Sociology Test 1 review (copy)

Sociology

Systematic study of human society and social interaction.

Society

a large group of people that share a common geography, political system and culture

Sociological Perspective

Is an approach that attempts to understand human behavior by placing it within its broader social context.

Sociological Imagination

The ability to see the relationships between individual experiences and the larger society

Micro-to-Macro Linkage

Placing individual behavior within its broader social context.
Explaining how individual behavior is influenced by larger social issues.

Social Structure

Social forces beyond the control of a single individual that shapes or
influences behavior.

The unwritten rules of human behavior. Expected patterns of beliefs and actions.

Ex: Titanic

Psychology

focuses on individual behavior, but it looks for explanations largely within the individual (it focuses on personality).
Brain Science.

Biology

looks for genetic differences in individuals and groups as explanations of differences in behavior. Body Chemistry

Economics

focus on market behavior.
people's consumption of goods and services.

Geography

social science, how ‘place’ affects human behavior.

Anthropology

Focus on culture. How does your culture affect behavior.

Sociology

Examines all of these factors simultaneously (psychology, biology, economics, geography and anthropology)

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

social facts-
patterned ways of acting, thinking and
feeling that exist outside any one individual,
but that control your behavior. Father of
Functionalism

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

father of conflict theory. He believed that the key to human
history was class conflict. Economic interests of competing social classes drives human history.

Max Weber (1864-1920)-

verstehen- understanding- see the world as others see
it.

Auguste Comte (1789-1857)

Coined term sociology

Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)

Social Darwinism- survival of the fittest

Georg Simmel (1858-1918)

Geometry of Social life. Studied patterns of individual
interactions within groups.

W. E. B. Du Bois (1868-1963)

African American sociologist. Race relations.

Jane Addams (1860-1935)

Influential woman sociologist. One of only a very few sociologist to win a Noble Prize.

Guerry

population density, unemployment two very important predictors of moral crimes.

Macrosociology

focuses on broad features of the social structure (social classes, institutions)

Two Theories: Functionalism and Conflict

Microsociology

focus on small groups and interpersonal interactions
Two Theories: Symbolic Interaction, Exchange

Functionalism Society

is a stable, orderly system.

Stability is characterized by consensus-
members of society share common sets of
values, beliefs and behaviors

Functional Requisites

Replacing members
Teaching new members
Production of goods/services
Preserving order
Sense of purpose
Adaptation

Functionalist theory

believes that the major institutions and the arrangement of society
is the most efficient way of satisfying societies basic needs

Manifest and Latent functions

Manifest

intended function of an institution (education: read, write, math)

Latent

unintended benefit (follow rules)

Conflict

groups are engaged in a continuous power struggle for scarce
resources

the conflict perspective argues that the
major institutions protect the property and
status of the rich from the poor.

Interaction

immediate reciprocally oriented communication between two or more actors

Focuses on the role that symbols and play in interaction (marriage proposal)

Symbol

form of communication, either verbal or nonverbal

Self-concept

how we view ourselves.

How we view ourselves depends upon how
others treat us and react to us.

Social Exchange Theory

actors engage in cost/benefit analysis

Which of the following describes sociology as a subject?

a. The study of individual behavior

b. The study of cultures

c. The study of society and social interaction

d. The study of economics

c. The study of society and social interactions

C. Wright Mills once said that sociologists need to develop a sociological __________ to study how society affects individuals.

a. culture
b. imagination

c. method
d. tool

b. imagination

A sociologist defines society as a group of people who reside in a defined area, share a culture, and who

a. interact

b. work in the same industry

c. speak different languages

d. practice a recognized religion

a. interact

Seeing patterns means that a sociologist needs to be able to:

a. compare the behavior of individuals from different societies

b. compare one society to another

c. identify similarities in how social groups respond to social pressure

d. compare individuals to groups

c. identify similarities in how social groups respond to social pressure

Which of the following was a topic of study in early sociology?

a. Astrology

b. Economics

c. Physics

d. History

b. economics

Which founder of sociology believed societies changed due to class struggle?

a. Emile Comte

b. Karl Marx

c. Plato

d. Herbert Spencer

b. Karl Marx

Weber believed humans could not be studied purely objectively because they were influenced by:

a. drugs

b. their culture

c. their genetic makeup

d. the researcher

b. their culture

Which of these theories is most likely to look at the social world on a micro level?

