Sociology Midterm Exam Overview

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Questions and Answers

What is a key aspect of the sociological perspective?

Emphasizing historical events as the main focus of study

Uncovering surface reality through personal biases

Analyzing social behavior using established social categories (correct)

Focusing solely on statistical data for understanding

Which percentage of the exam questions is expected to come from lectures?

80%

65% (correct)

35%

50%

What does the phrase 'seeing the strange in the familiar' refer to in sociology?

Analyzing familiar concepts through advanced statistical methods

Understanding unfamiliar cultures by comparing them to known ones

Recognizing normal phenomena by removing them from their usual context (correct)

Ignoring familiar settings to focus solely on theoretical concepts

What is the role of direct experience in sociology?

It is viewed as incomplete and limited for understanding social phenomena Signup and view all the answers

According to the review material, what is sociology primarily described as?

A method of questioning common assumptions about society Signup and view all the answers

What concept involves the struggle between roles within a person’s social life?

Role strain Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT one of the main divisions of social stratification?

Education Signup and view all the answers

According to Karl Marx, what must the working class achieve to overturn the upper class?

Social consciousness Signup and view all the answers

What does the Davis-Moore thesis primarily discuss?

The functional necessity of social stratification Signup and view all the answers

What did Max Weber introduce to the concept of social class alongside the economic interpretation?

Status Signup and view all the answers

Which type of status is assigned at birth or involuntarily obtained?

Ascribed status Signup and view all the answers

What shape does the representation of social class in Canada resemble?

Pyramid Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the misunderstanding among the working class that prevents them from recognizing their exploitation?

False consciousness Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the sociological perspective?

Understanding interactions within a social context Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following reflects C. Wright Mills' concept of the sociological imagination?

Connecting personal troubles to larger social issues Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following paradigms in sociology focuses on competition and social change?

Social conflict Signup and view all the answers

What is operationalization in research design?

Defining variables through concrete indicators Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of capitalism according to the content?

Profit-making through commodities Signup and view all the answers

Which sociologist emphasized the importance of understanding social behavior through 'Verstehen'?

Max Weber Signup and view all the answers

In the context of social roles, what does the structuralist perspective focus on?

External norms governing behavior Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'commodification' refer to in a capitalist society?

Turning social relationships into marketable commodities Signup and view all the answers

What is the main disadvantage of applying scientific methods to social science research?

Difficulty in measuring abstract concepts Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT one of the obstacles mentioned in applying scientific methods to social studies?

Insufficient qualitative data Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of socialization focuses on learning norms and roles from birth through childhood?

Primary socialization Signup and view all the answers

Who is associated with the concept of the looking glass self in socialization?

Charles Cooley Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of validity in research?

The accuracy in measuring the intended concept Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Midterm Exam Overview

The midterm exam is on October 17th from 6:50 pm to 8:15 pm.
Bring two sharpened pencils and your student card.
The exam consists of 21 True/False questions and 49 Multiple Choice questions.
65% of the questions are from lectures.
35% of the questions are from the textbook and some are from Blackboard readings.
No numbers or specific places will be included on the exam.

Social patterns and social processes: How individuals interact in patterned ways.
Micro and macro levels of analysis: Micro examines individual interactions, while macro focuses on large-scale social structures.
Sociological perspective: Viewing the world through a lens that emphasizes social factors influencing individual behavior.
Seeing the general in the particular: Recognizing patterns in individual behavior that reflect larger social trends.
Uncovering surface reality: Questioning the taken-for-granted and analyzing social behavior using categories like social class, gender, race, and sex.
Seeing the strange in the familiar: Viewing familiar situations from a detached perspective, highlighting their social significance.

Week 2: What is Sociology?

Sociology as a way of knowing: Not just a body of knowledge, but a method of understanding the social world.
Limited and partial ways of knowing: Direct experience, conventional wisdom, art/aesthetics, and religious knowledge all provide perspectives but are not always comprehensive.
Sociology as a scientific approach: Using systematic methods to acquire knowledge and understanding of the social world.
Sociological perspective: Recognizing the social context and patterns shaping individual lives and interactions.
Social structure: The underlying framework of social relationships, patterns, and institutions that shape social life.

Week 2 Readings: Sociological Imagination

C. Wright Mills' Sociological Imagination: Connecting personal troubles to public issues and recognizing the influence of social forces on individual lives.
Quality of mind: The ability to see the connection between personal experiences and broader social contexts.
Intersections of biography, social structure, and history: Understanding how individual lives are shaped by social structures within historical contexts.

Week 2 Readings: Invitation to Sociology

First Wisdom of sociology: The recognition that what seems natural or obvious is often socially constructed.
Underlying assumption of sociology: Society is a human product, but society is also a powerful force shaping individuals.

