Exam 2: Theory and Social Research

Graduate student Midori Suzuki studied how rice farming fits into Japanese society.Before she began the study,she relied on her prior knowledge that rice is a basic part of the diet of Japanese people.This is called one of her

Describe how micro,meso,and macro levels of social reality differ.

Define the following:social theory

Define the following:macrosocial theory

Define the following:ontology

Define the following:middle-range theory

Define the following:mesosocial theory

Andrew Berkeley is a preeminent researcher in the field of political identification.Andrew surveys 10,000 Canadians between the ages of 20 and 29 years old and discovers that as 20-year-olds' level of education increases,they become increasingly liberal in their political views.What sort of relationship has Andrew observed between education level and liberal political views?

Which of the following best defines "social theory"?

How do prediction and theoretical explanation differ?

What are nomothetic and idiographic models of social science,and which of the three major approaches use each of them?

Why do researchers worry about alternative explanations when stating a causal relationship?

The following theoretical proposition is an expression of which of the following? The more frequently and intensely a family engages in loving,close leisure activities together as a family unit,the less likely the children will develop distant,alienated feelings toward their parents.

A theory that seeks to explain how the Newly Industrializing Countries (NICs)of East Asia (e.g.,Hong Kong,Taiwan,South Korea,Singapore)were able to rapidly industrialize and gain a major position in world markets between the 1960s and the 1990s is operating at which level?

Define the following:micro-level theory

You pick up an article in the Montreal Gazette and read the following: Canadian divorce rates have increased by 7% over the past 5 years.The author of the article goes on to explain the increase in the divorce rate by arguing increased female participation in the labour market has made women less economically dependent upon men,making it easier for women to leave unhappy marriages.Which theoretical framework is the author using?

Define the following:assumption

Which general theoretical framework in sociology is most likely to state the following: In selecting a marriage partner,a man is likely to seriously consider potential mates who allow him to maintain power and control in the relationship.He will seek to maintain authority over a woman's wealth,earnings,sexual favours,and social status,especially in a society where patriarchy prevails as an ideology and justifies his actions in the larger society.

Define the following:agency

List three of the five major traditional theoretical frameworks identified in your textbook and identify at least two of the major concepts associated with each.