Classical Sociological Theory Quiz & Flashcards

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Marx's concept of (blank) refers to the human activities undertaken to change material reality.

labor

Marx's concept of (blank) refers to the thinking of, and then creating of material objects.

objectification

Marx's concept of (blank) refers to the unique potentials and powers humans obtain that set us apart from other animals.

species being

Which of the following best describes Marx's general law of capitalist accumulation?

Capitalists profit by driving down the use and exchange value of workers' labor. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes Marx's labor theory of value?

Labor, both in terms of quantity and quality, is at the heart of all value. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following did Marx refer to as 'the opium of the people'?

Religion Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a way workers are alienated by industrial production?

Workers are alienated from their productive activity. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a way workers are alienated by industrial production?

Workers are alienated from their human potential. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a way workers are alienated by industrial production?

Workers are alienated from each other as they are unable to cooperate with one another. Signup and view all the answers

According to Durkheim, which type of nonmaterial social facts are part of a structure created by the summation of people's beliefs and sentiments?

Collective consciousness Signup and view all the answers

According to Durkheim, which type of nonmaterial social facts manifest in the material realm as religion, symbols, and rituals?

Collective representations Signup and view all the answers

According to Durkheim, which type of nonmaterial social facts provide the foundation for sociological study?

Morality Signup and view all the answers

According to Durkheim, which type of nonmaterial social facts refers to the organizations and institutions within which people interact on an ongoing basis?

Social currents Signup and view all the answers

Anthony Giddens further refined Durkheim's concept of mechanical and organic societies by noting how the ______ or the proportion of people swathed in the collective conscious is reduced in societies with a division of labor.

volume Signup and view all the answers

What intellectual current of early British sociology focused on how capitalist markets largely control behavior and societal organization more generally?

Political Economy Signup and view all the answers

What intellectual current of early British sociology focused on how social structures emerge and operate?

Social Evolution Signup and view all the answers

What intellectual current of early British sociology focused on reforming individuals rather than society?

Ameliorism Signup and view all the answers

What was the most immediate social force in the rise of sociology during the late 1800s?

Political Revolution Signup and view all the answers

When did sociologists (as opposed to social thinkers) first appear?

Mid-1800's Signup and view all the answers

Which early French sociologist had the most influence on contemporary sociology?

Emile Durkheim Signup and view all the answers

Which French sociologist directed his positivist critique toward the French Revolution and its aftermath?

Auguste Comte Signup and view all the answers

Which French sociologist outlined how sociology should be a study of morality and social facts?

Emile Durkheim Signup and view all the answers

Which French sociologist saw the need for socialist reforms of capitalism but was concerned the working class would be empowered?

Claude Henri Saint-Simon Signup and view all the answers

Which French sociologist's emphasis on freedom combined with his critiques of equality and centralization led him to be extremely critical of both democracy and socialism?

Alexis de Tocqueville Signup and view all the answers

Which German philosopher developed dialectics and idealism to examine the dynamic aspects of society?

G.W.F. Hegel Signup and view all the answers

Which German thinker developed a materialist philosophy he then applied toward understanding consciousness and religion?

Ludwig Feuerbach Signup and view all the answers

Which German thinker emphasized rationality in his social theory that he famously applied to religion, economics, and bureaucracy?

Max Weber Signup and view all the answers

Which German thinker thought almost every social problem had its roots in capitalism?

Karl Marx Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following intellectual currents was embraced by early British sociologists?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following makes a sociological theory a classic?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

Which social force refers to a mass migration of people away from agricultural areas and toward industrial cities?

Urbanization Signup and view all the answers

Which social force refers to a questioning of patriarchy that grew out of mobilizations against slavery and the political oppression of the middle class?

Feminism Signup and view all the answers

Which social force refers to the incorporation of production technology into market driving economies?

The rise of capitalism and the industrial revolution Signup and view all the answers

Which social force refers to the spread of western political, social, cultural and economic domination across the globe?

Colonialism Signup and view all the answers

A conservative political and cultural climate in the 1920s stalled most progressive social efforts and social movements, including feminism and feminist theory.

False Signup and view all the answers

According to Alfred Shultz, where do we spend everyday life?

