Sociology Super Review (Super Reviews Study Guides) - Softcover

Brice, J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0738611239 ISBN 13: 9780738611235

Publisher: Research & Education Association, 2013

Synopsis

Need help with Sociology? Want a quick review or refresher for class? This is the book for you!

REA’s Sociology Super Review gives you everything you need to know!

This Super Review can be used as a supplement to your high school or college textbook, or as a handy guide for anyone who needs a fast review of the subject.

· Comprehensive, yet concise coverage – review covers the material students need to know about sociology. Each topic is presented in a clear and easy-to-understand format that makes learning easier.

· Questions and answers for each topic – let you practice what you’ve learned and build your subject knowledge.

· End-of-chapter quizzes – gauge your understanding of the important information you need to know, so you’ll be ready for any homework assignment, quiz, or test.

Whether you need a quick refresher on the subject, or are prepping for your next exam, we think you’ll agree that REA’s Super Review provides all you need to know!

About this title

From the Back Cover:

SOCIOLOGY SUPER REVIEW
Need help with sociology? Want a quick review or refresher for class? This is the book for you!

CONCISE SUBJECT REVIEW
Covers the material students typically learn in an introductory sociology course. Clear, easy-to-understand format makes learning easier.

PACKED WITH PRACTICE
Topic-level questions with detailed explanations let you practice what you’ve learned and build your subject knowledge.

TEST WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED
End-of-chapter quizzes reinforce key concepts, so you’ll be ready for any sociology question you encounter on your next quiz or test.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Introduction to Sociology

1.1 Defining Sociology
Sociology is the science, or discipline, that studies societies, social groups, and the relationships between people. The field encompasses both the formation and transformation of particular societies and social groups, including their continuation, dissolution, and demise, as well as the origins, structure, and functioning of social groups.

1.2 The Unit of Study
Sociologists utilize a number of different levels of analysis to understand social life. While some study the social interaction that occurs within groups (the social processes represented by behavior directed toward, affected by, or inspired by others in the group), other sociologists study the social structure of group life. Some are interested in the structure of societies; that is, the organization of populations living in the same area who participate in the same institutions and share a common culture. Others in the field are concerned with the social system, a social group, or with society as a whole unit, distinct from the individuals within it.

Others concern themselves with social relationships; that is, relationships between people that are based upon common meaning, or with social action, defined as meaningful behavior that is oriented toward and influenced by others. No matter what is designated as the unit of study, the focus of the discipline is on social groups and society as a whole, rather than only on the individual, which is the focus of psychology.

1.3 The Perspective: Humanistic or Scientific
Some sociologists adopt a humanistic approach to their work, which means that they see sociology as a means to advance human welfare. They seek self-realization, the full development of a cultivated personality, or improvement of the human social condition.

Alternatively, some sociologists adopt the scientific perspective. They are primarily concerned with acquiring objective empirical knowledge (the actual knowledge derived from experience or observation that can be measured or counted) and not with the uses to which such knowledge is put. They believe that in science one must be concerned with “what is” and not with “what should be.” Some sociologists work to integrate both humanistic and scientific perspectives.

1.4 The Sociological Imagination
According to sociologist C. Wright Mills, a certain quality of mind is required if we are to understand ourselves in relation to society. This quality of mind seeks to expand the role of freedom, choice, and conscious decision in history, by means of knowledge. Mills referred to this concept as “the sociological imagination.”

The sociological imagination expresses an understanding that personal troubles can and often do reflect broader social issues and problems. It also expresses faith in the capacity of human beings to alter the course of human history. The sociological imagination, therefore, expresses the humanistic aspect of the sociological perspective.

About this edition

• Publisher: Research & Education Association
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0738611239
• ISBN 13: 9780738611235
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 176