6. Social Structure Flashcards
Emilie Durkheim, the father of sociology, created functionalism. What is this?
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.
functionalism: what are manifest and latent functions?
manifest - the intended purpose of a structure (hospital = help sick people)
latent - unintended consequences (increased employment opportunity, increased wage gap, etc)
Karl Marx was a strong believer in conflict theory. Explain this.
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.
Explain the sociology theory of symbolic interactionism, developed my Herbert Mead.
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.
Symbolic interactionism: what is the dramaturgical approach
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).
What is feminist theory of society?
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.
Explain rational choice theory and social-exchange theory.
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.
Rational choice: what is methodological individualism?
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.
What is social constructionism?
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
What is polyandry, polygyny, exogamy, and endogamy?
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
What is teacher expectancy theory?
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.
What is educational stratification?
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.
What is an ecclesia, church, sect, and cult.
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.
What is secularization and fundamentalism?
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.
What are command, market, mixed, and traditional economies?
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
