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Sociology Midterm Review

Terms in this set (56)

What is sociology?
The systematic study of social behavior and human groups.
Which thinker introduced the concept of the sociological imagination?
C. Wright Mills
Emile Durkheim's research on suicide suggested that...
Suicide rates seemed to be higher in times of peace than in times of war and revolution.
Max Weber taught his students that they should employ what in their intellectual work?
verstehen
Robert Merton's contributions to sociology include...
successfully combining theory and research, producing a theory that is one of the most frequently cited explanations of deviant behavior, or an attempt to bring macro and micro level analyses together. (all of the above)
Which sociologist made a major contribution to society through his in-depth studies of urban life, including both Blacks and Whites?
W.E.B DuBois
In the late 19th century, before the term "feminist view" was even coined, the ideas behind this major theoretical approach appeared in the writings of...
Ida Wells-Barnett
Thinking of society as a living organism in which each part of the organism contributes to its survival is a reflection of which theoretical perspective?
The functionalist perspective
Karl Marx's view of the struggle between social classes inspired the contemporary...
Conflict perspective
Within sociology, a ___________ is a set of statements that seeks to explain problems, actions, or behavior.
theory
In ____________ _______________'s hierarchy of the sciences, sociology was the 'queen' and its practitioners were 'scientist-priests'.
Auguste Comte
Sociologist Max Weber coined the term ________ _________ in referring to a construct or model that serves as a measuring rod against which actual cases can be evaluated.
Ideal type
________ _____________, an early female sociologist, cofounded the famous Chicago settlement house called Hull House and also tried to establish a juvenile court system.
Jane Addams
Looking at society from the broad spectrum of sexual identity, including heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexually, is called _______ theory.
Queer
The first step in any sociological research project is to...
Define the problem
An explanation of an abstract concept that is specific enough to allow a researcher to measure the concept is a(n)...
Operational definition
The variable hypothesized to cause or influence another is called the...
Independent Variable
A correlation exists when...
A change in one variable coincides with a change in another variable.
Through which type of research technique does a sociologist ensure that data are statistically representative of the population being studied?
Sampling
In order to obtain a random sample, a researcher might...
Administer a questionnaire to every fifth woman who enters a business office, examine the attitudes of undergraduates at a college by interviewing every 100th name in the official list of currently enrolled students, or study the attitudes of registered Democratic voters by choosing every 10th name found on a city's list of registered Democrats. (All of the above)
A researcher can obtain a higher response rate by using which type of survey?
An interview
In the 1930's William F. Whyte moved into a low-income Italian neighborhood in Boston. For nearly four years, he was a member of the social circle of 'corner boys' that he describes in street corner society. His goal was to gain greater insight into the community established by these men. What type of research technique did Whyte use?
Experiment
Emilie Durkheim's statistical analysis of suicide was an example of what kind of research technique?
Secondary analysis
Unlike the typical citizen, the sociologist has a commitment to use the ___________ method in studying society.
Scientific
A(n) _____________________ is a speculative statement about the relationship between two or more factors known as variables.
Hypothesis
_______________ refers to the degree to which a measure or scale truly reflects the phenomenon under study.
Validity
In order to obtain data scientifically, researchers need to select a research _____________.
Design
If scientists were testing a new type of toothpaste in an experimental setting, they would administer the toothpaste to a(n) ______________________ group, but not a(n) ______________ control group.
Experimental, control
The term _______________ _______________ refers to the unintended influence that observers of experiments can have on their subjects.
Hawthorne effect
Using census data in a way unintended by its initial collectors would be an example of ________________________.
Secondary analysis
Using __________ ___________, researchers conducted a study of gender stereotyped behavior in children's coloring book.
Content analysis
The American Sociological Association's Code of ____________ requires sociologists to maintain objectivity and integrity to preserve the confidentiality of their subjects.
Ethics
As part of their commitment to __________ neutrality, investigators have an ethical obligation to accept research findings even when the data run counter to their personal views or to widely accepted beliefs.
Value
Which is an aspect of culture?
A comic book, a patriotic attachment to the flag of the United States, or slang words (all of the above).
People's adaptations to meet the needs for food, shelter, and clothing are examples of what George Murdock referred to as....
Cultural universals
What term do sociologists use to refer to the process by which a cultural item spreads from group to group or society to society?
Diffusion
The appearance of Starbucks coffeehouses in China is a sign of what aspect of culture?
Globalization
Which is a correct statement about language?
Language is a major element of culture, a common language facilitates everyday interaction, and thousands of languages are spoken around the world (all of the above).
Which is a correct statement about norms?
People do not follow norms in all situations, in some cases they evade a norm because they know it is weakly enforced, In some instances behavior that appears to violate society's norms may actually represent adherence to the norms of a particular group, and norms are violated in some instances because one norm conflicts with another. (all of the above).
What is a true statement about values?
The values of a culture may change, but most remains relatively stable during any one person's lifetime.
What term describes the set of cultural beliefs and practices that help to maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests?
Dominant ideology
Terrorist groups are examples of....
Countercultures
What is the term used when one places a priority on understanding other cultures rather than dismissing them as "strange" or "exotic"
Sultural relativism
____________ are gestures, objects, and/or words that form the basis of human communication.
Symbols
________________ is the process of introducing a new idea or object to a culture.
Innovation
The bow and arrow, the automobile, and the television are all examples of _____________.
Inventions
Sociologists associated with the ________________________ perspective emphasize that language and symbols offer a powerful war for a subculture to maintain its identity.
Interactionalists
'Put some clean clothes on for dinner' and 'thou shalt not kill' are both examples of _____________ found in U.S culture.
Norms
The United States has strong ____________ against murder, treason, and other forms of abuse that have been institutionalized into formal norms.
Mores
From a(n) _____________ perspective, the dominant ideology has major social significance. Not only do a society's most powerful groups and institutions control wealth and property; more important, they control the means of production.
Conflict
A person experiences ______________ _________ when he or she feels disoriented, uncertain out of place, even fearful when immersed in an unfamiliar culture.
Culture shock
From the ______________ perspective, subcultures are evidence that differences can exist within a common culture.
Functionalist
Which perspective emphasizes that schools in the United States foster competition through built in systems of reward and punishment?
Conflict perspective
Which perspective argues that the present organization of social institutions is no accident?
Functionalist perspective
What is an example of the functionalist perspective?
The government provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends to keep itself running.
What is an example of conflict perspective?
Pay inequalities between genders and races.
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