a. Structural functionalism

b. Conflict theory

c. Positivism

d. Symbolic interactionism

d. symbolic interactionism

Who believed that the history of society was one of class struggle?

a. Emile Durkheim

b. Karl Marx

c. Erving Goffmann

d. George Herbert Mead

b. Karl Marx

Who coined the phrase symbolic interactionism?

a. Herbert Blumer

b. Max Weber

c. Lester F. Ward

d. W. I. Thomas

a. Herbert Blumer

A symbolic interactionist may compare social interactions to:

a. behaviors
b. conflicts
c. human organs

d. theatrical roles

d. theatrical roles

Which research technique would most likely be used by a symbolic interactionist?

a. Surveys

b. Participant observation

c. Quantitative data analysis

d. None of the above

b. participant observations

Kenneth and Mamie Clark used sociological research to show that segregation was:

a. beneficial

b. harmful

c. illegal

d. of no importance

b. harmful

Studying sociology helps people analyze data because they learn:

a. interview techniques

b. to apply statistics

c. to generate theories

d. all of the above

d. all of the above

Berger describes sociologists as concerned with:

a. monumental moments in people’s lives

b. common everyday life events

c. both a and b

d. none of the above

c. both a and b

Berger writes that sociology

a. is not an academic discipline

b. makes the strange familiar

c. makes the familiar strange

d. is not a science

c. makes the familiar strange

The model of scientific inquiry

1. Derive a theory about some phenomena and form a
   hypothesis (People outside of mainstream society are more likely to believe in paranormal)

2. Identify concepts: abstract elements representing some aspect of the world in simplified form (Marginalization, paranormal beliefs)

3. State hypothesis: a statement of the relationship
   between two or more concepts
   -Marginalized persons are more likely to believe in
   monsters, UFOs, psychics, etc.

4. Identify independent (cause) and dependent (effect)
   variables
   -Unemployment, belief in UFOs, psychics

5. Collect data using a research design

6. Perform experiments and analyze data statistically.

7. Draw conclusions based on those experiments.

8. Replicate your findings.

Survey Research

a poll in which researchers gather facts or attempt to establish
relationships among facts

Sample

small representative portion of the population- should be random

Population

larger group from which sample is drawn

Respondent

persons who provide data for analysis

Questionnaire

printed research instrument containing a series of items to which subjects respond (mail, phone, face-to-face, internet)

response rate

percentage of respondents who complete study

Nonresponse bias

systematic patterns of people who do not respond to survey (Age, race/ethnicity, income)

Socially desire-able response

a response that is believed to be politically popular

Adv:
 works well with large populations
 less expensive/more efficient
 cause and effect friendly

Dis-
 believable?
 forces answers
 underestimate certain groups (young, minorities, very
poor, very rich).

Secondary Analysis

Researchers use existing material and analyze data collected by
others

Adv
inexpensive
longitudinal cause and effect
Dis:
incomplete data
not replicable

Content Analysis

systematic examination of cultural
artifacts or various forms of communication to extract
thematic data

ex:
 liberal bias in media
 latent message in cartoons
 Sexist comments in textbooks

Field Research

Is the study of social life in its natural setting
observing and interviewing people where they live,
work and play

Adv-
Study behavior in natural setting
Lots of data
Voice to under-represented groups

Dis-

Not generalizable
Too emotional

Participant Observation

collecting data while being part of the activities of the group that is being studied.

Case Studies

in-depth analysis of a particular social setting

Ethnographies

detailed study of the life and activities of a group of people by researchers who may live with that group over a period of years.

Experiments

Carefully designed situation where the researcher
studies the impact of certain variables on subject’s
attitudes/behavior

experimental group

subjects exposed to independent variables

 Adv.
1. Control situation
2. Replication
 Dis.
1. Artificial
2. Hawthorne effect- people behave differently when
they are being studied

control group

subjects not exposed to independent variables

Ethics

 Do not harm- physical or psychological
 Informed Consent
 Do not deceive (exceptions)
 Anonymity and Confidentiality
 Do not falsify data
 Do not plagiarize

The 1st step of the scientific method:

a. Collect and analyze data
b. Summarize the articles
c. Ask a question about a topic

d. Create a hypothesis

c. ask a question about the topic

A measurement is considered ________ if it actually measures what it is intended to measure, according to

a. reliable
b. sociological

c. valid
d. quantitative

c. valid

Sociological studies test relationships in which change in one ________ causes change in another.

