STUDY GUIDE, SOC 302 (SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY)

Instruction: Choose any 5 questions from the following.

 

 

  1. What is theory?  What are its practical uses or advantages? How does it differ from a hypothesis or proposition?  Explain briefly.
  2. Discuss Emile Durkheim’s concept of suicide, the types of suicide and the major social condition that brings about suicidal acts. How are “integration” and “regulation” related to each other?
  3. Explain the anomie theory of Robert K. Merton.  How does it differ from Durkheim’s anomie? What makes anomie theory a kind of structural functional analysis? 
  4. Discuss the structural functionalism of Robert K. Merton. What are some of the inherent defects of this perspective?
  5. Trace the development of sociological theory in 19th century Europe. What are three of the most important forces that gave shape to theory formation there? Explain. 
  6. Discuss the conflict theory of Karl Marx?  What kind of change(s) did he envision?  Did this change(s) materialize?  Why or why not?  Explain his concept of commodification (or fetishism of commodities) and its relevance to contemporary realities.
  7. Explain dialectical materialism in the context of Marxian class-conflict theory  (Marx said: “All history is a history of class struggle).  Are there reasons to believe that the two classes (proletariats and capitalists) are “really” antagonistic?
  8. What theory(ies) did Max Weber contribute to sociology? How is division of labor achieved in modern, industrial society, what is the relevance to structural functionalism?
  9. Compare and contrast conflict theory and structural functionalism. 
  10. Analyze and criticize Max Weber’s theory on the effect of the Protestant ethic on the growth of capitalism.  Is this theory credible?  Why or why not?
  11. Compare and contrast Karl Marx and Max Weber on the idea of social class. Whose concept corresponds more to social class in modern, industrial societies like USA? Defend your answer.
  12. What are some of the major criticisms of conflict theory? Structural functionalism?  Name and discuss at least three for each.
  13. Discuss one theory that falls under neo-Marxian conflict or neo-structural functional analysis. What advantages does it offer compared to the “original” formulation of conflict (or structural functional) model?
  14. What is social system theory? How is this different from structural functionalism? Where do you classify Immanuel Wallerstein's world-system analysis? Explain.