Name: __________________________
Date: ____________________
Sociology Unit 1 (Sociological Perspective & Research Methods) Study Guide
1.
The idea that the social world guides our actions and life choices just as the seasons influence activities
and choice of clothing describes:
2.
The pioneering sociologist who studied patterns of suicide in Europe was?
3.
Making use of the sociological perspective encourages:
4.
The theoretical approach in sociology that assumes society is a complex system whose parts work
together to promote solidarity and stability is the:
5.
Using the structural-functional approach, what questions might you ask about marriage?
6.
Unrecognized & unintended consequences of a social pattern are called:
7.
What are some accurate criticisms of the structural-functional approach?
8.
The “framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict &
change” is the:
9.
Which of the following early sociologists had an important influence on the development of the social
conflict approach?
10. Which theoretical approach claims that it is not so much what people do that matters as much as what
meaning they attach to their behavior?
11. Which of the following founding sociologists urged sociologists to understand a social setting from the
point of view of the people in it?
12. What are the ASA’s guidelines for ethical research?
13. What are independent and dependent variables?
14. What is meant by objectivity in terms of sociological research?
15. What is the Hawthorne Effect?
16. What are some problems/issues with sociological research that could affect the experiment?
17. Three researchers wish to test the effects of playing soft music during an exam on the test performance of
their sociology students. They conduct an experiment in which one test-taking class hears music and
another does not. In experimental terms, the class hearing the music is called:
18. Which sociological research method is most likely to produce quantitative data that will identify causeand-effect relationships?
19. Which sociological research method is likely to be most difficult to replicate (repeat)?
20. Which sociological research method provides the best chance to understand social behavior in a natural
setting?
How does critical sociology differ from scientific sociology? What are the differences in terms of the
basic image of society as well as the goals of research?
Pretend that you are a sociologist. What steps would you take in order to conduct a research
experiment? Be specific.
Be able to describe each major theory of sociology (structural functional, symbolic interaction &
social conflict), as well as the major theorists behind each. Be able to provide examples of each
theory to prove how they function.