Ravelli/Webber: Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective, Third Edition
Chapter 02: Classical Social Theories
Test Bank For Exploring Sociology:
A Canadian Perspective, Third
Edition By Ravelli/Webber | Full
Chapters.
2-1
,Ravelli/Webber: Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective, Third Edition
Chapter 02: Classical Social Theories
Chapter 01: Classical Social Theories
1) Develop an essay in which you discuss the relationship between Enlightenment
thinking and the birth of sociology.
Answer:
The textbook argues that sociology was born not from the revolutionary ideas of
Enlightenment thinking but, rather, from the conservative reaction against them.
Before the Enlightenment, people’s thinking was directed by God, the Church,
and the aristocracy. Enlightenment thinking, however, promoted human agency
and thus was a clear continuation of the writings of Hobbes, Locke,
Montesquieu, and Rousseau. Today, seeing ourselves as engaged and
autonomous beings seems obvious, but at the time this independence of thought
created a great deal of turmoil, not only for the Church but also for society as a
whole. The Enlightenment was nothing less than a reordering of how people saw
the world and their role in it.
Enlightenment philosophers challenged many beliefs that were grounded in
tradition (e.g., inherited titles and wealth that were not based on demonstrated
ability or skill) and encouraged the ability of the masses to take control of their
lives and challenge their oppressors. This ultimately led to the American and
French revolutions, which resulted in thousands of deaths. Both revolutions had
a lasting influence: for the first time in history, entire societies were completely
reorganized according to the secular ideals of social equality and liberty.
However, the chaos and disruption brought on by these ideals of individual
autonomy, liberty, and the primacy of rationality and reason were challenged by
conservatives, who promoted a return to earlier times when society was more
stable. In effect, conservatives challenged the very basis of Enlightenment
thinking. After all, they would suggest, the culmination of that thinking led to
revolution, something no one should want. As discussed, one of the guiding
principles of the Enlightenment was the belief in individual autonomy and the
absolute necessity of independent thought and reflection. To Enlightenment
thinkers, the individual was the building block for the entire society. In contrast,
conservatives believed that society is not the product of individuals but, rather,
an entity in itself, independent and separate from the individuals who make it
up.
Enlightenment and conservative perspectives are both represented in sociology
through the micro (individual) and macro (society-wide) approaches,
respectively.
Diff: Moderate
Type: ES
Page Reference: 35-37
2-2
,Ravelli/Webber: Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective, Third Edition
Chapter 02: Classical Social Theories
Skill: Conceptual
Objective: Describe the early contributions of social philosophers and their
relevance to classical sociological theory.
Benjamin Franklin is quoted to have said, “Those who would sacrifice freedom for
security deserve neither.” How does this contrast with Hobbes’s ideas of the role
of the state?
Answer:
Hobbes believed that, at their most basic, people are motivated by self-interest
and the pursuit of power. Living in a natural state would have been a brutal
existence; since everyone was in direct competition with each other, people
would have lived in a constant state of fear. With their wants always seeming to
exceed what was available, there was constant potential for a “war of all
against all.” Hobbes thus argued that since people are naturally rational beings,
in order to gain peace and protection they would be willing to enter into a
collective agreement that would see them give up some of their individual
freedom and autonomy to an absolute authority (e.g., democracy, monarchy).
This collective agreement represented an important transition in that it
demonstrated the human capacity to forgo independence and autonomy in
return for collective benefit. In essence, it promotes exactly what Franklin
warns against: sacrificing freedom for security.
Diff: Challenging
Type: ES
Page Reference: 32
Skill: Applied/Conceptual
Objective: Describe the early contributions of social philosophers and their
relevance to classical sociological theory.
2) Compare and contrast functionalism and conflict theory as discussed in the text.
How would the two perspectives explain crime? Which perspective do you agree
with on this issue and why?
Answer:
Functionalists view the social world as a dynamic system of interrelated and
interdependent parts. Social structures exist to help people fulfill their wants
and desires as defined by social values.
