C. Wright Mills - CORRECT ANSWER coined the term "The sociological imagination" and
allows us to comprehend the change happening around us.
Sociological... [Show More] Imagination - CORRECT ANSWER Ability to see the connection between the
larger world and our personal lives (C. Wright Mills)
Auguste Comte (1798-1857) - CORRECT ANSWER "Father of Sociology" - invented what he
called "social physics" to understand the world. We could determine what is right and wrong
without reference to higher powers or other religious concepts.
Social Institution - CORRECT ANSWER Any institution in a society that works to shape the
behavior of the groups of people within it
Theoretical Stage - CORRECT ANSWER Society seemed to be the result of divine will
"It was God's plan
Metaphysical Stage - CORRECT ANSWER human behavior governed by natural, biological
instincts
Scientific Stage - CORRECT ANSWER develop a social physics to understand human behavior
Harriet Martineau (1802-1876) - CORRECT ANSWER In 1853 she translated Auguste Comte's
work from French to English. *one of the earliest feminist social scientists
Karl Marx (1818-83) - CORRECT ANSWER founder of "Marxism" the ideological alternative
to capitalism
Max Weber (1864-1920) - CORRECT ANSWER first to use sociological imagination. created
Verstehen ("understanding"). To truly understand why people act the way they do, a sociologist
must understand the meanings people attach to their actions.
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) - CORRECT ANSWER studied suicide and showed how
individual acts are conditioned by social forces.
Anomie - CORRECT ANSWER too little social regulation; normlessness
Georg Simmel - CORRECT ANSWER Established a sociology of numbers, how people conduct
themselves differently depending how many people are involved
Sociology "cousins" - CORRECT ANSWER Psychology, anthropology, History, political
science
Symbolic Interactionism - CORRECT ANSWER A micro-level theory in which shared means
and assumptions form the basic motivations behind people's actions
Quantitative Methods - CORRECT ANSWER uses statistical analysis to examine numerical data
(data that can be converted to numerical form)
Qualitative methods - CORRECT ANSWER methods that attempt to collect information about
the social world that cannot be readily converted to numeric form.
Sociology - CORRECT ANSWER The study of human society. The general goal of sociology is
to allow us to see how our individual lives are intimately related to the social forces that exist
beyond us
Deductive approach - CORRECT ANSWER a research approach that starts with a theory, forms
a hypothesis, makes empirical observations, and then analyzes the data to confirm, reject, or
modify the original theory
Inductive approach - CORRECT ANSWER a research approach that starts with empirical
observations and then works to form a theory.
correlation or association - CORRECT ANSWER simultaneous variation in two variables
Causality - CORRECT ANSWER The notion that a change in one factor results in a
corresponding change in another
Reverse Causality - CORRECT ANSWER A situation in which the researcher believes that A
results in a change in B, but B in fact, is causing A
Dependent Variable - CORRECT ANSWER The outcome you are trying to explain
Independent Variable - CORRECT ANSWER Measures a variable that, if changed, you predict
will be associated with changes in the dependent variable.
Hypothesis - CORRECT ANSWER a proposed relationship between two variables
Operationalization - CORRECT ANSWER the process of assigning a precise method for
measuring a term being examined for use in a particular study.
Validity - CORRECT ANSWER the extent to which an instrument measures what it is intended
to measure
Reliability - CORRECT ANSWER likelihood of obtaining consistent results using the same
measure
Generalizability - CORRECT ANSWER the extent to which we can claim our findings inform us
about a group larger than the one we studied
Reflexivity - CORRECT ANSWER analyzing and critically considering our own role in, and
affect onm our research.
Historical methods - CORRECT ANSWER research that collects data from written reports,
newspaper articles, journals, transcripts, television programs, diaries, artwork, and other artifacts
that date to a prior time period under study
Comparative research - CORRECT ANSWER Research that compares one set of findings on
one society with the same type of findings on other societies. (There are similarities between the
two usually)
Experimental Methods - CORRECT ANSWER methods that seek to alter the social landscape in
a very specific way for a given sample of individuals and then track what results that change
yields; often involve comparisons to a control group that did not experience such an intervention
Content anaylsis - CORRECT ANSWER a systematic analysis of the content rather than the
structure of a communications. such as written work, speech, or film
GOLDEN RULES OF RESEARCH - CORRECT ANSWER 1. do not harm - don't harm the
subjects
2. Informed consent - they have the right to know what you're doing
3. Voluntary participation - They can choose whether to leave or not
4. Protected Populations - additional approval for those at higher risk
Culture - CORRECT ANSWER 1) a set of beliefs, traditions, and practices
2) culture is anything artificial
nonmaterial culture - CORRECT ANSWER values, beliefs, behaviors, and social norms
norms - CORRECT ANSWER expected behaviors
values - CORRECT ANSWER moral beliefs
material culture - CORRECT ANSWER everything that is part of our constructed physical
environment including technology
ex) fashion, modern furniture, food, music, homes, cars
Ethnocentrism - CORRECT ANSWER the inability to accept, reference, or understand patterns
of behavior or beliefs that are different from one's own
ex) It was used to justify slavery and violence
Ideology - CORRECT ANSWER a system of concepts and relationships, an understanding of
cause and effect
Cultural relativism - CORRECT ANSWER taking into account the differences across cultures
without passing judgment or assigning value
Cultural Scripts - CORRECT ANSWER modes of behavior and understanding that are not
universal or natural
subculture - CORRECT ANSWER the distinct cultural values and behavioral patterns of a
particular group in society
Socialization - CORRECT ANSWER the process by which individuals internalize the values,
beliefs, and norms of a given society and learn to function as members of that society.
Reflection theory - CORRECT ANSWER the idea that culture is a projection of social structures
and relationships into the public sphere, a screen onto which the film of underlying reality or
social structures of our society is projected.
Media - CORRECT ANSWER formats or vehicles that carry, present, or communicate
information
Hegemony - CORRECT ANSWER a condition by which a dominant group uses its power to
elicit the voluntary "consent" of the masses. (ex: wealthy over the poor, gov't funding)
Agents of Socialization - CORRECT ANSWER Family - for most, family is primary
School - not just reading and writing, but also etiquette
Peers - can reinforce messages taught at home, but can also introduce entirely new information
Media - shapes how we see ourselves in this world
Adulthood - work, marriage, economics
ascribed status - CORRECT ANSWER race, age, sex (what you're born with)
Achieved status - CORRECT ANSWER Examples: Doctor, homeowner, married/single, drug
dealer, parents, student
Master status - CORRECT ANSWER status that stands out above all others
Examples: Disabled, Serial Killer, President of the US
Generalized Other - CORRECT ANSWER Internalized attitudes, expectations, and viewpoints
of society that we use to guide our behavior and reinforce our sense of self [Show Less]
