Ch 4 - Sociological Theories and Social Institutions Flashcards
What are the 4 main sociological theories?
Functionalism (structural functionalism), conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, and social constructionism
What are macro-level theories? Examples?
Focus on large scale social structures. Fundamentalism and conflict theory
What are micro-level theories? Examples?
Focus on small-scale individual considerations, one-on-one and small group interactions. Symbolic interactionism.
Which theory can be micro or macro-level?
Social constructionism
What is dynamic equilibrium?
In fundamentalism, when a society experiences an imbalance or crisis, social structures will work together to return a healthy society back to functional order
What are social facts in fundamentalism?
Elements that serve some function in society - laws, religions, morals, etc.
What are Manifest functions in fundamentalism?
Official, intended and anticipated consequences of a structure
What are latent functions in fundamentalism?
Consequences of a structure not officially sought or sanctioned
What is social dysfunction?
A process that has undesirable consequences and may actually reduce the stability of society
What is hegemony?
Coerced acceptance of the values, expectations and conditions as determined by the capiitalist class
What is class consciousness?
Exploited workers’ awareness of the reason of their oppression
What are the differences between Weber’s and Marx’s conflict theories?
Weber felt that Marx overlooked the power of values and beliefs to influence, transform, and stabilize societies (Protestant/Puritan work ethic and rationalization of society). Also, other factors that moderate people’s reaction to inequality like agreement with authority, high social mobility, and low rates of class difference.
What are the ways that people interact with each other to develop the self and identity, according to symbolic interactionism?
Language, play and games
According to symbolic interactionism and the development of identity, what is the difference between the “I” and the “me”?
I - Individualist self, acts on other people and things, own autonomy and will
me - Social self, acted upon by interpreted by other people and things, object of their actions and interpretations
What is the Thomas theorem?
Theory that interpretation of a situation affects the response to that situation
What is the dramaturgical approach?
Paradigm views people as theatrical performers and everyday life as a stage
What is social constructionism?
Theory that argues people actively shape their reality through social interactions, therefore reality is socially consctructed
Difference between symbolic interactionism and social constructionism?
SI - Focuses almost exclusively on one-on-one and small group interactions
SC - Examines the constructs of society from macro and micro-sociological perspectives
Other interests of social constructionists?
Stocks of knowledge and the process of typification, effects of mass media and contends that mass media corporations have become the main mechanisms by which social institutions transmit culture to preserve power and authority
What is typification?
Individual stocks of knowledge allow us to observe and classify objects, routinely structure our own actions, repeated actions evolve into patterns that we learn to automatically reproduce, actions become routines and form a general store of knowledge that can be institutionalized by society. Once the individual stock of knowledge becomes concretized it is viewed as the truth and real.
What is feminist theory concerned with?
Concerned with social experiences of both men and women and the differences between these experiences.
What is intersectionality?
Theory that suggests that human aspects that are subject to discrimination (race, age, gender, etc) are not isolated from each other. Someone can have a any combination of these aspects.
What is rational choice theory?
Individuals seek to maximize gain and benefit and minimize disadvantage in all of their social interactions - economic approach to sociology
What theories are included under rational choice theory?
Social exchange theory, game theory, rational actor theory. Can be micro and macro sociological theory depending on how you look at it
What is utilitarianism?
Individuals are rational in their actions and every human interaction involves people seeking to maximize their own self interest. Can be micro and macro sociological theory depending on how you look at it.
