SOCL 101 WO6

Instructions

This document contains a copy of the midterm exam questions. I recommend typing your answers in this document so you can save it and keep your work safe. Once you are finished answering the questions in this document, copy and paste them into the test form in Blackboard. Sometimes, there are technical problems with Blackboard that cause the system to log you out or stop working. Using this file is a way to make sure your work stays safe.   You are welcome to use the course materials (textbook, videos, reading assignments) when preparing your answers. You may not use outside sources of information such as Internet websites about sociology or books not assigned for the class.

Questions

1.      Briefly summarize the sociological imagination in your own words. Provide one example of a current social problem and explain how the problem could be viewed as having both private (individual) and social (society) dimensions.

2.      In your own words, briefly summarize the main idea of conflict theory. What is the main cause of social conflict according to this theory?

3.      Symbolic interactionism suggests that meaning is not inherent in things themselves. Instead, social interaction determines what things mean (what they represent). Choose an example of an object that represents different things to different people and briefly describe the multiple meanings this object has. Tip: current events are a good source of examples. Thing about objects that are controversial because people believe they “stand for” or symbolize different things.

4.      Sociologists use a variety of research methods in their work. Briefly, describe the techniques of survey research and ethnography/participant observation. Using information from the textbook, identify two advantages and two disadvantages of each method.

5.      Many kinds of sociological research rely on sampling. Briefly explain what a sample is. Based on the information provided in the article, Does N Equal 1? Random and Non Random Sampling, what is the main problem or limitation of research that relies on non-random sampling?

6.      Identify the four of the agents of socialization described in the textbook and briefly explain how each of the four contributes to the development of knowledge and abilities individuals need to function in society.

7.      Based on Chapter 4 in the textbook and the video provided in Unit 4, briefly summarize Charles Cooley’s theory of the Looking-Glass Self. How was Cooley’s theory different from George Herbert Mead’s theory of the Mind, Self and Society (“the I and the Me”)?

8.      What is the meaning of status in sociology? Explain the difference between achieved, ascribed and master statuses. How is role different from status?

9.      Bureaucracies are common in our society. Choose an organization or company with which you are familiar and explain how it matches four of the characteristics of bureaucracy defined in the textbook (chapter 5).

10.  Compare and contrast the structural strain theory of deviance with the labeling theory. According to each theory, what are the reasons a person will engage in deviant behavior?