Week 3: Theoretical Paradigms

Scientific approach in sociology: Understanding the social world through systematic observation, analysis, and testing of hypotheses.
Six premises of science: Including the concept of causality, which involves identifying cause-and-effect relationships.
Obstacles to applying scientific methods to the social world: Complexity, subjectivity, reactivity, ethics, and the difficulty of controlling variables.
Paradigms in sociology: Models or theoretical frameworks that guide our understanding of the social world.
Three main paradigms: Social conflict, symbolic interactionist, and structural functional.
Importance of theory in social research: Theories guide research questions, data collection, and interpretation.
Hypothesis: A testable statement proposing a relationship between variables.
Conceptualization: Defining abstract concepts and specifying their meaning for research purposes.
Variables: Factors that can vary or change in research studies.
Independent and dependent variables: Independent variables influence the dependent variables.
Operationalization: Developing concrete measures for variables to allow for empirical study.
Research design: The overall plan for a study, including the timeframe (longitudinal vs. cross-sectional).
Methodology: The methods used to collect and analyze data (content analysis, field research, survey research, experiments).

Week 3 Readings: Positivism, Variables, and Research Methods

Positivism: An approach to sociology that emphasizes objective observation and measurement.
Variables: Factors that can vary or change in research studies.
Operationalization: Developing concrete measures for variables to allow for empirical study.
Validity: Whether the research measures what it intends to measure.
Reliability: Whether the research produces consistent results over time.
Causality and objectivity: Identifying cause-and-effect relationships while minimizing bias.
Three types of sociology: Positivist, critical, and interpretive.
Interpretive sociology: Emphasizing understanding the meaning people attribute to social phenomena (Max Weber's Verstehen).

Week 4: Marco Level & Capitalism

Capitalism as a social structure: A dominant economic system that shapes social life in various ways.
Defining characteristics of capitalism: Private ownership of the means of production, a market economy, and a pursuit of profit.
Key thinkers in the analysis of capitalism: Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim.
Mode of production: The way a society produces the goods and services it needs.
Capitalist mode of production: Characterized by specific means and relations of production, involving two primary classes: owners and workers.
Commodification: The process of turning goods, services, and even people into marketable commodities.
Complex division of labour: The specialization of tasks and roles within a capitalist system.
Rationalization: The process of increasing efficiency, predictability, and control in various aspects of social life (Max Weber).
Bureaucracy: A form of organization characterized by hierarchy, rules, and impersonality.

Week 4 Readings: Mcdonaldization of Society

George Ritzer's Mcdonaldization: Extending Max Weber's analysis of rationalization to contemporary society, particularly fast food.
Five key dimensions of Mcdonaldization: Efficiency, calculability, predictability, control, and the irrationality of rationality.
Modernity and the loss of community: The social changes associated with industrialization, urbanization, and a shift from Gemeinschaft (traditional community) to Gesellschaft (large, impersonal society).

Week 5: Norms, Roles, And Socialization

Norms: Rules and expectations that guide behavior and maintain social order.
Role: A set of expected behaviors associated with a particular position or status within a social group.
Structuralist and interactionist perspectives on social roles: Structuralism focuses on how roles are defined by social structures, while interactionalism emphasizes how individuals negotiate and enact roles in interactions.
Four steps to role enactment: Role taking, role making, role expectation, and role performance.
Socialization: The lifelong process through which we learn the norms, values, and behaviors of our culture.
Primary socialization: The initial stages of socialization, primarily occurring in early childhood.
Secondary socialization: Socialization that takes place throughout life, involving specific roles, norms, and values.
Anticipatory socialization: Learning about and preparing for future roles.
Resocialization: Replacing old norms and values with new ones, often as a result of major life changes.

Week 5 Readings: Socialization, Roles, and Dramaturgy

Nature vs. nurture: The debate about the relative influence of genetic factors and social environment on shaping individual traits.
Agents of socialization: Individuals, groups, and institutions involved in the socialization process (family, school, peers, media).
Roles: Understand concepts including role strain, role conflict, and master status.
Dramaturgical Analysis: Erving Goffman's approach to understanding social interactions as performances, with individuals presenting themselves in strategic ways.
Body ritual: An article examining a seemingly bizarre cultural practice to highlight the subjectivity of social norms and the importance of understanding cultural context.

Social order: The stability and predictability in social life, maintained through shared norms, values, and institutions.
Social conflict: Disagreements, tensions, and power struggles arising from unequal distribution of resources and social rewards.
Social stratification: The hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups in a society based on factors such as wealth, power, and prestige.
Social inequality: Unequal distribution of resources, power, opportunities, and life chances.
Three main divisions of inequality: Social class, gender, and race/ethnicity.
Ascribed status: Social positions assigned at birth (e.g., race, gender).
Achieved status: Social positions earned through effort, skills, and abilities.
Consequences of inequality: Impact on life chances, access to resources, and social mobility.
Social class: A group sharing similar economic, social, and cultural positions within a society.
Karl Marx's theory of social class: Class conflict based on the relationship to the means of production (owners vs. workers).
Max Weber's theory of social class: Recognizes economic factors, but also incorporates status (social honor and prestige) and power (influence and control).

Week 6 Reading: Davis-Moore Thesis

Davis-Moore Thesis: Argues that social inequality serves a positive function in society by motivating individuals to fill essential roles and contribute to society. The thesis emphasizes the importance of social stratification in motivating people to pursue higher-ranking positions.

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Description

Prepare for your sociology midterm exam on October 17th, covering both lectures and textbook material. This exam features a mix of True/False and Multiple Choice questions focused on social patterns, processes, and perspectives. Remember to bring your student card and sharpened pencils.