Chap 1 & 2 Flashcards
(46 cards)
What is sociology?
the study of the development, structure,
and functioning of human society.
What is society?
A community of people who share a common culture
What is culture?
The body of customary beliefs, material
traits, and social forms that constitute the
distinct tradition of a group of people.
micro-level analysis
an examination of small-scale patterns of
society
macro-level analysis
an examination of large-scale patterns of
society
the sociological imagination
Ability to see the connection between the
larger world and our personal lives
C. Wright Mills
Described the importance of the sociological imagination when viewing the
world, especially for people with power.
social location
the combination of factors including gender, race, social class, age, ability, religion, sexual orientation, and geographic
location. This makes social location particular to each individual; that is, social
location is not always exactly the same for any two individuals.
what is the relationship between and individual and society?
The relation between individual and society is very close. Essentially, “society”
is the regularities, customs and ground
rules of antihuman behavior.
Why study sociology?
To understand society, ourselves, and
how the two affect each other
how can studying sociology help provide people with skills?
By giving someone a deeper understanding of how society works and what employers might look for
What careers does sociology prepare people to enter?
Human Resources, Business Analyst, Sociologist
Relationship between theory and research
- Theory can guide research
- Research can test theory
Scientific method steps
Observation, defining a problem or question, forming a hypothesis, conducting a
controlled experiment, collect and analyze data, draw a conclusion, communicate results
Scientific method
a logical approach to solving problems by
observing and collecting data, formulating hypotheses, testing hypotheses, and
formulating theories that are supported
by data
how does society differ from common sense?
Sociology is more about understanding
society through a logical approach. Common sense stems from personal experiences and can only be relevant to a
particular section.
Literature review
a scholarly research step that entails identifying and studying all existing studies on a topic to create a basis for new
research
Hypothesis
A testable prediction, often implied by a
theory
Independent Variable
the thing that will be changed in each experiment
Dependent Variable
The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.
Causality Criteria
1) Consistency - observed consistently in
multiple studies
2) Strength - statistically strong (e.g.,
high correlation)
3) Dose-response - increasing “doses”
(amounts) of the predictor are associated with increasing rates of change in the
outcome
4) Plausibility - a plausible explanation
for the relationship is known/documented
5) Temporality - the predictor precedes
the outcome
Causality vs. Correlation
Causality= thing A is the reason why
thing B occurred
Correlation= two things happen around
the same time or simultaneous variation
occurred between them
Survey
the collection of data by having people
answer a series of questions
Open Questions
questions that allow for a variety of extended responses
