1. An important element in the sociological imagination--which is an awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider society--is the ability to view our own society as an outsider might, rather than from the perspective of our limited experiences and cultural biases.
2. Knowledge that relies on "common sense" is not always reliable. Sociologists must test and analyze each piece of information that they use.
3. In contrast to other social sciences, sociology emphasizes the influence that groups can have on people's behavior and attitudes and the ways in which people shape society.
4. Sociologists employ theories to examine the relationships between observations or data that may seem completely unrelated.
5. Nineteenth-century thinkers who contributed sociological insights included Auguste Comte, a French philosopher; Harriet Martineau, an English sociologist; and Herbert Spencer, an English scholar.
6. Other important figures in the development of sociology were Émile Durkheim, who pioneered work on suicide; Max Weber, who taught the need for "insight" in intellectual work; and Karl Marx, who emphasized the importance of the economy and of conflict in society.
7. In the twentieth century, the discipline of sociology is indebted to the U.S. sociologists Charles Horton Cooley and Robert Merton.
8. Macrosociology concentrates on large-scale phenomena or entire civilizations, whereas microsociology stresses study of small groups.
9. The functionalist perspective of sociology emphasizes the way that parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability.
10. The conflict perspective assumes that social behavior is best understood in terms of conflict or tension between competing groups.
11. The interactionist perspective is primarily concerned with fundamental or everyday forms of interaction, including symbols and other types of nonverbal communication.
12. The feminist perspective views inequity in gender as central to all behavior and organization.
13. Sociologists make use of all four perspectives, since each offers unique insights into the same issue.
14. This textbook makes use of the sociological imagination by showing theory in practice and research in action; by focusing on the significance of social inequality; by speaking across race, gender, and national boundaries; and by highlighting social policy around the world.

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Discuss the importance of the sociological imagination.

2. Explain how sociological thinking differs from common sense.

3. Discuss Emile Durkheim's investigation of suicide rates and how his research contributed to the development of theory.

4. Discuss the contributions made to the development of sociology by the following early thinkers: Comte, Martineau, Spencer, Durkheim, Weber, and Marx.

5. Explain how the insights of the following people helped them to better understand the workings of society: Cooley, Addams, and Merton.

6. Compare and contrast the following major theoretical perspectives: functionalist perspective, conflict perspective, interactionist perspective, and feminist perspective.

7. Differentiate between manifest and latent functions.

8. Discuss why the works of W.E.B. DuBois and Ida Wells-Barnett made important contributions to our understanding of society.

9. Explain how the four different theoretical perspectives analyze sports.