Deck 1: Sociology: The Discipline

Question 1

Most sciences and social sciences engage in inquiry that states that science accepts nothing on the basis of common sense, faith, or someone's claims. This position is called:

A) reactivity
B) organized skepticism
C) sociology
D) applied sociology

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The tendency of people to behave differently when they are being studied than they normally would behave is called ______________.

A) reactivity
B) organized skepticism
C) regularity paradox
D) schemas

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which person first used the term "sociology" and believed that the social world could be studied and understood such as in the natural sciences?

A) Emile Durkheim
B) Karl Marx
C) C. Wright Mills
D) Auguste Comte

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Anomie is

A) the alignment of various institutions in a way that ensures interdependency.
B) adherence to social norms that determine or dictate behavior.
C) lack of societal consensus about rules and values that bind a society together.
D) replacement of traditions with a model that works best to achieve a particular objective.

Question 5

According to Max Weber what forces or elements heavily influenced society?

A) people's desire for status
B) economic forces
C) cultural forces
D) All of the above.

Question 6

Emile Durkheim would be considered what type of theorist?

A) rationalist
B) symbolic interactionist
C) functionalist
D) conflict theorist

Question 7

Which of the following constitutes a set of interrelated arguments that attempt to explain cause and effect relationships?

A) observations
B) generalizations
C) theories
D) organized skepticism

Question 8

Emile Durkheim argued that in modern society solidarity that is based on differentiation develops imperfectly.

Question 9

Karl Marx focused his study on the bonds that hold society together to create cohesion and unity.

Question 10

Human behavior is often regular and predictable.

Question 11

Diversity of thought and approach in sociology has served to weaken its theoretical orientation.

Question 12

Functionalism argues that society is made up of interrelated parts.

Question 13

Conflict theory argues that society is based on consensus.

Question 14

According to Marx, the bourgeoisie are made up of those who own the means of production that includes owners of raw materials.

Question 15

Applied sociology is the application of skepticism to all aspects of social life.

Question 16

Explain how Karl Marx and Adam Smith both agreed and disagreed about capitalism's impacts on society.

Question 17

Define applied sociology, explain how and why it is used, and give examples of applied sociology.

Question 18

Discuss the difference between sociology and the scientific method versus common sense.

Question 19

What is sociology by definition? How does sociology differ from psychology? In what other fields is sociology useful to help explain events and issues, and how? Give an example of how a sociological study might be beneficial to another academic discipline, other than psychology.

Question 20

Define the two terms bourgeoisie and proletariat, according to your textbook. Who originally used these terms and how are the terms important?

Question 21

How is sociology a "problem-solving tool", according to your author? What insight can sociology give to us regarding our world? Be thorough in your answer.

Question 22

Identify a classical sociologist as discussed in class or in your book. Identify that person's main contributions to the field of sociology.

Question 23

Explain how Karl Marx viewed industrialization and how it would affect groups in society. What were his main concerns related to industrialization? Identify at least two of Marx's main arguments regarding the struggles emerging from industrial capitalist societies.

Question 24

Why does our common sense fail to give us correct answers to some questions related to society, according to Farley? What can we do to fill in the gap of knowledge that common sense does not provide to accurately understand society? How does organized skepticism fit in, and help us to understand certain phenomena?

Question 25

In the past three decades, movies about superheroes have become increasingly popular, and the trend has accelerated in pace in the last several years. What might the sociological perspective tell us about why superhero films have become more popular since 1978 and again since 2001? What changes in American society have taken place that might have produced a wave of such films?

Question 26

Think about a subject that you would like to know more about. How would you go about applying the scientific method to that subject? Write down the steps that you would use.

Question 27

The term "sociology" emerged approximately 150 years ago during a time of profound social change that made the study of society particularly important. Describe what was happening at that time that led some of the brightest minds of the time to study in order to understand society and social forces.

Question 28

Identify and discuss August Comte's beliefs regarding society and why there was a need to study society scientifically.

Question 29

What is sociology? Define the term and identify the major emphasis and characteristics of sociology.