Exam 1 Study Guide
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What is sociology?
Why was Sociology Invented?
The relationship between the individual and society
The Sociological Imagination vs the Individualist Perspective*
Commitments of Sociology
The Main theoretical perspectives of sociology
o Structural functionalism
o Conflict
o Symbolic interaction
False and True* consciousness
Dramaturgy
Looking Glass Self
Social Constructionism
What is Data
Quantitative vs Qualitative research
Causation vs Correlation
3 Principles of Ethics (Do no harm, Informed consent, Voluntary participation)
Stanford Prison Experiment
What is Culture
Material vs non-Material Culture
Symbols and Language in Culture
Mores and Folkways
Subcultures and Countercultures*
Cultural Capital
Socialization
Agents of Socialization
o Family, Peers, Media, Schools, Total institutions
Roles and Identity
o Strain vs Conflict
Ethnomethodology (Theory of Norm Breaking)
The Case of Genie Wiley
What is Deviance?
o Approaches (Statistical, Legalistic, Normative)
Sanctions to Breaking Norms
Durkheim’s Sociological Theory of Suicide
Moral Panic
Medicalization of Deviance
Labeling Theory
Managing Stigma
In Textbook*
What to Expect
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Multiple Choice
True & False
Short Answer
Bring a Pen/Pencil (No Scantron needed)
Exam Rules
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Open Note
o Handwritten or Printed notes (couple pages)
o No printed PowerPoint notes
o No textbook
You may bring headphone but cannot access phone during test
You may leave when finished
Exam Hints for Short Answers
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One question on the sociological imagination (personal and public)
The Scenario
A student fails a
test.
A person is
unemployed.
A person has
high debt.
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Viewed as a Personal
Trouble
They didn’t study enough
or they aren't “smart” at
math.
They are “lazy” or have a
bad resume.
They spend too much
money on coffee and
clothes.
Viewed as a Public Issue
The school is underfunded, or the
curriculum doesn’t account for different
learning styles.
The economy is in a recession, or a local
factory moved its jobs overseas.
Minimum wage hasn’t kept up with the
rising cost of housing and tuition.
One question on applying a theory (Example: School)
Perspective
Structural
Functionalism
Conflict Theory
Symbolic
Interactionism
The “Big Idea”
School is a bridge between
the family and the wider
society.
School is a gatekeeper that
maintains social class.
School is a place of meaningmaking and labels.
Key Question for Education
How does school prepare students for
their future roles in the workforce?
How does the “Hidden Curriculum”
reinforce inequality?
How do teacher expectations and
student labels (e.g., “Gifted”) affect
performance?