Lifeworld Signup and view all the answers

Because they were committed to the Marxist tradition, the founding scholars of The Institute of Social Research (also known as 'The Frankfurt School') rejected the work of both Max Weber and Sigmund Freud.

False Signup and view all the answers

Both Talcott Parsons and George Homans thought theory should be constructed inductively, or from the ground up.

False Signup and view all the answers

Erving Goffman's dramaturgical analysis is incompatible with symbolic interactionism.

False Signup and view all the answers

Herbert Spencer was more influential to early sociology in the Americas than in Europe.

True Signup and view all the answers

In his lifetime, C. Wright Mills was a central figure in mainstream sociology.

False Signup and view all the answers

More so than other members of the Chicago School, ______ believed that sociology should emphasize research on data collected from a variety of sources.

W.I. Thomas Signup and view all the answers

Of all the women in early American sociology, Charlotte Perkins Gilman provided the most comprehensive theories of gender inequality.

True Signup and view all the answers

Poststructuralism grew out of postmodernism.

False Signup and view all the answers

Talcott Parsons became the dominant sociological figure in the United States by developing theories outside the European tradition.

False Signup and view all the answers

Talcott Parsons is best described as a structural functionalist because he theorized about both social structures and action systems.

True Signup and view all the answers

W.E.B. Du Bois was a founding member of the Chicago School.

False Signup and view all the answers

Which Jewish scholar founded The Institute of Social Research in Frankfurt, Germany, right before the rise of Hitler and the Nazi regime?

Felix J. Weil Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following WAS NOT a hallmark of early feminist theory?

Social Darwinism that explains gender differences biologically Signup and view all the answers

Which of these theorists argued society continues to devolve and become increasingly unproductive as more and more people waste their time and money in the pursuit of leisure?

Thorstein Veblen Signup and view all the answers

Which of these theorists cautiously embraced social Darwinism by arguing society evolves or becomes more complex by shedding moral poverty?

Lester F. Ward Signup and view all the answers

Which of these theorists was an 'extreme' social Darwinist who argued people evolve given their success in a 'survival of the fittest' social reality?

William Graham Sumner Signup and view all the answers

Which theoretical area focuses on how modern knowledge, machinery, tools, etc. are more generally transforming both daily life and society?

Theories of science, technology, and society Signup and view all the answers

While Marxism has undergone revivals both during the 1960s and with the recent acceleration of globalization and global inequality, the theory has largely been marginalized in the United States throughout the 20th century.

True Signup and view all the answers

According to Tocqueville, which of the following is inherent in individualism?

Progress via changing social conditions Signup and view all the answers

In his comparative studies, Tocqueville looked at the similarities and differences between ______.

The United States and France Signup and view all the answers

In his comparative studies, Tocqueville looked at the similarities and differences between ______.

Egoism and Individualism Signup and view all the answers

In terms of legislation passed, the United States congress has become less and less productive during recent sessions.Which of Tocqueville's problems of democracy could this inaction indicate?

Stagnation Signup and view all the answers

Shortly after the September 11th attacks on the United States, the federal government quickly created The Department of Homeland Security, uniting over 20 different agencies into a single government entity.Which of Tocqueville's problems of democracy could this consolidation of authority indicate?

Centralization Signup and view all the answers

The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e. 'Obama Care') was unique because for the first time in history, the federal government instituted a monetary penalty on those who did not purchase a product (health insurance) from a private company.Which of Tocqueville's problems of democracy could this extension of authority indicate?

Despotism Signup and view all the answers

The United States has some of the worst voter turnout of any Western Democracy, especially in years when presidents are not elected.Which of Tocqueville's problems of democracy could people's voluntary self-removal from the political process create?

Despotism Signup and view all the answers

Tocqueville argues that the ______ of authority could hinder freedom by consolidating power.

Centralization Signup and view all the answers

Tocqueville argues that while ______ declined in the waning days of aristocracies as nobles and monarchs gave up power, it could rise again in democracies if citizens become remote or even removed from the political world.

Despotism Signup and view all the answers

Tocqueville believed less equality would inevitably lead to more freedom. True or False?

True Signup and view all the answers

Tocqueville coined the term individualism.

True Signup and view all the answers

Tocqueville thought people's freedom was MORE in danger after the French and American revolutions than before.

