Sociology exam I Flashcards
the view that social researchers should strive for subjectivity as they worked to represent social processes, cultural norms, and societal values
antipositivism
a theory that looks at society as a competition for limited resources
conflict theory
an extension of symbolic interaction theory which proposes that reality is what humans cognitively construct it to be
constructivism
a group’s shared practices, values, and beliefs
culture
a technique sociologists use in which they view society through the metaphor of theatrical performance
dramaturgical analysis
a stable state in which all parts of a healthy society work together properly
dynamic equilibrium
social patterns that have undesirable consequences for the operation of society
dysfunctions
the process of simultaneously analyzing the behavior of an individual and the society that shapes that behavior
figuration
the part a recurrent activity plays in the social life as a whole and the contribution it makes to structural continuity
function
a theoretical approach that sees society as a structure with interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of individuals that make up that society
functionalism
the organized and generalized attitude of a social group
generalized orders
an attempt to explain large-scale relationships and answer fundamental questions such as why societies form and why they change
grand theories
a testable proposition
hypothesis
the unrecognized or unintended consequences of a social process
latent functions
a wide-scale view of the role of social structures within a society
macro-level
sought consequences of a social process
manifest functions
the study of specific relationships between individuals or small groups
micro-level theories
philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and the experiments performed in support of them
paradigms
the scientific study of social patterns
positivism
in-depth interviews, focus groups, and/or analysis of content sources as the source of its data
qualitive sociology
statistical methods such as surveys with large numbers of participants
quantitative sociology
an error of treating an abstract concept as though it has a real, material existence
reification
specific individuals that impact a person’s life
significant others
the laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, customs, fashions, rituals, and all of the cultural rules that govern social life
social facts
patterns of beliefs and behaviors focused on meeting social needs
social institutions
the social ties that bind a group of people together such as kinship, shared location, and religion
social solidarity
a group of people who live in a defined geographical area who interact with one another and who share a common culture
society
the ability to understand how your own past relates to that of other people, as well as to history in general and societal structures in particular
sociological imagination
the systematic study of society and social interaction
sociology
a theoretical perspective through which scholars examine the relationship of individuals within their society by studying their communication (language and symbols)
symbolic interactionism
a proposed explanation about social interactions or society
theory
a German word that means to understand in a deep way
verstehen
What best 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
The study of society and social interaction
A sociologist defines society as a group of people who reside in a defined area, share a culture, and who:
interact
What was a topic of study in early sociology?
Economics
Weber believed humans could not be studied purely objectively because they were influenced by:
their culture
Who believed that the history of society was one of class struggle?
Karl Marx
A symbolic interactionist may compare social interactions to:
theatrical roles
Kenneth and Mamie Clark used sociological research to show that segregation was:
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. to interview techniques, to apply statistics, and to generate theories
using a tool makes the measuring more precise.
accuracy
in-depth analysis of a single event, situation, or individual
case study
a set of guidelines that the American Sociological Association has established to foster ethical research and professionally responsible scholarship in sociology
code of ethics
applying a systematic approach to record and value information gleaned from secondary data as it relates to the study at hand
content analysis
when a change in one variable coincides with a change in another variable, but does not necessarily indicate causation
correlation
looking beyond the obvious to expose falseness by examining merit, logic, and evidence.
debunking
a variable changed by other variables
dependent variable
evidence that comes from direct observations, scientifically gathered data, or experimentation
empirical evidence
participating and observing thinking and behavior in a social setting
ethnography
the testing of a hypothesis under controlled conditions
experiment
gathering data from a natural environment without doing a lab experiment or a survey
field research
when study subjects behave in a certain manner due to their awareness of being observed by a researcher
Hawthorne effect
a testable educated guess about predicted outcomes between two or more variables
hypothesis
variables that cause changes in dependent variables
independent variables
a sociological research approach that seeks in-depth understanding of a topic or subject through observation or interaction; this approach is not based on hypothesis testing
interpretive framework
a one-on-one conversation between the researcher and the subject
interview
a scholarly research step that entails identifying and studying all existing studies on a topic to create a basis for new research
literature review
using secondary data, does not include direct contact with research subjects and does not alter or influence people’s behaviors
nonreactive research
specific explanations of abstract concepts that a researcher plans to study
operational definitions
when a researcher immerses herself in a group or social setting in order to make observations from an “insider” perspective
participant observation
a defined group serving as the subject of a study
population
data that are collected directly from firsthand experience
primary data
non-numerical, descriptive data that is often subjective and based on what is experienced in a natural setting
qualitative data
data collected in numerical form that can be counted and analyzed using statistics
quantitative data
a study’s participants being randomly selected to serve as a representation of a larger population
random sample
a measure of a study’s consistency that considers how likely results are to be replicated if a study is reproduced
reliability
small, manageable number of subjects that represent the population
samples
an established scholarly research that involves asking a question, researching existing sources, forming a hypothesis, designing a data collection method, gathering data, and drawing conclusions
scientific method
using data collected by others and applying new interpretations
secondary data analysis
collect data from subjects who respond to a series of questions about thinking, behaviors, and opinions, often in the form of a questionnaire
surveys
the degree to which a sociological measure accurately reflects the topic of study
validity
a practice of remaining impartial, without bias or judgment during the course of a study and in publishing results
value neutrality
The 1st step of the scientific method:
Create a hypothesis
Sociological studies test relationships in which change in one ________ causes change in another.
variable
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
Body weight at least 20 percent higher than a healthy weight for a child of that height
Why is choosing a random sample an effective way to select participants?
