Sociology - Theories

Comte's term 'positivism' refers to:

• a theory that emphasizes the positive aspects of society

• the precise, scientific study of observable phenomena

• a theory that posits difficult questions and sets out to answer them

• an unscientific set of laws about social progress

In Marx's theory, the 'mode of production' means:

• the way in which products are made in a factory

• the average measure of productivity under capitalism

• the way society is organized to produce goods and services

• an integral part of the superstructure of a society

Durkheim defined social facts as:

• ways of acting, thinking, and feeling that are collective and social in origin

• the way scientists construct knowledge in a social context

• data collected about social phenomena that are proven to be correct

• ideas and theories that have no basis in the external, physical world

Answer explanation

Social facts are things such as institutions, norms and values which exist external to the individual and constrain the individual.

Weber said that all knowledge is 'value-relevant' because:

• sociologists like to put a value on different theories

• knowledge refers to people and their values

• theorists interpret the world in terms of their own values

• attempts to provide knowledge about the world are always valuable

Answer explanation

VALUE-RELEVANCE. Weber held that values influence the way in which research is conducted in the social sciences and that values themselves could be affected by the results of research.

Structural-Functionalists describe society as:

• a complex network of interaction at a micro-level

• a source of conflict, inequality, and alienation

• an unstable structure of social relations

• a normative framework of roles and institutions

The term 'feminist standpoint' suggests:

• taking a stand on the issues neglected by feminism

• studying society from the perspective of women

• the recognition of difference and diversity in women's lives

• a tendency to ignore the gendered nature of knowledge

What social scientist proposed the idea that societies evolve from a lower, barbaric form to a higher, civilized form in a process he called social Darwinism?

• Charles Darwin

• Herbert Spencer

• Auguste Comte

• Emile Durkeim

What social scientist first proposed applying the scientific method to the social world, a practice known as positivism?

• Auguste Comte

• Emile Durkheim

• Max Weber

• Charles Cooley

Frank is examining the broad stream of events that have occurred over the past 50 years and the specific experiences of his own life. By doing so, what sociological process has Frank undertaken?

• sociological imagination

• research

• looking glass

• cultural relativism

What is the underlying principle of symbolic interactionism?

• It analyzes how one's behavior depends on the way they define themselves and others.

• Society is characterized by inequality and social conflict

• Society is a complex system composed of various interrelated parts that work together to maintain stability and order

• Society is in a state of normlessness, breakdown of social norms, or a sense of disconnection between an individual and the broader social fabric