Sociology Exam 1 Terms – Questions with
Solutions
sociology - -the systematic or scientific study of human society and social
behavior, from large-scale institutions and mass culture to small groups and
individual interactions
-society - -a group of people who shape their lives in aggregated and
patterned ways that distinguish their group from other groups
-social sciences - -the disciplines that use the scientific method to examine
the social world, in contrast to the natural world, which examines the
physical world
-sociological perspective - -a way of looking at the world through a
sociological lens
-culture shock - -a sense of disorientation that occurs when you enter a
radically new social or cultural environment
-sociological imagination - -a quality of the mind that allows us to
understand the relationship between our individual circumstances and larger
social forces
-microsociology - -the level of analysis that studies face-to-face and small
group interactions in order to understand how they affect the larger patterns
and institutions of society
-macrosociology - -the level of analysis that studies large-scale social
structures in order to determine how they affect the lives of groups and
individuals
-theories - -abstract propositions that explain the social world and make
predictions about the future
-scientific method - -a procedure for acquiring knowledge that emphasizes
collecting concrete data through observation and experiment
-social darwinism - -the application of the theory of evolution and the notion
of "survival of the fittest" to the study of society
-structural functionalism - -a paradigm based on the assumption that
society is a unified whole that functions because of the contributions of its
separate sructures
, -conflict theory - -A paradigm that sees social conflict as the basis of society
and social change, and emphasizes a materialist view of society, a critical
view of the status quo, and a dynamic model of historical change.
-conflict - -generated by the competition amongst different class groups for
scarce resources, and the source of all social change according to Karl Marx.
-symbolic interactionalism - -a paradigm that sees interaction and meaning
as central to society and assumes that meanings are not inherent but are
created through interaction
-The Chicago School - -a type of sociology practiced by researchers are the
University of Chicago in the 1920s and 30s that centered on urban sociology
and field research methods
-Pragmatism - -a theoretical perspective that assumes organisms (including
humans) make practical adaptations to their environments; humans do this
through cognition, interpretation and interaction
-Eurocentric - -the tendency to favor European or Western histories,
cultures, and values over non-Western societies
-dramaturgy - -a theoretical paradigm that uses the metaphor of theatre to
understand how individuals present themselves to others
-ethnomethodology - -the study of "folk methods" and background
knowledge that sustains a shared sense of reality in everyday interactions
-postmodernism - -a paradigm that suggests that social reality is diverse,
pluralistic, and constantly in flux
-modernism - -a paradigm that places trust in power of science and
technology to create progress, solve problems, and improve life
-deconstruction - -a type of critical postmodern analysis that involves taking
apart or dissassembling old ways of thinking
-midrange theory - -an approach that integrates empiricism and grand
theory
-quantitative research - -research that works with the social world into
numbers that can be treated mathematically, this type of research often
tries to find cause-and-effect relationships
-qualitative research - -research that works with nonnumerical data such as
texts, field notes, interview transcripts, photographs and tape recordings;
, this type of research more often tries to understand how people make sense
of their world
-literature review - -a thorough search through previously published studies
relevant to a particular topic
-hypothesis - -a theoretical statement explaining the relationship between
two or more phenomena
-variable - -one of two or more phenomena that a researcher believes are
related and hopes to prove are related through research
-operational definition - -a clear and precise definition of a variable the
facilitates its measurements
-correlation - -a relationship between variables in which they change
together, and may or may not be causal
-causation - -a relationship between variables in which a change in one
directly produces a change in the other
-intervening variables - -a third variable, sometimes overlooked, that
explains the relationship between two other variables
-spurious correlation - -the appearance of causation produced by an
intervening variable
-paradigm shift - -the term used to describe a change in basic assumptions
of a particular scientific discipline
-ethnography - -a naturalistic method based on studying people in their own
environment in order to understand the meanings they attribute to their
activities; also the written work that results from the study
-participant observation - -a methodology associated with ethnography
whereby the researcher both observes and becomes a member in a social
setting
-rapport - -a positive relationship often characterized by mutual trust or
sympathy
-access - -the process by which an ethnographer gains entry to a field
