Exam 1: The Sociological Perspective

Symbols are instrumental in helping people derive meanings from social situations.In social encounters,each person's interpretation or definition of a given situation becomes a subjective reality from that person's viewpoint.

In the Marxian framework,the __________ comprise(s) those who own and control the means of production.

According to Auguste Comte,societies contain __________,which are forces for social order and stability.

A __________ is anything that meaningfully represents something else.Examples include signs,gestures,written language,and shared values.

The __________ approach directs attention to women's experiences and the importance of gender as an element of social structure.

Jeff is studying for his doctorate and is living on a Sioux Indian reservation to gather data on the use of artifacts by the Sioux on this reservation.Because of the focus of Jeff's study,he is probably studying for a doctorate in:

Max Weber believed that societies developed through a process of "struggle" (for existence) and "fitness" (for survival),which he referred to as the "survival of the fittest."

With the increasing diversity of the population,what personal troubles and public issues do you think are most important for the U.S.society to think about?

__________ perspectives are based on the assumption that society is a stable,orderly system.

The world's __________ countries are primarily agrarian nations with little industrialization and low levels of national and personal income.

Chicago School sociologist __________ is credited with the founding of Hull House,one of the most famous settlement houses in an impoverished area of Chicago.

The ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and the larger society is referred to as:

This term refers to the cultural heritage or identity of a group and is based on factors such as language or country of origin.

A __________ analysis focuses on small groups rather than large-scale social structures.

__________ refers to the biological and anatomical differences between females and males.

In the Marxian framework,the working class,or bourgeoisie,is composed of those who must sell their labor because they have no other means to earn a livelihood.

In describing the law of the three stages,Auguste Comte believed that knowledge began in the _________,where explanations were based on religion and the supernatural,and kinship was the most prominent unit of society.

C.Wright Mills used the term "__________" in referring to a small clique composed of the top corporate,political,and military officials.

Sociologists applying a __________ framework to the study of consumerism would primarily focus on how the capitalist economy has shifted from industrial-based to information-based.

This is a term used by many people to specify groups of people distinguished by physical characteristics.