a. test subject

b. behavior

c. variable

d. operational definition

c. behavior

In a study, a group of ten-year-old boys are fed doughnuts every morning for a week and then weighed to see how much weight they gained. Which factor is the dependent variable?

a. The doughnuts

b. The boys

c. The duration of a week

d. The weight gained

d. the weight gained

Which statement provides the best operational definition of “childhood obesity”?

a. Children who eat unhealthy foods and spend too much time watching television and playing video games

b. A distressing trend that can lead to health issues including type 2 diabetes and heart disease

c. Body weight at least 20 percent higher than a healthy weight for a child of that height

d. The tendency of children today to weigh more than children of earlier generations

c. Body weight at least 20 percent higher than a healthy weight for a child of that height

Which materials are considered secondary data?

a. Photos and letters given to you by another person

b. Books and articles written by other authors about their studies

c. Information that you have gathered and now have included in your results

d. Responses from participants whom you both surveyed and interviewed

b. Books and articles written by other authors about their studies

Why is choosing a random sample an effective way to select participants?

a. Participants do not know they are part of a study

b. The researcher has no control over who is in the study

c. It is larger than an ordinary sample

d. Everyone has the same chance of being part of the study

d. Everyone has the same chance of being part of the study

What research method did John S. Lynd and Helen Merrell Lynd mainly use in their Middletown study?

a. Secondary data

b. Survey

c. Participant observation

d. Experiment

c. Participant observation

Which research approach is best suited to the scientific method?

a. Questionnaire

b. Case study

c. Ethnography

d. Secondary data analysis

a. Questionnaire

The main difference between ethnography and other types of participant observation is:

a. ethnography isn’t based on hypothesis testing
b. ethnography subjects are unaware they’re being studied
c. ethnographic studies always involve minority ethnic groups

d. ethnography focuses on how subjects view themselves in relationship to the community

d. ethnography focuses on how subjects view themselves in relationship to the community

Which best describes the results of a case study?

a. It produces more reliable results than other methods because of its depth

b. Its results are not generally applicable

c. It relies solely on secondary data analysis

d. All of the above

b. Its results are not generally applicable

Using secondary data is considered an unobtrusive or ________ research method. a. nonreactive

a. nonreactive
b. nonparticipatory
c. nonrestrictive

d. nonconfrontive

a. nonreactive

Which statement illustrates value neutrality?

a. Obesity in children is obviously a result of parental neglect and, therefore, schools should take a greater role to prevent it

b. In 2003, states like Arkansas adopted laws requiring elementary schools to remove soft drink vending machines from schools

c. Merely restricting children’s access to junk food at school is not enough to prevent obesity

d. Physical activity and healthy eating are a fundamental part of a child’s education

b. In 2003, states like Arkansas adopted laws requiring elementary schools to remove soft drink vending machines from schools

Which person or organization defined the concept of value neutrality?

a. Institutional Review Board (IRB)
b. Peter Rossi
c. American Sociological Association (ASA)

d. Max Weber

d. Max Weber

To study the effects of fast food on lifestyle, health, and culture, from which group would a researcher ethically be unable to accept funding?

a. A fast-food restaurant

b. A nonprofit health organization

c. A private hospital

d. A governmental agency like Health and Social Services

a. A fast-food restaurant

Culture

Knowledge, language, values, customs, and material objects that are passed from person-to-person

Material

physical culture- things society makes, uses and shares (e.g. technology, architecture).

Nonmaterial

abstract or intangible human creations that influence behavior (e.g.creations that influence behavior (e.g.language)- that is, a complex pattern of behavior
that directs human life.

Symbol

anything that meaningfully represents something else. Something we attach meaning to and that has shared meaning to and that has shared meaning (alphabet; gesture)

Cultural universal

language is found in every human culture, but... not all symbols
mean the same thing in each culture.

Values

Collective ideas about good and bad, right
and wrong.

Norms

established rules of behavior/standards of conduct

Folkways

informal norms, everyday
customs- usually enforced by informal sanctions

Mores

Norms that cannot be violated without formal consequences

Taboos

extremely offensive, unmentionable

Laws

norms enforced by formal sanctions

Culture Shock

The disorientation that people feel when they encounter cultures radically different from their own.

Ethnocentrism

practice of judging other’s culture by your own

Cultural relativism

practices must be viewed by the culture’s own standards

Cultural Diversity

wide range of cultural differences found within and between societies (pluralism)

Subculture

group of people who share cultural beliefs (values) that set them apart from the rest of society.

Ex: Amish in PA