own the means of production

The study and discipline of sociology originated approximately __________. 300-400 years ago 200-300 years ago 100-200 years ago 50-100 years ago

100-200 years ago

Theory

A scientific explanation, grounded in evidence, for a particular process or phenomenon

Social system

A set of interrelated social structures and the expectations that accompany them

Middle-range theory

A set of propositions designed to link abstract theory with empirical testing

Conflict theory

A social theory that views conflict as inevitable and natural and as a significant cause of social change

Exchange theory

A theory of interaction that attempts to explain social behavior in terms of reciprocity of costs and rewards

Evolutionary theory

A theory of social development that suggests that societies, like biological organisms, progress through stages of increasing complexity

Structural functionalism is sometimes referred to as __________. social systems theory equilibrium theory functionalism All of the above

All of the above

Chicago School

An approach developed by Cooley, Mead, Thomas, and others in the 1920s that emphasized the importance of social interactions in the development of human thought and action

Class consciousness

Awareness among members of a society that the society is stratified and that they share the same plight

Law of human progress

Comte's notion that society has gone through three stages: the theological, the metaphysical, and the scientific

Social dynamics

Comte's term for social processes and forms of change

Social statics

Comte's term for the stable structure of a society

Social conflict

In Karl Marx's view, a type of class struggle due to economic inequality that is at the core of society and is the key source of social change

Dysfunctions

In structural functionalism, factors that lead to the disruption or breakdown of the social system

Functional alternatives

New ways of achieving the intended goal of the system

The theorist who believed that all social change is rooted in social conflict was __________. Mead Weber Comte None of the above

None of the above

Social facts

Reliable and valid pieces of information about society

Symbolic interactionism

Social theory that stresses interactions between people and the social processes that occur within the individual that are made possible by language and internalized meaning

Proletariat

The group in a capitalist society that does not own the means of production and has only labor to sell

Economic determinism

The idea that economic factors are responsible for most social change and for the nature of social conditions, activities, and institutions

Manifest functions

The intended and recognized consequences of a social system

Structural functionalism

The theory that societies contain certain interdependent structures, each of which performs certain functions for the maintenance of society

Latent functions

The unintended and unrecognized consequences of a social system

Which of the following do symbolic interactionists believe? Through interaction, we internalize values and social expectations. Only humans are able to communicate. People learn primarily through rewards and punishments. All of the above

Through interaction, we internalize values and social expectations.

According to Marx, the workers were the proletariat, and the bourgeoisie were the owners and rulers of society. True / False

True

Comte's social statics focused on the organism's structure, and his social dynamics focused on processes and forms of change. True / False

True

Contemporary conflict theorists believe that conflicts involve a wide range of groups or interests, such as different age groups, genders, racial and ethnic groups, and religious groups. True / False

True

Feminist theorists stress that gender is basic to all social structure. True / False

True

Following traffic signs demonstrates the human ability to use symbols. True / False

True

For Durkheim, social phenomena are social facts that have distinctive social statics and social dynamics. True / False

True

Functionalists focus on order and stability, with an emphasis on equilibrium. True / False

True

Mead determined that it is the use of symbols that sets humans apart from animals. True / False

True

One of Marx's key concepts was economic determinism, the idea that society is based on economic factors. True / False

True

Spencer theorized that if societies could NOT adapt, they would die out, and individuals who could not fit in also did NOT deserve to survive and flourish. True / False

True

Symbolic interactionism has a microsociological orientation. True / False

True

The evolutionary perspective tends to be concerned with long-term change. True / False

True

The first social scientist to receive a Nobel Prize was Jane Addams. True / False

True

Verstehen

Understanding human action by examining the subjective meanings that people attach to their own behavior and the behavior of others

According to Marx, the recognition among workers that they share the same plight is known as __________. revolution social dynamics class consciousness economic determinism

class consciousness

The __________ theory rejects the positivist position that sociology should be value free. conflict exchange humanistic functionalist

humanistic

Functions that are intended and recognized in a social system are called __________. latent observable manifest symbols

manifest

According to Comte's law of human progress, the stage of human thought associated with political dominance being held by the clergy and lawyers is the __________ stage. theological metaphysical positive scientific

metaphysical

The first major center of sociological thought in the United States was __________. Harvard University Columbia University the University of Michigan the University of Chicago

the University of Chicago