Introduction to Sociology
Study Questions
- Where and why did sociology as an academic discipline first emerge?
- What is the “sociological imagination” and why do sociologists strive to achieve it? Outline its origins and give an example.
- What is social location and how does it impact one’s perspective on his/her standing in society?
- What is intersectionality and what is its role in discrimination especially for minorities?
- Compare and contrast structural functionalism and conflict theory.
- Distinguish between macro- and microsociology. Name one macro-sociologist and one micro-sociologist.
- According to Michel Foucault, what is a “totalitarian discourse”? Give an example of how this term is used in sociology.
- What was Carl Addington Dawson’s most significant contribution to sociology in Canada?
- How does the work of C. Wright Mills help us to understand the events 9/11, according to Henry Giroux?
- Who developed standpoint theory? What it is? Why is it significant for sociological research?
Exploration and Discussion Exercises
- Have you ever sat in a coffee shop and spent the time just watching people there? Try this exercise after class one day. Take some paper and a pen and write down the interactions that you see as sociologically meaningful.
- Why are these interactions particularly interesting?
- What symbols do you notice (e.g., a handshake, a bow, a wink)?
- Do they reflect any of the fundamental sociological theories learned in Chapter 1?
- How do these patterns of interactions impact society?
Use one of the theories explored in Chapter 1 to explain this sociology of everyday life. In addition, outline why you think different theories have formed, why some are more accepted than others, and what you would change. - How do you think theories help us understand our social world? Detail the ways in which they are significant to your life.
- According to a Police news release in August the number of red-light camera traffic infractions has doubled since 2018. Apply the concepts/theories in chapter 1 to explain why this spike in traffic infractions has occurred. Try to observe the drivers’ interactions in Toronto.