Sociology

Senior Final Exam Study Guide

The Test will come from the following areas:

 

·         Unit 1—Chp. 1

 

1.        The Sociological Perspective

 

2.        Sociology and the other Social Sciences

 

3.        The Founders of Sociology

 

4.        Current Perspectives:  Functionalist, Conflict, and Interactionist

 

·         Unit 2—Chp. 2

 

1.        Components of Culture

 

2.        Studying Culture

 

3.        Cultural Variation

 

·         Unit 3—Chp. 3

 

1.        American Value System

 

2.        Social Control

 

3.        Social Change

 

4.        Social Structure (Status/Roles)

 

5.        Types of Social Interaction

 

6.        Types of Societies

 

7.        Groups & Formal Organizations

 

 

·         Unit 4—Chp. 4-6

 

1.        Socialization and Personality

 

2.        Adolescents and Society

 

3.        Adults and Society

 

4.        Phases of Adult Socialization

 

 

·         Unit 5—Chp. 7

 

1.        What is the nature of deviance?

 

2.        What are the social functions of deviance?

 

3.        What are the principle types of crime in the US?

 

4.        What are the characteristics of the American Justice System?

 

·         Unit 6—Chp. 8

 

1.        What are the characteristics of caste systems and class systems?

 

2.        What are the major theories of social stratification and how do they differ?

 

3.        What are the characteristics of the American class system?

 

4.        How do different motivations and cultural values influence the American class system?

 

5.        What groups in America are affected by poverty?

 

6.        How has the American government attempted to lessen the effects of poverty in America?

 

 

·         Unit 7—Chp. 9-10

 

1.        How do sociologists define the terms race, ethnicity and minority group?

2.        What characteristics distinguish minority groups from one another?

3.        How do discrimination and prejudice differ?

4.        What are the most common patterns of minority group treatment?

5.        What are the conditions under which minority groups in the US live?

6.        How have government policies affected the lives of minority groups in the US?

7.        How do gender roles affect the opportunities available to men and women in society?

8.        How are gender roles affected by socialization?

9.        What effect is the aging of the population having on society?

10.     How is the aging of the population affecting the life chances of older Americans?

11.     What is the state of health care in the US?

12.     What are some of the special health care concerns of various segments of US society?

 

 

·         Unit 8—Chp. 11-14

 

1.     Family:

a.        What are the norms that influence the ways in which marriage patterns are organized around the world?

b.        What are the basic societal needs that the institution of family satisfies?

c.        How do American families begin and what disruptions might they face?

d.        What are trends in American family life currently being examined by sociologists?

 

2.     Economy:

a.        Compare and contrast the characteristics of the capitalist and the social economic systems.

b.        Discuss developments that have transformed the American economic system.

 

3.     Politics:

a.        Explain how the exercise of power varies by type of government

b.        Describe the major characteristics of the U.S. political system.

 

4.     Education:

a.        Explain how the views of functionalist, conflict, and interactionist sociologists differ concerning education.

b.        Identify some of the current issues in American education.

 

5.     Religion:

a.        Identify the basic societal needs that religion serves.

b.        Describe the distinctive features of religion in American society.

 

6.     Sports & Mass Media

a.        How do sociologists define sport as an institution?

b.        What factors have contributed to the institutionalization of sport?

c.         Trace the major developments in the history of mass media and identify the types of mass media in the United States.

d.         Explain how the sociological perspectives explain mass media and its influences.

e.         Discuss some contemporary mass-media issues.

 

·         Unit 9--Chp. 15-16

1.     Population & Urbanization (Chp. 15):

a.  Identify factors that affect the size and structure of populations and explain how sociologists measure these factors.

b.  Summarize how sociologists explain population change and describe the programs that have been instituted to control population growth.

c.  Explain how cities evolved and why urbanization is such a recent event.

d.  Identify the models that have been proposed to explain the structure of cities and summarize the theories that have been put forth to explain city life.

 

2.     Collective Behavior & Social Change (Chp. 16):

a.  Contrast the various types of collectivities and describe the explanations for collective behavior that have been proposed.

b.  Identify the preconditions necessary for collective behavior to occur and explain how they build on one another.

c.  Describe the types of social movements that exist and explain how they differ.

d.  Identify the stages present in the life cycle of social movements and describe ways in which the existence of social movements can be explained.