Download Chapter 1 Section 2

Reading Activities and Notes
Chapter 1 Section 2
Comprehension Exercise
Directions: Record the notes that are posted around the room. When finished recording the
notes, use these notes and the text book to complete the following items. Answer questions 2-9
in complete sentences.
1. In your own words, define the following terms found in the chart below. In the far right
column, write the perspective that would be most likely to use this word.
Term
Definition
Dysfunctional
Not working in a satisfactory or successful way
Show clearly a special activity or purpose of a person or
thing
Existing but not yet very noticeable, active or well
developed activity or purpose
A person, an object, an event that represents a more
general quality or situation
Containing symbols that involves people working
together and having an influence on each other
Most suitable class or group of people or things that
share particular qualities or features and are part of a
larger group
Strong feeling of understanding and care about
somebody’s problems and knowing the reason to their
actions
Attitude that holds that societies develop gradually from
simple to complicated form
Manifest
Function
Latent Function
Symbol
Symbolic
Interaction
Ideal Type
Verstehen
Social
Darwinism
Perspective
Functionalist
Functionalist
Functionalist
conflict
conflict
Interactionist
Interactionist
Interactionist
2. What were the social and political changes that were the result of growing cities?
In the growing cities many people seek work but jobs are not available. There is shortage of
housing, crime increased and pollution becomes a major problem.
3. How did scientists attempt to understand these rapid changes?
Scientists speculated that the physical world operated according to systematic properties and
laws.
4.What were the topics of interests for the five early sociologists?
The topics of interests for the five early sociologists were : society as influenced by how its
economy is organized, systematic application of the methods of science to the study of society,
separate groups within society, society as a set of interdependent parts that work together to
maintain the system overtime.
5. What do the three theoretical perspectives study, and which of the founders of
sociology is connected to which perspective?
Functionalist
-Auguste Comte
-Herbert Spencer
-Emile Darkheim
view society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce a stable social system.
Reading Activities and Notes
Interactionist
Max Weber
focuses on how individuals interact with one another in a society.
Conflict
Karl Marx
focus on the forces in society that promote competition and change.
6. How did Herbert Spencer’s belief in the survival of the fittest influence his view of
social unrest?
Herbert. Spencer believed that only the fittest society would survive over time, leading to
general up grading of he world as a whole.
7. Below is a chart that contains the types of perspectives and issues that sociologists
study. In the appropriate box, explain how that perspective might examine or study
the issue. See page 3 for more description concerning these three issues.
Issues
Internet’s effect on Society
Marriage life
Crime
Functionalist
Majority of the people
rely on the internet for
faster communication
Love and devotion to a
family
Crime watch within the
society through the help
of law enforce
Conflict
There is widespread
fraud ad false beliefs
Interactionist
concern citizen formed
a group to stop the flow
of false information
When a spouse commit
infidelity
Marriage counseling
when crime is
unattended
Concern group organize
to be crime busters
8. Review your answers in the chart above. Are some issues better to study with one
perspective and maybe not as good with other perspectives? Explain.
I believe that functionalist and interactionist are good to study together because there may
be solution to every problem of the society in a much broader aspect.
9. Which of the three theoretical perspectives do you think is the best? Explain why
you believe this.
Functionalist as a theoretical perspective is the best because interrelated parts can work
together for a more stable system.