Conflict theory is based on the assumption that society is grounded on
inequality and competition over scarce resources that ultimately result in
2-3
, Ravelli/Webber: Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective, Third Edition
Chapter 02: Classical Social Theories
conflict, which often inspires social change. Two basic principles that all
conflict theorists share are that (1) power is the core of all social relationships
and is scarce and unequally divided among members of society, and (2) social
values and the dominant ideology are vehicles by which the powerful promote
their own interests at the expense of the weak.
For functionalists, crime might be considered functional or dysfunctional,
whereas conflict theorists would view crime as a product of an unequal system
that produces inequality between those in power and those who are
marginalized. In the latter case, crime reflects the interests of those in power.
Diff: Challenging
Type: ES
Page Reference: 38-39/47
Skill: Applied/Conceptual
Objective: Review and critique functionalism and the contributions of its
principal theorists, review and critique conflict theory and the contributions of
its founding theorists.
4) Discuss how Spencer’s ideas of social Darwinism were used to justify the
eugenics movement in the US and Canada during the early part of the twentieth
century.
Answer:
Herbert Spencer took the ideas of Darwin and adapted them to the study of society.
Spencer applied Darwin’s evolution to human societies and this approach was referred to
as social Darwinism. He believed that evolution occurs in the social environment as well
as the biological—societies that are better suited to their environment flourish while
those that are not die out. Applied to individuals, this perspective became known as
eugenics, and justified the launching of a national campaign of “ethnic cleansing” by the
US that involved subjecting the “unfit” population to legislated segregation and
sterilization programs. The victims included poor people, brown-haired white people,
blacks, immigrants, Indians, Eastern European Jews, the sick, and anyone else classified
outside the superior genetic lines drawn up by American “raceologists.” The campaign
sterilized around 60 000 Americans. In Canada, eugenicists encouraged the National
Council of Women to support the forced sterilization of “degenerate” mothers in order to
prevent the birth of “degenerate” babies.
Diff: Moderate
Type: ES
Page Reference: 39-40;42-43
2-4
Chapter 02: Classical Social Theories
Test Bank For Exploring Sociology:
A Canadian Perspective, Third
Edition By Ravelli/Webber | Full
Chapters.
2-1
,Ravelli/Webber: Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective, Third Edition
Chapter 02: Classical Social Theories
Chapter 01: Classical Social Theories
1) Develop an essay in which you discuss the relationship between Enlightenment
thinking and the birth of sociology.
Answer:
The textbook argues that sociology was born not from the revolutionary ideas of
Enlightenment thinking but, rather, from the conservative reaction against them.
Before the Enlightenment, people’s thinking was directed by God, the Church,
and the aristocracy. Enlightenment thinking, however, promoted human agency
and thus was a clear continuation of the writings of Hobbes, Locke,
Montesquieu, and Rousseau. Today, seeing ourselves as engaged and
autonomous beings seems obvious, but at the time this independence of thought
created a great deal of turmoil, not only for the Church but also for society as a
whole. The Enlightenment was nothing less than a reordering of how people saw
the world and their role in it.
Enlightenment philosophers challenged many beliefs that were grounded in
tradition (e.g., inherited titles and wealth that were not based on demonstrated
ability or skill) and encouraged the ability of the masses to take control of their
lives and challenge their oppressors. This ultimately led to the American and
French revolutions, which resulted in thousands of deaths. Both revolutions had
a lasting influence: for the first time in history, entire societies were completely
reorganized according to the secular ideals of social equality and liberty.
However, the chaos and disruption brought on by these ideals of individual
autonomy, liberty, and the primacy of rationality and reason were challenged by
conservatives, who promoted a return to earlier times when society was more
stable. In effect, conservatives challenged the very basis of Enlightenment
thinking. After all, they would suggest, the culmination of that thinking led to
revolution, something no one should want. As discussed, one of the guiding
principles of the Enlightenment was the belief in individual autonomy and the
absolute necessity of independent thought and reflection. To Enlightenment
thinkers, the individual was the building block for the entire society. In contrast,
conservatives believed that society is not the product of individuals but, rather,
an entity in itself, independent and separate from the individuals who make it
up.
