6. Social Structure Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Emilie Durkheim, the father of sociology, created functionalism. What is this?

A

Functionalism is the theory that view society as one living organism with many individual parts that work together. to promote solidarity.

Each structure in society is viewed by how it contributes to that society.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

functionalism: what are manifest and latent functions?

A

manifest - the intended purpose of a structure (hospital = help sick people)
latent - unintended consequences (increased employment opportunity, increased wage gap, etc)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Karl Marx was a strong believer in conflict theory. Explain this.

A

unlike functionalism which views society in harmony, conflict theory viewed society as a competition for a limited supply of resources. Conflict theory focuses on inequalities that develop due to certain groups attaining more resources than others. Thus conflict theory tries to explain dominant groups vs minority groups.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Explain the sociology theory of symbolic interactionism, developed my Herbert Mead.

A

Symbolic interactionism takes a micro perspective of society. This theory explains that individuals shape society (and are not just shaped by it). It emphasizes that people create their own interpretations of the world (i.e. humans ascribe meaning to things / objects), and then communicate these meanings through language and symbols.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Symbolic interactionism: what is the dramaturgical approach

A

This is a specific form of symbolic interactionism that explains that people take on theatrical roles and that everyday life is the stage. In different social settings, people put on different roles (thereby shaped by the environment while also shaping the environment).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is feminist theory of society?

A

The feminist theory is focused on the experiences of both men and woman, and in particular, the differences between the two. Feminist theory tries to highlight achievements of woman to help mitigate inequalities between the genders.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Explain rational choice theory and social-exchange theory.

A

rational choice theory explains that all decisions are made to maximize benefits while minimizing costs. People rationally assign all courses of action a value and then pursue whatever is optimal. Thus, rational action follows ones on self-interest. Rational choice is concerned with measurable resources like money and time.

social-exchange theory suggests that all social interactions and relationships are evaluated through cost-benefit analysis. Rather than money, the resources here are non-tangible things like emotional and physical gains. This theory suggests that if cons out-weigh pros, an interaction will not occur.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Rational choice: what is methodological individualism?

A

A part of rational choice theory, methodological individualism explains that all social realities are the result of individual actions and interactions. It is a very microscopic view of society.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is social constructionism?

A

People actively shape realty through experience and perspective. Thus, everything in society is a construct of our own interpretations of the world.

money, norms, marriage - all social constructs and not absolute truths

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is polyandry, polygyny, exogamy, and endogamy?

A

polyandry - polygamy with 1 woman, many men
polygyny - polygamy with 1 man, many woman

exogamy - marrying outside of a particular group
endogamy - marrying inside of a particular group

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is teacher expectancy theory?

A
Teachers form expectations for students. 
high expectations - may motivate a child to do better 
low expectations (e.g. for a disabled person) - child under performs and this under-performing reinforces the teachers initial stereotype.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is educational stratification?

A

educational stratification is the process by which education serves to reinforce and perpetuate social inequalities. As such, children’s educational achievements mirror that of their parents.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is an ecclesia, church, sect, and cult.

A

ecclesia - the national religion which encompasses nearly all members of society. You are born into it.
church - religion of the dominant group in society.
sect - religion of smaller groups within society.
cult - a religion with beliefs or traditions that are far outside the norms of that society.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is secularization and fundamentalism?

A

secularization - as societies become increasingly modern, there is a loss of religious significance

fundamentalism - as societies become increasingly modern, certain people (fundamentalists) cling on to traditional beliefs and practices. These people take their religion to be law.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are command, market, mixed, and traditional economies?

A

command economy - economic decisions are based on a plan of production. Public operations (state owned)
market economy - private operations, supply and demand dictates everything
mixed - a bit of both
traditional - social customs considered, e.g. trading

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is mechanical and organic solidarity?

A

Mechanical solidarity - individuals have common beliefs leading to everyone having the same fundamental experience. In this way, people have a collective conscience which guides individual action through shared beliefs and morals.

organic solidarity - there is a division of labor, allowing everyone to have a different personal experience.

