Sociology Past Paper PDF

Question Answers 1. Why are debates important in sociology? ➔​ Debate does not equal a lack of knowledge ➔​ Science = research and questions ➔​ Re-search = to search again and again ➔​ Questions = a possibility of debate 2. Name 2 reasons why we use concepts...

Question Answers 1. Why are debates important in sociology? ➔​ Debate does not equal a lack of knowledge ➔​ Science = research and questions ➔​ Re-search = to search again and again ➔​ Questions = a possibility of debate 2. Name 2 reasons why we use concepts in science. Name 2 reasons why they can cause problems. ➔​ Advantage 1 = Concepts condense and summarize knowledge ➔​ Advantage 2 = This saves us time and helps us communicate complex ideas ➔​ Disadvantage 1 = There can be a loss of information ➔​ Disadvantage 2 = There can be an increased gap between experts and the rest of the population 3. Present, in 4 points, what we discussed about humans trying to live outside of nature’s rules? (Hint: A good harvest =) ➔​ Good technology = Better harvest ➔​ Better harvest = More experts ➔​ More experts = Social development, protection, and pillaging ➔​ More experts = better attempts at living outside of nature's rules 4. What 2 criteria allow us to state that a phenomenon is social (extra biological)? Give one example for each criterion. (mandatory) ➔​ Changes from place to place ➔​ Changes over time ➔​ Symptoms of hunger are the same place to place, and over time ➔​ What we choose to eat changes place to place, and over time 5. Explain determinism (Top / Down) in four points. ➔​ We are influenced by others (by a system) ➔​ We have little choice about this ➔​ Example: Functionalism ➔​ Example: Marxism 6. Explain functionalism. (analytical) ➔​ Functionalism = Function ➔​ It is interested in roles and responsibilities ➔​ Prefers order over chaos ➔​ Prefers harmony over tension 7. Explain marxism. (analytical) ➔​ Pyramid  ➔​ There’s a small group on top that controls everything ➔​ Everyone else are slaves of the system ➔​ Wealth is power 8. Explain anthropocentrism (Bottom / Up) in 4 points. (analytical) ➔​ Anthropo = Human ➔​ Anthropocentric = Human in the middle of the model ➔​ We are not determined by society, as we can make choices ➔​ Human = Conscience, intention (interest), rationality, strategy, motivation 9. Explain the concept of happy / sad. (analytical) ➔​ Is it possible to be happy and sad at the same time ➔​ Is it possible to be happy to start a new adventure and sad to leave friends and family ➔​ The answer is of course ➔​ This is called conjunctive thinking (something can be right and wrong, good and bad) 10. Describe socialization. ➔​ Socialization does not = Socialising (talking with friends) ➔​ Socialization = A process of learning how to be in society ➔​ Words ending in -tion often mean a process ➔​ A process is never really fully accomplished 11. Present Mead and Cooley’s theory on the looking glass self. (analytical) ➔​ Mustard stain ➔​ The presence of others and their reactions influence me ➔​ Their reactions make me aware of myself ➔​ It’s like looking in the mirror 12. How does Sigmund Freud (Id, Ego and Super-Ego) contribute to the idea that society influences our psychological states? (analytical) ➔​ The Id = Our impulses ➔​ The superego = Social rules ➔​ The ego is our public face where we try to balance the Id and the Superego ➔​ Freud is one of the first psychologists who openly accepts the influence of society (Superego) 13. Present W.I. Thomas (R. Merton) idea on self-fulfilling prophecy. (analytical) ➔​ Thomas studies people living in ghettos ➔​ He listens to what they say and how they think ➔​ And notices how this becomes their reality ➔​ It’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy 14. In 4 points, present C. Gilligan ideas on non-universalism of moral rules. (analytical) ➔​ A primary school teacher ➔​ She notices that negative feedback influences students success ➔​ This is especially true in regards to girls in math ➔​ A positive message improved the grades 15. How does N. Elias help us understand the construction of social norms? (analytical) ➔​ Rules (norms) are created by a group of people ➔​ Others learn these rules but forget their origins ➔​ They may even create new explanations as to why they are important ➔​ Double dipping 16. Describe Irvin Goffman and Howard. C. Becker’s ideas on labelling. (analytical) ➔​ Society