BSocSc Bachelor of Social Science Bachelor of Social Science Sociology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sociological concept describes the process by which individuals learn the norms, values, and behaviors appropriate to their social group?
- Socialization (Correct answer)
- Stratification
- Alienation
- Anomie
Correct answer: Socialization
Socialization is the lifelong process through which individuals acquire the culture, values, and norms of their society.
Question 2: Max Weber's concept of 'Verstehen' refers to:
- Statistical analysis of social data
- Empathetic understanding of social actors' meanings (Correct answer)
- The inevitability of bureaucratic structures
- Class conflict in industrial societies
Correct answer: Empathetic understanding of social actors' meanings
Verstehen (German for 'understanding') is Weber's interpretive method of grasping the subjective meaning behind social actions.
Question 3: In Erving Goffman's dramaturgical theory, 'impression management' refers to:
- Media manipulation of public opinion
- Individuals controlling how others perceive them in social interactions (Correct answer)
- Government regulation of theatrical performances
- The unconscious expression of true feelings
Correct answer: Individuals controlling how others perceive them in social interactions
Goffman's dramaturgical approach views social life as a performance where individuals actively manage the impressions they make on others.
Question 4: Which term describes a social situation where norms are unclear, absent, or conflicting, leading to a state of normlessness?
- Alienation
- Reification
- Anomie (Correct answer)
- Hegemony
Correct answer: Anomie
Anomie, a concept developed by Durkheim and later Merton, refers to a condition where social norms lose their regulatory power over individuals.
Question 5: The 'looking-glass self' theory was developed by:
- George Herbert Mead
- Charles Horton Cooley (Correct answer)
- Herbert Blumer
- Talcott Parsons
Correct answer: Charles Horton Cooley
Charles Horton Cooley coined the 'looking-glass self,' arguing that our self-concept is shaped by how we imagine others perceive us.
Question 6: Which research method involves a researcher immersing themselves in a social setting to observe behavior in its natural context?
- Survey research
- Content analysis
- Participant observation (Correct answer)
- Experimental design
Correct answer: Participant observation
Participant observation is an ethnographic method where the researcher takes part in the daily activities of the group being studied.
Question 7: Antonio Gramsci's concept of 'hegemony' best explains how dominant classes maintain power through:
- Military force and coercion
- Legal systems and formal sanctions
- Cultural and ideological consent (Correct answer)
- Economic monopolies alone
Correct answer: Cultural and ideological consent
Gramsci argued that ruling classes maintain dominance not just through force but through winning the consent of subordinate groups via cultural and ideological means.
BSocSc Bachelor of Social Science Bachelor of Social Science Sociology 2
Which sociological concept describes the process by which individuals learn the norms, values, and behaviors appropriate to their social group?