Sociological Theory and Methodology: A Comprehensive Assessment
A detailed assessment of sociological theories and methodologies used in the study of social behaviors and structures.
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Sociological Theory and Methodology: A Comprehensive Assessment
Test one, sp12
True/False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
True_ 1. Humans are essentially social beings.
False_ 2. America is so powerful that it doesn’t need the support of other nations.
False_3. Unlike other aspects of society, like the economy, the media have not become truly global in nature.
False_ 4. The most widely accepted definitions of sociology as a discipline are those that are narrow and focused.
True_ 5. When we ask psychologists to help us understand the behavior of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who murdered 13 people and
injured 24 more at Columbine High School in 1999, we are using our sociological imaginations.
True_ 6. If a sociologist attempts to study whether men are really less emotional than women, she is taking the role of the social analyst,
rather than the everyday actor.
False_ 7. The poem “The Blind Men and the Elephant” suggests that there is only one correct approach to understanding social life.
True_ 8. Conflict theory uses a dynamic model of historical change that presents change as constant, ongoing, and inevitable.
True_ 9. W. E. B. Du Bois became so disillusioned with the United States that he voluntarily exiled himself to Ghana near the end of his life.
True_ 10. Thomas Kuhn, a philosopher of science, argues that truth is relative, in that it is dependent on the paradigm through which one
understands the world.
False_ 11. You are about to do a series of interviews about drug abuse and academic performance. In order to make people feel more
comfortable, you tell them that these interviews are about student satisfaction with the university and have them sign a form showing that
they’ve willingly agreed to participate. You have the informed consent of your research subjects.
True_ 12. The order in which a questionnaire asks about different issues cannot affect the way people respond.
True_ 13. Codes of ethics in the social sciences provide very strict guidelines for researchers to follow.
True_ 14. Market research is probably the most common use of sociological methods for nonacademic purposes.
False__ 15. Marxists are among the strongest supporters of value-free sociology.
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
__A__ 16. Sociologists observe society:
a. by studying the various parts of a society and the ways they interact and influence each other
b. by studying the shape and boundaries of society as a whole
c. by studying society as if it were a concrete object, in the same way that a geologist studies rocks
d. by utilizing the preconceptions, assumptions, and beliefs that come from living in a society
e. through the use of special scientific tools that allow unmediated access to the very heart of society
__A__ 17. Even though a small number of people have been academically trained as sociologists, we all can be described as “natural
sociologists” because:
a. we are born with certain skills that naturally allow us to think sociologically
b. society is a part of nature, so everyone has to be a natural sociologist
c. our parents taught us to be sociologists even before they sent us to school
d. we are all members of society and so have a great deal of background knowledge about how society works
e. sociologists are really just observers of conventional wisdom
__A__ 18. Howard Becker said that sociology can be best understood as the study of people “doing things together.” This definition reminds
us that:
a. neither society nor the individual exists in isolation; each is dependent on the other
b. sociology is only interested in the way people act, not in the way they think
c. only large-scale interactions that involve many people can be understood by sociologists
d. people must have some knowledge of each other before they can really do anything together
e. individuals exist independently of society and can be understood without considering social influence
__A__ 19. Most sociologists specialize in one particular method of study. The first distinction is usually made between qualitative and
quantitative methodologies. What do quantitative sociologists do differently from qualitative sociologists?
a. Quantitative sociologists preserve the detail and diversity of their data so that each individual piece of information can be analyzed to
determine its meaning.
b. Quantitative sociologists look for signs of social conflict and tension in their data.
c. Quantitative sociologists translate their data into numbers so that it can be analyzed mathematically or statistically.
d. Quantitative sociologists look for data exclusively in traditional cultures.
e. Quantitative sociologists only do interviews.
__B__ 20. Regardless of which methodology they use, what are all sociologists trying to do?
a. explain why social change happens
Test one, sp12
True/False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
True_ 1. Humans are essentially social beings.
False_ 2. America is so powerful that it doesn’t need the support of other nations.
False_3. Unlike other aspects of society, like the economy, the media have not become truly global in nature.
False_ 4. The most widely accepted definitions of sociology as a discipline are those that are narrow and focused.
True_ 5. When we ask psychologists to help us understand the behavior of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who murdered 13 people and
injured 24 more at Columbine High School in 1999, we are using our sociological imaginations.
True_ 6. If a sociologist attempts to study whether men are really less emotional than women, she is taking the role of the social analyst,
rather than the everyday actor.
False_ 7. The poem “The Blind Men and the Elephant” suggests that there is only one correct approach to understanding social life.
True_ 8. Conflict theory uses a dynamic model of historical change that presents change as constant, ongoing, and inevitable.
True_ 9. W. E. B. Du Bois became so disillusioned with the United States that he voluntarily exiled himself to Ghana near the end of his life.
True_ 10. Thomas Kuhn, a philosopher of science, argues that truth is relative, in that it is dependent on the paradigm through which one
understands the world.
