Ch. 4 Social Structure + Social Integration Flashcards
Macrosociology
broad features of society
Microsociology
social interactions
Do sociologists use macro or micro?
both
What sociological level is used for social structure?
macrosociology
Social Structure
typical patterns of groups
What does social status do?
It guides and surrounds us
What does shared culture do?
it makes us similar to one another and also makes us feel different
What is social class based on?
income, education, occupational prestige, etc.
What do shared cultures share?
social ideas
Status
position one occupies provides guidelines for how to act and feel
Status sets
different statuses you occupy
Status symbol
status in designated through a symbol
Status inconsistency
mismatch between the statuses
Master status
those that shadow our other statuses
Roles
behaviors, obligations, and privileges attached to a status
Groups
people who interact and share values and interests
Social Institutions
- organized, usual, standard ways
- how society meets its basic needs
What must society do? (5 things)
- replace members
- socialize new members
- produce + distribute goods and services
- preserve social order
- provide a sense of purpose
What ensures that the 5 things society must do are met
social institutions
Conflict theory
society has a small, elite group in power that holds the majority of society’s wealth
Durkheim
mechanical + organic solidarity
Tonnies
Gemeinschaft + Gesellschaft
Mechanical solidarity
- binds people together because a group that does the same thing often have shared social values
- often less tolerant of diversity
Organic solidarity
- need each other due to specialization
Gemeinschaft
- occurs in smaller communities
Geshellschaft
- people had impersonal relationships
Personal space
- we protect our “personal bubble”
- culturally specific
Eye contact
we use this to be intimate, it can be misinterpreted otherwise
Smiling
misinterpretation likely, not necessarily useful for businesses and especially governments
Dramaturgy
dramatizing life to match stage plays
Front stage
where we perform role expected
Back stage
behind the scene areas
Role performance
how you perform roles
Role strain
different roles have different expectations
Role conflict
role in one status is inconvenient to a role in another status
Ethnomethodology
uncovering background assumptions
Thomas Theorem
if people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences
