Chapter 1: Day 2: Sociological Theories Flashcards
Social Constructivism
A sociological theory of knowledge where it observes how the interactions of individuals with their society and the world around them gives meaning to otherwise worthless things and creates the reality of the society.
Examples of Social Constructivism
Gender: When doing a party color theme based on gender. Such as blue means boy and pink means girl.
Mood Colors: Red means Anger or Love, Blue means Calm or Sad, Black means Horror or Death.
Traffic Signs: Red Light means Stop, Green Light means Go
Karl Marx
Writings provided the theoretical basis for communism
Max Weber
Advocated sociological analysis that allowed for the multiple influences of culture, economics, and politics
Verstehen
Understanding. The concept of Verstehen forms the object of inquiry for interpretive sociology–to study how social actors understand their actions and the social world through experience (Weber)
Emile Durkheim
Wished to understand how society holds together and the ways that modern capitalism and industrialization have transformed how people relate to one another.
Anomie
A sense of aimlessness or despair that arises when we can no longer reasonably expect life to be predictable; too little social regulation (Durkheim) in societies or individuals, a condition of instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values or from a lack of purpose or ideals.
Functionalism
A theory where different aspects of society all have different function. They work together to promote solitary and stability. It has social structures that has notability. Theory made by Emile Durkheim.
2 Notabilities of Social Structures
. Manifest Functions (Recognized/Intended)
. Content Functions (Unrecognized/Untended)
Social Structures
It helps us to understand what makes society tick.
Examples of Functionalism
. They may be to protect society from violence, while another is to punish criminal behavior, while another is to preserve public health.
. The government provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends to keep itself running.
Conflict Theory
A theory that sees social life as a competition and focuses on the distribution of resources, power, and inequality. Disagreements and conflicts between groups generate social change in society. Theory made by Karl Marx.
Explanations Inequality in Conflict Theory
. Some versions don’t explain social mobility.
. Don’t explain social solitary/unity.
. