SYG 2000 MID-TERM REVIEW
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
LATEST UPDATE 2026
Section 1: The Sociological Perspective & Foundational
Concepts
1. The sociological imagination, as defined by C. Wright Mills, is the ability to:
A) See society as a complex system of interrelated parts
B) Understand the connection between personal troubles and broader social forces
C) Apply the scientific method to social problems
D) Recognize the role of conflict in social change
Answer: B
Rationale: The sociological imagination is the capacity to see the relationship between
individual experiences and larger societal influences. It allows us to connect "private
troubles" to "public issues."
2. The sociological perspective emphasizes:
A) Genetic influences on behavior
B) The impact of society on individuals
C) Individual personality traits
D) Biological determinism
Answer: B
, Rationale: The sociological perspective focuses on how social forces, structures, and
interactions shape human behavior and outcomes.
3. A sociologist studying how poverty affects educational attainment is using:
A) The psychoanalytic perspective
B) The sociological imagination
C) The biological perspective
D) The individualistic perspective
Answer: B
Rationale: This example demonstrates the sociological imagination by connecting a
personal issue (educational success) to a broader social structure (poverty).
4. The concept that an individual's location in society—determined by factors like
class, gender, and race—shapes their experiences is called:
A) Social role
B) Social location
C) Social structure
D) Social status
Answer: B
Rationale: Social location refers to the combination of social categories (age, gender, race,
class, education, etc.) that determine a person's position and perspective in society.
5. The early sociologist who coined the term "sociology" and advocated for
applying the scientific method to the study of society was:
A) Karl Marx
B) Emile Durkheim
, C) Max Weber
D) Auguste Comte
Answer: D
Rationale: Auguste Comte (1798-1857) is credited with naming the discipline of sociology
and establishing "positivism"—the idea that knowledge should be derived from scientific
observation.
Section 2: Major Theoretical Perspectives
6. Which sociological perspective views society as a system of interrelated parts
that work together to maintain stability?
A) Structural Functionalism
B) Conflict Theory
C) Symbolic Interactionism
D) Feminist Theory
Answer: A
Rationale: Structural functionalism, associated with Emile Durkheim and Talcott Parsons,
views society as an organism with interconnected parts that function together to promote
social stability and solidarity.
7. The theoretical framework that assumes society is held together by power and
oppression, with groups engaged in continuous struggle for resources, is:
A) Structural Functionalism
B) Conflict/Critical Theory
C) Symbolic Interactionism
D) Ethnomethodology
Answer: B
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
LATEST UPDATE 2026
Section 1: The Sociological Perspective & Foundational
Concepts
1. The sociological imagination, as defined by C. Wright Mills, is the ability to:
A) See society as a complex system of interrelated parts
B) Understand the connection between personal troubles and broader social forces
C) Apply the scientific method to social problems
D) Recognize the role of conflict in social change
Answer: B
Rationale: The sociological imagination is the capacity to see the relationship between
individual experiences and larger societal influences. It allows us to connect "private
troubles" to "public issues."
2. The sociological perspective emphasizes:
A) Genetic influences on behavior
B) The impact of society on individuals
C) Individual personality traits
D) Biological determinism
Answer: B
, Rationale: The sociological perspective focuses on how social forces, structures, and
interactions shape human behavior and outcomes.
3. A sociologist studying how poverty affects educational attainment is using:
A) The psychoanalytic perspective
B) The sociological imagination
C) The biological perspective
D) The individualistic perspective
Answer: B
Rationale: This example demonstrates the sociological imagination by connecting a
personal issue (educational success) to a broader social structure (poverty).
4. The concept that an individual's location in society—determined by factors like
class, gender, and race—shapes their experiences is called:
A) Social role
B) Social location
C) Social structure
D) Social status
Answer: B
Rationale: Social location refers to the combination of social categories (age, gender, race,
class, education, etc.) that determine a person's position and perspective in society.
5. The early sociologist who coined the term "sociology" and advocated for
applying the scientific method to the study of society was:
A) Karl Marx
B) Emile Durkheim
, C) Max Weber
D) Auguste Comte
Answer: D
Rationale: Auguste Comte (1798-1857) is credited with naming the discipline of sociology
and establishing "positivism"—the idea that knowledge should be derived from scientific
observation.
Section 2: Major Theoretical Perspectives
6. Which sociological perspective views society as a system of interrelated parts
that work together to maintain stability?
A) Structural Functionalism
B) Conflict Theory
C) Symbolic Interactionism
D) Feminist Theory
Answer: A
Rationale: Structural functionalism, associated with Emile Durkheim and Talcott Parsons,
views society as an organism with interconnected parts that function together to promote
social stability and solidarity.
7. The theoretical framework that assumes society is held together by power and
oppression, with groups engaged in continuous struggle for resources, is:
A) Structural Functionalism
B) Conflict/Critical Theory
C) Symbolic Interactionism
D) Ethnomethodology
Answer: B
