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Sociology > Chapter 1 The Sociological Perspective > Flashcards

Chapter 1 The Sociological Perspective Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Society

A

A group of people who live within a defined territory and who share a culture

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2
Q

Social location

A

The social and physical traits of an individual, such as gender, race, social class and religion, deemed to be important by their society

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3
Q

Life chances

A

Our chances of being healthy, wealthy, and well educated and, more generally, of living a good, happy life.

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4
Q

Social environment

A

Interaction between humans in an immediate physical setting.

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5
Q

Sociology

A

The scientific study of human behavior and social organization within society.

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6
Q

Sociological perspective

A

The view that our social backgrounds influence our attitudes, behavior, life choices and life chances.

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7
Q

Max Weber

A

A founder of sociology, aimed to uncover and explain “inconvenient facts” about how society affects individuals and the extent of social inequality.

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8
Q

Peter Berger

A

Pointed out that the first lesson of sociology is that things are not always what they appear to be. Sociology aims to uncover the deeper, often hidden layers of meaning in social reality.

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9
Q

Debunking motif

A

Looking beyond the on-the-surface understandings of social reality and recognizing the value of alternative sociological understandings.

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10
Q

Personal troubles

A

Refers to a problem affecting individuals that the affected individual and other members of society typically blame on the individual’s own failings.

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11
Q

Public issues

A

Refers to social problems affecting many individuals stemming from social structure and culture of a society.

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12
Q

Sociological imagination

A

Coined by C. Wright Mills, refers to the ability to see the societal patterns that influence individual and group life.

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13
Q

Understanding as a public issue, not just as a personal trouble examples

A

Eating disorders; Crime; Unemployment; Divorce

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14
Q

Social structure

A

The social patterns through which a society is organized.

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15
Q

Culture

A

The symbols, language, norms, beliefs, values and material objects that are part of a society.

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16
Q

C. Wright Mills

A

He felt that many problems ordinarily considered private troubles are best understood as public issues.

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17
Q

As William Ryan put it, they tend to believe in [___] rather than blaming the system.

A

[…blaming the victim]

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18
Q

Sociologists

A

Examine how social forces shape our behavior, attitudes, life choices, and chances, with emphasis on social inequality and social structure.

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19
Q

Social inequality

A

The hierarchical ranking of people or groups within a society, where some people or groups have greater access to goods and resources than others.

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20
Q

Determinants of social rank or position

A

Wealth; Power; Race; Ethnicity; Gender

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21
Q

Social structure examples

A

Status; Social groups; Social institutions; Form of society

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22
Q

Statuses

A

The position that someone occupies in society.

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23
Q

Statuses examples

A

Manager; Student; Parent; Slave

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24
Q

Statuses are typically embedded within [___].

A

[…social groups]

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25
Q

Social group

A

Two or more people who regularly interact on the basis of mutual expectations and who share a common identity.

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26
Q

Social group examples

A

Families; Friends; Groups of coworkers in a workplace

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27
Q

The [___] we belong to shape our experiences, attitudes, and opportunities, influencing everything from personal beliefs and decision-making to access to resources and societal esteem.

A

[…social groups]

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28
Q

Social institutions

A

The patterns of beliefs, behaviors and organized means by which a society meets its basic needs.

29
Q

Social institutions examples

A

Family; Economy; Education; Government; Religion

30
Q

The U.S. Secretary of Education [___] is a member of the presidential cabinet [___], which is part of the government [___] and found in the U.S [___].

A

[…a status]; […a social group]; […a social institution]; […a society]

31
Q

The shape and nature of social institutions reflects the form of society they are found within, and this also influences the experience of individuals.

A

In a patriarchal agricultural society, women typically cannot own land or inherit property due to systemic gender inequality.

32
Q

Foraging society

A

Small, simple societies with hunting, scavenging, and gathering; egalitarian with minimal inequality.

33
Q

Horticultural and pastoral society

A

Larger than foraging societies; horticultural societies grow crops with simple tools, while pastoral societies raise livestock; wealthier with more inequality and conflict.

34
Q

Agricultural society

A

Grow large amounts of crops using advanced tools; wealthier than horticultural and pastoral societies with higher conflict and inequality.

35
Q

Industrial society

A

Feature factories and machines; wealthier than agricultural societies with increased individualism and significant inequality.

36
Q

Postindustrial society

A

Focus on information technology and service jobs; higher education is crucial for economic success.

37
Q

Sociology as a field of study first emerged during the height of [___].

