Midterm Review - Unit One

Even though we are not all trained academically as sociologists, we can all be considered "everyday actors," because....

• sociology is a part of human nature.

• we are all members of society and have background knowledge about how society works.

• sociologists require no training at all.

Sociology can be defined as the systematic & scientific study of human society and social behavior, from ________ to ________.

• large-scale institutions; individual interactions

• practical knowledge; scientific knowledge

• economics; political science

Which of the following statements best characterizes microsociology?

• It is an approach that quantifies data about social structures so they can be analyzed statistically.

• It is an approach that examines institutional interactions that occur over time.

• It is an approach that examines interactions between individuals and how those interactions reflect larger societal patterns.

Which of the following statements best describes the approach taken by macrosociologists?

• Macrosociology concentrates on the way large social institutions are created through individual interactions.

• Macrosociology examines large-scale social structure to see how it affects individual lives.

• Macrosociology focuses on creating a beginner's mind in contrast to microsociology, which uses an expert's mind.

Regardless of their various approaches to social phenomena, what are all sociologists trying to do?

• illuminate the connection between the individual and society.

• explain why poverty & inequality still exist.

• compare the present with the past.

What is the sociological imagination?

• a particular way of understanding the sociological mind.

• a characteristic of society that ensures people remain ignorant of the connections between their lives and social change

• the ability to understand the connections between biography and history or the self and the world

Why would culture shock be a useful state of mind for a sociologist?

• It makes us realize we lack an understanding of our surroundings so we can perceive what is right in front of us.

• It makes us unable to function even in simple, everyday ways.

• It requires us to travel, which helps us grow as human beings.

Metaphorically, what part of sociology is the zoom lens on a camera most like?

• qualitative research

• macrosociology

• microsociology

Many Marxist (or conflict) sociologists assume that large-scale economic structures are the most important in shaping people's lives. This assumption is an example of....

• microsociology

• macrosociology

• symbolic interactionism

What is a paradigm?

• an abstract proposition that explains the social world and makes predictions about the future

• a set of assumptions, theories, and perspectives that makes up a way of understanding social reality

• the idea that sense perceptions are the only valid source of knowledge