Sociology Chapter 1: the Sociological
Perspective Study Guide Test.
Sociology - CORRECT ANSWER The systematic study of human society, culture and relationships on a
group level
Sociological Perspective - CORRECT ANSWER seeing the general in the particular **sociologists look for
general patterns in the behavior of particular people
Social Institutions - CORRECT ANSWER major structures made up of groups or ideas that influence
peoples daily lives, views of the world or integration into society
Examples of social institutions - CORRECT ANSWER a. religious groups
b. schools
c. families
d. political organizations
Careers in sociology - CORRECT ANSWER a. work at colleges
b. school/hospital (clinical sociologist)
c. sociology can benefit almost any career
Social psychologist - CORRECT ANSWER a person whose career is directly helping to improve peoples
lives using sociological concepts.
August Comte - CORRECT ANSWER came up with the term - Sociology (1838)
3 Stages of Society - CORRECT ANSWER 1. Theological Stage
2. Metaphysical Stage
3. Scientific Stage
,Theological Stage - CORRECT ANSWER people viewed the world and events in that world as a direct
expression of the will of the gods.
i.e. bad weather =angry weather gods
Metaphysical Stage - CORRECT ANSWER people viewed the world and events as natural reflections of
human tendencies
i.e. still believed in gods abstractly, but believed problems in the world were d/t defects in humanity
(astrology)
**considered the transition stage**
Scientific Stage - CORRECT ANSWER people view the world and events as explained by scientific
principles
Positivism - CORRECT ANSWER the belief that societies have their own scientific principles and laws, just
like physics or chemistry.
Sociology's 4 Theoretical Perspectives - CORRECT ANSWER 1. Stuctural-Functional Theory
2. Social Conflict Theory
3. Feminism
4. Symbolic Interactionism
Theory - CORRECT ANSWER a statement of how and why specific facts are related
**theories attempt to explain why groups of people choose to perform certain actions and how
societies function or change in a certain way.
global perspective - CORRECT ANSWER the study of the larger world and our society's place in it
high income countries - CORRECT ANSWER nations with the highest overall standards of living
,middle-income countries - CORRECT ANSWER nations with a standard of living about average for the
world as a whole
low-income countries - CORRECT ANSWER nations with a low standard of living in which most people
are poor
sociological imagination - CORRECT ANSWER (C. Wright Mills) the ability to see our private experiences
and personal difficulties as entwined with the structural arrangements of our society and the historical
times in which we live
i.e unemployment d/t poor economy.
Structural-functional approach - CORRECT ANSWER framework for building theory that sees society as a
complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability
theoretical approach - CORRECT ANSWER a basic image of society that guides thinking and research
social structure - CORRECT ANSWER any relatively stable pattern of social behavior
social functions - CORRECT ANSWER the consequences of any social pattern for the operation of society
as a whole
manifest functions - CORRECT ANSWER the recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern
latent functions - CORRECT ANSWER the unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social
pattern
social dysfunction - CORRECT ANSWER any social pattern that may disrupt operation of society
social-conflict approach - CORRECT ANSWER a framework for building theory that sees society as an
arena of inequality that generates conflict and change
, gender-conflict approach - CORRECT ANSWER a point of view that focuses on inequality and conflict
between women and men
feminism - CORRECT ANSWER support of social equality for women and men
race-conflict approach - CORRECT ANSWER a point of view that focuses on inequality and conflict
between people of different racial and ethnic categories
macro-level orientation - CORRECT ANSWER a broad focus on social structures that shape society as a
whole
micro-level orientation - CORRECT ANSWER a close-up focus on social interaction on specific situations
symbolic-interaction approach - CORRECT ANSWER a framework for building theory that sees society as
the product of the everyday interactions of individuals
*micro-level approach
stereotype - CORRECT ANSWER a simplified description applied to every person in some category
According to sociologists, human behavior reflects our personal "free will." T or F - CORRECT ANSWER
False
Sociology is defined as the systematic study of human society. T or F - CORRECT ANSWER True
Sociologists focus only on unusual patterns of behavior. - CORRECT ANSWER False
Using the sociological perspective, we would conclude that people's lives are mostly a result of what
they decide to do. - CORRECT ANSWER False
College students in the U.S. tend to come from families with above-average incomes. - CORRECT
ANSWER True
Perspective Study Guide Test.
