Page 1 of 166
WGU C273 Introduction to Sociology OA
Exam – Versions A & B – Complete 500
Questions with Verified Answers
Official Exam Overview:
The WGU C273 Introduction to Sociology OA Exam evaluates learners’ understanding of social
structures, cultural dynamics, social behavior, and key sociological theories. The exam
emphasizes the role of conflict, cooperation, and institutions in shaping society.
Exam Coverage Areas:
• Sociological Theories and Key Thinkers
• Social Structures and Institutions
• Culture, Norms, and Values
• Social Stratification and Inequality
• Social Change and Conflict
• Research Methods in Sociology
• Population, Family, and Community Dynamics
• Multiple Choice and Short Answer Question Formats
QUESTION 1: Who explored the importance of conflict within a society?
a) W.E.B. du Bois
b) Harriet Martineau
c) Karl Marx ✅
d) Max Weber
Rationale: Karl Marx emphasized that society is shaped by conflict between social classes
competing for power and resources.
QUESTION 2: Which sociologist focused on race and social inequality in the U.S.?
a) W.E.B. du Bois ✅
b) Karl Marx
c) Max Weber
d) Harriet Martineau
Rationale: W.E.B. du Bois studied racial inequality and the experiences of African Americans,
highlighting systemic oppression.
QUESTION 3: Who is considered one of the first female sociologists and studied social life
using comparative methods?
,a) Harriet Martineau ✅
b) Karl Marx
c) Max Weber
d) Emile Durkheim
Rationale: Harriet Martineau pioneered sociological analysis with a focus on gender, society,
and social reform.
QUESTION 4: Max Weber’s contribution to sociology emphasized:
a) Social conflict
b) Class struggle
c) Understanding society through verstehen (empathetic understanding) ✅
d) Cultural norms only
Rationale: Max Weber introduced verstehen, advocating for understanding the meanings
individuals attach to their actions.
QUESTION 5: The study of how societies maintain order and stability falls under which
theoretical perspective?
a) Conflict theory
b) Functionalism ✅
c) Symbolic interactionism
d) Feminist theory
Rationale: Functionalism examines how social institutions and structures work together to
maintain societal stability and cohesion.
Who explored the importance of conflict within a society?
a) W.E.B. du Bois
b) Harriet Martineau
c) Karl Marx
d) Max Weber
Karl Marx. Marx first identified the conflict as social classes vie for power
Which theorist co-founded the Chicago Hull House.
a) Jane Addams
b) Herbert Spencer
c) Emile Durkheim
d) Harriet Martineau
Jane Addams founded the Hull House to house recent immigrants
,How does the work of both Karl Marx and Max Weber set the field of sociology apart from
anthropology?
a) both deal with modern rather than pre-modern societies
b) both deal with social conflict rather than social cooperation
c) both deal with the sociological imagination, which is not found in anthropology
d) both see the general in the particular, which is not found in anthropology
1
, Page 2 of 166
Both deal with modern rather than pre-modern societies; both theorists helped define
sociology as oriented towards the study of modern societies
Which of the following is the best example of a situation in which the sociological imagination
would have some insight?
a) A shopper chooses to go to a store that's further away because she likes the produce
better at the farther market
b) a student recognizes that she may be avoiding studying because her peers make her feel
unaccepted when she gets a good grade
c) A man suffering from cancer is unable to get the medicine he needs because he cannot
afford it
d) A reader chooses to read a dystopian novel over a romance because she just broke up with
her boyfriend
A student recognizes that she may be avoiding studying because her peers make her feel
unaccepted when she gets a good grade; someone's personal decision to study might be
influenced by larger social structures, such as her peer group
Rationalization was introduced by which thinker?
a) Karl Marx
b) Max Weber
c) W.E.B. du Bois
d) Emile Durkheim
Max Weber introduced rationalization, the idea that rational or economic goals replace
traditional or emotional incentives for people's behavior
functionalist perspective
will look at how the division of resources helps a society maintain itself
2
WGU C273 Introduction to Sociology OA
Exam – Versions A & B – Complete 500
Questions with Verified Answers
Official Exam Overview:
The WGU C273 Introduction to Sociology OA Exam evaluates learners’ understanding of social
structures, cultural dynamics, social behavior, and key sociological theories. The exam
emphasizes the role of conflict, cooperation, and institutions in shaping society.
