Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is the sociological perspective in sociology?
The sociological perspective is a way of seeing society and social behavior by looking for general patterns in the behavior of particular individuals.
How does society influence individual choices according to the sociological perspective?
Society influences choices like marriage, parenting, and even personal preferences through factors such as age, social class, race, and gender, guiding individuals toward socially acceptable behaviors and partners.
What does it mean to “see the general in the particular”?
It means recognizing general social patterns in the behavior of individuals, showing how categories like social class or gender shape individual life experiences.
How does social class affect expectations in marriage according to Lillian Rubin’s study?
Higher-income women value emotional sensitivity and communication, while lower-income women prioritize stability and avoidance of harmful behaviors, reflecting how social class shapes relationship expectations.
What does “seeing the strange in the familiar” suggest about everyday behaviors?
It suggests that behaviors we think are personal or unique, like falling in love or choosing a spouse, are actually shaped by societal norms and patterns.
What example illustrates how society shapes personal choices like having children?
Birth rates differ by country, with U.S. women having about two children and women in Niger averaging seven, showing how cultural and societal context shape decisions that appear personal.
Why do childbearing patterns differ so widely across countries?
In poorer countries, women have less access to education and economic opportunities, leading to lives centered around the home and lower use of contraception, which results in higher birth rates.
How did Emile Durkheim explain differences in suicide rates?
Durkheim found that suicide rates were higher among individuals with weaker social ties, such as men, Protestants, the wealthy, and the unmarried, and lower among those with stronger social integration.
What is the paradox of freedom in Durkheim’s analysis of suicide?
Greater freedom, though seemingly beneficial, weakens social ties and increases the risk of suicide.
How does the sociological imagination help people during times of crisis?
It allows individuals to see that personal troubles may actually stem from larger social forces, like realizing unemployment is due to economic collapse rather than personal failure.
Why do marginalized people tend to have a clearer sociological perspective?
Living on the social margins makes them more aware of how race, class, gender, or other factors shape their opportunities and life experiences.
What did C. Wright Mills mean by the “sociological imagination”?
It’s the ability to connect personal experiences to broader social forces, helping people understand how society influences their individual lives.
How does marginality affect a person’s ability to see sociologically?
People living on the margins of society—like racial minorities, women, and others—are more likely to notice how social forces shape lives because they experience inequality and exclusion more directly.
Why might privileged individuals struggle to see the impact of social forces?
Those with privilege often attribute success or failure to individual effort and overlook how race, class, and gender create advantages or barriers.
What role does crisis play in developing a sociological perspective?
Crises like the Great Depression disrupt normal life and reveal how larger social forces affect individual situations, prompting people to think sociologically.
What did C. Wright Mills mean by the term “sociological imagination”?
It is the ability to connect personal problems to broader social patterns, helping individuals understand how their lives are shaped by society.
What is Auguste Comte’s concept of positivism?
Positivism is the belief that knowledge should be based on scientific facts rather than speculation, and that society operates under discoverable laws, much like the natural world.
How did early sociologists like Karl Marx hope sociology would be used?
They wanted sociology to not only explain society but also promote social change and greater justice by addressing inequality.
What is a theory in sociology?
A theory is a statement that explains how and why specific facts are related, helping sociologists understand social behavior.
What is the structural-functional approach?
It’s a theoretical framework that sees society as a complex system with interrelated parts working together to promote stability and solidarity.
Who are key figures in the development of the structural-functional approach?
Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim, and Herbert Spencer were major contributors to this approach, each emphasizing the importance of structure and function in society.
What are manifest and latent functions according to Robert K. Merton?
Manifest functions are the recognized and intended outcomes of a social pattern.
Latent functions are the unrecognized and unintended outcomes.
What is a social dysfunction?
A social dysfunction is any social pattern that may disrupt the operation or stability of society.
How does Merton’s view add complexity to the structural-functional approach?
He shows that social structures can have multiple functions and that some patterns can be beneficial for some groups but harmful for others.
