Introduction to Sociology

Yanıt Açıklaması: According to Emile Durkheim, religion begins with the division of the world into two kinds of phenomena: the profane and the sacred. The profane is concerned with the ordinary aspects of everyday life; it has nothing to do with religious beliefs. The sacred refers to all objects and aspects of life set apart from the ordinary, regarded as holy and related to the supernatural. The sacred forms the foundation of every religion. Durkheim’s perspective on the sacred and the profane remains the dominant paradigm of sociological inquiry. The correct answer is E.

Yanıt Açıklaması: In literature, there are criticisms about the fact that only men are writing and the writings are only about men. Perhaps the only exception to this has been Pollak, who has argued that the women are more criminal and have more criminal tendencies than men, but they are further capable of hiding their crimes.

Yanıt Açıklaması: Initially the term ‘Cultural Studies’ referred to the tradition that was started in Britain by Richard Hoggart, Edward Palmer Thompson and Raymond Williams in the late 1950’s, which more recently has been carried on by the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS) at Birmingham University by 1964, also known as the ‘Birmingham School’ since it was established. However, since these early years, the concept has evolved into a more generic term referring to a cross-disciplinary field.

Yanıt Açıklaması: Economic sociology tries to understand attitude and behaviours that are the subjects of the economy, economical structure, and relations by considering the social, cultural, political facts that are left out of analyses by the economy. Economic sociology analyses the social principles of production, circulation, sharing, and consumption relations. “Economic sociology is a science that explains the social principles of social life”

Yanıt Açıklaması: Culture, in the eighteenth century, began to turn into a term that expresses social values and behaviors, and thus is used in the social sphere.

Yanıt Açıklaması: The concept of cultural reproduction and habitus is produced by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002), one of the most important theoreticians of the 20 th century.

Yanıt Açıklaması: We can list the basic aspects of Durkheim’s views on deviance as follows (Macionis and Plummer, 2005: 445): a. Crime and deviance are a normal and inevitable aspect of modern life. b. It is inevitable, because it is not the case that each and every member of a society depends on the shared values and the moral beliefs of that society. c. In addition to being inevitable, crime may also be functional. However, when the ratio is too high or too low, it becomes nonfunctional and damages the society. Deviance becomes an innovative force in society by creating new mindsets and challenges, and thus creates change. d. Crime is seen in all societies and mostly in industrialized and developed countries.

Yanıt Açıklaması: Sex refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define males and females. Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that the society considers appropriate for men and women.

Yanıt Açıklaması: The sociology of law is undoubtedly a multi-dimensional sociological field that ought to consider an array of topics including, but not limited to: economics, race, gender, politics, and religion. The discussion would be incomplete without a thorough understanding of the importance of all social phenomena as they relate to the definition or generation of law in society

Yanıt Açıklaması: Although the history of the sociology of law extends up to Aristotle, Ibn Khaldun, Grotius and Montesquieu, whom we could call distant messengers, it has become evident only in the late 19th century. The term “Sociology of Law” was first used by Italian Anzilotti in 1892 as “Sociologia Juridica”. The answer is B.

Yanıt Açıklaması: In the economy, the objective provision that provides the balance in the market is an invisible hand mechanism. In other words, if the economic activities work in competitive market conditions (invisible hand), the economy attains a balance. The correct answer is E.

Yanıt Açıklaması: Both Durkheim and Weber, the two of the three classic theorists of sociology, consider religion as a meaning system to be a fundamental component of culture as well as the society. The most important personal emphasis of Durkheim is that all religions focus on a distinction between sacred and unholy. According to him, religion is a system of symbols and ceremonies/rituals about the sacred, which concerns the community of believers more. In traditional societies where the mechanical solidarity is dominant, religion is the only source of collective consciousness in terms of shared ethical values and social norms.

Yanıt Açıklaması: Cultural Lag: This term belongs to William Ogburn (1886-1959). Ogburn wanted to draw attention to the incompatibility that arises in the process of change in the reciprocal relationship of the material and spiritual cultures in a social system. Therefore, the correct option is D

Yanıt Açıklaması: One of the prominent French Sociologists, Emile Durkheim defined religion as a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things. According to Emile Durkheim, religion begins with the division of the world into two kinds of phenomena: the profane and the sacred . The profane is concerned with the ordinary aspects of everyday life; it has nothing to do with religious beliefs. The s acred refers to all objects and aspects of life set apart from the ordinary, regarded as holy and related to the supernatural. The sacred forms the foundation of every religion.

Yanıt Açıklaması: Collective Subjectivity is defined as a way of life or outlook adopted by a community or a social class. Cultural lag refers to the incompatibility that arises in the process of change in the reciprocal relationship between the material and spiritual cultures in a social system. Cultural determinism refers to the thought that culture is unchangeable and very strong, and the members of it are kind of prisoners. Cultural capital refers to the practical competencies and tastes which support our status and position and also help us to differentiate ourselves from those who are less ‘culturally endowed’. Finally, cultural reproduction expresses the process of transferring the culture of the dominant class from generation to generation through the education system. Thus the correct answer is C.

Yanıt Açıklaması: The concept of anomie was first used by the leading figure of sociology named Emile Durkheim in its classical era. The concept refers to a fact that normlessness or ambiguity with regards to basic values.

Yanıt Açıklaması: In a globalizing world, which demands rational reasons, fundamentalism insists on faith-based answers and references to ritual truth. As the forces of modernization progressively undermine traditional elements of the social world (such as nuclear family and the domination of women by men), fundamentalism has arisen in defense of traditional beliefs. The correct answer is A.

Yanıt Açıklaması: Conflict theories have also macro characteristics just like the functionalist theory and focus on the social structure. In these approaches, the views that deviance is determined by factors such as biology, anomie, social disorder or labels are not accepted. The main argument of conflict theories, based on Marx’s thoughts, is that individuals are actively involved in deviant behaviors as a reaction to the inequalities of capitalist order and that the laws and other norms exist in order to protect the interests of strong members of society. For example, according to sociologist Richard Quinney, the criminal justice system serves the interests of dominant powers. The correct answer is Choice E.

Yanıt Açıklaması: Zaretsky argued that the family served the interest of capitalism through the unpaid (domestic) work of women, by the reproduction of the labor force, and by being an important unit of consumption.

Yanıt Açıklaması: The sociologist, of course, is not concerned with the truth or falsity of any given religion; s/he only takes an objective look at religion (its functions, social foundations, and social consequences.) He does not study religion per se, but the effect of religious beliefs and practices on the social and cultural systems, socialization process, and personality development. More specifically, the sociologist is concerned with the myriad ways in which society and religion interact, and with profound consequences for the individual. Briefly speaking, when dealing with religion, sociologists mainly try to understand how religions shape society and conversely, how the historical and contemporary social conditions shape religions. Thus, according to sociological approach, religion should primarily be taken a social rather than theological or psychological phenomenon. In brief, when dealing with religion, the sociologist is concerned with: the effect of religious beliefs and practices on the social and cultural systems, socialization process, and personality development the myriad ways in which society and religion interact, and with profound consequences for the individual how religions shape society and conversely how the historical and contemporary social conditions shape religions As also understood from the information given, the correct answer is D. The sociologist is not concerned with the truth or falsity of any given religion; s/he only takes an objective look at religion (its functions, social foundations, and social consequences).