Ch 4 - Sociological Theories and Social Institutions

Question 1

What are the 4 main sociological theories?

Answer 1

Functionalism (structural functionalism), conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, and social constructionism

Question 2

What are macro-level theories? Examples?

Answer 2

Focus on large scale social structures. Fundamentalism and conflict theory

Question 3

What are micro-level theories? Examples?

Answer 3

Focus on small-scale individual considerations, one-on-one and small group interactions. Symbolic interactionism.

Question 4

Which theory can be micro or macro-level?

Answer 4

Social constructionism

Question 5

What is dynamic equilibrium?

Answer 5

In fundamentalism, when a society experiences an imbalance or crisis, social structures will work together to return a healthy society back to functional order

Question 6

What are social facts in fundamentalism?

Answer 6

Elements that serve some function in society - laws, religions, morals, etc.

Question 7

What are Manifest functions in fundamentalism?

Answer 7

Official, intended and anticipated consequences of a structure

Question 8

What are latent functions in fundamentalism?

Answer 8

Consequences of a structure not officially sought or sanctioned

Question 9

What is social dysfunction?

Answer 9

A process that has undesirable consequences and may actually reduce the stability of society

Question 10

What is hegemony?

Answer 10

Coerced acceptance of the values, expectations and conditions as determined by the capiitalist class

Question 11

What is class consciousness?

Answer 11

Exploited workers’ awareness of the reason of their oppression

Question 12

What are the differences between Weber’s and Marx’s conflict theories?

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

What are the ways that people interact with each other to develop the self and identity, according to symbolic interactionism?

Answer 13

Language, play and games

Question 14

According to symbolic interactionism and the development of identity, what is the difference between the “I” and the “me”?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

What is the Thomas theorem?

Answer 15

Theory that interpretation of a situation affects the response to that situation

Question 16

What is the dramaturgical approach?

Answer 16

Paradigm views people as theatrical performers and everyday life as a stage

Question 17

What is social constructionism?

Answer 17

Theory that argues people actively shape their reality through social interactions, therefore reality is socially consctructed

Question 18

Difference between symbolic interactionism and social constructionism?

Answer 18

SI - Focuses almost exclusively on one-on-one and small group interactions
SC - Examines the constructs of society from macro and micro-sociological perspectives

Question 19

Other interests of social constructionists?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

What is typification?

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

What is feminist theory concerned with?

Answer 21

Concerned with social experiences of both men and women and the differences between these experiences.

Question 22

What is intersectionality?

Answer 22

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.

Question 23

What is rational choice theory?

Answer 23

Individuals seek to maximize gain and benefit and minimize disadvantage in all of their social interactions - economic approach to sociology

Question 24

What theories are included under rational choice theory?

Answer 24

Social exchange theory, game theory, rational actor theory. Can be micro and macro sociological theory depending on how you look at it

Question 25

What is utilitarianism?

Answer 25

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.