False_ 11. You are about to do a series of interviews about drug abuse and academic performance. In order to make people feel more
comfortable, you tell them that these interviews are about student satisfaction with the university and have them sign a form showing that
they’ve willingly agreed to participate. You have the informed consent of your research subjects.
True_ 12. The order in which a questionnaire asks about different issues cannot affect the way people respond.
True_ 13. Codes of ethics in the social sciences provide very strict guidelines for researchers to follow.
True_ 14. Market research is probably the most common use of sociological methods for nonacademic purposes.
False__ 15. Marxists are among the strongest supporters of value-free sociology.
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
__A__ 16. Sociologists observe society:
a. by studying the various parts of a society and the ways they interact and influence each other
b. by studying the shape and boundaries of society as a whole
c. by studying society as if it were a concrete object, in the same way that a geologist studies rocks
d. by utilizing the preconceptions, assumptions, and beliefs that come from living in a society
e. through the use of special scientific tools that allow unmediated access to the very heart of society
__A__ 17. Even though a small number of people have been academically trained as sociologists, we all can be described as “natural
sociologists” because:
a. we are born with certain skills that naturally allow us to think sociologically
b. society is a part of nature, so everyone has to be a natural sociologist
c. our parents taught us to be sociologists even before they sent us to school
d. we are all members of society and so have a great deal of background knowledge about how society works
e. sociologists are really just observers of conventional wisdom
__A__ 18. Howard Becker said that sociology can be best understood as the study of people “doing things together.” This definition reminds
us that:
a. neither society nor the individual exists in isolation; each is dependent on the other
b. sociology is only interested in the way people act, not in the way they think
c. only large-scale interactions that involve many people can be understood by sociologists
d. people must have some knowledge of each other before they can really do anything together
e. individuals exist independently of society and can be understood without considering social influence
__A__ 19. Most sociologists specialize in one particular method of study. The first distinction is usually made between qualitative and
quantitative methodologies. What do quantitative sociologists do differently from qualitative sociologists?
a. Quantitative sociologists preserve the detail and diversity of their data so that each individual piece of information can be analyzed to
determine its meaning.
b. Quantitative sociologists look for signs of social conflict and tension in their data.
c. Quantitative sociologists translate their data into numbers so that it can be analyzed mathematically or statistically.
d. Quantitative sociologists look for data exclusively in traditional cultures.
e. Quantitative sociologists only do interviews.
__B__ 20. Regardless of which methodology they use, what are all sociologists trying to do?
a. explain why social change happens
b. illuminate the connection between the individual and society
c. explain why poverty and inequality still exist
d. compare the present with the past
e. understand how our society is different from other cultures and other times
__C__ 21. What is the sociological imagination?
a. a property of society that ensures that people remain ignorant of the connections between their lives and social change
b. a particular way of understanding the criminal mind, such as that of a serial killer
c. the sociological approach that assumes that large-scale social institutions structure individual interactions
d. the ability to understand the connections between biography and history, or the interplay of the self and the world
e. the sociological approach that assumes that individual decisions and interactions create larger social institutions
__D__ 22. Bernard McGrane suggests we should practice using a beginner’s mind, the opposite of an expert’s mind. Usually it’s good to be
an expert. Why should we try to think like beginners instead?
a. An expert’s mind is so full of facts and assumptions that it has difficulty learning anything new.
b. To better understand the world, we need to defamiliarize ourselves with it.
c. We need to unlearn what we already know in order to become better sociologists.
d. A beginner’s mind allows us to approach the world without knowing in advance what we will find.
e. The approach of a beginner’s mind is more readily accepted by whoever is being studied.
__D__ 23. What does it mean to say that America is both a nation and an ideal?
a. All Americans have strong beliefs and ideals that are important to them.
b. America is both a geographic location and also an ideal concept that situates its citizens within a meaningful context.
c. America has standards, but it doesn’t always live up to them.
d. As a geographic place, America has certain principles of law that govern how government is organized.
e. Everyone in the United States has a different understanding of what it means to be American.
__C__ 24. Most people are interested in the lives of others, but usually we express this only through daytime talk shows and tabloid media.
Although this sort of interest is completely understandable, sociologists would say that it is sensationalistic and very selective. How does a
sociological perspective help to solve this problem?
a. It decreases our interest in daytime talk shows.
b. It helps us understand the people who appear on such shows in terms of individual pathology.
c. It allows us to see connections between individual experience and larger social patterns.
d. It increases the prurient value of such programs and makes them more appealing.
e. all of the above
__B__ 25. Although everyday cultural practices, such as greeting a friend, giving flowers, or using the thumbs-up sign, seem like natural
ways of acting, an awareness of how they vary across cultures demonstrates a healthy sociological imagination because:
a. it ensures that we don’t accidentally make a faux pas
b. it reminds us that everyday interactions are connected to larger social structures
c. it helps us economically when we do business in different countries
d. it lets us understand how immigrants perceive America when they move here
e. all of the above
__B__ 26. The work of the French sociologist Jean Baudrillard, which inspired the movie The Matrix, is fairly pessimistic about contemporary
society. What is Baudrillard especially worried about?
