STUDY GUIDE QUICK TO READ AND
UNDERSTAND
sociological perspective Stresses the social contexts in which people live
society a group of people who share a culture and a territory
social locations the corners in life that people occupy because of where they are located
in a society
sciencerequires theories that can be tested by research
the scientific method using objective, systematic observations to test theories
positivism a process that Auguste Comte suggested that we apply the scientific method to
the social world
sociology the study of society
class conflict the exploitation of workers by those who own the means of production
bourgeoisie the capitalists, who own the capital, land, factories, and machines
proletariat the exploited workers
social integration the degree to which people are tied to their social group
patterns of behavior recurring characteristics or events
basic sociology analyzing some aspects of society, with no goal other than gaining
knowledge
applied sociology using sociology to solve problems
public sociology the American Sociological Association (ASA) refers to harnessing the
sociological perspective for the benefit of the public
theory a general statement about how some parts of the world fit together and how they work