17
Q

What is the sick role? What is illness experience?

A

The sick role explains that being sick is a form of deviance. If society accepts the person as truly sick, the sick person must do everything they can to get better while the rest of society cannot blame the person for being sick. This idea fails to consider chronic illness (where you cannot just get better) and rare illnesses where people will not accept that you are actually ill.

illness experience evaluates a persons subjective understanding of the illness as-well as their actual negative experience

18
Q

What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

A

Linguistic relativity: people understand the world through the language that they speak.

19
Q

What is cultural diffusion and cultural transmission?

A

cultural diffusion is the process of elements of a culture being transferred from one group to another.

cultural transmission is the process of passing cultural information through generations.

20
Q

What is crude birth rate and crude death rate?

A

the annual number of births or deaths per 1000 people in a population.

21
Q

What is fertility and fecundity?

A

fertility is the number of children born to a woman, fecundity is the physiological ability for a woman to bear a child.

22
Q

What is general fertility rate and total fertility rate?

A

general fertility rate - number of annual births per 1000 woman (crude birth rate = persons)

total fertility rate - the number of children a woman would have in all her child-bearing years assuming she follows general fertility rates.

23
Q

What is the population-lag effect?

A

changes in fertility rate are no reflected for years.

due to population momentum

24
Q

What is rural flight? What is urban sprawl?

A

rural flight - when people leave rural areas to inhabit urban areas.
urban sprawl - when people leave urban areas for more remote ones (usually suburbs)

25
Q

What is urban blight? What is gentrification?

A

urban blight occurs after urban sprawl, in which areas of a city are left degrading and less-functional. Gentrification is the urban renewal of these locations which often occurs when more wealthier persons come to the city and restore the infrastructure. Gentrification sometimes displaces current residents and can be controversial.

26
Q

Thomas Malthus developed Malthusianism. What are positive and negative checks?

A

Malthusianism explains that the possible rate of population increase exceeds the possible rate of resource increase. Thus, if the population remains unchecked, serious distress will occur due to a lack of resources.

positive check - increases death rate (disease, war)
preventative check - decreases birth rate (birth control)

27
Q

What is a Malthusian catastrophe?

A

A Malthusian catastrophe occurs when there is not enough resources for the increasing population. This results in population reduction. (famine)

28
Q

What is neo-Malthusianism?

A

neo-Malthusianism is a movement that advocates for population control in order to reduce population strain on society.

29
Q

t or f, minorities are the smaller sub-population in society.

A

false, minorities are groups that have disparate social experiences and are often treated as inferior. e.g. woman are considered minorities despite there being more woman than men.

30
Q

t or f, sex is a biological characteristic determined at birth, gender is a social characteristic that is flexible and learned

A

true

31
Q

What is globalization?

A

The increasing inter-dependence of nations across the globe due to increased ability to pass information and connect.

32
Q

What is relative deprivation?

A

the feeling of being entitled to more than on actually has in a social situation, based on relative standards. 1

33
Q

What is social stratification?

A

Systems that define differences between people in society and often reinforce those differences.

34
Q

Explain the caste system, class system, and meritocracy.

A

caste - you cannot change the category you are born into.
class - people are divided by socioeconomic status, but classes are open and allow for people to change their status.
meritocracy - a system that stratifies people based on merit (effort).

35
Q

What is class consciousness?

A

class consciousness is a persons active awareness of the social class they fit into.

36
Q

What is social reproduction?

A

social reproduction refers to the systems in place that serve to reinforce and transmit social inequality from one ruler to the next or one generation to the next.
cultural capital and social capital help perpetuate social reproduction.

37
Q

What is the difference between social capital and cultural capital

A

social - social networks with other people

cultural - non-financial assets that are valuable like education

38
Q

What is privilege?

A

privilege is a set of unearned benefits one receives because of some attribute one has (gender, race, etc).