Exam 1: The Sociological Perspective

Karl Marx thought of himself as a classical sociologist,a label that greatly influenced his theories on class conflict.

After reading the Down-to-Earth Sociology box "Loading the Dice: How Not to Do Research," demonstrate three of the six ways to improperly conduct sociological research by giving examples of a hypothetical instance of misuse.

What quality did Max Weber stress as being the hallmark of social research?

The social thinker of the 19th century who predicted that there would be a classless society once the working class united and began a revolution was ________.

Which of the following elements did C. Wright Mills attribute as being the one that sociologists would use to explain individual behavior?

Social life can be interpreted from one of three major theoretical frameworks. Describe the major points of each framework. List at least one sociologist who has been identified with each framework.

The titles Karl Marx used to describe the two classes in society were the ________ and the ________.

The social history of the family and the U.S. divorce rate clearly show that many functions previously performed by the family are now performed by other institutions. List the functions currently performed by most families and explain how changes in society have contributed to the increased divorce rate.

The theorist who is sometimes referred to as "the second founder of sociology" was ________.

Conflict theorists would contend that changes in ________ explain the high divorce rates in the United States.

The term "survival of the fittest," which is a principle part of the concept of social Darwinism,was coined by ________.

Cindy is interested in how the movement of Maytag production plants and other industries from the Midwest to Mexico has changed the lives of thousands of unemployed workers and their communities. Cindy is conducting a ________ analysis.

The social Darwinist ideas of Herbert Spencer have been discredited,yet we still wrestle with the issue of how to deal with people who are poor,uneducated,mentally impaired,disabled,or criminal. What social policies might Spencer have advocated to deal with such people? Compare Spencer's likely response to the strategy underlying current social policies toward these groups.

Scientific research follows eight basic steps. One of these steps is _____________________.

What are closed-ended questions and open-ended questions? Describe the benefits and shortcomings of both when used in conducting sociological research.

Sociologists use _________________ basic research designs to gather data.

Why might a sociologist interviewing women who have been abused by men garner more effective results if she is a female,rather than a male?

What are the similarities and differences between macro-level analysis and micro-level analysis?

Functionalists refer to how parts of a society fit together to form a whole as ________.

What is the scientific method?