CSP Sociological Theory & Frameworks 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: George Herbert Mead's concept of the 'generalized other' refers to:
- A specific role model in a person's life
- The internalized expectations of society as a whole (Correct answer)
- An imaginary ideal self
- A peer group's collective opinion
Correct answer: The internalized expectations of society as a whole
Mead described the generalized other as the internalized attitudes and standards of the broader community that guide individual behavior.
Question 2: Which theoretical perspective would most likely analyze how mass media reinforces dominant cultural values?
- Structural functionalism
- Conflict theory (Correct answer)
- Symbolic interactionism
- Exchange theory
Correct answer: Conflict theory
Conflict theory examines how mass media can serve as a tool for powerful groups to propagate ideologies that maintain their dominance.
Question 3: Robert Merton's concept of 'manifest functions' refers to:
- Unintended consequences of social institutions
- Intended and recognized functions of social institutions (Correct answer)
- Hidden dysfunctions within social systems
- Latent conflicts between competing groups
Correct answer: Intended and recognized functions of social institutions
Manifest functions are the intended, recognized consequences of social institutions, as opposed to latent functions which are unintended.
Question 4: In exchange theory, social behavior is primarily explained by:
- Internalized cultural norms
- Calculations of costs and rewards (Correct answer)
- Unconscious psychological drives
- Structural constraints of class position
Correct answer: Calculations of costs and rewards
Exchange theory, associated with George Homans and Peter Blau, views social interaction as driven by rational assessment of benefits versus costs.
Question 5: Which concept from Erving Goffman's dramaturgical theory describes the management of personal information to control one's image?
- Role exit
- Impression management (Correct answer)
- Status inconsistency
- Retrospective interpretation
Correct answer: Impression management
Goffman's concept of impression management describes how individuals strategically present themselves to shape how others perceive them.
Question 6: Anthony Giddens' structuration theory argues that structure and agency are:
- Mutually exclusive forces
- Dually constitutive — each producing and reproducing the other (Correct answer)
- Determined entirely by economic conditions
- Static features of social systems
Correct answer: Dually constitutive — each producing and reproducing the other
Giddens argued that social structures are both the medium and outcome of human action, making structure and agency inseparable.
Question 7: Which term describes the phenomenon where individuals conform to group norms even when they privately disagree with them?
- Cognitive dissonance
- Pluralistic ignorance
- Normative conformity (Correct answer)
- Relative deprivation
Correct answer: Normative conformity
Normative conformity occurs when individuals comply with group expectations to gain acceptance or avoid rejection, despite private disagreement.
CSP Sociological Theory & Frameworks 3
George Herbert Mead's concept of the 'generalized other' refers to: