research, 52
symbolic interactionism, 44
theories, 28
unanticipated consequences, 38
validity, 58
Review Questions
1 What are theories, and how do sociologists use theories to make sense of the social world? In what ways are theories developed by sociologists better than your own theorizing?
2 What are the major contributions of the classical theorists discussed in this chapter.
3 What are the functions and dysfunctions of using the internet to consume goods and services? On balance, do you think that consumption through the internet is positive or negative?
4 Why is feminist theory considered to be a critical theory?
5 What would proponents of the critical theories of race and racism outlined in this chapter think of the racial “dog whistles” used by Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign and throughout his presidency? Would they see this as an advance over the more overt racism evident in the past?
6 What steps do researchers take when applying the scientific method? How would you apply the scientific method to get answers to a question you have about the social world?
7 What is the key value of conducting ethnographic research? How would a global ethnography help you make sense of your own place in the world?
8 Researchers use interviews to gather data by asking individuals a series of questions. How do researchers choose between prestructured and unstructured interviews? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of interview?
9 Some experiments allow researchers to take advantage of a naturally occurring event to study its effect on one or more dependent variables. Can you think of any recent events that might have been conducive to natural experiments? What would be the dependent variable or variables in your example?
10 What are some of the ethical concerns raised by sociological research? Use specific examples from research discussed in this chapter to describe these ethical concerns.
Get the tools you need to sharpen your study skills. SAGE edge offers a robust online environment featuring an impressive array of free tools and resources. Access practice quizzes, eFlashcards, video, and multimedia at edge.sagepub.com/ritzeressentials4e
Descriptions of Images and Figures
Back to Figure
In the graph, there are five curves that highlight the mean income received by each fifth and top 5 percent of all races during the period 1967 to 2017.
The X axis represents the years and ranges from 1967 to 2017, rising in increments of 3 years. The Y axis represents the mean income in thousands of dollars and ranges from 0 to 400.
The first curve showcases the top 5 percent’s income. This curve begins at 170 in 1967 and has a steady rise to reach the 200 thousand mark in the mid-1980s period. After this, the increase is faster, with the 250-mark achieved in 1990, and 300 level in the late 1990s. A high of nearly 340 is reached by 2000, but post this, the movement of the curve becomes very choppy. Over the next decade, the curve see-saws between 340 and 310, sinking to a low of almost 300 in 2009. But once past this phase, it attains new heights, crossing 350 in 2014 and touching a level of almost 380 in 2017.
The lowest fifth curve begins at a level slightly over 10 in 1967. This curve continues as a line almost parallel to the X axis, barely rising throughout the period of the graph. It ends the graph in 2017 at almost the same level as when it began the graph.
The second fifth curve is a line that parallels the X axis. It begins at 30 in 1967 and continues as a horizontal line throughout the period of the graph. Barely moving, it ends the graph in 2017 at a level of around 40.
The third fifth curve is another line that is almost parallel to the X axis. However, this line shows more movement than the earlier curves. It begins at almost 50 in 1967 and until 1965, it remains almost parallel to the axis at this level. However, there are slight movements to the curve post this period, until it ends the graph at a level close to 60 in 2017.
The fourth fifth curve begins at a level of 60 in 1967. It has a slight upward movement throughout the graph period, reaching levels of 70 by the 1990s and nearly 80 by the turn of the century. However, post this, there is a slowdown, although the curve makes up for it in the years following 2014, and ends the graph at a level of 100.
The highest fifth graph is the only one of the fifth curves to show much movement. This curve begins at around 110 in 1967 and shows a consistent rise, attaining levels of 150 by 1985, and nearly 190 by 2000. Post this period, it stagnates for a few years, before breaking out again after 2014 to cross 200 and end the graph at nearly 220 in 2017.
Back to Figure
The bar graph shows the difference in perceptions of black and white opportunities for jobs, housing, and education across two time periods. The Y axis represents the percentages ranging from 0 to 100 while the X axis represents jobs for blacks and whites. There are two bars for each race, one for 1999 and another for 2016.
The 1999 level for Whites is 79, and the 2016 level is 69.
The 1999 level for Blacks is 40 and the 2016 level is 32.
Back to Figure
The line graph depicts the change in use of marijuana among U.S. school kids in the period 1976 to 2017.
While the X axis denotes the years from 1976 to 2017, the Y axis shows the percentage reporting marijuana use in the previous 12 months.
The curve begins at a level of 44.5 percent in 1976. This rises to a high of 50 percent in 1980, before a slow decent begins. The curve reaches levels of 40 percent in 1985, 30 percent in 1990 and 21.9 percent in 1993. Post this however, the curve once again starts rising and stabilizes around 35 percent for almost a decade. It ends the graph at a level of 37.1 percent in 2017.
The data of the graph is sourced from: Lloyd D. Johnston, Patrick O’Malley, Richard A. Miech, Jerald G. Bachman, and John E. Schulenberg. Monitoring the Future: National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975–2017: Overview, Key Findings on Adolescent Drug Use, Table 6.
Back to Figure
In the image, differently colored figures illustrate how random and stratified samples are chosen from populations.
The figure has two parts; while the first depicts the choosing of random samples, the second illustrates stratified sample choice.
Random Sample
A population of 12 figures, each of which is separately numbered and shown in ascending order, are shown as four figures each in three rows. A sample of 4 is chosen from these – figures 2,5, 8,10 are the samples chosen randomly from the population. Arrows point from where they were chosen.
Stratified Sample
In this, the individually numbered figures are randomly arranged in 3 columns and 4 rows. A sample is chosen from each row, and arrows point from where they were chosen. The chosen samples are 2, 10, 8 and 5.
The data has been sourced from Dan Kernler, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Elgin Community College.
Back to Figure
The figure is a happiness map depicting levels of happiness among the citizens of various countries included in the surveys from 2010 to 2018.
A legend to the left of the map lists the top three happiest countries as well as the least happy nations. They are mentioned below alongside their ranking:
Three Happiest Countries:FinlandNorwayDenmark
Three