chapter 1

Question 1

the core commitments of sociology

Answer 1

two obligations that come with gaining a sociological perspective

Question 1

culture

Answer 1

the rules, values, beliefs, and material goods created by members of our society

Question 2

social constructionism

Answer 2

a sociological perspective that helps us see that individuals assign meaning to the world around them

Question 3

social constructions

Answer 3

ideas or beliefs on social perceptions that vary from society to society and over time

Question 4

social problems

Answer 4

social conditions perceived to be problematic by groups of people
- conditions that harm people
- a condition with a negative outcome

Question 5

Social Scientific Research Process

Answer 5

the steps that all social scientists must take to ensure that their research takes advantage of previous findings, is unbiased as possible, does not cause harm, and can be replicated by other researchers

Question 6

social structure

Answer 6

the framework of society constructed through social institutions such as government, schools, economy, families, and religion

Question 7

sociological eye

Answer 7

allows you to see beneath the surface of society and recognize social patterns

Question 8

sociological imagination

Answer 8

the ability to connect personal experiences with public issues and the broader social and historical context

Question 9

how are social problems social constructions?

Answer 9

they are based on social perceptions that vary from society to society over time

Question 10

in sociology what are our perceptions influenced by

Answer 10

• culture
• social structure

Question 11

the emergence of sociology

Answer 11

• the enlightenment -> changed culture
• the industrial revolution -> changed economics (people lived on small farms and then the new economy exists where people have more freedom
• rise of science -> changed ways of thinking (make a science out of economy and call it soc)
• Comte: sociology is the “queen” of science
  = make sense of societies and social change. use empirical research

Question 12

Jane Addams

Answer 12

(1860-1935)
-rejected gender expectations
- founded Hull House with Starr
- researched and advocated social inequalities
- social policy strides

Question 13

W.E.B. Du Bois

Answer 13

(1868-1963)
- excellent student in predominately white town
- recognized and focused on racial injustice
- wrote The Philadelphia Negro (one of the earliest of this kind in sociology)
- methodological contributions

Question 14

why are some conditions, but not others, social problems

Answer 14

elite power
dangerous social problems need not affect many, powerful positions influence belief
people’s power
grassroots social movements, lower-status people gain power through collective action

Question 15

The two obligations, or core commitments of sociology, include the ability to use a “sociological eye,” and ______.

Answer 15

social activism

Question 16

which factor indicates that a source is trustworthy

Answer 16

• .edu and .gov
• it includes information about who funded the research (sometimes)

Question 17

true or false: Social constructionists believe that what we perceive as a social problem is influenced by our culture.

Answer 17

true

Question 18

true or false: The reason the same-sex marriage movement was successful was due to the support and influential power of high-status individuals within society.

Answer 18

false

Question 19

You have identified a social problem you are interested in studying. According to the social scientific research process, what is your next step?

Answer 19

conduct a literature review

Question 20

Early in 2019, New York passed the “Reproductive Health Act,” which reduced restrictions on abortion in the state. A few short months later, Georgia became the first of several states to pass laws imposing strict restrictions on abortion, including in the cases of rape and incest. What sociological concept demonstrates why two states passed such dramatically different laws to address a social problem at roughly the same time?

Answer 20

social constructions of what is – and is not – a social problem vary from state to state

Question 21

true or false: Social conditions that harm millions of people are the most likely to be considered social problems by a society.

Answer 21

false

Question 22

true or false:

Answer 22

The same-sex marriage movement was successful because it utilized the power of organized groups working together.

Question 23

The Enlightenment and ______ were catalysts for the formation of sociology as an academic discipline.

Answer 23

industrial revolution

Question 24

sociological imagination in context with the core commitments on sociology

Answer 24

the ability to connect personal experiences with public issues and the broader context and historical context

Question 25

sociologists typically earn more that who?

Answer 25

psychology
anthropology
history
linguistics
communications
journalism

Question 26

empirical inquiry

Answer 26

a for of investigation that involves looking to the world for evidence

Question 27

steps of the empirical inquiry

Answer 27

• research questions: queries about the world that can be answered empirically
  data: systematically connected sets of empirical observations
  data is the analyzed
  sociological theory:

Question 28

research methods

Answer 28

qualitative: tools of sociological inquiry that involve careful consideration and discussion of the earning and non-numerical data
quantitative: tools of sociological inquiry that involve examining numerical data with mathematics

Question 29

the ten steps of sociological research

Answer 29

1) choose a topic or theory to investigate
2) conduct a review of the existing academic literature
3) write a research question
4) design a methodology
5) operationalize the variables
6) ensure that the research design is ethical
7) collect the data
8) evaluate the data for quality
9) analyze the data
10) write a report for publication