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CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS FOR COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS

DEFINE THE FOLLOWING CONCEPTS

Structural Functionalism: Robert Merton

  1. anomie
  2. functions
  3. dysfunctions
  4. manifest functions
  5. latent functions
  6. unanticipated consequences

Conflict Theory: Ralf Dahrendorf

  1. authority
  2. interests

Neo-Marxism: Hegelian Marxism

  1. reification
  2. class and false consciousness
  3. hegemony & intellectuals

Neo-Marxism: Critical Theory

  1. positivism & critical theory
  2. culture industry
  3. knowledge industry

Neo-Marxism: Different Theories

  1. fordism and post-fordism
  2. world system
  3. analytical and rational choice Marxism

Symbolic Interactionism: Mead

  1. behaviorism
  2. significant symbols
  3. mind
  4. self
  5. generalized other
  6. “I” and “Me”

Symbolic Interactionism: Goffman

  1. impression management
  2. front stage/back stage
  3. mystification
  4. role distance
  5. stigma
  6. frame analysis

Ethnomethodology

  1. accounts
  2. accounting
  3. accounting practices
  4. breaching experiments

Exchange Theory: Emerson

  1. social structure
  2. power
  3. dependence

Feminist Theories

  1. intersectionality
  2. vectors of oppression
  3. vectors of privilege
  4. standpoint
  5. the outsider within
  6. emotional labor
  7. bifurcated consciousness

Social Reproduction Theory: Bourdieu

  1. types of capital: social capital, cultural capital, symbolic capital, and economic capital
  2. habitus
  3. field

Legitimation Crisis & Colonization of the Life-world: Habermas

  1. life-world
  2. system integration
  3. social integration
  4. colonization of the life-world
  5. legitimation & legitimation crisis

Theories of Modernity and Globalization

  1. modernity as a juggernaut
  2. world risk society
  3. McDonaldization
  4. absentee landlords
  5. liquid modernity
  6. network society
  7. globalization theory

Structuralism, Post-structuralism & Postmodern Theories

  1. structuralism
  2. post-structuralism
  3. action-network theory
  4. postmodernity
  5. postmodern
  6. postmodern social theory

SHORT ANSWER

1) Summarize Ritzer’s, Lemert’s & Mills’ definitions of social theory

2) Discuss the use of sociological imagination in the early U.S. race theory (DuBois), gender theory (Gilman), and intersectionality theory (Cooper)

3) Using Parsons’ AGIL scheme, describe the functioning of selected social structures in the United States

4) Summarize and critique the main assumptions of the functional theory of stratification

5) Explain white-collar crime using Merton’s theory of anomie

6) Using contemporary examples, illustrate Daherndorf’s theory of groups, conflict, and change

7) Using ideas developed by the critical school theorists explain why “Auschwitz was a rational place but it was not reasonable one”

8) Assume that you would like to study contemporary workplace, which concepts of neo-Marxist economic sociology would you use?

9) State the main assumptions of the world-system theory

10) What is the significance of Lefebvre’s theory of space for Marxist analysis?

11) State Harvey’s main criticism of the Communist Manifesto

12) Using Laclau’s and Mouffe’s ideas, define postmodern Marxism

13) Using Aronson’s After Marxism define post-Marxist theory

14) State merits and weaknesses of a gender inequality theory.

15) State merits and weaknesses of a gender oppression theory.

16) Assume you would like to study gender wage-gap in the academy. Which gender theories would provide the explanatory frameworks for your study and why?

17) Intersectionality theory is one of the most important theoretical developments in the field of sociology. Briefly discuss the relationship between the emergence of intersectionality theory and a critique of earlier feminist wirings.

18) Please discuss whether Bourdieu’s ideas about social reproduction via cultural capital that he developed in relation to the French society apply to the U.S. context.

19) Giddens defines modernity in terms of four basic institutions. Please provide real life examples of these institutions.

20) One sector of society that can be said to be McDonaldized is higher education. Please provide examples of efficiency, predictability, calculability, control and the irrationality of rationality from your university experiences.

21) Select and discuss three similarities and three differences underlying current globalization theories

22) Please state three main ideas of queer theory as developed by Anzaldua, Weeks, and Butler.

23) Using the UofA as an example, please provide brief illustration of the following concepts: simulation, implosion, spectacle, and hyperconsumption.

24) Please briefly state Foucault’s two methodological contributions to postructuralism theory.

25) Summarize the core themes in BFT and the main dimensions of the Afrocentric feminist epistemology.

ESSAY QUESTIONS

Pile 1

Pile 2

Pile 3

 Pile 4

Merton

Goffman

Giddens

Patricia Collins

Dahrendrof

Garfinkel

Ritzer

Dorothy Smith

1. Choose pile 1 or 2. Do all theorists in the pile you have selected share some significant commonalities? If your answer is yes, please briefly discuss what these theorists have in common. If your answer is not, please briefly discuss the differences among these theorists. Note: Towards this end, you can focus on either their theoretical approaches to the social reality or discuss their concepts or theoretical assumptions (length 1.5 pages)

2. Choose one theorist from pile 3 and one theorist from pile 4. Discuss the main contributions of the selected theorist from each pile to social theory. Note: Towards this end, first, discuss their main ideas/concepts and, then, state how these ideas/concepts contributed to social theory (length 1.5 pages)

3. Using the following two lists of theories, please select one list and answer the following questions:

List 1

List 2

Phenomenology

Social Constructionism

Network Theory

Exchange

Queer Theory

Intersectionality Theory

  1. Please briefly describe each theory
  2. What are the strengths of each? What are their weaknesses?
  3. What is their application value in terms of providing an understanding of contemporary social reality?

List 1

List 2

Symbolic Interactionism

Rational Choice

Social Reproduction (Bourdieu)

Exchange

4. Using the above list of theories, please select two and answer the following question: Assume that you conduct research involving a comparative analysis of two high schools with regard to student achievement. You know that students in one of the schools have a much higher achievement as measured by SAT scores and college admissions. In this context, your question is “Why do students in school A perform better than students in school B?” Which theories do you think provide the most adequate explanations? Discuss your choice.

5. Drawing upon your understanding of Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective, analyze in detail the operation of a contemporary organization, such as a university. Please integrate as many dramaturgical concepts as you possibly can in your analysis.

6. Using Habermas’ legitimation crisis theory and the concept of the life-world, explain the phenomenon of deindustrialization of the northern United States and problems associated with it.

7. Giddens, Ritzer and Bauman are all concerned with the consequences of the spread of instrumental rationality for modern society. For each theorist consider the following: Where does instrumental rationality take root? What forces propel it forward? How successful is it? What are its consequences for individuals? What is the potential for reason to reassert itself?

8. Globalization theories constitute one of the most important recent developments in social theory. Using appropriate ideas developed by Castells, Kellner, Giddens, Beck, and Bauman discuss whether globalization exacerbates social inequalities, diminishes them, or does both. Please integrate as many concepts/ideas as you possibly can in your analysis.

9. The emergence of postmodern theory(ies) has created one of the most heated intellectual debates in contemporary sociology. First, based on the work of Jameson and Baudrillard summarize the main principles of postmodern theories. Next, discuss some applications postmodern theories. Finally, briefly state your position regarding the relationship between postmodern theories and sociology.

10. Using three theoretical frameworks discussed in Hodges’ book, please address the following question “Why do young women arrive on streets and engage in street prostitution?”

Which of the three theories do you think provides the best explanation? Discuss your choice.