WGU C273 INTRODUCTION TO
SOCIOLOGY OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS
ALREADY GRADED A+|LATEST UPDATE
2025/2026
1. Who coined the term "sociology" and advocated for the scientific
study of society?
A) Karl Marx
B) Émile Durkheim
C) Auguste Comte
D) Max Weber
Correct Answer: C) Auguste Comte
Rationale: Auguste Comte (1798–1857) is credited with coining the
term "sociology" and believed that the scientific method should be
applied to the study of society, a concept he called positivism. He argued
that it was necessary to observe and classify human behavior to uncover
society's fundamental laws .
2. The sociological imagination, as defined by C. Wright Mills, is the
ability to:
,A) Predict future social trends accurately
B) Understand the relationship between personal troubles and public
issues
C) Manipulate social situations for personal gain
D) Conduct unbiased sociological research
Correct Answer: B) Understand the relationship between personal
troubles and public issues
Rationale: C. Wright Mills argued that the sociological imagination
allows individuals to see how personal problems (e.g., unemployment,
divorce) are often rooted in broader social forces (e.g., economic
recession, changing family laws). This intersection of biography (the
individual) and history (society) is essential for the sociological
perspective .
3. Which early sociologist translated Auguste Comte's works into
English and was a pioneering feminist sociologist?
A) Jane Addams
B) Harriet Martineau
C) Charlotte Perkins Gilman
D) Dorothy Smith
Correct Answer: B) Harriet Martineau
Rationale: Harriet Martineau (1802–1876) was an English sociologist
who translated Comte's work and wrote extensively on social issues
including gender inequality, slavery, and education. She viewed
,sociology as a path to reform and improve society, working to stop
lynchings, integrate immigrants, and improve working conditions .
4. Herbert Spencer compared society to a living organism and
believed that social inequality was natural and beneficial. This
perspective is known as:
A) Functionalism
B) Conflict theory
C) Social Darwinism
D) Symbolic interactionism
Correct Answer: C) Social Darwinism
Rationale: Spencer applied Darwin's "survival of the fittest" concept to
society, arguing that the rich and powerful were naturally superior and
that social reform should not interfere with natural selection. He viewed
society as a living organism where all parts must function together to
function smoothly .
5. Karl Marx believed that the engine of human history is:
A) The spread of religion
B) Technological innovation
C) Class conflict
D) Cultural diffusion
Correct Answer: C) Class conflict
, Rationale: Karl Marx believed that class conflict between the
bourgeoisie (capitalists who own the means of production) and the
proletariat (workers) drives historical change. He viewed economics as a
central force in social change and introduced conflict theory to
sociology .
6. Which sociologist succeeded in getting sociology recognized as a
separate academic discipline and studied suicide rates to
demonstrate social forces on individual behavior?
A) Karl Marx
B) Max Weber
C) Émile Durkheim
D) Herbert Spencer
Correct Answer: C) Émile Durkheim
Rationale: Émile Durkheim succeeded in establishing sociology as a
distinct academic discipline. His research on suicide revealed that
suicide rates were higher in areas where individuals' ties to their social
groups were disrupted or distorted, demonstrating how social forces
affect people's behavior—a concept he called social integration .
7. Max Weber's concept of the "Protestant ethic" explains:
A) Why capitalism failed in Europe
B) The relationship between Protestantism and the rise of capitalism
SOCIOLOGY OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS
ALREADY GRADED A+|LATEST UPDATE
2025/2026
1. Who coined the term "sociology" and advocated for the scientific
study of society?
A) Karl Marx
B) Émile Durkheim
C) Auguste Comte
D) Max Weber
Correct Answer: C) Auguste Comte
Rationale: Auguste Comte (1798–1857) is credited with coining the
term "sociology" and believed that the scientific method should be
applied to the study of society, a concept he called positivism. He argued
that it was necessary to observe and classify human behavior to uncover
society's fundamental laws .
2. The sociological imagination, as defined by C. Wright Mills, is the
ability to:
,A) Predict future social trends accurately
B) Understand the relationship between personal troubles and public
issues
C) Manipulate social situations for personal gain
D) Conduct unbiased sociological research
Correct Answer: B) Understand the relationship between personal
troubles and public issues
Rationale: C. Wright Mills argued that the sociological imagination
allows individuals to see how personal problems (e.g., unemployment,
divorce) are often rooted in broader social forces (e.g., economic
recession, changing family laws). This intersection of biography (the
individual) and history (society) is essential for the sociological
perspective .
3. Which early sociologist translated Auguste Comte's works into
English and was a pioneering feminist sociologist?
A) Jane Addams
B) Harriet Martineau
C) Charlotte Perkins Gilman
D) Dorothy Smith
Correct Answer: B) Harriet Martineau
Rationale: Harriet Martineau (1802–1876) was an English sociologist
who translated Comte's work and wrote extensively on social issues
including gender inequality, slavery, and education. She viewed
,sociology as a path to reform and improve society, working to stop
lynchings, integrate immigrants, and improve working conditions .
4. Herbert Spencer compared society to a living organism and
believed that social inequality was natural and beneficial. This
perspective is known as:
A) Functionalism
B) Conflict theory
C) Social Darwinism
D) Symbolic interactionism
Correct Answer: C) Social Darwinism
Rationale: Spencer applied Darwin's "survival of the fittest" concept to
society, arguing that the rich and powerful were naturally superior and
that social reform should not interfere with natural selection. He viewed
society as a living organism where all parts must function together to
function smoothly .
5. Karl Marx believed that the engine of human history is:
A) The spread of religion
B) Technological innovation
C) Class conflict
D) Cultural diffusion
Correct Answer: C) Class conflict
, Rationale: Karl Marx believed that class conflict between the
bourgeoisie (capitalists who own the means of production) and the
proletariat (workers) drives historical change. He viewed economics as a
central force in social change and introduced conflict theory to
sociology .
6. Which sociologist succeeded in getting sociology recognized as a
separate academic discipline and studied suicide rates to
demonstrate social forces on individual behavior?
A) Karl Marx
B) Max Weber
C) Émile Durkheim
D) Herbert Spencer
Correct Answer: C) Émile Durkheim
Rationale: Émile Durkheim succeeded in establishing sociology as a
distinct academic discipline. His research on suicide revealed that
suicide rates were higher in areas where individuals' ties to their social
groups were disrupted or distorted, demonstrating how social forces
affect people's behavior—a concept he called social integration .
7. Max Weber's concept of the "Protestant ethic" explains:
A) Why capitalism failed in Europe
B) The relationship between Protestantism and the rise of capitalism
