Sociology Midyear Review – The Sociology Exam is designed to be a comprehensive
examination of the material that we covered during the first half of the year. The exam
will take up the majority of the block allotted to us and will be comprised of several types
of questions. There will be no open note portion or open book portion of the exam,
though there will be some parts where you are supplied a reading and asked to think
about the material from a sociological viewpoint. Students are required to take the exam
during the assigned period barring emergency or ruling of the administration.
Unit 1 Introduction to sociology. Thinking Sociologically;
What is Sociology?
What does it mean to think sociologically compared to using “common sense?”
What were some of the world events and individuals who led to the development of
Sociology as a social science?
Names and terms
- Peter Berger
- C. Wright Mills
- Sociological Perspective
- Common Sense and Soc.
- Structural Functionalist Persp.
- Merton
- Dysfunction
- Latent Function
- Social Conflict Theory
- Enlightenment
- French and Amer Revs
- Industrial Rev.
- Macro
- Comte
- Sociology
- Spencer
- Social Darwinism
- Marx
- Verstehen
- Proletariat
- Haves, Have nots
- Scientific Method
- Social Science
- Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology
- Basic Sociology
- Applied Sociology
- Sociological Imagination
- Theoretical Perspectives
- Function
- Manifest Function
- Interactionist Perspective
- Urbanization
- Micro
- Positivism
- Durkheim
- Bourgeoisie
- Max Weber
- Generalizations
Unit 2 Culture
What is the culture?
In what ways does culture affect an individual’s worldview?
How is culture learned?
How does culture change/evolve?
What specific roles do language and gestures play in the transmission and
maintenance of culture?
What are values? What role do they play in culture?
How do subcultures and countercultures differ? How do they differ from the
dominant culture?
- Culture
- Material Culture
- Non-Material Culture
- Culture Shock
- Ethnocentrism
- Cultural Relativism
- Cultural Universals
- Sanctions (positive, negative, formal, informal)
- Norms
- Folkways
- Mores
- Taboos
- Cultural Lag
- Cultural Diffusion
- Language
- Values
- Subculture
- Gestures
- Ideal Culture
- Counterculture
- Real Culture
Unit 3 Socialization
What is human nature?
How have social scientists attempted to answer the question using research and
theory?
What are the main agents of socialization? What impact does each have on the
socialization process and development?
What is resocialization? What are total institutions?
How does the life stage impact the method of socialization?
According to Sociology, are individuals prisoners of socialization?
- Nature vs. Nurture - Social Environment
- Feral children
- Isolated children
- Isabelle
- Skeels and Dye
- Biological
- Innate
- Language and human nature
- Orphan studies
- Social interaction
- Institutionalized children
- Deprived animals - Harlows
- Creature Comfort
- Twin studies
- Socialization
- Anticipatory Socialization
- Family
- Peer groups
- School
- Sports
- Mass media
- Workplace
Learning objectives Socialization
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
As you read Chapter 3, use these learning objectives to organize your notes. After completing
your reading, you should be able to answer each of the objectives.
1. Discuss the ongoing debate over what most determines human behavior—“nature”
(heredity) or “nurture” (social environment.)
2. Explain the statement: “It is society that makes people human.” (56–59)
3. Discuss how studies of feral, isolated, and institutionalized children prove that social
contact and interaction is essential for healthy human development. (56–59)
4. Talk about how socialization is critical not only to the development of the mind, but
also to the development of emotions, affecting not only how people express their
emotions, but also what particular emotions they may feel. (63–65)
6. List the major agents of socialization in American society, and talk about how each of
these teach—and influence—people’s attitudes, behaviors, and other orientations
toward life. (68–70)
7. Define the term resocialization and provide examples of situations that may
necessitate resocialization. (71)
8. Understand why socialization is a lifelong process, and summarize the needs,
expectations, and responsibilities that typically accompany different stages of life. (71–
75)
9. Discuss why human beings are not prisoners of socialization while providing
examples of how people can—and do—exercise a considerable degree of freedom over
which agents of socialization to follow and which cultural messages to accept—or not
accept—from those agents of socialization. (75)