SOC100 STUDY GUIDE
What is sociology - Answers- The way we approach problems, which is to search for
social and structural explanations to the topics we study instead of relying on biological
or individual explanations
Cognitive dissonance - Answers- when a person is confronted by simultaneously
holding conflicting beliefs, ideas, or values.
Usually occurs when new evidence is presented and a discomfort arises from needing
to resolve the contradiction.
Transition from childhood to adulthood may cause teens to experience cognitive
dissonance as they realized that many of the values they were taught are not upheld as
adults
Principles of sociological imagination - Answers- 1. See the general in the particular
2. See the strange in the familiar
"see the general in the particular" - Answers- 1st principle of sociological imagination
- looking at individual issues as social/ societal issues instead
- looking at the bigger picture
- e.g. Depression in college student ; instead of looking at their individual brains, ask,
what is happening to the student as a social group that could be causing this
- social perspective leads to different conclusion e.g. Biological view: counselors and
medication ; social view: lowering tuition, student debt
"see the strange in the familiar" - Answers- 2nd principle in sociological imagination
Challenge everything. Challenge the way things are "formulated"
E.g. Shaking hands ; why shake hands; why is it a norm to do so
Decline bias - Answers- believing that change leads to worsening conditions compared
to the past
E.g. Many people would be against no longer shaking hands, which was the norm
Changing the norm
,Objective - Answers- basing conclusions on empirically verifiable facts collected with
sound scientific principles rather than personal opinions, feelings, preferences, or
experiences.
Social location bias - Answers- the combination of factors including gender, race, social
class, age, ability, religion, sexual orientation, geographic location, and many more.
(how your social background affects the way you think and view things)
Anecdotal evidence - Answers- personal experience
Evidence in the form of stories that people(you) tell about what has happened to
them(you)
Anecdotal evidence and social location bias - Answers- using anecdotal evidence
(personal experience) to understand the world around you is engaging in social location
bias as you are explaining and understanding YOUR world or YOUR understanding of
the world
Confirmation bias - Answers- he tendency to process information by looking for, or
interpreting, information that is consistent with one's existing beliefs
Fundamental attribution error (bias) - Answers- tendency to correlates/ attributes the
observed failing of others to their internal factors like their disposition, personal, or
intelligence
E.g. Poor grades = they must be dumb or lazy
Self-serving bias - Answers- The tendency to attribute one's own failure to external
factors outside of our control rather than taking personal responsibility
Opposite of fundamental attribution error
E.g. Poor grades = bad prof
Optimism bias - Answers- Tendency to view things positively while in a good mood
Pessimism bias - Answers- Tendency to view tings negatively while in a bad mood
Cultural bias - Answers- perceiving one's own culture as being normal and other
cultures as being abnormal
Why public education became compulsory - Answers- 1. Provides training for jobs to
help businesses and the economy to grow
,2. Create a population that was more compatible with democracy and functioning
government institution (aided the ability for people to vote)
3. Reduce class difference and inequality
Ideal type - Answers- mental construct where you observe things of the same type and
try to find their common elements to form an ideal type construct based on wha they all
have in common
Letting go of the specific differences and details and seeing the commonalities
E.g. Ideal type for dogs: furry, friendly, can bark, strong sense of smell and hearing (not
including size or shape because they all differ)
Structural functionalism - Answers- 1. Human behavior is governed by relatively stable
patterns of social relations, or social structures
2. Social structures maintain OR undermine social stability
3. Social structures are based mainly on shared values or preferences
4. Re-establishing equilibrium can best solve most social problems
Structural functionalism and its view on society - Answers- - it believes that society is
made of different parts that works in harmony together to maintain a balance.
- Everything that exist serves a purpose and contributors something to society
- believes that problems are solve by restoring balance to the system (not by
overhauling society, but by adjusting the current structures by using current shared
values and understanding)
Macro theory - Answers- concerned about the overall picture than any specific or
smaller parts
E.g. Structural functionalism
Structural functionalism and education - Answers- main functions of education system
1. Selection and sorting
2. Socialization
3. Job training
Selection and sorting - Answers- one of the main function in education
, Functionalist theory argues that different jobs has different levels, hence higher
compensation and reward for the more important and difficult jobs
Paid differently based on skills (meritocratic)
Meritocratic - Answers- a system of rewards based on personal attributes within an
individuals control (e.g. Work ethics) and demonstrated abilities
(within selection and sorting theory)
Manifest functions - Answers- sorting people according to a fair and open competition
which is optimal for society as it allows the best people to access the most important
and complex positions
(within the selection and sorting theory)
Socialization - Answers- One of the main function of education
Shared values and preferences
E.g. Learning importance of exercise and eating healthy food ; learning values like
treating others with respect
School is just one part of socialization as family, friends, media and many other sources
has a large influence as well
Job training - Answers- one of the main function of education
The final Manifest Function that the education system serves is the development of
skills and knowledge important to work (and also to functioning in daily life)
- human capital theory: education is necessary to improve the economy
Human capital theory - Answers- argues that education is necessary to improve the
economic or productivity capacity of a population. With the main assumption that with a
more well-educated population they will be able to work more effectively, efficiently, and
creatively.
Conflict theory - Answers- argues that society is made up of different groups with
different interests and that they compete for power and resources
4 main principles of conflict theory - Answers- 1. Focuses on large macro-level
structures, such as the relations between or among socio-economic classes
2. Showing how major patterns of inequality in society produce social stability in some
circumstances and social changes in others
What is sociology - Answers- The way we approach problems, which is to search for
social and structural explanations to the topics we study instead of relying on biological
or individual explanations
Cognitive dissonance - Answers- when a person is confronted by simultaneously
holding conflicting beliefs, ideas, or values.
