The 80/20 Sociology CLEP Review

1. Know the Founders Cold

These appear constantly.

Sociologist

Remember

Auguste Comte

Positivism, scientific study of society, founder of sociology

Karl Marx

Conflict theory, class struggle, bourgeoisie vs proletariat

Emile Durkheim

Social integration, suicide study, anomie

Max Weber

Verstehen, bureaucracy, Protestant Ethic

C. Wright Mills

Sociological imagination

George Herbert Mead

Symbolic interactionism, self-development

Charles Horton Cooley

Looking-glass self

Your slides specifically highlight Comte, Marx, and Durkheim as foundational thinkers.

2. Master the Three Major Perspectives

This is probably the single most important topic.

Functionalism

Society = interconnected parts working together.

Think:

  • Stability

  • Order

  • Equilibrium

  • Institutions serving functions

Associated with:

  • Durkheim

  • Parsons

  • Merton

Conflict Theory

Society = competition for scarce resources.

Think:

  • Inequality

  • Power

  • Social class

  • Exploitation

Associated with:

  • Marx

Symbolic Interactionism

Focuses on:

  • Everyday interactions

  • Symbols

  • Meaning

  • Face-to-face behavior

Associated with:

  • Mead

  • Cooley

  • Goffman

CLEP Trick: If the question discusses large social structures → Functionalist or Conflict.

If it discusses individual interactions → Symbolic Interactionism.

3. Research Methods

Expect several questions.

Know:

Independent Variable

The cause.

Dependent Variable

The effect.

Correlation

Variables move together.

Causation

One variable causes another.

Reliability

Consistency.

Validity

Accuracy.

Research Types:

Method

Strength

Survey

Large populations

Experiment

Cause-and-effect

Participant Observation

Rich detail

Case Study

Deep understanding

Secondary Analysis

Existing data

4. Culture

Must know.

Material Culture

Physical objects.

Examples:

  • Cars

  • Phones

  • Clothing

Nonmaterial Culture

Ideas.

Examples:

  • Beliefs

  • Values

  • Norms

  • Language

Key Terms

Norms
Expected behaviors.

Folkways
Minor norms.

Example:

  • Saying thank you

Mores
Serious norms.

Example:

  • Incest taboo

Values
Shared standards of what’s important.

Cultural Relativism
Judge culture by its own standards.

Ethnocentrism
Judge culture by your standards.

5. Socialization

Frequently tested.

Agents of Socialization

  1. Family

  2. School

  3. Peers

  4. Media

  5. Religion

Looking-Glass Self (Cooley)

Three steps:

  1. Imagine how others see us

  2. Imagine their judgment

  3. Develop self-concept

Mead

Stages:

  1. Preparatory

  2. Play

  3. Game

6. Groups and Organizations

Primary Groups

Close emotional relationships.

Examples:

  • Family

  • Close friends

Secondary Groups

Goal-oriented.

Examples:

  • Workplace

  • Classroom

In-group

“Us”

Out-group

“Them”

Reference Group

Group used for comparison.

7. Deviance and Crime

Very common CLEP topic.

Deviance

Violation of norms.

Crime

Violation of laws.

Merton’s Strain Theory

People respond to blocked opportunities differently.

Know:

  • Conformity

  • Innovation

  • Ritualism

  • Retreatism

  • Rebellion

Labeling Theory

People become deviant because society labels them deviant.

Differential Association

Criminal behavior is learned.

8. Stratification

High-yield.

Social Stratification

Ranking people in society.

Social Mobility

Vertical Mobility

Move up or down.

Horizontal Mobility

Status changes without changing rank.

Achieved Status

Earned.

Example:

  • Doctor

Ascribed Status

Assigned.

Example:

  • Race

  • Sex

  • Age

9. Race and Ethnicity

Race

Socially constructed category based on perceived physical traits.

Ethnicity

Shared cultural heritage.

Prejudice

Attitude.

Discrimination

Action.

CLEP often asks:

Prejudice = beliefs

Discrimination = behavior

10. Gender

Sex

Biological.

Gender

Socially constructed.

Feminist Theory

Focuses on gender inequality.

11. Family

Know:

Nuclear Family

Parents + children.

Extended Family

Includes relatives.

Endogamy

Marry within group.

Exogamy

Marry outside group.

Monogamy

One spouse.

Polygamy

Multiple spouses.

12. Bureaucracy (Almost Guaranteed)

Max Weber.

Characteristics:

  • Hierarchy

  • Rules

  • Specialization

  • Impersonality

CLEP loves bureaucracy questions.

Last-Minute Memorization List

Before bed, memorize:

Founders

  • Comte

  • Marx

  • Durkheim

  • Weber

  • Mead

  • Cooley

  • Mills

Perspectives

  • Functionalism

  • Conflict

  • Symbolic Interactionism

Research

  • Independent variable

  • Dependent variable

  • Reliability

  • Validity

Culture

  • Norms

  • Folkways

  • Mores

  • Ethnocentrism

  • Cultural relativism

Stratification

  • Achieved status

  • Ascribed status

  • Social mobility

Deviance

  • Labeling theory

  • Strain theory

  • Differential association