chapter 1 - a sociological compass

Question 1

sociology

Answer 1

the systematic study of human behaviour in a social context

Question 2

social solidarity

Answer 2

the degree to which group members share beliefs and values as well as the intensity and frequency of their interaction

Question 3

social structures

Answer 3

relatively stable patterns of social relations

Question 4

microstructures

Answer 4

patterns of relatively intimate social relations formed during face-to-face interaction, such as families, friendship circles, and work associations

Question 5

macrostructures

Answer 5

overarching patterns of social relations that lie outside and above a person’s circle of intimates and acquaintances, such as classes, bureaucracies, and power systems like patriarchy

Question 6

sociological imagination

Answer 6

the quality of mind that enables a person to see the connection between personal troubles and social structures

Question 7

the scientific revolution

Answer 7

beginning about 1550, it encouraged the view that sound conclusions about the workings of society must be based on solid evidence, not just on speculation

Question 8

the democratic revolution

Answer 8

beginning about 1750, it suggested that people are responsible for organizing society and that human intervention can therefore solve social problems

Question 9

the industrial revolution

Answer 9

Often regarded as the most important event in world history since the development of agriculture and cities, it refers to the rapid economic transformation that began in Britain in the 1780s. It involved the large-scale application of science and technology to industrial processes, the creation of factories, and the formation of a working class.

Question 10

theories

Answer 10

tentative explanations of some aspect of social life that state how and why certain facts are related

Question 11

research

Answer 11

the process of systematically observing reality to assess the validity of a theory

Question 12

values

Answer 12

ideas about what is good and bad, right and wrong

Question 13

functionalism

Answer 13

Functionalism stresses that human behaviour is governed by relatively stable social structures. It underlines how social structures maintain or undermine social ability, emphasizes that social structures are based mainly on shared values or preferences, and suggests that re-establishing equilibrium can best solve most social problems.

Question 14

dysfunctional

Answer 14

dysfunctional consequences are effects of social structures that create social instability

Question 15

manifest functions

Answer 15

obvious and intended effects of social structures

Question 16

latent functions

Answer 16

nonobvious and unintended effects of social structures

Question 17

the Protestant ethic

Answer 17

The Protestant ethic is the belief that religious doubts can be reduced, and a state of grace ensured, if people work diligently and live simply. According to Weber, the Protestant ethic had the unintended effect of increasing savings and investment, thus stimulating capitalist growth.

Question 18

symbolic interactionism

Answer 18

a focus on interaction in microlevel social settings and an emphasis that an adequate explanation of social behaviour requires understanding of the subjective meanings people attach to their social circumstances

Question 19

social constructionism

Answer 19

apparently natural or innate features of life are often sustained by social processes that vary historically and culturally

Question 20

queer theory

Answer 20

people’s sexual identities and performances are so variable that such conventional labels as male, female, gay, and lesbian fail to capture the sexual instability that characterizes the lives of many people

Question 21

feminist theory

Answer 21

the patriarchy is at least as important as class inequality in determining a person’s opportunities in life;
male domination and female subordination are determined not by biological necessity but by structures of power and social convention;
existing patterns of gender inequality can and should be changed for the benefit of all members of society.
the operation of patriarchy should be examined in both micro and macro settings.

Question 22

who coined the term “sociology”?

Answer 22

Auguste Comte

Question 23

who is considered to be the first female sociologist?

Answer 23

Harriet Martineau

Question 24

who famously studied the Protestant ethic?

Answer 24

Max Weber

Question 25

who famously studied suicide and social solidarity from a sociological perspective?

Answer 25

Émile Durkheim: his research was the first to demonstrate that suicide rates are strongly influenced by social forces. Suicide rates vary due to differences in the degree of social solidarity.

Question 26

what are the main theoretical traditions in sociology?

Answer 26

functionalisms analyzes how social order is supported by macrostructures;
the conflict approach analyzes how social inequality is maintained and challenged in macro and global structures;
symbolic interactionism analyzes how meaning is created when people communicate in microlevel settings;
feminist theories focus on the social sources of patriarchy in both macrolevel and microlevel settings.

Question 27

the Postindustrial Revolution

Answer 27

the technology-driven shift from manufacturing to service industries and the consequences of that shift for virtually all humans activities

Question 28

globalization

Answer 28

the process by which formerly separate economies, states, and cultures become tied together and people become increasingly aware of their growing interdependence

Question 29

what are the main challenges facing society today?

Answer 29

The causes and consequences of postindustrialism and globalization form the great sociological puzzles of our times. The tensions between equality and inequality of opportunity, and between freedom and constraint, are among the chief interests os sociologists today.

Question 30

social problem

Answer 30

any condition or behaviour that has negative consequences for large numbers of people and that is generally recognized as a condition or behaviour that needs to be addressed