SYG 2000 FINAL EXAM REVIEW 2026
Sociological Imagination - C. Wright Mills - Answers - The ability to see the connections
between our personal experience and the larger forces of history. This is what we do
when we question our textbook and college in general.
Verstehen - Max Weber - Answers - "understanding" in German. Suggests that
sociologists approach social behavior from the perspective of those engaging in it.
Double Consciousness -W.E.B. Du Bois - Answers - A mechanism by which African
Americans have two behavioral scripts. The first is the script that any American would
have by moving through the world. The second is the script that takes the external
opinions of an often racially prejudiced onlooker into consideration.
Conflict Theory - Karl Marx - Answers - Marx's theory that conflicts between classes
drives social change throughout history. In Marx's version of history, each economic
system// had its own fault lines of conflict. Basically says that conflict among competing
interests is the basic, animating force of any society.
Feminist Theory - Answers - a conflict theory and theoretical perspective which
observes gender in its relation to power, both at the level of face-to-face interaction and
reflexivity within a social structure at large. Focuses include sexual orientation, race,
economic status, and nationality.
Symbolic Interaction Theory - Answers - Eschewed big theories of society and instead
focused on how face-to-face interactions create the social world.
Post-modernism Theory - Answers - a condition characterized by a questioning of the
notion of progress and history, the replacement of narrative within pastiche, and
multiple, perhaps even conflicting, identities resulting from disjointed affiliations.
Qualitative methods - Answers - attempt to collect information about the social world
that cannot be readily converted to numeric form.
Quantitative methods - Answers - seek to obtain information about the social world that
is already in or can be converted to numeric form.
Deductive approach - Answers - starts with a theory, forms a hypothesis, makes
empirical observations, and then analyzes the data to confirm, reject, or modify the
original theory.
Inductive approach - Answers - starts with empirical observations and then works to
form a theory.
, Causality vs. Correlation - Answers - Causality means that a change in one factor
causes a change in another. Correlation, however, just means that we observe a
change in both.
The Challenges of Establishing Causality - Answers - Time order is important or reverse
causality can occur in which you would think that A results in change in B, but really B is
causing a change in A.
Dependent Variables - Answers - The outcome that the researcher is trying to explain.
Independent Variables - Answers - A measured factor that the researcher believes has
a causal impact on the dependent variable.
Hypothesis - Answers - A proposed relationship between two variables.
Hypothesis Testing - Answers - Relates to operationalization, which is the process of
assigning a precise method for measuring a term being examined for use in a particular
study. Really helps us see how to pieces of a puzzle fit together.
Culture - Answers - A set of beliefs, traditions, and practices; the sum of the social
categories and concepts we embrace in addition to beliefs. In addition to beliefs,
behaviors (except instinctual ones) and practices; everything but the natural
environment around us.
Ethnocentrism - Answers - The belief that one's own culture or group is superior to
others, and the tendency to view all other cultures from the perspective of one's own.
Material culture - Answers - Everything that is a part of our constructed, physical
environment, including technology.
Nonmaterial culture - Answers - Values, beliefs, behaviors, and social norms.
Ideology - Answers - a system of concepts and relationships; an understanding of cause
and effect.
Cultural relativism - Answers - Taking into account the differences across cultures
without passing judgement or assigning value.
Cultural Scripts - Answers - Modes of behavior and understanding that are not universal
or natural.
Subculture - Answers - the distinct cultural values and behavioral patterns of a particular
group in society; a group united by sets of concepts, values, symbols, and shared
meaning specific to the members of that group distinctive enough to distinguish it from
others within the same culture or society.
Sociological Imagination - C. Wright Mills - Answers - The ability to see the connections
between our personal experience and the larger forces of history. This is what we do
when we question our textbook and college in general.
Verstehen - Max Weber - Answers - "understanding" in German. Suggests that
sociologists approach social behavior from the perspective of those engaging in it.
Double Consciousness -W.E.B. Du Bois - Answers - A mechanism by which African
Americans have two behavioral scripts. The first is the script that any American would
have by moving through the world. The second is the script that takes the external
opinions of an often racially prejudiced onlooker into consideration.
Conflict Theory - Karl Marx - Answers - Marx's theory that conflicts between classes
drives social change throughout history. In Marx's version of history, each economic
system// had its own fault lines of conflict. Basically says that conflict among competing
interests is the basic, animating force of any society.
Feminist Theory - Answers - a conflict theory and theoretical perspective which
observes gender in its relation to power, both at the level of face-to-face interaction and
reflexivity within a social structure at large. Focuses include sexual orientation, race,
economic status, and nationality.
Symbolic Interaction Theory - Answers - Eschewed big theories of society and instead
focused on how face-to-face interactions create the social world.
Post-modernism Theory - Answers - a condition characterized by a questioning of the
notion of progress and history, the replacement of narrative within pastiche, and
multiple, perhaps even conflicting, identities resulting from disjointed affiliations.
Qualitative methods - Answers - attempt to collect information about the social world
that cannot be readily converted to numeric form.
Quantitative methods - Answers - seek to obtain information about the social world that
is already in or can be converted to numeric form.
Deductive approach - Answers - starts with a theory, forms a hypothesis, makes
empirical observations, and then analyzes the data to confirm, reject, or modify the
original theory.
Inductive approach - Answers - starts with empirical observations and then works to
form a theory.
, Causality vs. Correlation - Answers - Causality means that a change in one factor
causes a change in another. Correlation, however, just means that we observe a
change in both.
The Challenges of Establishing Causality - Answers - Time order is important or reverse
causality can occur in which you would think that A results in change in B, but really B is
causing a change in A.
Dependent Variables - Answers - The outcome that the researcher is trying to explain.
Independent Variables - Answers - A measured factor that the researcher believes has
a causal impact on the dependent variable.
Hypothesis - Answers - A proposed relationship between two variables.
Hypothesis Testing - Answers - Relates to operationalization, which is the process of
assigning a precise method for measuring a term being examined for use in a particular
study. Really helps us see how to pieces of a puzzle fit together.
Culture - Answers - A set of beliefs, traditions, and practices; the sum of the social
categories and concepts we embrace in addition to beliefs. In addition to beliefs,
behaviors (except instinctual ones) and practices; everything but the natural
environment around us.
Ethnocentrism - Answers - The belief that one's own culture or group is superior to
others, and the tendency to view all other cultures from the perspective of one's own.
Material culture - Answers - Everything that is a part of our constructed, physical
environment, including technology.
Nonmaterial culture - Answers - Values, beliefs, behaviors, and social norms.
Ideology - Answers - a system of concepts and relationships; an understanding of cause
and effect.
Cultural relativism - Answers - Taking into account the differences across cultures
without passing judgement or assigning value.
Cultural Scripts - Answers - Modes of behavior and understanding that are not universal
or natural.
Subculture - Answers - the distinct cultural values and behavioral patterns of a particular
group in society; a group united by sets of concepts, values, symbols, and shared
meaning specific to the members of that group distinctive enough to distinguish it from
others within the same culture or society.
