Deck 16: Sociological Theory

Question 1

Which of the following best describes Emile Durkheim's definition of the 'conscience collective'?

A)The common sense understanding of individual action and interpretation of social facts
B)The communication of sentiments enacted in social relationships
C)The sense of unity and connection in societies according to shared norms,values and regulatory structures
D)The integration of economic and cultural spheres in the study of inequality and social reproduction

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Briefly describe the areas of investigation that signified the early development of sociology.

Answer 2

Student response could include brief descriptions of social psychology,social life,social integration,social inequality and social reproduction.

Question 3

Which of the following exhibits Weber's argument of the spread of rationality?

A)Bureaucracy
B)Power
C)Protestantism
D)Art

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following does NOT describe the methods of interpretive sociology?

A)The individual should always be studied in context
B)Social inquiry begins with the individual
C)Social inquiry begins with structural systems
D)Inquirers need awareness of their own value judgements

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a precursor (prior)to the birth of social theory?

A)The economic shift of societies from feudalism to capitalism
B)Widespread urbanisation
C)A complex division of labour and population expansion
D)Adoption of Enlightenment principles which placed God and religion at the centre of meaning systems

Question 6

Which of the following represent alleviation of anomie and alienation,respectively?

A)Starting a business and getting a job
B)Getting a job and establishing an alternative community
C)Getting a job and joining a union
D)Joining a union and establishing an alternative community

Question 7

Talcott Parsons was a structural functionalist who was interested in investigating which of the following?

A)Sociology as a unified discipline whose work is self-serving and of little use to power elites
B)Defining two types of sociology: critical which aims to change society; and establishment which aims to maintain the status quo
C)The structural limits of individual choices which may be wholly or partly determined by normative systems
D)Sociology can be divided into methods and theory but both serve to maintain the status quo

Question 8

Select the statement which INCORRECTLY describes structural functionalism:

A)Structural functionalism is responsible for the compartmentalisation of government departments,human resource management and the structure of capitalist state administration
B)Structural functionalism developed alongside behaviourism as the classification of individuality
C)Structural functionalism is based on pluralism which asserts that Western democracy eliminates class and ethnic inequality
D)Structural functionalism offers a useful theory to analyse social change

Question 9

Which of the following best describes the effect of the division of labour?

A)Supports individualism
B)Shapes society
C)Underpins social life
D)Creates common culture

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of Protestantism relevant to the formation of capitalism?

A)Focus on the action of the individual
B)Authority sits with divine power
C)Success measured by setting and achieving goals
D)Planning effective ways of achieving goals without recourse to moral judgement

Question 11

Emile Durkheim's socially integrated theory of society argues:

A)Wars bring about increased moral integration and national solidarity which is why there are fewer instances of suicide during wartime
B)Social facts exist as conscious acts which individuals use to shape behaviour and organise experiences
C)The collective nature of Eastern religions,such as Buddhism and Hinduism,provide a greater sense of attachment than Western religions such as Catholicism and Protestantism,leading to fewer suicides by religion type
D)Social facts are subjective and therefore require their own methodology and epistemology to study

Question 12

What did Karl Marx argue was the most basic aspect of alienation in the capitalist system?

A)The ways that human relationships become mediated by,and take the forms of,relationships between things and commodities
B)The ways that human beings create illusions about their condition
C)The ways that human beings create laws which ensure continuous development and progress
D)The ways that humans are unable to seek redemption from a divine authority to avoid confronting the origins of their suffering

Question 13

In less than 500 words,précis the changes that occurred following the 18th-century European Enlightenment which were intellectual precursors to the discipline of sociology.

Question 14

Which is NOT one of Marx's six modes of production derived from his historical analysis?

A)Feudalism
B)Antiquity
C)Socialism
D)Utilitarianism

Question 15

According to Karl Marx,there were two central contradictions of class inequalities.Which of the following TWO answers accurately define these contradictions?

A)In class societies,wealth is always distributed away from its producers//Whilst capitalism excels at producing abundance,the relations of production lead to a reliance on out-dated modes of production
B)Whilst capitalism excels at producing abundance,the relations of production lead to a reliance on out-dated modes of production//Third-world countries provide cheap labour for production but individuals in these countries have shorter life spans than those in developed countries
C)Third-world countries provide cheap labour for production but individuals in these countries have shorter life spans than those in developed countries//Science has replaced the role of the state to legitimise decisions over production,however,in capitalist societies the state is still the key site of power
D)Science has replaced the role of the state to legitimise decisions over production,however,in capitalist societies the state is still the key site of power//In class societies,wealth is always distributed away from its producers

Question 16

Choose one social norm or value and briefly describe how it fits Durkheim's notion of 'conscience collective'.

Question 17

Which of the following TWO statements describe features of dialectic materialism?

A)The struggle between business and unions represents equality in capitalism//Workers that are satisfied with their wages and conditions are not exploited
B)A low paid worker may be content to do their job well and have a regular income yet the material reality of their circumstances indicates they are being exploited//The push and pull of wages and profits indicates an unresolved tension in capitalism where change is possible
C)Workers that are satisfied with their wages and conditions are not exploited//A low paid worker may be content to do their job well and have a regular income yet the material reality of their circumstances indicates they are being exploited
D)The push and pull of wages and profits indicates an unresolved tension in capitalism where change is possible//The struggle between business and unions represents equality in capitalism

Question 18

Donna Haraway is a Third-wave feminist who advances the theory that:

A)In today's capitalist societies the biological difference between men and women is irrelevant as all bodies have become machines for the reproduction of capitalism
B)The separation of the workplace and the household is very convenient for the advancement of capitalism
C)The oppression of women is the oldest and most pervasive form of inequality
D)The oppression of women relates principally to the way society undervalues domestic non-productive work

Question 19

Explain how retail therapy or commodity fetishism relates to Marx's theory of alienation.

Question 20

Who was the first to use the term 'sociology'?

A)Claude Saint-Simon
B)Emile Durkheim
C)Auguste Comte
D)Max Weber

Question 21

What post-structuralist concepts underpin post-colonial sociological analyses?

A)Discourse and position
B)Structure and subjectivity
C)Discourse and subjectivity
D)Subjectivity and self

Question 22

Why has post-colonialism emerged as a form of sociological analysis in the 20^th century?

A)To analyse inequality from the exploitation of land and resources across geographic and cultural boundaries
B)To keep a record of history
C)To ensure the domination of particular nation states
D)To analyse equality supported by combining land and resources across geographic and cultural boundaries

Question 23

Radical feminists view patriarchy as the oldest and most pervasive forms of inequality while Marxist feminists argue a class analysis is important to understanding patriarchy.

Question 24

What is the anthropocene epoch?

A)The era of stability in the earth's climate
B)The era in which the human species have significant impact on the earth
C)The era of change in the earth's climate
D)The era in which the human species has no impact on the earth

Question 25

The founding figures of sociology viewed nature as an inert but abundant context of human activity.Discuss.