What Is Sociology?

Question 1

Where did sociology originate?

Answer 1

Emerged in 19th century Europe

Question 2

Sociological imagination

Answer 2

Seeing private troubles as public issues

Question 3

What do sociologists do?

Answer 3

Sociologists study social structures and social institutions

Question 4

Social structure

Answer 4

Pattern of group behaviour

Question 5

Social institution

Answer 5

Patterns that define the “rules of the game”

Question 6

Macro Sociology

Answer 6

How society makes us

Question 7

Micro Sociology

Answer 7

How we interact to make society

Question 8

Sociology is an empirical science…

Answer 8

Stems from rigorous scientific testing, non-discredited.

Question 9

The unique difficulty of social science…

Answer 9

We must guard against our own biases.

Question 10

Positivism

Answer 10

Adapting natural science methods to better human society

Question 11

Anomie

Answer 11

Lack of the usual social or ethical standards on an individual or group

Question 12

Functionalism

Answer 12

Interdependence between each institution and social health as a whole.

Question 13

Conflict perspective

Answer 13

Power struggle between capitalists and working class/how groups divide themselves.

Question 14

Rationalization process

Answer 14

Constructing a logical reason as an attempt to justify an unconscious act

Question 15

Symbolic interactionalism

Answer 15

How experiences add subjective meanings to symbols and letters. (Words and colors)

Question 16

Mechanic solidarity

Answer 16

Develops in societies where individuals take on many similar, non-specialized tasks.

Question 17

Organic solidarity

Answer 17

Develops in societies where individuals take on highly specialized and differentiated tasks.

Question 18

Auguste Comte

Answer 18

“We can adapt natural science methods to study human societies, to make them better (positivism).”

Question 19

Emile Durkheim

Answer 19

“Anomie happens when society transitions from mechanic solidarity to organic soliderity.”

“We must pay attention to the interdependence between each institution and social health as a whole (functionalism).”

Question 20

Karl Marx

Answer 20

“Society doesn’t have needs, people do… social changes occur through class struggles, especially between capitalists and the working class (conflict perspective).”

Question 21

Max Weber

Answer 21

“It is the Protestant Ethic that brought about the rationalization process in our modern world. Ideas, when percieved as real, have real societal consequences (symbolic interactionalism).”

Question 22

Double consciousness

Answer 22

Seeing the world through two different lenses. Often pertains to race.