Block 1: Sociological Imagination Flashcards
1
Q
What is sociology?
A
- make sense of the world in which we live
- systematic, critical, and rigorous study of social life
- antidote to personal and subjective observations… focuses on the individual as a social animal in an environment
2
Q
Sociological Imagination
A
- enables us to understand the difference between personal troubles and public issues
- some aspects of life we DO have some control over, but there exist structural conditions that are beyond our control
3
Q
SHiP
A
- Social Structure, History, individual (lowercase), Power
4
Q
Social structure
A
- relatively stable over time, operates on individuals and groups
- orders, patterns, and outcomes
5
Q
History
A
- society exists in historical forms that change over time
- external control and modes of self-regulation adapts and change along with social structures
6
Q
individual
A
- structural composition, historical patterns, and power inequalities are much more significant
- still important to consider, but has a lighter impact
7
Q
Power
A
- ability to do or act, recognized authority, and as social dominance and control
- social stratification (control over resources)
8
Q
Emile Durkheim
A
- 1858-1917
- functionalism: society is like a biological organism, institutions have a role and function
- system made up of structures of cultural rules and people must conform
- social solidarity and division of labor
9
Q
Karl Marx
A
- 1818-1883
- conflict theory: society is formed on economic base (economy that relates to material needs) and superstructure (family, education, beliefs)
- forces and relations of production
- conflict between oppressed and oppressors
10
Q
Max Weber
A
- 1864-1920
- social action theory: nature of sociology and objective position
- importance of both structure and individual action
- rationalization and bureaucratization of modern society
11
Q
Contemporary schools of thought
A
- interpretative (importance of social action)
- feminist (sociological theory has been written from male perspective)
- structuralism (human behavior is shaped by forces of systems)
- postmodernism (all theoretical approaches are valid)
12
Q
Culture
A
- ‘designs for living’, or the values, beliefs, practices, and material objects that constitute a people’s way of life
- non-material culture: ideas
- material culture: tangible things created by members of society
- human nature is produced through varying histories and cultures
13
Q
5 components of culture
A
- symbols: anything carrying particular meaning recognized by people of a culture
- language: system of symbols for communication
- values: standards about good/bad, beliefs are about true/false
- norms: rules and expectations… proscriptive norms define what we should NOT do, prescriptive norms define what we should do
- material objects or artifacts: tangible human creations
14
Q
Cultural diversity
A
- high culture: cultural patterns that distinguish a society’s elite
- popular culture: patterns that are widespread
- cultural capital: major marker of distinction between the classes
- multiculturalism: diversity and equality of all cultural traits in a society
15
Q
Socialization
A
- the lifelong process of social experience through which
individuals learn about their culture and develop their human
potential
15
Q
Personality
A
- individual’s fairly consistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting
15
Q
Nature vs Nurture
A
- Darwinian thinking: natural selection, biological determinism (used as rationale to justify prejudiced attitudes or harmful actions… i.e. who is more/less evolved)
- nurture: we learn to be human through social learning
- nature: characteristics associated with behavior are genetically transmitted
15
Q
Symbolic Interactionism
A
- George Herbert Mead
- development of self through social experience… not innate
- discusses exchange of symbols, language, to create meaning
- self is inseparable from society and emerges from social experiences
16
Q
Looking Glass Self
A
- Charles Horton Cooley
- individuals develop a concept of self by observing how they are perceived by others
- how they believe others view them, using social interaction as a type of mirror
17
Q
Dramaturgical analysis
A
- Erving Goffman
- social interaction is like a theatrical performance
- roles are played using scripts… people are the actors and society is a stage
- presenting oneself is an attempt to create specific impressions
18
Q
Agents of Socialization
A
- groups and social institutions that have a major influence on development of self
- primary and secondary
- family, schooling, peer group, mass media
19
Q
Resocialization
A
- radical reorientation of personality
- takes place in context where people are isolated from society
- boot camps, religious conversion, and total institutions
20
Q
Institutionalization
A
- long term incarceration for purposes of treatment, care, or social control
- incarceration is the process of being institutionalized
- involves supervision, uniformity, and regimentation
