Understanding Social Theories: An Exam Preparation Guide

Abstract

Exam One Alternate – Summer 2021 – 100 points (2 bonus questions for 30 points total) “Complete the exam by entering your answer(s) in this document, and upload the file to Turnitin by the due date. For each of the statements below, select the corresponding “theory group” – that is, identify the theory group that a person making the claim is drawing upon. Some may have more than one answer – if it is a viewpoint or claim common to more than one of the theories. (20 points) Enter the “code” below for your choices: C : Conflict theory F: Functionalism S: Symbolic Interactionism N: none of the above The normal state of society is equilibrium Society is held together by shared understandings Society is held together by force (mental or physical) Capitalism is the source of inequality in modern society Social problems can only be solved by radical changes in the social system Social problems can be solved by incremental reforms to social institutions Social structures are fairly stable and change slowly Society is a “thing” that can be studied using scientific methods Society is a creation of human beings interacting with one another Society has a reality that is independent of the human beings that constitute it Conflict is a normal, and drives social change Conflict indicates that a social institution is not operating as intended Economic interests are more important factors in social change than values or religious beliefs Some have criticized these ideas because they are not sufficient to explain social stability Some have criticized these ideas because they are not sufficient to explain social change The focus of research is macro level structures and processes – the big picture The focus of research is micro level structures and processes “What “statistic” – mean (average), median, or mode – provides the best estimate of overall income of all households in a city or country? Explain why the others are not as informative. (5 points)” Discuss the Milgram experiment. (5 points) Explain the reason that experiments are often not appropriate or possible in sociological research. (5 points) Assume you are doing a study of persons that import or manufacture a drug like methamphetamine. You want to begin by conducting a survey. What kind of “sample” or survey method might you select, and why? (5 points)6. View the video(s) of the film “Sidewalk” that are available on YouTube. The film as a whole is one hour long, but the version on YouTube is divided into three...