Exam Coverage Areas:
• Sociological Theories and Key Thinkers
• Social Structures and Institutions
• Culture, Norms, and Values
• Social Stratification and Inequality
• Social Change and Conflict
• Research Methods in Sociology
• Population, Family, and Community Dynamics
• Multiple Choice and Short Answer Question Formats
QUESTION 1: Who explored the importance of conflict within a society?
a) W.E.B. du Bois
b) Harriet Martineau
c) Karl Marx ✅
d) Max Weber
Rationale: Karl Marx emphasized that society is shaped by conflict between social classes
competing for power and resources.
QUESTION 2: Which sociologist focused on race and social inequality in the U.S.?
a) W.E.B. du Bois ✅
b) Karl Marx
c) Max Weber
d) Harriet Martineau
Rationale: W.E.B. du Bois studied racial inequality and the experiences of African Americans,
highlighting systemic oppression.
QUESTION 3: Who is considered one of the first female sociologists and studied social life
using comparative methods?
,a) Harriet Martineau ✅
b) Karl Marx
c) Max Weber
d) Emile Durkheim
Rationale: Harriet Martineau pioneered sociological analysis with a focus on gender, society,
and social reform.
QUESTION 4: Max Weber’s contribution to sociology emphasized:
a) Social conflict
b) Class struggle
c) Understanding society through verstehen (empathetic understanding) ✅
d) Cultural norms only
Rationale: Max Weber introduced verstehen, advocating for understanding the meanings
individuals attach to their actions.
QUESTION 5: The study of how societies maintain order and stability falls under which
theoretical perspective?
a) Conflict theory
b) Functionalism ✅
c) Symbolic interactionism
d) Feminist theory
Rationale: Functionalism examines how social institutions and structures work together to
maintain societal stability and cohesion.
Who explored the importance of conflict within a society?
a) W.E.B. du Bois
b) Harriet Martineau
c) Karl Marx
d) Max Weber
Karl Marx. Marx first identified the conflict as social classes vie for power
Which theorist co-founded the Chicago Hull House.
a) Jane Addams
b) Herbert Spencer
c) Emile Durkheim
d) Harriet Martineau
Jane Addams founded the Hull House to house recent immigrants
,How does the work of both Karl Marx and Max Weber set the field of sociology apart from
anthropology?
a) both deal with modern rather than pre-modern societies
b) both deal with social conflict rather than social cooperation
c) both deal with the sociological imagination, which is not found in anthropology
d) both see the general in the particular, which is not found in anthropology
1
, Page 2 of 166
Both deal with modern rather than pre-modern societies; both theorists helped define
sociology as oriented towards the study of modern societies
Which of the following is the best example of a situation in which the sociological imagination
would have some insight?
a) A shopper chooses to go to a store that's further away because she likes the produce
better at the farther market
b) a student recognizes that she may be avoiding studying because her peers make her feel
unaccepted when she gets a good grade
c) A man suffering from cancer is unable to get the medicine he needs because he cannot
afford it
d) A reader chooses to read a dystopian novel over a romance because she just broke up with
her boyfriend
A student recognizes that she may be avoiding studying because her peers make her feel
unaccepted when she gets a good grade; someone's personal decision to study might be
influenced by larger social structures, such as her peer group
Rationalization was introduced by which thinker?
a) Karl Marx
b) Max Weber
c) W.E.B. du Bois
d) Emile Durkheim
Max Weber introduced rationalization, the idea that rational or economic goals replace
traditional or emotional incentives for people's behavior
functionalist perspective
will look at how the division of resources helps a society maintain itself
2
