SOC 202- Midterm Exam Guide - Comprehensive Notes for the exam ( 24 pages long!)

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC202
• Professor: Richard Helmes- Hayes

Document Summary

Questions of method (observation, measurement, etc. : multiple (cid:858)right(cid:859) a(cid:374)swers sociology not cumulative like natural science (confusing, unsettling) (incommensurability) Inherently political e. g. (cid:858)fe(cid:373)i(cid:374)is(cid:373)(cid:859) diffe(cid:396)e(cid:374)t (cid:448)ie(cid:449)s a(cid:271)out (cid:449)o(cid:373)e(cid:374)(cid:859)s status a(cid:374)d (cid:449)hat can/should be done about it (also class, sexuality, etc. ) Notes: some theories are commensurable so they can be combined and there are other theories that are incommensurable. Issue: the a(cid:396)gu(cid:373)e(cid:374)t of the (cid:858)s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)tist(cid:859) (cid:894)(cid:374)atu(cid:396)al a(cid:374)d so(cid:272)ial(cid:895) is that k(cid:374)o(cid:449)ledge is (cid:271)ased o(cid:374) direct observation of external reality. Every perception is a conception its impossible to have. Every perception is a conception: you can see an old lady and a young lady. Observation (continued: categories, 1. who determnines membership in categories? (observer/observed?) (e. g. social class, 2. Is la(cid:374)guage (cid:862)(cid:396)efle(cid:272)tio(cid:374)ist(cid:863)? (cid:858)(cid:396)a(cid:272)e(cid:859) (cid:894)l(cid:455)(cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:895: upper lower middle class, reflectionism: is the idea of looking at something and perceiving something without any conception. September 7-september 28: purpose for generalization is for some kind of explanation. If the latter, then whose definition of better? place?)