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SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Soc 302 – An Examination – Summer, 2020 ______________________________Name
Part I – Fill in the Blank – Sometimes one word will be enough. Sometimes you’ll need several words to give a complete answer. 2 points maximum for each of 20 items, therefore 40 points maximum for Part I.
1. According to Comte, the most advanced and challenging science of all, is _______________.
2. Adolphe Quelelet and Franklin Giddings had in common their emphasis on _____________.
3. All the sociologists we discussed, especially the Social Darwinists, believed in Progress, that society is getting better. The one exception, the theorist who thought society is getting worse, was _________________.
4. I was a scientist who studied evolution; I was the first to use the term ‘survival of the fittest.’ I am _____________________.
5. Despite the criticisms directed against many early sociologists, they are still important because _____________________________________________________.
6. The origins of sociology can be traced to: (A) rapid and unsettling changes in societies in the 1800s, (B) the peaceful periods in the 1700s when scholars had the time to study society,
(C) social and political revolutions in the early 1900s, (D) social philosophers in the United States. The correct answer is Choice ____.
7. One of these statements about sociology and sociologists is False. Which one and why?
Statement 1 “Ethnocentrism is the concept used to describe the fact that actions which are considered good and moral in some societies are considered bad and immoral in others.”
Statement 2 “The Organic Analogy (comparing society to a living person) is wrong because biology and physiology can help explain a person but not a society.”
Statement _________ is False because ___________________________________________.
8. Positivism is ____________________________________________.
9. Auguste Comte insisted that social change occurs mainly though: (A) economic factors,
(B) political change and different kinds of government (democracy, dictatorship) (C) people’s ideas, (D) technological inventions. The correct answer is Choice ____.
10. Lester Frank Ward supported equality between men and woman and among the races. He thought that we could achieve this equality by ____________________________.
11. A good, brief definition of the word theory is __________________________.
12. We know we have a good, useful theory when ___________________________________.
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13. The Key Ideas of one of these three people is wrong. Which one and why?
1. Ward and “Pure and Applied Sociology”
2. Ratzenhofer and “Conflict and Human Interests”
3. Tylor and “Use of statistics and emphasis on quantitative data”
Number _____ is wrong because ________________________________________.
14. The Key Ideas of one of these three people is wrong. Which one and why?
1. Ward and “Early Criminology”
2. Quetelet, “Body Mass Index”
3. Gobineau, a “founder of racist ideology”
Number ____ is wrong because ______________________________________________.
15. A theory which attempts to explain all social reality in one theory is called _____________.
16. A specific example of a ‘middle range theory’ we discussed in this part of the course is ________________________.
17. I introduced the term ‘conspicuous consumption’ and I was very critical of the kept classes who did little else but make money. I am ____________________________.
18. In his Study of Sociology, Spencer insists that we need sociology because _____________.
19. I insisted that only knowledge gained by scientific research can be accepted as fact. I am ______________________.
20. Some have insisted that there can be no science of human behavior because everyone is different and we can’t predict a person’s behavior. How would Spencer respond to that? _______________________________________________________________.
Part II – Essay – Answer carefully the following item. Be very thorough in your essay. 30 points maximum for this item.
1. Imagine Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer are going to meet and debate and discuss the following topic: “The results of sociological study should be used actively to work toward improving society and solving social problems.” How would each sociologist respond to this debate topic? Discuss fully emphasizing their theories.
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Part III – Essay– Answer carefully only ONE of the following items. 30 points maximum for this item.
1. What is meant by the word ‘theory?’ Distinguish between ‘grand theory’ and ‘middle range theory’ and give examples of each. What is the purpose of a theory? Discuss fully. How can we distinguish between a strong theory from a weak one? What is Social Darwinism? Based on this distinction, why is Social Darwinism generally regarded as a weak theory? Discuss fully.
2. You may recall that your professor said that we sociologists emphasize our founders more than they do in other sciences. But there are limits to this. Many of these people we have talked about so far have theories that have not stood the test of time. For example, almost no one discusses the Hierarchy of the Sciences, Progress, the Law of the Three Stages, or Genesis and Telesis any more. However, some of these people have made contributions that have stood the test of time. Their ideas are still relevant and used by sociologists today. Who? and what theories or ideas? Name any five theorists we have discussed and show how their contributions are still significant these days. You may use information that you learned in other sociology courses to help answer this item (just tell your professor what course). Discuss fully.
3. Is Lehman College a gemeinschaft or a gesellschaft? Carefully build a strong argument to support your conclusion with evidence and plenty of examples.
4. Define and fully explain the Enlightenment, the Counter Enlightenment, and the Industrial Revolution. How did these historical events affect the development of sociology? In addition explain how the theories of both Comte and Spencer embody all these movements. Discuss fully.
5. In this part of the course, we reviewed several major ideas of these sociologists. We discussed (a) Comte’s Law of the Three Stages, (b) Tarde’s imitation, (c) Spencer’s Social Darwinism, (d) Sumner’s Folkways, and (e) Gobineau’s racism. Identify and thoroughly discuss each of them. Why were they important at the time when they were first presented? How have they been criticized? What is their status in sociology today? Why? Discuss fully.