Sociology involves the study of _________________.
the behavioral variation and differential outcomes that exist across social groups, societies, and periods
The term "sociological imagination" refer to ____________.
The ability to understand understand the connections between one's biography, historical period, and structural location in society.
Individuals with this sociological perspective believe that societies are governed by sociological principles that are timeless, invariant, and universal.
Nomothetic
True or false: Sociology is founded on the principle that human behavior is ordered, explainable, and predictable.
True
The term modernization refers to ______________.
the social changes that were associated with the industrialization, urbanization, colonization, scientific progress, and mass social movements of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Individuals with this perspective believe that history is unique, idiosyncratic, and shaped by specific events and contexts, making it unpredictable and resistant to universal principles or laws.
Idiographic
A sociological _________ is a logical explanation of an outcome or process in or across human societies.
theory
According to C. Wright Mills, losing your job due to personal performance issues would be classified as a _____, while widespread unemployment due to economic recession would be an example of a ______.
private trouble / public issue
True or false: The correlation between educational attainment and income is an example of a sociological theory.
False
This 18th-century intellectual movement emphasized reason, science, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority, laying the groundwork for modern democratic and scientific thought.
The Enlightenment
True or false: Strong theories are highly complex, often requiring lengthy articles or books to explain.
False
True or False: Some early sociologists embraced the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and progress , while others feared that it was upending the structure and traditions of society.
True