Sociology Objective Questions
Identify and explain the contribution each of the following made to the development of sociology: Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber
Auguste Comte- French philosopher who believed that all societies develop and process through the religious, metaphysical and scientific stages. Herbert Spencer- 19th century Englishman who compared society to a living organism with the interdependent parts. Karl Marx- German political and philosopher who observed society's exploitation of the poor by the rich and powerful. Emile Durkheim- French philosopher and sociologist who stressed the importance of studying social facts or patterns of behavior characteristic of a particular group. Max Weber- German sociologist who argues that individuals behaviors cannot exist apart from their interpretation of events, not just the events themselves.
Explain how rigidly defined sex roles affected women's involvement in early sociology, using the experience of Harriet Martineau.
Behaviors, values, and attitudes that a society considered appropriate for male and female at the time. During Harriets time men and women had completely opposite roles, men as a provider, women as the caretakers. This affected social relation between the two genders.
List and describe each of the six research methods.
Case study research- an investigator shares an individual or small group of individuals with an usual condition or situation. Survey study- involves asking people to go surveys to get certain information the researchers need. Observations research- involves directly observing subjects. Correlation research- involves studying two variables and seeing how and why something happens. Cross cultural research- designed to reveal variations across different groups of people. This research involves surveys.
Explain why common sense is an inadequate source of knowledge about human behavior.
Common sense is good to have because as sociologists examine people's assumptions about the world, their findings may contradict common sense nations about social life. It's good to have knowledge prof common sense to be prepared for anything you may cross about human behavior.
Trace the development of sociology in the United States and explain the tension between social reform and sociological analysis and how applied sociology addresses this tension.
Factors that led to the development of sociology are industrial revolution, imperialism, and the success of natural sciences. Sociology as a scholarly discipline emerged primarily out of the enlightenment thought, shortly after the French Revolution, as a positivist science of society. These things helped in the development,end of secular, scientific and humanistic attitudes of mind during the late 17th and 18th century. It helped grow as rational and a scientific subject with critical analysis.
State the key issues in the debate about the proper role of values in sociology.
First values are personal beliefs about what is good or worthwhile in life and the way the world ought to be. The debate is that if values influence research, sociological finding will be biased.
Discuss why sociology emerged as a science in the middle of the 19th century in Europe
It was the response to the challenges of modernity, increasing mobility and technological advances that resulted in the increasing exposure of people to cultures and societies different from their own.
Compare micro-level and macro-level analysis and state which level of analysis is utilized by each of the major theoretical perspectives.
Macro level- sociology looks at large- scale social processes, social stability and change. Macro level theories such as structural functionalism and conflict theory, attempt to explain how it dictates and operates as a whole. Micro level- sociology looks at a small- scale interactions between individuals, such as conversation of group dynamics. Micro level theories, such as symbolic interaction, focuses on the interactions between individuals.
Identify the eight steps in a research model.
Observation, asking questions, gathering information, hypothesis, theory, making a conclusion, reporting and evaluating.
Describe the major ethical issues involved in sociological research; demonstrate these issues by using the Brajuha, Scarce, and Humphreys research as examples.
One of the most important ethical guidelines in sociological and other human-subject research concerns privacy and confidentiality. Brajuha refused to show detectives notes he took about his workplace burning down. Humphreys found people's address from the "tea rooms" and showed up at their home.
Discuss how research and theory work together.
Research and theory work together by having people fully understand human behavior and why things are what they are.
Explain the chief differences in the three major theoretical perspectives: symbolic interactionism, functional analysis, and conflict theory.
Symbolic interaction- use of symbols, face-to-face interactions, macro Functionalism- macro, relationship between the aorta of society, how aspects of society are adaptive Conflict theory- macro, competition for scarce resources, how the elite control the poor and weak
Explain the sociological perspective and discuss the contribution that it makes to our understanding of human behavior.
Theories in sociology provide us with different perspectives which view our social world. A theory is a set of interrelated proportions or principles designed to answer a question or explain and predict the social world we live in.