Download chapter 1: sociological perspectives and sociological

CHAPTER 1: SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES AND SOCIOLOGICAL
RESEARCH
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Explain what C. Wright Mills means by the “sociological imagination.”
2. Begin developing your sociological imagination by examining the everyday world
around you when you are having dinner with family or friends, watching TV, walking
on campus, or doing whatever you usually spend time doing.
3. Explain what is meant by “sociology is an empirical science.”
4. List 4 or 5 topics or social problems that sociologists examine (may be major earth
shattering events or simply everyday life occurrences).
5. Explain what Peter Burger means by “sociology is a debunking science” and tie this
to “discovering inconvenient facts.”
6. Define the following sociological concepts: social structure, social institutions,
social change, and social interaction.
7. Explain what is meant by “cultural diversity” and why it is such an important topic
for sociologists to study.
8. Explain why the concept of “globalization” is so important to sociologists and how a
global perspective allows a person to understand what is happening to people living
in America and in the world in the 21st century.
9. Identify a sociological contribution made by each of the following early sociologists:
Augusta Comte, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx.
10. Define in your own words the three major sociological schools of
thought/perspectives (functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interaction), and be able
to identify them as either a macro or as a micro sociological framework for thinking.
11. Explain in your words the newer sociological perspectives of feminism and postmodernism.
12. Describe the stages of the sociological research process from developing a research
question to reporting results.
13. Define the following sociological research methods: participant observation,
qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis, population, and sample.
14. Explain the differences between the following research methods: gathering data,
controlled experiments, and historical research.
15. Explain why it is important for sociologists to be value free when examining and
studying social facts.
16. Explain and be able to cite sources of information about the professional code of
ethics for sociologists and for anyone doing scientific research.
17. Discuss the types of careers that are available to those with a sociology degree.