Sociology is the systematic study of social behavior and human groups. In this chapter, we examine the nature of sociological theory, the founders of the discipline, theoretical perspectives in contemporary sociology, applications of sociology, and ways to exercise the "sociological imagination."After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
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| 1. Discuss the importance of the sociological imagination. |
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| 2. Explain how sociological thinking differs from common sense. |
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| 3. Discuss Émile Durkheim's investigation of suicide rates and how his research contributed to the development of theory. |
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| 4. Discuss the contributions made to the development of sociology by the following early thinkers: Comte, Martineau, Spencer, Durkheim, Weber, and Marx. |
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| 5. Explain how the insights of the following people have helped us to better understand the workings of society: Cooley, Addams, and Merton. |
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| 6. Compare and contrast the following major theoretical perspectives: functionalist perspective, conflict perspective, interactionist perspective, and feminist perspective. |
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| 7. Differentiate between manifest and latent functions. |
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| 8. Discuss why the works of W.E.B. DuBois and Ida Wells-Barnett made important contributions to our understanding of society. |
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| 9. Explain how the four different theoretical perspectives are used to analyze sports. |