WGU C273 INTRODUCTION TO
SOCIOLOGY OBJECTIVE
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS AND
answers
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIOLOGY & THE
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Question 1
Who coined the term "sociology" and advocated for the scientific study of society?
A) Karl Marx
B) Émile Durkheim
C) Auguste Comte
D) Max Weber
,Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Auguste Comte (1798–1857) is credited with coining the term "sociology" and
believed that the scientific method should be applied to the study of society, a concept he
called positivism .
Question 2
The sociological imagination, as defined by C. Wright Mills, is the ability to:
A) Predict future social trends accurately
B) Understand the relationship between personal troubles and public issues
C) Manipulate social situations for personal gain
D) Conduct unbiased sociological research
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Mills argued that the sociological imagination allows individuals to see how
personal problems (e.g., unemployment, divorce) are often rooted in broader social forces
(e.g., economic recession, changing family laws) . This connects individual experiences to
larger societal structures.
Question 3
Which early sociologist translated Auguste Comte's works into English and was a
pioneering feminist sociologist?
A) Jane Addams
B) Harriet Martineau
C) Charlotte Perkins Gilman
D) Dorothy Smith
Correct Answer: B
,Rationale: Harriet Martineau (1802–1876) was an English sociologist who translated
Comte's work and wrote extensively on social issues including gender inequality, slavery,
and education .
Question 4
Herbert Spencer compared society to a living organism and believed that social
inequality was natural and beneficial. This perspective is known as:
A) Functionalism
B) Conflict theory
C) Social Darwinism
D) Symbolic interactionism
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Spencer applied Darwin's "survival of the fittest" concept to society, arguing
that the rich and powerful were naturally superior and that social reform should not
interfere with natural selection .
Question 5
Karl Marx believed that the engine of human history is:
A) The spread of religion
B) Technological innovation
C) Class conflict
D) Cultural diffusion
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Marx argued that class conflict between the bourgeoisie (owners of production)
and the proletariat (workers) drives historical change. Economics is the central force in
social change, with the bourgeoisie owning the means of production .
, Question 6
Jane Addams is best known for:
A) Translating Comte's works into English
B) Co-founding Hull House and her work as a social reformer
C) Developing the theory of the looking-glass self
D) Introducing the concept of double consciousness
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Jane Addams (1860–1935) co-founded Hull House, which provided social
services to poor immigrants in Chicago. She was a prominent social reformer and the first
American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize .
Question 7
W.E.B. Du Bois is best known for his work on:
A) The theory of the leisure class
B) The Philadelphia Negro and double consciousness
C) The Protestant ethic
D) The division of labor in society
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Du Bois was the first Black sociologist in the United States. His concept of
"double consciousness" describes the internal conflict experienced by marginalized groups
who must navigate their own identity alongside the dominant culture's perception of
them .
Question 8
SOCIOLOGY OBJECTIVE
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS AND
answers
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIOLOGY & THE
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Question 1
Who coined the term "sociology" and advocated for the scientific study of society?
A) Karl Marx
B) Émile Durkheim
C) Auguste Comte
D) Max Weber
,Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Auguste Comte (1798–1857) is credited with coining the term "sociology" and
believed that the scientific method should be applied to the study of society, a concept he
called positivism .
Question 2
The sociological imagination, as defined by C. Wright Mills, is the ability to:
A) Predict future social trends accurately
B) Understand the relationship between personal troubles and public issues
C) Manipulate social situations for personal gain
D) Conduct unbiased sociological research
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Mills argued that the sociological imagination allows individuals to see how
personal problems (e.g., unemployment, divorce) are often rooted in broader social forces
(e.g., economic recession, changing family laws) . This connects individual experiences to
larger societal structures.
Question 3
Which early sociologist translated Auguste Comte's works into English and was a
pioneering feminist sociologist?
A) Jane Addams
B) Harriet Martineau
C) Charlotte Perkins Gilman
D) Dorothy Smith
Correct Answer: B
,Rationale: Harriet Martineau (1802–1876) was an English sociologist who translated
Comte's work and wrote extensively on social issues including gender inequality, slavery,
and education .
Question 4
Herbert Spencer compared society to a living organism and believed that social
inequality was natural and beneficial. This perspective is known as:
A) Functionalism
B) Conflict theory
C) Social Darwinism
D) Symbolic interactionism
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Spencer applied Darwin's "survival of the fittest" concept to society, arguing
that the rich and powerful were naturally superior and that social reform should not
interfere with natural selection .
Question 5
Karl Marx believed that the engine of human history is:
A) The spread of religion
B) Technological innovation
C) Class conflict
D) Cultural diffusion
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Marx argued that class conflict between the bourgeoisie (owners of production)
and the proletariat (workers) drives historical change. Economics is the central force in
social change, with the bourgeoisie owning the means of production .
, Question 6
Jane Addams is best known for:
A) Translating Comte's works into English
B) Co-founding Hull House and her work as a social reformer
C) Developing the theory of the looking-glass self
D) Introducing the concept of double consciousness
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Jane Addams (1860–1935) co-founded Hull House, which provided social
services to poor immigrants in Chicago. She was a prominent social reformer and the first
American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize .
Question 7
W.E.B. Du Bois is best known for his work on:
A) The theory of the leisure class
B) The Philadelphia Negro and double consciousness
C) The Protestant ethic
D) The division of labor in society
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Du Bois was the first Black sociologist in the United States. His concept of
"double consciousness" describes the internal conflict experienced by marginalized groups
who must navigate their own identity alongside the dominant culture's perception of
them .
Question 8
