Chapter 1

A sociologist will use their sociological imagination to examine other cultures as well as our own.

True

According to C. Wright Mills, what one quality of mind do all great sociologists possess?

sociological imagination

The social sciences are all those disciplines that study:

the human, or social world

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

It tends to argue that any social feature that exists (even homelessness) must serve a function.

As are most social issues, gender is approached differently by each of the main sociological theoretical perspectives. Match each of the following perspectives on gender with the correct answer based on the order in which they are presented. (1) Rather than being rooted in our biology, what it means to be a specific gender and how we present ourselves as that gender comes out of our communication with others. (2) Gender is a form of social inequality that allows men to have an economic advantage over women at work with better-paying jobs and at home with free domestic labor provided by their wives. (3) Differentiated gender for men and women provides a built-in system for creating an efficient division of labor in society whereby people are differently socialized to take on the various roles needed by society.

(1) Symbolic interactionism . . . (2) Conflict theory . . . (3) Structural functionalism

Sociology can be approached from either a microsociological or a macrosociological perspective. Which is more useful?

Both are useful in different ways, because they each provide different types of information about the same object of study.

Emile Durkheim believed that even the most individualistic actions (like suicide) have social origins.

True

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.

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

Manifest functions are intended and obvious.

Symbolic interactionism argues that people act toward things on the basis of their meaning. What is the source of things' meaning?

Meaning is negotiated through interaction with others.

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.

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.

It is the responsibility of a sociologist to question everything the everyday person would take for granted.

True

Sociologists stress the idea that humans are essentially social beings.

True

We cannot necessarily see society as a whole; we have to look at its component parts.

True

What is the sociological imagination?

a quality of mind that allows us to understand the relationship between our situation in life and what is happening at a social level

Sociology can be defined as the systematic and scientific study of human society and social behavior. Given this definition, what level(s) of social structure listed below best describe(s) what sociologists might examine?

almost any level—from interactions between two people to large-scale institutions

In Emile Durkheim's work Suicide, he reported that suicide rates went up when the economy slumped but also spiked when the economy boomed. Which of Durkheim's concepts from Chapter 1 explain why both positive and negative economic conditions could increase suicide rates?

anomie

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

conflict between social groups

Christine Williams looked at patterns of occupational sex segregation, examining the ways large-scale social structures created the constraints within which individuals lived their lives. Based on this information, her work would be characterized as what kind of sociology?

macrosociology

Pam Fishman studied conversations between heterosexual couples to determine how power is created and maintained through face-to-face interactions on an everyday basis. Given this information, how would you describe her approach?

microsociological

The Egg McMuffin is a vastly more efficient version of eggs benedict. Egg McMuffins are cheaper, are ready almost instantly at drive-through windows, and can be eaten with one hand while driving. However, they do not improve on the taste or the experience of eggs benedict. Max Weber might have described the Egg McMuffin as the ____________ of breakfast.

rationalization

Emile Durkheim argued that even an action as seemingly individual as suicide has important social components. What social factors did he examine?

religious affiliation and marital status

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

structural functionalism

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