Question 1

______________ is the most important thinker associated with the Chicago school and symbolic interactionism.

Accepted Answer

George Herbert Mead is considered the most important thinker associated with the Chicago school and symbolic interactionism, as his work laid the foundational ideas for this perspective in sociology.

Question 2

Double-consciousness is a key theoretical idea of:

Accepted Answer

Double-consciousness is a concept developed by W.E.B. Du Bois to describe the internal conflict experienced by subordinated or colonized groups in an oppressive society. It refers to the way African Americans must navigate the perception of themselves both as Americans and as Black, often feeling as if they have a dual identity.

Question 3

Talcott Parsons is known as a(n):

Accepted Answer

Talcott Parsons is best known for his contributions to sociology as a structural-functionalist. He focused on how societal structures maintain social order and stability.

Question 4

Who is the author of the book " Protestant ethic and spirit of capitalism"

Accepted Answer

Max Weber is the author of "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism."

Question 5

Erving Goffman was associated with

Accepted Answer

Erving Goffman is best known for his work in dramaturgy, the concept that life is like a never-ending play in which people are actors. This perspective emphasizes the ways in which individuals present themselves and their activities to others, the roles they play, and the stages on which their interactions take place.

Question 6

Name the author of the book" Mind, Self and Society"

Accepted Answer

George Herbert Mead is the author of "Mind, Self, and Society," which is a foundational text in the field of social psychology and symbolic interactionism.

Question 7

Which of the following thinkers is known as a radical sociologist?

Accepted Answer

C. Wright Mills is known as a radical sociologist due to his critical perspectives on power and social structure, particularly his work on the power elite and the sociological imagination.

Question 8

Conflict theory emerged as a(n):

Accepted Answer

Conflict theory emerged as an alternative to structural-functionalism, focusing on the social, political, and material inequalities of social groups.

Question 9

Exchange theory was pioneered by which of the following theorists?

Accepted Answer

George Homans is credited with pioneering exchange theory, which posits that social behavior is the result of an exchange process aimed at maximizing benefits and minimizing costs to the individuals involved.

Question 10

Which of the following thinkers pioneered dramaturgical analysis?

Accepted Answer

Erving Goffman pioneered dramaturgical analysis, a perspective in sociology that views social life as a series of dramatic performances akin to those that take place in a theater.

Question 11

Alfred Schutz is known as a(n) _______________ sociologist.

Accepted Answer

Alfred Schutz is best known for his contributions to phenomenological sociology, which emphasizes the subjective experiences and interpretations of individuals within the social world.

Question 12

Ethnomethodology is known as a(n):

Accepted Answer

Ethnomethodology is a branch of sociology that studies the way people make sense of their everyday world. It focuses on the methods and practices through which social order is produced and maintained in everyday interactions.

Question 13

___________ is considered the major representative of poststructuralism.

Accepted Answer

Michel Foucault is widely recognized as a major figure in poststructuralism, a movement that critiques structuralism's assumptions about the ability to identify universal structures that underpin all human activity. Foucault's work on power, knowledge, and discourse is central to poststructuralist thought.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT one of Talcott Parsons's functional imperatives?

Accepted Answer

Talcott Parsons's functional imperatives, which are part of his AGIL scheme, include Adaptation, Goal attainment, Integration, and Latency (pattern maintenance), but do not include the personality system. The personality system is considered a part of his broader social system theory but is not one of the functional imperatives.

Question 15

In Talcott Parsons's work, the behavioral organism handles the ___________function.

Accepted Answer

In Talcott Parsons's AGIL framework, the behavioral organism is responsible for the adaptation function, which involves adjusting to the environment and responding to external conditions.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT one of Talcott Parsons's action systems?

Accepted Answer

Talcott Parsons's action systems include the cultural system, the social system, and the personality system. The "latent system" is not one of the action systems identified by Parsons.

Question 17

The idea of dysfunction was put forward by

Accepted Answer

Robert K. Merton introduced the concept of social dysfunction, which refers to the undesirable consequences of any social pattern for the operation of society.

Question 18

Which Sociologist developed the idea of pattern variables

Accepted Answer

Talcott Parsons developed the concept of pattern variables, which are dichotomies representing choices between alternative values or orientations within a society.

Question 19

Name the author of the book " The Structure of social action"

Accepted Answer

Talcott Parsons is the author of "The Structure of Social Action," a key text in sociology that was first published in 1937. The book is significant for its attempt to create a single framework for understanding the diverse approaches of sociological theory, particularly through the works of Max Weber, Émile Durkheim, Vilfredo Pareto, and Alfred Marshall.

Question 20

The basic unit within Talcott Parsons's social system is the:

Accepted Answer

Talcott Parsons, a key figure in the development of sociological theory, conceptualized the basic unit within a social system as the "status-role complex." This concept refers to the combination of the social position (status) an individual holds and the expected behaviors (roles) associated with that position. Parsons used this idea to explain how individuals interact within a structured social system, emphasizing the importance of roles and statuses in maintaining social order and stability.

Quiz 2: Sociological Theories and Thinkers