a. that there are rising levels of inequality between the industrialized world and more traditional societies
b. that we’ve lost the ability to distinguish between reality and illusion
c. that racial hostility will ruin any chances for a meaningful democracy
d. that globalization will dilute the unique French identity as McDonald’s and Disney World take over everywhere
e. that rising levels of crime will make fear and apprehension the most common experiences of life in cities in the twenty-first century
__C__ 27. According to William J. Mitchell, in The Reconfigured Eye: Visual Truth in the Post-Photographic Era, TV Guide once took a
picture of Oprah and grafted her head onto the body of Ann-Margret. Although this is an extreme example, Mitchell’s larger point is that
almost every photo Americans now look at in the media has been digitally altered, leading many to worry that:
a. we have lost the ability to distinguish between reality and special effects
b. Americans are spending too much time watching television
c. we are becoming a global village, all consuming the same media and becoming like one tribe
d. urban centers are becoming increasingly diverse, and some are important to a postmodern world
e. the United States is becoming part of a global community
__E__ 28. If you didn’t know anything about Pam Fishman but that Figure 1.2 features data from her research, what could you logically
determine about her?
a. that she is a conflict theorist
b. that she is a macrosociologist
c. explain why poverty and inequality still exist
d. compare the present with the past
e. understand how our society is different from other cultures and other times
__C__ 21. What is the sociological imagination?
a. a property of society that ensures that people remain ignorant of the connections between their lives and social change
b. a particular way of understanding the criminal mind, such as that of a serial killer
c. the sociological approach that assumes that large-scale social institutions structure individual interactions
d. the ability to understand the connections between biography and history, or the interplay of the self and the world
e. the sociological approach that assumes that individual decisions and interactions create larger social institutions
__D__ 22. Bernard McGrane suggests we should practice using a beginner’s mind, the opposite of an expert’s mind. Usually it’s good to be
an expert. Why should we try to think like beginners instead?
a. An expert’s mind is so full of facts and assumptions that it has difficulty learning anything new.
b. To better understand the world, we need to defamiliarize ourselves with it.
c. We need to unlearn what we already know in order to become better sociologists.
d. A beginner’s mind allows us to approach the world without knowing in advance what we will find.
e. The approach of a beginner’s mind is more readily accepted by whoever is being studied.
__D__ 23. What does it mean to say that America is both a nation and an ideal?
a. All Americans have strong beliefs and ideals that are important to them.
b. America is both a geographic location and also an ideal concept that situates its citizens within a meaningful context.
c. America has standards, but it doesn’t always live up to them.
d. As a geographic place, America has certain principles of law that govern how government is organized.
e. Everyone in the United States has a different understanding of what it means to be American.
__C__ 24. Most people are interested in the lives of others, but usually we express this only through daytime talk shows and tabloid media.
Although this sort of interest is completely understandable, sociologists would say that it is sensationalistic and very selective. How does a
sociological perspective help to solve this problem?
a. It decreases our interest in daytime talk shows.
b. It helps us understand the people who appear on such shows in terms of individual pathology.
c. It allows us to see connections between individual experience and larger social patterns.
d. It increases the prurient value of such programs and makes them more appealing.
e. all of the above
__B__ 25. Although everyday cultural practices, such as greeting a friend, giving flowers, or using the thumbs-up sign, seem like natural
ways of acting, an awareness of how they vary across cultures demonstrates a healthy sociological imagination because:
a. it ensures that we don’t accidentally make a faux pas
b. it reminds us that everyday interactions are connected to larger social structures
c. it helps us economically when we do business in different countries
d. it lets us understand how immigrants perceive America when they move here
e. all of the above
__B__ 26. The work of the French sociologist Jean Baudrillard, which inspired the movie The Matrix, is fairly pessimistic about contemporary
society. What is Baudrillard especially worried about?
a. that there are rising levels of inequality between the industrialized world and more traditional societies
b. that we’ve lost the ability to distinguish between reality and illusion
c. that racial hostility will ruin any chances for a meaningful democracy
d. that globalization will dilute the unique French identity as McDonald’s and Disney World take over everywhere
e. that rising levels of crime will make fear and apprehension the most common experiences of life in cities in the twenty-first century
__C__ 27. According to William J. Mitchell, in The Reconfigured Eye: Visual Truth in the Post-Photographic Era, TV Guide once took a
picture of Oprah and grafted her head onto the body of Ann-Margret. Although this is an extreme example, Mitchell’s larger point is that
almost every photo Americans now look at in the media has been digitally altered, leading many to worry that:
a. we have lost the ability to distinguish between reality and special effects
b. Americans are spending too much time watching television
c. we are becoming a global village, all consuming the same media and becoming like one tribe
d. urban centers are becoming increasingly diverse, and some are important to a postmodern world
e. the United States is becoming part of a global community
__E__ 28. If you didn’t know anything about Pam Fishman but that Figure 1.2 features data from her research, what could you logically
determine about her?
a. that she is a conflict theorist
b. that she is a macrosociologist
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