and people attribute labels all the time ➔​ These labels allow us to read our environment quickly ➔​ But these labels can have negative consequences ➔​ They can even imprison people preventing them from living their lives 17. Explain H. Garfinkel’s thoughts on breaching experiments. (analytical) ➔​ People follow scripts when behaving ➔​ These scripts often become subconscious actions ➔​ Conducting a breaching experiment reveals the script and reminds us of choice ➔​ Example: Nose on wall in elevator 18. Define the following concepts: norms, deviance, and crime. Give an example for each and one example for a non-deviant crime. ➔​ A norm is a social rule dictated by social consensus ➔​ Deviance = Transgresses a social norm, creates a negative reaction ➔​ Crime = Deviance that breaks a formal norm (law) ➔​ Example (Norm): ➔​ Example (Deviance): ➔​ Example (Crime): ➔​ Example (Non-Deviant): Eating an orange in a bathtub or wearing pajamas to a formal event 19. Name the 2 conformist reactions presented in class and describe them. (analytical) ➔​ Submission = To change your behaviour but not your attitude ➔​ Internalization = To change your behaviour and your attitude ➔​ Not all conformity goes against our free will ➔​ Sometimes we accept the rule and change willingly 20. Name 4 non-conformist reactions (Merton) and describe each one. (analytical) ➔​ Ritualism: Lower their goals to match their means ➔​ Innovation: Use deviant means to achieve non-deviant ends  ➔​ Retreatism: Reject the goals and withdraw (example: procrastination) ➔​ Rebellion: Retreat and react strongly against the system (different from innovation because we want to change the non deviant end) 21. Define and give an example for both types of sanctions. ➔​ Informal sanction = Non regulated punishment ➔​ Example: Disapproving nod ➔​ Formal sanction = Regulated punishment ➔​ Example: Prison, fines, public service 22. Present 2 factors that help determine a sanction and give an example for each. ➔​ Harmfulness ➔​ Example: Armed robbery more dangerous than fraud so the sanction is more severe ➔​ Perception and public support ➔​ Example: Abortion, marijuana, cigarettes 23. Describe the traditional family in 4 points. ➔​ The traditional family is NOT the dad goes to work the mom stays home to raise the kids ➔​ Mom and dad stay home and work on the farm ➔​ Traditional family = extended family (more than 2 generations) ➔​ It was the kids that would work to make money 24. Describe the modern family (also called the nuclear family) in 4 points. ➔​ Dad is the breadwinner, mom stays home to take care of the kids ➔​ Single income family ➔​ The kids don’t work ➔​ The kids go to school 25. Describe the postmodern family in 4 points. ➔​ Exploded family (has many different structures) ➔​ = Some modern families (some mom and dads work, single parents, common law couples) ➔​ Kids stay home and go to school but for much longer ➔​ Very mobile 26. Describe how even romantic love is socially constructed (tip: democratic love). ➔​ Before, romantic love was frowned upon ➔​ Individualism is required for romantic love (right to choose your partner yourself, Shakespear) ➔​ Today, we can speak of democratic love (a love with rights) ➔​ Even love changes from place to place and over time 27. Present 4 events that help us explain why gay marriage is up for discussion. ➔​ Women’s right to vote ➔​ The pill (birth control) ➔​ The possibility of divorce ➔​ The democratization of love ➔​ The advent of common law couples ➔​ Single parents and restructured families ➔​ Openness to gay marriage ➔​ Extended life expectancy 28. Why were schools created? ➔​ To filter out those who can from those who can’t (parents can’t teach their kids everything) ➔​ To nationalize language and identity ➔​ Socialization, to teach us new norms (math and writing, social values) ➔​ Employment (specialization, human capital theory) 29. Describe human capital theory. ➔​ Higher diplomas = mostly better wages ➔​ Higher diplomas = less unemployment ➔​ Higher education = less poverty ➔​ Higher education = necessary in an information society 30. Present 2 negative elements and 2 positive elements of peer groups. ➔​ Negative elements ◆​ Can teach us new norms and values that cause conflict in the family ◆​ Peer pressure, can encourage us to do things we don’t want to do ➔​ Positive elements ◆​ Crystallization of self ◆​ As we learn these new norms and values, and