Sociology - CORRECT ANSWER The systematic study of human society, culture and relationships on a
group level
Sociological Perspective - CORRECT ANSWER seeing the general in the particular **sociologists look for
general patterns in the behavior of particular people
Social Institutions - CORRECT ANSWER major structures made up of groups or ideas that influence
peoples daily lives, views of the world or integration into society
Examples of social institutions - CORRECT ANSWER a. religious groups
b. schools
c. families
d. political organizations
Careers in sociology - CORRECT ANSWER a. work at colleges
b. school/hospital (clinical sociologist)
c. sociology can benefit almost any career
Social psychologist - CORRECT ANSWER a person whose career is directly helping to improve peoples
lives using sociological concepts.
August Comte - CORRECT ANSWER came up with the term - Sociology (1838)
3 Stages of Society - CORRECT ANSWER 1. Theological Stage
2. Metaphysical Stage
3. Scientific Stage
,Theological Stage - CORRECT ANSWER people viewed the world and events in that world as a direct
expression of the will of the gods.
i.e. bad weather =angry weather gods
Metaphysical Stage - CORRECT ANSWER people viewed the world and events as natural reflections of
human tendencies
i.e. still believed in gods abstractly, but believed problems in the world were d/t defects in humanity
(astrology)
**considered the transition stage**
Scientific Stage - CORRECT ANSWER people view the world and events as explained by scientific
principles
Positivism - CORRECT ANSWER the belief that societies have their own scientific principles and laws, just
like physics or chemistry.
Sociology's 4 Theoretical Perspectives - CORRECT ANSWER 1. Stuctural-Functional Theory
2. Social Conflict Theory
3. Feminism
4. Symbolic Interactionism
Theory - CORRECT ANSWER a statement of how and why specific facts are related
**theories attempt to explain why groups of people choose to perform certain actions and how
societies function or change in a certain way.
global perspective - CORRECT ANSWER the study of the larger world and our society's place in it
high income countries - CORRECT ANSWER nations with the highest overall standards of living
,middle-income countries - CORRECT ANSWER nations with a standard of living about average for the
world as a whole
low-income countries - CORRECT ANSWER nations with a low standard of living in which most people
are poor
sociological imagination - CORRECT ANSWER (C. Wright Mills) the ability to see our private experiences
and personal difficulties as entwined with the structural arrangements of our society and the historical
times in which we live
i.e unemployment d/t poor economy.
Structural-functional approach - CORRECT ANSWER framework for building theory that sees society as a
complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability
theoretical approach - CORRECT ANSWER a basic image of society that guides thinking and research
social structure - CORRECT ANSWER any relatively stable pattern of social behavior
social functions - CORRECT ANSWER the consequences of any social pattern for the operation of society
as a whole
manifest functions - CORRECT ANSWER the recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern
latent functions - CORRECT ANSWER the unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social
pattern
social dysfunction - CORRECT ANSWER any social pattern that may disrupt operation of society
social-conflict approach - CORRECT ANSWER a framework for building theory that sees society as an
arena of inequality that generates conflict and change
, gender-conflict approach - CORRECT ANSWER a point of view that focuses on inequality and conflict
between women and men
feminism - CORRECT ANSWER support of social equality for women and men
race-conflict approach - CORRECT ANSWER a point of view that focuses on inequality and conflict
between people of different racial and ethnic categories
macro-level orientation - CORRECT ANSWER a broad focus on social structures that shape society as a
whole
micro-level orientation - CORRECT ANSWER a close-up focus on social interaction on specific situations
symbolic-interaction approach - CORRECT ANSWER a framework for building theory that sees society as
the product of the everyday interactions of individuals
*micro-level approach
stereotype - CORRECT ANSWER a simplified description applied to every person in some category
According to sociologists, human behavior reflects our personal "free will." T or F - CORRECT ANSWER
False
Sociology is defined as the systematic study of human society. T or F - CORRECT ANSWER True
Sociologists focus only on unusual patterns of behavior. - CORRECT ANSWER False
Using the sociological perspective, we would conclude that people's lives are mostly a result of what
they decide to do. - CORRECT ANSWER False
College students in the U.S. tend to come from families with above-average incomes. - CORRECT
ANSWER True
