Sociology Chapter One Study Guide
Set Induction
List three concerns within our society
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How does our social system address each concern?
Day One Reading: Pages 4-8
1. The book weakly explains socal imagination. How would you describe it?
2. If we understand that social interaction is interactions which occur among individuals
within the society, how does social interaction directly affect you as an individual?
3. Explain the basic components of the Sociological Perspective.
4. How does psychology relate to sociology?
5. How does anthropology relate to sociology?
6. How does economics relate to sociology?
7. How does politics relate to sociology?
8. How does history relate to sociology?
Day Two Reading: Pages 9-17
1. Explain Comte’s theory on Social Dynamics and Social Statics.
2. On paper, Marx’s ideas make sense. What makes Marx so interesting and explain how
his ideas relate to society.
3. Explain how Spencer developed Darwin’s theories on a sociological level.
4. Why is Durkheim considered the first “true social scientist?” I would stress the
“science” part in your answer.
5. How does Max Weber differ from his contemporaries?
6. Define and give an example of Verstehen.
7. Briefly explain the functionalist perspective and give examples in our society of
positive, negative, manifest, and latent functions.
8. Explain Marx’s conflict perspective. Is he right or wrong when you look at the United
States of America? (Hint, he hated Capitalism)
9. Explain the various components of the Interactionist Perspective, citing the use of
symbols and symbolic interaction.
10. Of the three perspectives presented, which do you feel most clearly represents an
accurate perception of the United States? Why?
Internet Project
Find an article on the Internet that relates to Comte, Durkhiem, Marx, Spencer, Weber, or
Mills. Read the article and in at least two hundred words, compose an essay which
further explains the sociologist’s theories.
For the Quiz
The quiz is composed of 10 matching, 10 fill-in-the-blanks, 10 multiple choice, and 2
essays for a total of 100 points. In order to prepare you, here are some helpful hints:
The following terms/names will appear on the matching section of the quiz:
Comte
economics
functionalist perspective
anthropology
function
political science
symbolic interaction
Spencer
dysfunction social psychology
sociological imagination
conflict perspective
The following terms/names will appear on the fill-in-the-blank section of the quiz:
anthropology
conflict perspective functions
functionalist perspective
social Darwinism
social interaction
social sciences sociology
symbol
Max Weber