Terms

Question 1

Consistency in measurement; repeated measurements should yield the same result.

Answer 1

What is Reliability?

Question 2

The belief that certain moral principles apply universally across all cultures.

Answer 2

What is Universalist Morality?

Question 3

The extent to which a measurement accurately reflects the concept it is intended to measure.

Answer 3

What is Validity?

Question 4

Those who own the means of production and seek profit.

Answer 4

Who are Capitalists (Bourgeoisie)?

Question 5

A theory aimed at explaining social behavior in the real world.

Answer 5

What is Social Theory?

Question 6

The unfair treatment of one social group by another for economic gain.

Answer 6

What is Oppression/Exploitation?

Question 7

A procedure for determining the value of a variable in a specific case.

Answer 7

What is Measurement?

Question 8

Specifying exactly what is to be measured before assigning a value to a variable.

Answer 8

What is Operationalization?

Question 9

The theory that behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs are acquired through observing and imitating others.

Answer 9

What is Social Learning Theory?

Question 10

The consequences of any social pattern for the operation of society as a whole

Answer 10

What is Social Function?
(e.g., manifest functions, latent functions).

Question 11

A logical system that bases knowledge on direct, systematic observation (empirical evidence).

Answer 11

What is Science?

Question 12

A research method for investigating cause and effect under controlled conditions.

Answer 12

What is an Experiment?

Question 13

The variable that causes change (e.g., gender, age, income).

Answer 13

What is an Independent Variable?

Question 14

A German term meaning “understanding”; the goal is to comprehend the meanings people attach to their actions.

Answer 14

What does Verstehen mean?

Question 15

Any relatively stable pattern of social behavior

Answer 15

What is Social Structure?
(e.g., social hierarchies, institutions, and roles).

Question 16

Questions about what is considered right or wrong, often central in critical sociology.

Answer 16

What is Moral Judgment?

Question 17

The study of society that focuses on the need for social change.

Answer 17

What is Critical Sociology?

Question 18

The variable that changes in response to the independent variable (e.g., traffic violations).

Answer 18

What is a Dependent Variable?

Question 19

A theory rejecting patriarchy and sexism.

Answer 19

What is Feminist Theory?

Question 20

A statement of how and why specific facts are related (explanatory).

Answer 20

What is a Theory?

Question 21

The theory that the economic system determines all other aspects of society.

Answer 21

What is Historical Materialism?
Marx

Question 22

A social position that a person holds.

Answer 22

What is Social Status?

Question 23

Awareness of one’s social class and its associated interests.

Answer 23

What is Class Consciousness?

Question 24

The idea that identity and behavior are influenced by the social labels assigned to individuals.

Answer 24

What is Social Labeling Theory?

Question 25

The recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern.

Answer 25

What are Manifest Functions?

Question 26

The study of society focusing on the meanings people attach to their social world.

Answer 26

What is Interpretive Sociology?

Question 27

A concept whose value changes from case to case (e.g., “income” or “age”).

Answer 27

What is a Variable?

Question 28

The study of society based on systematic observation of social behavior.

Answer 28

What is Positivist Sociology?

Question 29

A research method in which subjects respond to questions via questionnaires or interviews.

Answer 29

What is a Survey?

Question 30

The issue that the scientific method cannot validate itself, as it relies on unprovable assumptions.

Answer 30

What is the Bootstrap Problem?

Question 31

A variable held constant to test the relationship between independent and dependent variables.

Answer 31

What is a Control Variable?

Question 32

A perspective that views society as groups competing for limited resources and control, resulting in social inequality.

Answer 32

What is Social Conflict Theory?

Question 33

The unrecognized and unintended consequences of a social pattern.

Answer 33

What are Latent Functions?

Question 34

A logical combination of sentences that is always true, regardless of the truth or falsity of the constituent sentences.

Answer 34

What is the Tautological Argument?

Question 35

A theory that sees society as the product of everyday interactions and interpretations of social messages.

Answer 35

What is Symbolic-Interactionism? mead

Question 36

Information that can be verified with our senses.

Answer 36

What is Empirical Evidence?

Question 37

An apparent but false relationship between two variables caused by a third variable.

Answer 37

What is Spurious Correlation?

Question 38

An exaggerated or oversimplified generalization used to describe or distinguish a social group.

Answer 38

What is a Stereotype?

Question 39

The assumption that reality consists only of things observable by the senses.

Answer 39

What is the Natural vs. Supernatural assumption?

Question 40

Misunderstanding of one’s social class and its interests.

Answer 40

What is False Consciousness?

Question 41

Behavior expected of someone who holds a particular status.

Answer 41

What is a Social Role?

Question 42

The belief that events are determined by external forces rather than free will.

Answer 42

What is Determinism?

Question 43

The belief that moral principles are culturally dependent.

Answer 43

What is Relativist Morality?

Question 44

A mental construct that represents some part of the world in a simplified form (e.g., “happiness,” “crime”).

Answer 44

What is a Concept?

Question 45

A framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability.

Answer 45

What is Structural-Functionalism? durkheim

Question 46

A hypothetical system where resources and production are collectively owned, and all members are socially equal.

Answer 46

What is Communism?

Question 47

The assumption that subjective experience can be separated from objective reality.

Answer 47

What is the Subject/Object Split?

Question 48

A testable statement of a relationship between two or more variables, often using “if-then” format.

Answer 48

What is a Hypothesis?

Question 49

A focus on inequality and conflict between racial and ethnic groups.

Answer 49

What is Race-Conflict Theory?

Question 50

A prediction that becomes true because people act according to their belief that it will.

Answer 50

What is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

Question 51

Patterns of relationships between individuals and social groups.

Answer 51

What are Social Organizations/Groups?

Question 52

Major spheres of social life organized to meet human needs (e.g., government, education).

Answer 52

What are Social Institutions?

Question 53

An economic system in which natural resources and production means are collectively owned.

Answer 53

What is Socialism?

Question 54

A focus on inequality and conflict between genders.

Answer 54

What is Gender-Conflict Theory?

Question 55

Society cannot have needs.

Answer 55

What is the Ontological Argument?

Question 56

A research method where researchers observe people while participating in their routine activities.

Answer 56

What is Participant Observation?

Question 57

A research method that relies on analyzing pre-existing datasets.

Answer 57

What is Secondary Data Analysis?

Question 58

A relationship where a change in one variable directly causes a change in another.

Answer 58

What is Cause and Effect?

Question 59

Workers who do not own capital and seek higher wages.

Answer 59

Who are Non-Capitalists (Proletariat)?

Question 60

A relationship in which two or more variables change together.

Answer 60

What is Correlation?

Question 61

The assumption that events follow a temporal order (A precedes B in time).

Answer 61

What is Temporality?