have conflict, we can become more ourselves 31. Apply functionalism (Durkheim) to the study of religion (be careful - we have 4 points for this one). (mandatory) ➔​ Religion as a system of beliefs ➔​ Religion as an institution of learning ➔​ Religion as a keeper of order ➔​ Functionalism 32. Apply marxist (Marx) to the study of religion (be careful - we have 4 points for this one). (mandatory) ➔​ Marx thinks religion is the opium of the people ➔​ Opium numbs pain, puts us to sleep ➔​ Marx believes religion wants to put us to sleep instead of changing the world  ➔​ One way it does this is by telling us we’ll have peace after death ➔​ Marx believes we should discard religion to free ourselves 33. Apply anthropocentric (Weber) to the study of religion (be careful - we have 4 points for this one). (mandatory) ➔​ Capitalism = capital = profit ➔​ As individuals make the right choices they will do well in a capitalist society and in the eyes of their god ➔​ Weber sees a bottom up model of individual to society ➔​ People’s choices and values influence their religion 34. Present 4 points on religion and war. (mandatory) ➔​ All great religions of the world war against other religions (eve buddhism has fought war against other religious) ➔​ Human history is a history of war (this shows that aggression is biological or reminds us that aggression is biological, but how we war changes from place to place and over time) ➔​ Simmel and the importance of conflict (conflicts help us identify problems and find solutions) ➔​ Terrorism is not a religious invention (before terrorism we would have called it guerilla warfare, we use religion to justify it) 35. Present Plato’s critique of media. (mandatory) 36. Present Adorno’s critique of media. (mandatory) 37. Present Lazarsfeld understanding of media. (mandatory) ➔​ Political campaigns aren’t good at changing people’s mind ➔​ They are only good at strengthening preexisting beliefs ➔​ Family members and trusted friends are still the best at changing our minds ➔​ We believe and appreciate them - their opinions hold more weight 38. Present what research on technology and isolation has established. (mandatory) ➔​ Technology / Media is nothing more than an extension of your person ➔​ Studies have shown that introverts use media to stay in ➔​ And extroverts use media to organize group activities ➔​ This idea shows again how media strengthens who we are (it’s not good at changing us) 39. Present 2 arguments used by essentialism to explain male aggression. Present a counter argument for each. (mandatory) ➔​ Argument: Brain structure = men’s amygdala is larger ➔​ Counterargument: Brain structure = need to consider brain plasticity  ➔​ Argument: Age = by age of 3, boys are already more aggressive than girls ➔​ Counterargument: Age = Need to consider how we learn language (by age of 3, children learn simple grammar) 40. What 4 points help us understand why the modern family (nuclear family) is not necessarily the safest bet for protecting families. (mandatory) ➔​ When the nuclear family works well, it has it’s advantages ➔​ But when this family structure does not work, the disadvantages are very imposing ➔​ Example: Women with little education struggle in supporting themselves and their children ➔​ This is only a problem in society that strongly suggest that women take care of the children 41. How can we explain continued wage disparities between men and women? (mandatory) ➔​ Sexual discrimination: perceive women as being less, therefore they should make less ➔​ Human capital factors: what kinds of jobs people choose; women with little education often do minimum wage jobs (retail, waitress, cleaning, etc) ➔​ Work family balance: maternity leave showed how society can remove barriers related to birth; paternity leave doubles down on this, creating bonds between fathers and children ➔​ Habitus (micro-behaviours): learned social behaviours at a young age, practiced often without realizing it 42. The Human Capital Factor is linked to the continued wage disparities between men and women. Explain this link in 4 points. (mandatory) ➔​ What kinds of jobs people choose ➔​ Women with little education often do minimum wage jobs ➔​ Men do not (fishing, trades) ➔​ Higher diplomas and education often lead to higher wages 43. Explain Habitus in 4 points. (mandatory) ➔​ Habitus = habit ➔​ Learn social behaviours at a young age, even without