1. What is sociology and what are its main goals? (2 points)

Sociology is the scientific study of human social behavior, groups, and societies. Its main

goals are to describe, explain, and understand the patterns and processes of social life, and to

apply this knowledge to improve social conditions.

2. What are the three major sociological perspectives and how do they differ? (3 points)

The three major sociological perspectives are functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic

interactionism. Functionalism views society as a system of interrelated parts that work

together to maintain stability and order. Conflict theory views society as a arena of inequality

and struggle between different groups over scarce resources and power. Symbolic

interactionism views society as a product of everyday interactions and meanings that people

create through symbols and language.

3. What is the difference between culture and society? Give an example of each. (2 points)

Culture is the shared way of life of a group of people, including their values, beliefs, norms,

symbols, language, and material products. Society is the organized and patterned interaction of

people who live in a specific geographical area. For example, American culture includes the

values of individualism, freedom, and democracy, as well as symbols like the flag and the

dollar. American society consists of the institutions, groups, and networks that structure the

social relations of people living in the United States.

4. What are some of the main agents of socialization and how do they influence our social

development? (3 points)

Some of the main agents of socialization are family, peers, school, media, religion, and

workplace. They influence our social development by teaching us the skills, values, norms,

roles, and expectations that we need to function in society. For example, family socializes us

into our gender identity, class position, and ethnic background; peers socialize us into our peer

group culture and subcultures; school socializes us into academic knowledge and citizenship;

media socializes us into consumerism and popular culture; religion socializes us into moral

values and beliefs; and workplace socializes us into occupational roles and norms.

5. What is social stratification and what are the main dimensions of inequality in society? (2

points)

Social stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of people into different categories based on

their access to valued resources such as wealth, power, and prestige. The main dimensions of

inequality in society are class, race/ethnicity, gender, age, sexuality, and disability.