Everyone has the same chance of being part of the study
Which research approach is best suited to the scientific method?
Questionnaire
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
Its results are not generally applicable
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
In 2003, states like Arkansas adopted laws requiring elementary schools to remove soft drink vending machines from schools
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 fast-food restaurant
tenets or convictions that people hold to be true
beliefs
groups that reject and oppose society’s widely accepted cultural patterns
countercultures
patterns or traits that are globally common to all societies
cultural universals
shared beliefs, values, and practices
culture
the gap of time between the introduction of material culture and nonmaterial culture’s acceptance of it
culture lag
the spread of material and nonmaterial culture from one culture to another
diffusion
things and ideas found from what already exists
discoveries
the evaluation and judgment of another culture based on one’s own cultural norms
ethnocentrism
direct, appropriate behavior in the day-to-day practices and expressions of a culture
folkways
established, written rules
formal norms
the integration of international trade and finance markets
globalization
the cultural patterns of a society’s elite
high culture
the standards a society would like to embrace and live up to (ren man)
ideal culture
casual behaviors that are generally and widely conformed to
informal norms
new objects or ideas introduced to culture for the first time
innovations
a combination of pieces of existing reality into new forms
inventions
a symbolic system of communication
language
the moral views and principles of a group
mores
the visible and invisible rules of conduct through which societies are structured
norms
mainstream, widespread patterns among a society’s population
popular culture
the way society really is based on what actually occurs and exists
real culture
a way to authorize or formally disapprove of certain behaviors
sanctions
the way that people understand the world based on their form of language
Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
a way to encourage conformity to cultural norms
social control
people who live in a definable community and who share a culture
society
gestures or objects that have meanings associated with them that are recognized by people who share a culture
symbols
groups that share a specific identification, apart from a society’s majority, even as the members exist within a larger society
subcultures
a culture’s standard for discerning what is good and just in society
values
The terms _______ and ______ are often used interchangeably, but have nuances that differentiate them.
a. imperialism and relativism
b. culture and society
c. society and ethnocentrism
d. ethnocentrism and Xenocentrism
ethnocentrism and Xenocentrism
The belief that one’s culture is inferior to another culture is called:
xenocentrism
Rodney and Elise are U.S. students studying abroad in Italy. When they are introduced to their host families, the families kiss them on both cheeks. When Rodney’s host brother introduces himself and kisses Rodney on both cheeks, Rodney pulls back in surprise. Where he is from, unless they are romantically involved, men do not kiss one another. This is an example of:
culture shock
A nation’s flag is:
A symbol
The biggest difference between mores and folkways is that
mores are linked to morality, whereas folkways are tied to commonplace behaviors
Cultural sanctions can also be viewed as ways that society:
Regulates behavior
The Ku Klux Klan is an example of what part of culture?
Counterculture
Your eighty-three-year-old grandmother has been using a computer for some time now. As a way to keep in touch, you frequently send emails of a few lines to let her know about your day. She calls after every email to respond point by point, but she has never emailed a response back. This can be viewed as an example of:
cultural lag
The major difference between invention and discovery is:
Discovery involves finding items that already exists, but invention puts things together in a new way
A sociologist conducts research into the ways that Hispanic American students are historically underprivileged in the U.S. education system. What theoretical approach is the sociologist Using?
Conflict theory
What theoretical perspective views society as having a system of interdependent inherently connected parts?
Functionalism
____ named the scientific study of social patterns positivism
Auguste Comte
_______ introduced sociology to English speaking scholars through her translation of Comte’s writing from French to English and she was an early analyst of social practices, including economics, social class, religion, suicide, government, and women’s rights. Her
Harriet Martineau
_______ was a German philosopher and economist. In 1848, he and Friedrich Engels (1820–1895) coauthored the Communist Manifesto and founded conflict theory.
Karl Marx
In 1873, the English philosopher _______ published The Study of Sociology, the first book with the term “sociology” in the title, and he favored a form of government that allowed market forces to control capitalism.
Herbert Spencer
_______ was a German art critic who wrote widely on social and political issues, his work focused on micro-level theories and analyzed the dynamics of two-person and three-person groups. His work also emphasized individual culture as the creative capacities of individuals
Georg Simmel
_______ helped establish sociology as a formal academic discipline by establishing the first European department of sociology at the University of Bordeaux in 1895 and by publishing his Rules of the Sociological Method in 1895.
Émile Durkheim
_______ established a sociology department in Germany at the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich in 1919 and founded Qualitive and Quantitive sociology.
Max Weber
_______ pioneered the use of rigorous empirical methodology into sociology and played a prominent role in the effort to increase rights for Black people.
W.E.B. Du Bois
________began to study the economy through a social lens, writing about the leisure class, the business class, and other areas that touched on the idea of ‘working’ itself and is known as a co-founder of the branch (or school) of institutional economics.
Thorstein Veblen
_____ founded the concept of studying social work
Jane Addams
_______ posited that individuals compare themselves to others in order to check themselves against social standards and remain part of the group. Calling this idea ‘the looking-glass self,’ ______ argued that we ‘see’ ourselves by the reactions of others with whom we interact.
Charles Horton Cooley
_____was a philosopher and sociologist whose work focused on the ways in which the mind and the self were developed as a result of social processes (Cronk, n.d.). He argued that how an individual comes to view himself or herself is based to a very large extent on interactions with others.
George Herbert Mead
________ is best known as the founder of social ecology School and focused on how individuals lived within their environment.
Robert E. Park