realizing ➔​ We practice these behaviours, often times, without realizing ➔​ These behaviour are influenced by the norms expectations around us 44. In 4 points, describe what we learned in class about harassment and gender relations. (mandatory) ➔​ Statistically, men harass women more ➔​ Women are more often victims ➔​ In relation to sex, boys learn a “fun” standard and women learn a “love” standard  ➔​ The continued age gap between boys and girls in dating also increases chances of harassment 45. What 4 elements allow the Romans to establish themselves as such a large empire? ➔​ They establish roads ➔​ They establish mini-Romes (imposing their institutions and rules) ➔​ They can then tax and collect wealth to finance their army ➔​ They then gained time to strengthen their hold on the territory 46. Associate the corresponding words: From Plato to the Pope, to Darwin, to Hitler, to social race. ➔​ From xenophobia (Plato) ➔​ To religious wars (the Pope) ➔​ To the laws of natural selection (Darwin) ➔​ To race and racisms (Hitler) ➔​ To social race (Social Sciences) 47. How does Jared Diamond explain European dominance over the last few centuries? ➔​ Particularly fertile lands and better access to domestic animals ➔​ This = improved social structures (writing, innovation, religion) ➔​ Improved immune system (living beside animals) ➔​ This equals the illusion of being “naturally superior” 48. Why does Julian Pitt-Rivers speak of social race? ➔​ As he travelled from the North Usa to the most Southern tip of South America, ➔​ He documented how his skin color changed ➔​ From Navaho, to Mexican, to Black and even white ➔​ This helps us understand our relationship to skin colour (social construction) 49. What are the effects of colonization in relation to residential schools? ➔​ Children were torn from their families ➔​ Culture and family values treated as inferior, even punishable ➔​ Treated as unintelligent ➔​ Non-ethical research conducted on them (ex: studied the effect of malnutrition on children) 50. What does the short documentary, Blue Eyes, teach us? ➔​ Teacher divides the class according to eye color and creates hierarchy ➔​ This hierarchy belittles the children (treated as stupid, unworthy) ➔​ Visible impacts on their learning, their self-esteem and their social interactions in a short period of time ➔​ Residential school used this type of hierarchy to break children and they did this over many generations 51. What is the difference between poverty and inequality? Explain why solving inequality is difficult. ➔​ Poverty = a mathematical line that we compare everyone to ➔​ This line is based on money used for clothing, shelter and food ➔​ Inequality is comparing everyone to everyone else ➔​ To reduce inequality, we have to neutralize all differences (same pay no matter the experience, hours worked or education) 52. Present 3 reasons that explain the dropping poverty rates of people who identify as women? What conclusion do these solutions establish? ➔​ Equal pay for equal work (government jobs) ➔​ Maternity leave (don't lose your job or seniority for having a baby) ➔​ High school child care (allows young mothers to finish school) ➔​ These solutions underline the effects of institutional sexism and how we can reduce such effects 53. Present 3 reasons that explain dropping poverty rates of the elderly? What conclusion do these solutions establish? ➔​ Pension ➔​ Social assistance ➔​ Reduction in income tax ➔​ These solutions underline the effects of institutional ageism and how we can reduce its effects 54. How do we explain continued poverty rates off-reserve Aboriginals people, lone parents, people with disabilities and recently arrived immigrants? ➔​ Racism = off-reserve aboriginals and recent immigrants are poorer ➔​ Sexism = lone parents (single moms with kids) are poorer ➔​ Ableism = people with disabilities (mental or physical) are poorer ➔​ We can put in place the policies to remove these barriers 55. What have we learned by improving our data collecting tools around homelessness? ➔​ Unsheltered (absolute homeless) ➔​ Emergency sheltered ➔​ Provisionally accommodated (couch surfing) ➔​ At risk of homelessness (paycheck to paycheck, or abuse) 56. Name 3 types of homelessness and how this information is helping us reduce homelessness. ➔​ Chronic homeless ➔​ Episodic homeless ➔​ Transitionally homeless ➔​ Current attempt to help : housing first program