Reading Comprehension

PT114 · S3 · P3 · Q18 Abrams and Historical Sociology

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In explaining the foundations of the discipline known as historical sociology—the examination of history using the methods of sociology—historical sociologist Philip Abrams argues that, while people are made by society as much as society is made by people, sociologists’ approach to the subject is usually to focus on only one of these forms of influence to the exclusion of the other.

Topic

The approach of historical sociologist Philip Abrams on how to analyze history using sociology, emphasizing the interplay between individuals and society (structuring).

Framework

Answer / Explain

Main Point

Abrams argues that to truly understand history sociologically, one must recognize that individuals and society mutually shape each other through a process he calls "structuring," and he proposes a four-part method for historical sociological analysis to capture this interaction. The key sentence occurs at the end of the first paragraph:

P1: Introducing Structuring — The Mutual Shaping of Individuals and Society

The first paragraph introduces Philip Abrams’s idea that, although people make society and society makes people, sociologists usually focus on only one side. Abrams urges them to recognize the continuous back-and-forth influence (structuring) between the two.

P2: The Role of Contingencies in Historical Structuring

Here, Abrams expands the idea of structuring to history, explaining that both past events and the conditions we’re born into (“contingencies”—like family life, the economy, available ideologies, and random events) shape who we become and what actions we can take. Our actions, in turn, make history—but only within the structures that contingencies help create.

P3: How to Study Structuring — Events, Context, Agents, and Consequences

Abrams explains that historical sociologists must select key events where individual actions intersect with broader forces, and recommends a four-step method: (1) describe the event, (2) discuss the social context, (3) summarize the life of the main agent, and (4) analyze the consequences for both history and the individual. This approach aims to fully capture the interplay between individuals and society.

18.

Which one of the following is most analogous to the ideal work of a historical sociologist as outlined by Abrams?

  1. Correct

    In a report on the

    Why this is right

    This answer seems to have a match for all four. The loosest fit is the one for #1, but presumably a journalist reporting on the enactment of a bill is describing the bill's enactment. 1. describe the event "a report on the enactment of a bill" 2. discuss the background social context "explains why the need for the bill arose" 3. summarize the life history of a salient individual "sketches bio of principal legislator" 4. analyze impact for history and for individual "effect enactment will have on society and legislator"

    Skill tested: Analogy · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

    78% picked this

  2. In a consultation with a

    Weak Match

    We can match up a couple phrases from this answer with our desired items, but overall this answer is a struggle because there's no "event". How can we talk about the impact of an event if there's no event? 1. describe the event 2. discuss the background social context "possible reasons for patient's current condition" 3. summarize the life history of a salient individual "patient's medical history" 4. analyze impact for history and for individual In addition to the missing parts of the fourfold structure, the part in this answer about making recommendations about what steps to take is totally out of scope with Abrams' fourfold structure.

    7% picked this

  3. In an analysis of a

    Weak Match

    We can match up a couple phrases from this answer with our desired items, but overall this answer is a struggle because there's no life-story told of the author, and the impact of the novel on society and on the author is not discussed (instead there's a comparison to other books; meanwhile, Abrahms' fourfold structure isn't asking historians to compare an event to other events). 1. describe the event "analysis of a novel" 2. discuss the background social context "explains why subject was of interest to author" 3. summarize the life history of a salient individual 4. analyze impact for history and for individual (We would also be on-guard against picking this answer because they're probably trying to trap us by using "historical" as a word-bait similarity with the passage).

    5% picked this

  4. In a presentation to stockholders,

    Weak Match

    We can match up a couple phrases from this answer with our desired items, but there isn't any summary of the background conditions that made these activities profitable. And there isn't any discussion of how these profitable activities will impact the company/society or how it will impact the VP. 1. describe the event "describes most profitable activities" 2. discuss the background social context 3. summarize the life history of a salient individual "introduces the VP largely responsible"?? 4. analyze impact for history and for individual

    4% picked this

  5. In developing a film based

    Bad Match

    This is primarily trying to attract us with the Word-Bait of "historical". Interviewing participants could maybe work as our 2nd ingredient? But there's no summary of the life history of an important individual, and there's no discussion of the impact this event had on society as well as on the important individual. 1. describe the event 2. discuss the background social context "interviews participants" 3. summarize the life history of a salient individual 4. analyze impact for history and for individual

    6% picked this

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