Enlightenment and conservative perspectives are both represented in sociology
through the micro (individual) and macro (society-wide) approaches,
respectively.
Diff: Moderate
Type: ES
Page Reference: 35-37
2-2
,Ravelli/Webber: Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective, Third Edition
Chapter 02: Classical Social Theories
Skill: Conceptual
Objective: Describe the early contributions of social philosophers and their
relevance to classical sociological theory.
Benjamin Franklin is quoted to have said, “Those who would sacrifice freedom for
security deserve neither.” How does this contrast with Hobbes’s ideas of the role
of the state?
Answer:
Hobbes believed that, at their most basic, people are motivated by self-interest
and the pursuit of power. Living in a natural state would have been a brutal
existence; since everyone was in direct competition with each other, people
would have lived in a constant state of fear. With their wants always seeming to
exceed what was available, there was constant potential for a “war of all
against all.” Hobbes thus argued that since people are naturally rational beings,
in order to gain peace and protection they would be willing to enter into a
collective agreement that would see them give up some of their individual
freedom and autonomy to an absolute authority (e.g., democracy, monarchy).
This collective agreement represented an important transition in that it
demonstrated the human capacity to forgo independence and autonomy in
return for collective benefit. In essence, it promotes exactly what Franklin
warns against: sacrificing freedom for security.
Diff: Challenging
Type: ES
Page Reference: 32
Skill: Applied/Conceptual
Objective: Describe the early contributions of social philosophers and their
relevance to classical sociological theory.
2) Compare and contrast functionalism and conflict theory as discussed in the text.
How would the two perspectives explain crime? Which perspective do you agree
with on this issue and why?
Answer:
Functionalists view the social world as a dynamic system of interrelated and
interdependent parts. Social structures exist to help people fulfill their wants
and desires as defined by social values.
Conflict theory is based on the assumption that society is grounded on
inequality and competition over scarce resources that ultimately result in
2-3
, Ravelli/Webber: Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective, Third Edition
Chapter 02: Classical Social Theories
conflict, which often inspires social change. Two basic principles that all
conflict theorists share are that (1) power is the core of all social relationships
and is scarce and unequally divided among members of society, and (2) social
values and the dominant ideology are vehicles by which the powerful promote
their own interests at the expense of the weak.
For functionalists, crime might be considered functional or dysfunctional,
whereas conflict theorists would view crime as a product of an unequal system
that produces inequality between those in power and those who are
marginalized. In the latter case, crime reflects the interests of those in power.
Diff: Challenging
Type: ES
Page Reference: 38-39/47
Skill: Applied/Conceptual
Objective: Review and critique functionalism and the contributions of its
principal theorists, review and critique conflict theory and the contributions of
its founding theorists.
4) Discuss how Spencer’s ideas of social Darwinism were used to justify the
eugenics movement in the US and Canada during the early part of the twentieth
century.
Answer:
Herbert Spencer took the ideas of Darwin and adapted them to the study of society.
Spencer applied Darwin’s evolution to human societies and this approach was referred to
as social Darwinism. He believed that evolution occurs in the social environment as well
as the biological—societies that are better suited to their environment flourish while
those that are not die out. Applied to individuals, this perspective became known as
eugenics, and justified the launching of a national campaign of “ethnic cleansing” by the
US that involved subjecting the “unfit” population to legislated segregation and
sterilization programs. The victims included poor people, brown-haired white people,
blacks, immigrants, Indians, Eastern European Jews, the sick, and anyone else classified
outside the superior genetic lines drawn up by American “raceologists.” The campaign
sterilized around 60 000 Americans. In Canada, eugenicists encouraged the National
Council of Women to support the forced sterilization of “degenerate” mothers in order to
prevent the birth of “degenerate” babies.
Diff: Moderate
Type: ES
Page Reference: 39-40;42-43
2-4
