Exam 1: Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method

In deciding what kinds of questions to ask in their research, sociologists are guided by

A social-exchange analysis states that

A positivist approach assumes that an objective reality exists "out there."

TheCHAPTER's sociological analysis of childbearing around the world suggests that the number of children born to a woman reflects

Which of the following statements best illustrates the career advantage a person gains by studying sociology?

Carrying out research on Hispanic people, Asian people, or people of any distinctive ethnicity or category demands that researchers be sensitive to how subjects will interpret a researcher's words and actions.

"A statement of a possible relationship between two or more variables" is the definition of which concept?

Lois Benjamin's investigation of racism may be criticized because

Which research method asks subjects to respond to a series of items in a questionnaire or an interview?

Which theoretical approach would highlight the fact that, on average, African American families have less income than white families?

According to Emile Durkheim, categories of people with a higher suicide rate typically have

Explain how the structural-functional approach is more focused on understanding society as it is and how the social-conflict approach (consider the gender-conflict or race-conflict approaches) is more focused on social change.Do you prefer one approach to the other? Explain.

Sociological research can never be harmful to subjects.

To identify cause-and-effect relationships, it is usually necessary to exercise experimental control of variables.

The focus of the symbolic-interaction approach is how society is divided by class, race, and gender.

Imagine that you were going to measure the age of a number of respondents taking part in a survey.As you record the data, you are using the concept "age" as

"Stacking" in sports is the pattern by which people of one racial category disproportionately play in favored positions.

What are some of the dangers of sociological research to subjects? Explain why the discipline has developed ethical guidelines to guide research.What are three specific problems with research that ethical guidelines address?

_____ is a way of understanding the world based on science.

Interpretive sociology refers to sociology that