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FALL MIDTERM ASSESSMENT:
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
2026/2027 QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS & COMPLETE
RATIONALES
## SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIOLOGY
**1. What is the primary focus of sociology?**
A. Individual psychological processes
B. The study of society and human social behavior
C. The study of political systems
D. The study of economic markets
**Correct answer:** The study of society and human social
behavior
**Rationale:** Sociology is the systematic study of society,
social institutions, and social relationships. It examines how
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groups, organizations, and societies influence human behavior.
Psychology focuses on individual mental processes.
---
**2. Who is considered the "father of sociology" for coining the
term and advocating for the scientific study of society?**
A. Karl Marx
B. Auguste Comte
C. Émile Durkheim
D. Max Weber
**Correct answer:** Auguste Comte
**Rationale:** Auguste Comte (1798–1857) coined the term
"sociology" and argued that society should be studied
scientifically, just like the natural sciences. He is considered the
founder of positivism and the father of sociology.
---
**3. Which sociological perspective emphasizes the role of
symbols and face-to-face interactions in shaping social
reality?**
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A. Structural functionalism
B. Conflict theory
C. Symbolic interactionism
D. Feminist theory
**Correct answer:** Symbolic interactionism
**Rationale:** Symbolic interactionism, associated with George
Herbert Mead and Erving Goffman, focuses on micro-level
interactions and how people use symbols to create and
interpret social reality. Functionalism and conflict theory are
macro-level perspectives.
---
**4. What is the sociological imagination, according to C. Wright
Mills?**
A. The ability to see the connection between personal troubles
and public issues
B. The capacity to imagine fictional societies
C. The skill of predicting future social trends
D. The ability to manipulate social structures
**Correct answer:** The ability to see the connection between
personal troubles and public issues
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**Rationale:** C. Wright Mills introduced the "sociological
imagination" to describe the ability to connect individual
experiences (personal troubles) to larger social forces and
historical contexts (public issues). It encourages critical thinking
about society.
---
**5. Which of the following is a macro-level sociological
perspective?**
A. Symbolic interactionism
B. Structural functionalism
C. Ethnomethodology
D. Dramaturgical analysis
**Correct answer:** Structural functionalism
**Rationale:** Structural functionalism is a macro-level
perspective that views society as a complex system of
interconnected parts working together to maintain stability.
Symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, and dramaturgical
analysis are micro-level perspectives.
---
FALL MIDTERM ASSESSMENT:
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
2026/2027 QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS & COMPLETE
RATIONALES
## SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIOLOGY
**1. What is the primary focus of sociology?**
A. Individual psychological processes
B. The study of society and human social behavior
C. The study of political systems
D. The study of economic markets
**Correct answer:** The study of society and human social
behavior
**Rationale:** Sociology is the systematic study of society,
social institutions, and social relationships. It examines how
,2 | Page
groups, organizations, and societies influence human behavior.
Psychology focuses on individual mental processes.
---
**2. Who is considered the "father of sociology" for coining the
term and advocating for the scientific study of society?**
A. Karl Marx
B. Auguste Comte
C. Émile Durkheim
D. Max Weber
**Correct answer:** Auguste Comte
**Rationale:** Auguste Comte (1798–1857) coined the term
"sociology" and argued that society should be studied
scientifically, just like the natural sciences. He is considered the
founder of positivism and the father of sociology.
---
**3. Which sociological perspective emphasizes the role of
symbols and face-to-face interactions in shaping social
reality?**
,3 | Page
A. Structural functionalism
B. Conflict theory
C. Symbolic interactionism
D. Feminist theory
**Correct answer:** Symbolic interactionism
**Rationale:** Symbolic interactionism, associated with George
Herbert Mead and Erving Goffman, focuses on micro-level
interactions and how people use symbols to create and
interpret social reality. Functionalism and conflict theory are
macro-level perspectives.
---
**4. What is the sociological imagination, according to C. Wright
Mills?**
A. The ability to see the connection between personal troubles
and public issues
B. The capacity to imagine fictional societies
C. The skill of predicting future social trends
D. The ability to manipulate social structures
**Correct answer:** The ability to see the connection between
personal troubles and public issues
, 4 | Page
**Rationale:** C. Wright Mills introduced the "sociological
imagination" to describe the ability to connect individual
experiences (personal troubles) to larger social forces and
historical contexts (public issues). It encourages critical thinking
about society.
---
**5. Which of the following is a macro-level sociological
perspective?**
A. Symbolic interactionism
B. Structural functionalism
C. Ethnomethodology
D. Dramaturgical analysis
**Correct answer:** Structural functionalism
**Rationale:** Structural functionalism is a macro-level
perspective that views society as a complex system of
interconnected parts working together to maintain stability.
Symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, and dramaturgical
analysis are micro-level perspectives.
---
