Sociology Chapter 1 Questions

1. Explain Peter Berger's description of the sociological perspective as "seeing the general in the particular. Peter Berger felt that in seeing the general in particular that you see general patterns in behavior in particular individuals, and then make some kind of conclusion based on what you have observed. 2. What are several personal benefits of learning to use the sociological perspective? (Make sure to explain the benefits in detail.) a. Gang Activity. I remember growing up and where I lived the teenager who wore a certain color bandana in one of there pockets were part of a gang. Other teenager who walked down their street, they harassed. I avoided them. b. Active Participants in society. It was told to me at a young age that a man works and works hard. My granddad is probably, at least in my eyes, the hardest working man in the world. My strong work ethic comes from watching him growing up. 3. Explain the difference between sociological generalizations about categories of people and the simple stereotypes you sometimes hear people express. The main difference between sociological generalizations and stereotypes is that stereotypes have a negative stigma to them and are bias, whereas sociological generalization just observations without the human element. 4. The sociological perspective helps us recognize that the lives of individuals are shaped by the forces of society. In a short essay, explain how the sociological perspective reveals the general in the particular." To illustrate, explain how society played a part in your own decision to attend college. Society, more specifically my family, shapes or influences the decisions we make. When it comes to college, I was told early that to be success in life you have to work hard and get an education. College was not an option. I can remember that my mother sat down with me and made sure I was applying to colleges. When we dont conform, society has a way of making us feel like an outcast or outsider. 5. Apply sociology's three theoretical approachesstructural-functional, social-conflict, and symbolic-interactionto the family. In each case, what does a family look like? What questions does each approach lead us to ask? a. Structural-functional-The key question is what makes the family operate. Family is built around structure and order; everyone doing there part. Another word for part could be chores. b. Social-Conflict c. Symbolic-Interaction 6. What is social structure? Give several examples of social structures that shape society as a whole. What are several examples of social structures common to everyday face-to-face interaction?

Social structure deals with any relatively stable pattern of social behavior. One could be a simple a greeting. We are taught as children to say hello, or yes sir or no sir. I was taught to look someone in the eye when you are talking to them. 7. Distinguish between manifest and latent functions of any social pattern. The manifest function deals with the intended or desired consequence. In class we talked about the family and the role of the family is to reproduce and educate the children. That would be the manifest function. The latent function is the unintended consequence. An example of this would be the closeness or support within the family.
8. In several sentences, explain the focus of the structural-functional approach. With this approach we explore how social structure work together to help society operate. It is extremely scientific in nature. It helps us to look at different institutions (i.e. family or government), and looks at their functions. It asks the question, How does society operate? The drive is to create stability within society. 9. In several sentences, explain the focus of the social-conflict approach. 10. In several sentences, explain the focus of the symbolic-interaction approach.