A

[…the industrial revolution]

38
Q

There is more inequality and
conflict in societies that have [___].

A

[…more people and more property]

39
Q

Macrosociology

A

Focuses on the big picture, which usually means such things as social structure, social institutions, and social, political, and economic change.

40
Q

Macrosociologists

A

Look at large-scale social forces that change the course of human society and the lives of individuals.

41
Q

Microsociology

A

Examines social interaction, action, and the construction of meaning.

42
Q

Microsociologists

A

Look at how families, coworkers, and other small groups of people interact, why they interact the way they do, and how they interpret the meanings of their own interactions.

43
Q

The functional and the conflict perspective are [___], while the interaction perspective is [___].

A

[…macrosociological]; […microsociological]

44
Q

Emile Durkheim

A

Durkheim stated humans have desires that result in chaos unless they are limited by the moral authority of society.

45
Q

Functional perspective

A

Views society as a system of interconnected parts that function together to contribute to the stability of the whole society. Coalesced around ideas of French sociologist, Emile Durkheim.

46
Q

How does society limit individual aspirations?

A

Socialization and social integration.

47
Q

Socialization

A

Helps us learn society’s rules and the need to cooperate, as people end up generally agreeing on norms.

48
Q

Social integration, or our ties to other people and to social institutions

A

Helps socialize us and integrate us into society and reinforce our respect for its rules.

49
Q

Social order

A

Refers to the way the components of society work together to maintain the status quo.

50
Q

In preindustrial societies, social solidarity is maintained through [___], characterized by minimal division of labor and strong group commitment, which leaves little room for deviation from established norms and beliefs.

A

[…mechanical solidarity]

51
Q

Industrial and postindustrial societies are held together by [___], which arises from a complex and hierarchical division of labor and the resulting interdependence among individuals.

A

[…organic solidarity]

52
Q

Functionalists

A

Understand society by describing and understanding the functions that society’s social institutions serve for the ongoing health and stability of society.

53
Q

Functionalists state slow and steady change is preferable since sudden change is so disruptive. An example of a theory that demonstrates this idea is [___].

A

[…Talcott Parsons’ equilibrium theory]

54
Q

Equilibrium theory

A

A theory of social change in which it is argued that changes within one social institution causes changes in other social institutions until order is restored.

55
Q

Conflict perspective

A

Looks at the way inequalities contribute to social differences and perpetuate differences in power while creating social order (macrosociological).

56
Q

The conflict perspective developed from the writings of Germans [___].

A

[…Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels]

57
Q

Bourgeoisie

A

Ruling class that exploits the workers

58
Q

Proletariat

A

Working class

59
Q

Class consciousness

A

Occurs when the proletariat becomes aware it is being exploited, leading to revolutionary social change.

60
Q

Current tenets of conflict theory

A

Social inequalities contribute to social differences which lead to conflict, and these social differences cause people to have dissimilar interests and distinct views about social issues; Power differentials between these groups means the dominant or ruling group has more access to society’s scarce resources; Social change occurs when the exploited group rises against the group in power and removes them

61
Q

Feminist theory

A

An offshoot of conflict theory that analyzes the inequalities and power dynamics between men and women with the intention of improving women’s lives.

62
Q

Symbolic interactionism

A

The theoretical perspective that focuses on the interaction of individuals and on how they interpret their interaction according to the meaning things have for them (microsociological).

63
Q

The symbolic interactionism perspective draws on the work of early sociologists, psychologists and philosophers; sociologist Herbert Blumer coined the term [___].

A

[…symbolic interaction]

64
Q

Criticism

A

Functional theory tends to support the status quo and thus seems to favor existing inequalities.

65
Q

Criticism

A

Conflict Theory’s heavy emphasis on inequality and dissensus in society overlooks the large degree of consensus on many important issues; there is an under-emphasis on ways institutions are necessary for societal stability.

66
Q

Criticism

A

Neither the functional nor the conflict perspective offers much insight into social interaction.

67
Q

Criticism

A

The fine focus of symbolic Interactionism on social interaction pays relatively little attention to the reasons for, and possible solutions to, such broad and fundamentally important issues as poverty, racism, sexism, and social change.

68
Q

Early sociologists worked on various social problems such as poverty, racism and women’s rights, but in the [___] there was conflict within the field over whether its priority should be on theory or social reform, and tensions remain regarding priorities,

A

[…1950’s and 1960’s]

Sociology (12 decks)

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