True Signup and view all the answers

Tocqueville was more supportive of direct participatory democracy than representative democracy.

True Signup and view all the answers

Tocqueville's ideas are seen in the work of which post-structural theorist?

Michel Foucault Signup and view all the answers

Today, sociologists would describe Tocqueville's work as a study on democratic culture.

True Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following did Tocqueville consider the MOST important reason The United States was a democracy?

Culture, mainly habits and mores Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following did Tocqueville describe as inherent to egoism? Select all, but only those that apply.

Diminishing with the passing of time Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following did Tocqueville see as problematic for democracy?

Stagnation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following did Tocqueville think was an advantage democracy has over aristocracy?

The creation of an enlightened and engaged population. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is central to Tocqueville's theoretical analysis of democracy in the United States?

Social class Signup and view all the answers

According to Comte, as a social science method ______ involves comparing and contrasting society at different periods in time.

Historical research Signup and view all the answers

According to Comte, the age of theology largely came to an end because of the Protestant Reformation's challenge to Catholicism.

True Signup and view all the answers

Comte argued theorizing should occur alongside empirical research.

True Signup and view all the answers

Comte carefully studied data in order to develop his theories about social dynamics.

False Signup and view all the answers

Comte claimed disorder and stagnation are brought about by negativism.

True Signup and view all the answers

Comte claims individual's ______ principles are governed by people's heart, or emotions that subordinate the intellect.

Subjective Signup and view all the answers

Comte considered the family the foundation of society.

True Signup and view all the answers

Comte considered the individual the foundation of society.

False Signup and view all the answers

Comte did not believe empirical study could reveal the social principles upon which society operates.

False Signup and view all the answers

Comte theorizes that _______ provides both progress and order.

Positivism Signup and view all the answers

Comte theorizes that _______ provides progress, but not order.

Metaphysics Signup and view all the answers

Comte thought individuals were inherently altruistic, but become selfish when corrupted by society.

False Signup and view all the answers

Comte thought individuals were inherently, even instinctually selfish; only the social structure could restrain people and direct their efforts toward order and progress.

True Signup and view all the answers

Comte thought it possible for a society to achieve perfection by fully embracing and mastering positivism.

False Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following did Comte consider the foundation of society?

The family Signup and view all the answers

According to Karl Marx, what dialectic contradiction lies at the heart of capitalism?

Capitalists need to exploit workers for profit; workers want to profit from their work. Signup and view all the answers

According to Marx's historical materialism, the (blank) of society refers to the ways people meet, or produce for their material needs and the economic relations that grow out of that production.

Base Signup and view all the answers

According to Marx's historical materialism, the (blank) of society refers to the noneconomic relationships built atop the economic production of material commodities.

Superstructure Signup and view all the answers

By definition, Marx's (blank) is aware of its exploitation and conflict with other classes.

Class-for-itself Signup and view all the answers

By definition, Marx's (blank) is not aware of its exploitation and conflict with other classes.

Class-in-itself Signup and view all the answers

Karl Marx thought ideology (blank).

Are the ideas that emerge naturally out of daily life. Signup and view all the answers

Karl Marx thought reification (blank).

Is when human-created social structures are afforded a power of their own. Signup and view all the answers

Karl Marx thought the fetishism of commodities (blank).

Occurs when individuals afford objects a power over the humans that make those objects. Signup and view all the answers

Karl Marx's theory is often criticized (blank).

Because communism did not come about as he predicted. Signup and view all the answers

Marx's concept of (blank) refers to how capitalism perverts human labor, thereby turning human potential against itself.

Alienation Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Early British Sociology

Political Economy examined how capitalist markets shape behavior and societal structures.
Social Evolution focused on the emergence and operation of social structures.
Ameliorism aimed at reforming individuals rather than society itself.

Rise of Sociology

Political Revolution was the immediate social force that catalyzed sociology's emergence in the late 1800s.
Sociology as a formal discipline emerged in the mid-1800s.

Influential Sociologists

Emile Durkheim greatly influenced contemporary sociology, emphasizing the study of morality and social facts.
Auguste Comte directed positivist critiques at the French Revolution, laying groundwork for sociology.
Claude Henri Saint-Simon advocated for socialist reforms but was wary of empowering the working class.
Alexis de Tocqueville critiqued both democracy and socialism, emphasizing freedom alongside skepticism of equality.

