Ch.1 Sociological Perspectives Flashcards
What is Sociology?
The systematic study of human society and social interaction. (social patterns)
How is Sociology studied?
Through scientific frameworks, theories, and methods. Systemic: uses both theory and research methods
What is Sociology not about?
Commonsense notions
How does an individual study Sociology??
By studying ourselves and our social standing in the World around us.
3 Main Influential Social Factors of Sociology?
Revolution, Industrialization, and Urbanization.
August Comte
First to theorize natural science applied to society using positivism. (metaphysical stages)
Harriet Martineau
Sociology as the true science of human nature (call for equality of women).
Herbert Spencer
Used (Social Darwinism) to create his ideologies and theories.
*Social Darwinism: Survival of the fittest
Emile Durkheim
First publisher of a statistical study (on suicide).
Durkheim’s famous empirical study of suicide:
Suicide is the result of social rather than personal factors; where there is no or little shared sense of community, suicide rates will be higher.
Anomie
Lack of Norm/normlessness (lack of feeling normal)
Karl Marx
Pointed out capitalism (inequality) in social classes.
Max Weber
Influence of Religion on Social Factors.
(religious factors)
George Simmel
Social Interaction in groups.
Patricia Marchak
First major female sociologist: who published Ideological Perspectives on Canadian Society.
Where was the First Sociology department created?
University of Chicago (1892)
United States Sociology study?
Classic study of Philadelphia’s African American community.
“Canadianization” of sociology?
The focus on regionalism, ethnic relationships, multiculturalism, social class, race, and gender
Contemporary Theoretical Perspectives
Functionalist Perspective
Conflict Perspective
Feminist Perspective
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Postmodernist Perspective
Functionalist Perspective
Assumption: Society is a stable, order-ly system; members share a common set of values, beliefs, and behavioral expectations
(Like a functioning organism)
Conflict Perspective
Assumption: groups in society are engaged in a continuous power struggle for control of scarce resources.
Criticism of perspectives
Both functionalist and conflict perspectives have been criticized for focusing primarily on whole societies, large scale social structures and social systems, i.e., (macrolevel analysis).
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Assumption: Society is a sum of the interactions of individuals and groups
Microlevel analysis
Focuses on small groups rather than large-scale social structures.
