Sociology /Sociology Chapter 1, 2 and 3 Concept Checks Part 1
Sociology Chapter 1, 2 and 3 Concept Checks Part 1
A deck of 20 flashcards covering key concepts in Sociology chapters 1, 2, and 3, including the sociological imagination, social structure, major sociological theories, and research methods.
What is the sociological imagination, according to C. Wright Mills?
C. Wright Mills defined the sociological imagination as the ability to see the impact of social forces on individuals' public and private lives. He believed we need to overcome our limited perspective to understand the larger meaning of our experiences.
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
What is the sociological imagination, according to C. Wright Mills?
C. Wright Mills defined the sociological imagination as the ability to see the impact of social forces on individuals' public and private lives. He be...
How does sociology help us to disentangle biological from sociological phenomena?
Sociology aims to help us distinguish between what is biological and what is socially constructed. Sociology wants to show that there are other explan...
How does the concept of social structure help sociologists better understand social phenomena?
Social structure can help sociologists explain social phenomena in three ways. First, social structure gives humans a rational way to act. Second, ...
According to Emile Durkheim, what makes sociology a social science? Why?
Sociology is a social science if it develops methodological principles to guide research, and uses social facts to analyze social life as objects or e...
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According to Karl Marx, what are the differences between the two classes that make up a capitalist society?
Capitalist societies have people who own capital (factories, machines, large sums of money) in a ruling class and a class of wage workers, who do not ...
What are the differences between symbolic interactionism and functionalist approaches to the analysis of society?
Symbolic Interactionism is a microsociological analysis of the use of symbols and face-to-face interaction, with special importance on language. Funct...
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
What is the sociological imagination, according to C. Wright Mills? | C. Wright Mills defined the sociological imagination as the ability to see the impact of social forces on individuals' public and private lives. He believed we need to overcome our limited perspective to understand the larger meaning of our experiences. |
How does sociology help us to disentangle biological from sociological phenomena? | Sociology aims to help us distinguish between what is biological and what is socially constructed. Sociology wants to show that there are other explanations for human behavior other than simply biology. |
How does the concept of social structure help sociologists better understand social phenomena? | Social structure can help sociologists explain social phenomena in three ways. First, social structure gives humans a rational way to act. Second, norms create a social order to explain social phenomena. Third, beliefs and values guide the human to making social decisions. |
According to Emile Durkheim, what makes sociology a social science? Why? | Sociology is a social science if it develops methodological principles to guide research, and uses social facts to analyze social life as objects or events in nature. |
According to Karl Marx, what are the differences between the two classes that make up a capitalist society? | Capitalist societies have people who own capital (factories, machines, large sums of money) in a ruling class and a class of wage workers, who do not own the means of their livelihood. |
What are the differences between symbolic interactionism and functionalist approaches to the analysis of society? | Symbolic Interactionism is a microsociological analysis of the use of symbols and face-to-face interaction, with special importance on language. Functionalism is a macrosociological analysis of the relationships between the parts of society and its functions. |
How do rational choice theorists explain human behavior? | Rational choice theorists explain things that seem irrational. They believe that nearly all behavior (with the exception of love) is a rational response to a social situation. |
What role does theory play in sociological research? | Theories, especially a diversity of theories, provides a rich source of ideas for research and stimulates imaginative capacity to progress sociological work. |
How are macro and micro analyses of society connected? | Macro-sociology is essential in understanding micro-sociology because macro affects daily life and micro influences all social organization. |
Describe three ways that sociology can help us in our lives? | It can give us a sense of awareness of cultural differences, let us assess the effects of policies, and provide self-enlightenment. |
What skills and perspectives do sociologists bring to their work? | Sociologists need to develop a social conscience and set aside personal views to see what shapes our lives. |
What are the seven steps in the research process? | 1. Defining the Research Problem; 2. Reviewing the Literature; 3. Formulating a Hypotheses; 4. Selecting a Research Design; 5. Carrying out the research; 6. Interpreting results; 7. Reporting research findings. |
How did Park and Ogburn approach sociological research differently? | Park was interested in developing theories, relating directly to lives of people through evidence of their lives (ethics, religion, journalism, and propaganda). Ogburn said sociology needs to become a science; need to 'discover new knowledge'. |
In what ways did each sociologist influence researchers today? | They both wanted sociology to look like a natural science in presentation and orientation. Believed you can study anything measured in numbers. |
What are the main advantages and limitations of ethnography as a research method? | + Explains how studied people understand their own behavior - only small groups can be studied - depends on researcher's skill - different researchers may draw different conclusions |
Contrast the two types of questions commonly used in surveys? | Standardized or fixed choice questions are easy to count and compare, yet difficult to compare statistically. Open ended questions provide more detailed information, but difficult to compare statistically. |
What is a random sample? | A random sample is chosen so that every member of the population has the same probability of being included, to ensure that a population is represented accurately. |
Discuss the main strengths of experiments? | + have control of experiment conditions + able to isolate specific causes |
What are the similarities and differences between comparative and historical research? | Comparative research compares one set of findings on one society with the same type of findings on other societies, which allows researchers to see if behavior varies across time, place, and social groups in history. |
How are the ethical dilemmas that social scientists face different from those that other researchers encounter in the physical or biological sciences? | The question of exploitation arises more in field studies than in statistical studies. Are social scientists benefitting at their subjects' expense? |