BSocSc Bachelor of Social Science Bachelor of Social Science Sociology 4

Question 1

Which sociological concept describes the process by which a non-material or abstract phenomenon is treated as if it were a concrete, material thing?

Accepted Answer

Reification

Answer

Reification, drawn from Marxist theory, refers to the social process of treating human-created abstractions (like 'the market') as natural, fixed objects.

Question 2

The 'iron cage' metaphor used by Max Weber describes:

Accepted Answer

The entrapping nature of rational-bureaucratic systems in modern society

Answer

Weber's 'iron cage' refers to the way rationalization and bureaucratization trap individuals in systems of formal rules, stripping life of spiritual meaning.

Question 3

Which sociological research design allows researchers to establish causal relationships between variables most definitively?

Accepted Answer

True experiment with random assignment

Answer

True experimental designs with random assignment allow researchers to control for confounding variables and make causal inferences.

Question 4

Talcott Parsons' AGIL schema identifies four functional prerequisites for social systems. Which option correctly lists all four?

Accepted Answer

Adaptation, Goal attainment, Integration, Latency

Answer

Parsons' AGIL framework holds that all social systems must fulfill functions of Adaptation, Goal attainment, Integration, and Latency (pattern maintenance).

Question 5

The concept of 'habitus' in Pierre Bourdieu's sociology refers to:

Accepted Answer

Durable, transposable dispositions shaped by one's social position and history

Answer

Bourdieu's habitus is a system of lasting, transposable dispositions that generate and organize practices and representations aligned with one's social location.

BSocSc Bachelor of Social Science Practice Test

BSocSc Bachelor of Social Science Practice Test

BSocSc Bachelor of Social Science Bachelor of Social Science Sociology 4