German Contributions

G.W.F. Hegel developed dialectics and idealism to analyze societal dynamics.
Ludwig Feuerbach applied materialist philosophy to consciousness and religion.
Max Weber emphasized rationality in analyzing religion, economics, and bureaucracy.
Karl Marx focused on capitalism's inherent social conflicts and their implications for society.

Key Intellectual Currents

Political Economy was integral to early British sociological thought.
Characteristics of a classic sociological theory include continued relevance, broad scope, and historical significance.

Urbanization involved a mass migration towards industrial cities.
Feminism emerged from challenges to patriarchy, influenced by anti-slavery movements.
The rise of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution marked a technological transformation in production.
Colonialism represented the global spread of Western dominance.

Controversies and Misconceptions

The 1920s did not significantly stall social movements like feminism; claims suggesting otherwise are false.
Alfred Schutz's concept of lifeworld pertains to everyday existence.
The Frankfurt School, rooted in Marxism, acknowledged contributions from Weber and Freud.
Erving Goffman's dramaturgical analysis aligns with symbolic interactionism.

Historical Figures and Movements

Herbert Spencer had a greater impact on American sociology than in Europe.
C. Wright Mills was not a mainstream figure during his lifetime; he critiqued prevailing sociological norms.

Theories of Democracy

Tocqueville highlighted individualism's potential for progress through changing social conditions.
His comparative studies contrasted the United States with France and addressed egoism versus individualism.
Key problems identified by Tocqueville included stagnation linked to legislative inaction, governance centralization, and concerns about despotism arising from citizen disengagement.

Comte and Positivism

Comte believed in empirical study alongside theory development; he viewed the family as society's foundation.
He advocated for positivism as a means to achieve societal order and progress, while metaphysics offered progress without order.
Comte theorized that individuals are inherently selfish, requiring social structures to channel their behavior.

Marxist Theory

Marx explored the contradictions of capitalism, emphasizing class conflict and the exploitation of workers.
Historical materialism categorizes society's "base" (economic means of production) and "superstructure" (non-economic societal relations).
Concepts like class-in-itself and class-for-itself distinguish between classes that are aware or unaware of their exploitation.
Marx critiqued ideology and reification, illustrating how economic exchanges shape social relations.
He argued against the fetishism of commodities, where objects acquire power over humans.
Marx's theory emphasizes alienation as a consequence of capitalist structures, where workers experience separation from their labor and humanity.

Societal Dynamics

Marx's labor theory of value asserts that labor is central to all value, driven by capitalists seeking profit through exploitation.
Religious ideology was dubbed "the opium of the people," reflecting its role in perpetuating class inequality.
Alienation occurs when workers are disconnected from their labor, their products, and from each other within industrial production systems.### Worker Alienation in Industrial Production
Workers experience alienation when they are disconnected from their human potential during industrial production processes.
Alienation can occur when workers are forced to consume the products they create, affecting their relationship with their labor.
Industrial production can lead to alienation among workers when they are compelled to master a specific craft, limiting their creative expression.
The inability of workers to cooperate and collaborate effectively contributes to their alienation from one another.

Durkheim identifies collective consciousness as a summation of people's beliefs and sentiments that shape societal structures.
Collective representations are nonmaterial social facts that manifest in material forms such as religion, symbols, and rituals.
According to Durkheim, collective consciousness serves as the foundational concept for sociological study, providing insights into society's moral framework.
Social currents, defined by the dynamic interactions among individuals, highlight the organizations and institutions that govern ongoing social interactions.

Giddens' Refinement of Durkheim's Theories

Anthony Giddens emphasizes the concept of 'volume' to describe the decreasing proportion of people immersed in the collective consciousness in societies characterized by a division of labor.
This refinement illustrates the shift from mechanical to organic societies, where individual differentiation and labor specialization lead to changes in collective awareness.

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Test your knowledge of Classical Sociological Theory with this quiz that covers key concepts such as Political Economy and Social Evolution. Designed for students and enthusiasts of sociology, this quiz will challenge your understanding of early British sociology and its intellectual currents.