Important Sociologists and their Contributions

• who the name “Positivism” to the scientific study of social patterns?

• Charles Cooley

• Auguste Comte

• Emile Durkheim

• George Mead

who emphasized the impact that the economy, law, trade, health, and population could have on social problems and believed we should try to benefit society?

• W.E.B. Du Bois

• Max Weber

• Karl Marx

• Harriet Martineau

this person believed that religion mirrors social hierarchy, keeping inequality in place, To him or her, religion is just part of the working class's struggle.

• Charles Cooley

• Emile Durkheim

• Max Weber

• Karl Marx

• This person rejected positivism and believed societies evolved through class struggles over production.

• Auguste Comte

• Karl Marx

• Charles Cooley

• George Mead

who wrote The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism?

• • Talcott Parsons

• Karl Marx

• Harriet Martineau

• Max Weber

Answer explanation

• The theory that Weber sets forth in this book is still controversial. Some believe that Weber argued that the beliefs of many Protestants, especially Calvinists, led to the rise of capitalism.  Others interpret it as simply claiming that the ideologies of capitalism and Protestantism are complementary. 

Who proposed a philosophy of anti-positivism?

• Max Weber

• Auguste Comte

• Karl Marx

• Emile Durkheim

Answer explanation

Anti-positivism led to some research methods that aimed not to generalize or predict (traditional in science), but to systematically gain an in-depth understanding of social worlds.

Who believed that

Rational-legal authority is derived from individuals' clearly defined rights and duties, implemented through impersonal rules and procedures

?

• John Locke
• Adam Smith
• Karl Marx
• Max Weber

who believed that religion was an engine of social change

• Max Weber

• Karl Marx

• Sigmund Freud
• Emile Durkheim

Answer explanation

He studied how religion impacted economics, finding that heavily Protestant societies like those in the Netherlands, England, and Germany were the most advanced capitalist ones, with Protestant business leaders thriving. In his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, he argues that the Protestant work ethic shaped capitalism's growth. Certain types of Protestantism encouraged believers to work hard, succeed, and avoid wasteful spending.

Who wrote on many topics related to sociology including political change in Russia and social forces that affect factory workers?

• Karl Marx
• Max Weber
• Auguste Comte
• Emile Durkheim

who pioneered the use of rigorous empirical methodology in sociology?

.

• Auguste Comte

• W.E.B. Du Bois

• Emile Durkheim

• Max Weber

Answer explanation

Empirical methodology is any study whose conclusions are exclusively derived from concrete, verifiable evidence. The term empirical means that it is guided by scientific experimentation and/or evidence. Likewise, a study is empirical when it uses real-world evidence in investigating its assertions.