Usually occurs when new evidence is presented and a discomfort arises from needing
to resolve the contradiction.
Transition from childhood to adulthood may cause teens to experience cognitive
dissonance as they realized that many of the values they were taught are not upheld as
adults
Principles of sociological imagination - Answers- 1. See the general in the particular
2. See the strange in the familiar
"see the general in the particular" - Answers- 1st principle of sociological imagination
- looking at individual issues as social/ societal issues instead
- looking at the bigger picture
- e.g. Depression in college student ; instead of looking at their individual brains, ask,
what is happening to the student as a social group that could be causing this
- social perspective leads to different conclusion e.g. Biological view: counselors and
medication ; social view: lowering tuition, student debt
"see the strange in the familiar" - Answers- 2nd principle in sociological imagination
Challenge everything. Challenge the way things are "formulated"
E.g. Shaking hands ; why shake hands; why is it a norm to do so
Decline bias - Answers- believing that change leads to worsening conditions compared
to the past
E.g. Many people would be against no longer shaking hands, which was the norm
Changing the norm
,Objective - Answers- basing conclusions on empirically verifiable facts collected with
sound scientific principles rather than personal opinions, feelings, preferences, or
experiences.
Social location bias - Answers- the combination of factors including gender, race, social
class, age, ability, religion, sexual orientation, geographic location, and many more.
(how your social background affects the way you think and view things)
Anecdotal evidence - Answers- personal experience
Evidence in the form of stories that people(you) tell about what has happened to
them(you)
Anecdotal evidence and social location bias - Answers- using anecdotal evidence
(personal experience) to understand the world around you is engaging in social location
bias as you are explaining and understanding YOUR world or YOUR understanding of
the world
Confirmation bias - Answers- he tendency to process information by looking for, or
interpreting, information that is consistent with one's existing beliefs
Fundamental attribution error (bias) - Answers- tendency to correlates/ attributes the
observed failing of others to their internal factors like their disposition, personal, or
intelligence
E.g. Poor grades = they must be dumb or lazy
Self-serving bias - Answers- The tendency to attribute one's own failure to external
factors outside of our control rather than taking personal responsibility
Opposite of fundamental attribution error
E.g. Poor grades = bad prof
Optimism bias - Answers- Tendency to view things positively while in a good mood
Pessimism bias - Answers- Tendency to view tings negatively while in a bad mood
Cultural bias - Answers- perceiving one's own culture as being normal and other
cultures as being abnormal
Why public education became compulsory - Answers- 1. Provides training for jobs to
help businesses and the economy to grow
,2. Create a population that was more compatible with democracy and functioning
government institution (aided the ability for people to vote)
3. Reduce class difference and inequality
Ideal type - Answers- mental construct where you observe things of the same type and
try to find their common elements to form an ideal type construct based on wha they all
have in common
Letting go of the specific differences and details and seeing the commonalities
E.g. Ideal type for dogs: furry, friendly, can bark, strong sense of smell and hearing (not
including size or shape because they all differ)
Structural functionalism - Answers- 1. Human behavior is governed by relatively stable
patterns of social relations, or social structures
2. Social structures maintain OR undermine social stability
3. Social structures are based mainly on shared values or preferences
4. Re-establishing equilibrium can best solve most social problems
Structural functionalism and its view on society - Answers- - it believes that society is
made of different parts that works in harmony together to maintain a balance.
- Everything that exist serves a purpose and contributors something to society
- believes that problems are solve by restoring balance to the system (not by
overhauling society, but by adjusting the current structures by using current shared
values and understanding)
Macro theory - Answers- concerned about the overall picture than any specific or
smaller parts
E.g. Structural functionalism
Structural functionalism and education - Answers- main functions of education system
1. Selection and sorting
2. Socialization
3. Job training
Selection and sorting - Answers- one of the main function in education
, Functionalist theory argues that different jobs has different levels, hence higher
compensation and reward for the more important and difficult jobs
Paid differently based on skills (meritocratic)
Meritocratic - Answers- a system of rewards based on personal attributes within an
individuals control (e.g. Work ethics) and demonstrated abilities
(within selection and sorting theory)
Manifest functions - Answers- sorting people according to a fair and open competition
which is optimal for society as it allows the best people to access the most important
and complex positions
(within the selection and sorting theory)
Socialization - Answers- One of the main function of education
Shared values and preferences
E.g. Learning importance of exercise and eating healthy food ; learning values like
treating others with respect
School is just one part of socialization as family, friends, media and many other sources
has a large influence as well
Job training - Answers- one of the main function of education
The final Manifest Function that the education system serves is the development of
skills and knowledge important to work (and also to functioning in daily life)
- human capital theory: education is necessary to improve the economy
Human capital theory - Answers- argues that education is necessary to improve the
economic or productivity capacity of a population. With the main assumption that with a
more well-educated population they will be able to work more effectively, efficiently, and
creatively.
Conflict theory - Answers- argues that society is made up of different groups with
different interests and that they compete for power and resources
4 main principles of conflict theory - Answers- 1. Focuses on large macro-level
structures, such as the relations between or among socio-economic classes
2. Showing how major patterns of inequality in society produce social stability in some
circumstances and social changes in others