setting
Solutions
sociology - -the systematic or scientific study of human society and social
behavior, from large-scale institutions and mass culture to small groups and
individual interactions
-society - -a group of people who shape their lives in aggregated and
patterned ways that distinguish their group from other groups
-social sciences - -the disciplines that use the scientific method to examine
the social world, in contrast to the natural world, which examines the
physical world
-sociological perspective - -a way of looking at the world through a
sociological lens
-culture shock - -a sense of disorientation that occurs when you enter a
radically new social or cultural environment
-sociological imagination - -a quality of the mind that allows us to
understand the relationship between our individual circumstances and larger
social forces
-microsociology - -the level of analysis that studies face-to-face and small
group interactions in order to understand how they affect the larger patterns
and institutions of society
-macrosociology - -the level of analysis that studies large-scale social
structures in order to determine how they affect the lives of groups and
individuals
-theories - -abstract propositions that explain the social world and make
predictions about the future
-scientific method - -a procedure for acquiring knowledge that emphasizes
collecting concrete data through observation and experiment
-social darwinism - -the application of the theory of evolution and the notion
of "survival of the fittest" to the study of society
-structural functionalism - -a paradigm based on the assumption that
society is a unified whole that functions because of the contributions of its
separate sructures
, -conflict theory - -A paradigm that sees social conflict as the basis of society
and social change, and emphasizes a materialist view of society, a critical
view of the status quo, and a dynamic model of historical change.
-conflict - -generated by the competition amongst different class groups for
scarce resources, and the source of all social change according to Karl Marx.
-symbolic interactionalism - -a paradigm that sees interaction and meaning
as central to society and assumes that meanings are not inherent but are
created through interaction
-The Chicago School - -a type of sociology practiced by researchers are the
University of Chicago in the 1920s and 30s that centered on urban sociology
and field research methods
-Pragmatism - -a theoretical perspective that assumes organisms (including
humans) make practical adaptations to their environments; humans do this
through cognition, interpretation and interaction
-Eurocentric - -the tendency to favor European or Western histories,
cultures, and values over non-Western societies
-dramaturgy - -a theoretical paradigm that uses the metaphor of theatre to
understand how individuals present themselves to others
-ethnomethodology - -the study of "folk methods" and background
knowledge that sustains a shared sense of reality in everyday interactions
-postmodernism - -a paradigm that suggests that social reality is diverse,
pluralistic, and constantly in flux
-modernism - -a paradigm that places trust in power of science and
technology to create progress, solve problems, and improve life
-deconstruction - -a type of critical postmodern analysis that involves taking
apart or dissassembling old ways of thinking
-midrange theory - -an approach that integrates empiricism and grand
theory
-quantitative research - -research that works with the social world into
numbers that can be treated mathematically, this type of research often
tries to find cause-and-effect relationships
-qualitative research - -research that works with nonnumerical data such as
texts, field notes, interview transcripts, photographs and tape recordings;
, this type of research more often tries to understand how people make sense
of their world
-literature review - -a thorough search through previously published studies
relevant to a particular topic
-hypothesis - -a theoretical statement explaining the relationship between
two or more phenomena
-variable - -one of two or more phenomena that a researcher believes are
related and hopes to prove are related through research
-operational definition - -a clear and precise definition of a variable the
facilitates its measurements
-correlation - -a relationship between variables in which they change
together, and may or may not be causal
-causation - -a relationship between variables in which a change in one
directly produces a change in the other
-intervening variables - -a third variable, sometimes overlooked, that
explains the relationship between two other variables
-spurious correlation - -the appearance of causation produced by an
intervening variable
-paradigm shift - -the term used to describe a change in basic assumptions
of a particular scientific discipline
-ethnography - -a naturalistic method based on studying people in their own
environment in order to understand the meanings they attribute to their
activities; also the written work that results from the study
-participant observation - -a methodology associated with ethnography
whereby the researcher both observes and becomes a member in a social
setting
-rapport - -a positive relationship often characterized by mutual trust or
sympathy
-access - -the process by which an ethnographer gains entry to a field
setting
