UW-Fox Valley
Sociology 101 Study guide for midterm
Dr. Gregory Peter Fall 2015
Your exam will consist of five definition of terms worth 5 points total. You will
also write an answer to one of the essay questions below worth 10 points. I will provide
the blue books for you to write in. Here are the essay questions:
[1] Briefly explain how Sociologists conduct research. What makes Sociology a
Science? Explain each of the three main paradigms in sociology in your own words.
Apply the appropriate paradigm to each of these readings in Ferguson (Chapter 5, 16, and
Chapter 36) and be sure to explain why that reading fits into the paradigm you chose.
Now choose one reading from Ferguson that you think blends all three paradigms and
explain why it fits all three.
[2] Explain what C.W. Mills meant by the power elite. Apply the power elite theory to
explain the current war on terrorism. Which paradigm does the Power Elite reading fit
into? Why? How does the power/knowledge theory in sociology apply to Political
Action Committees in the United States? Explain what Mills meant by the sociological
imagination. Give two examples of public issues in the United States you think are
important but do not get enough attention. Make policy suggestions to solve each.
[3] Describe two main arguments in Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’ Manifesto of the
Communist Party. Also explain what Marx meant by alienation and false consciousness.
Apply these concepts to help explain two current events (can be local, regional, national,
or international) within the last five years. Explain how our stereotypes about race and
ethnicity in the United States are also social class issues.
[4] Define the social construction of reality. Give two examples not used in the readings
to show your understanding of how gender is socially constructed. What side of the
nature/nurture debate does the social construction of reality fit on? Which paradigm does
the social construction of reality fit into? Why? What is the difference between social
structure and social construction of reality? Choose two social institutions and explain
how their social structure is changing how they “do” or construct gender.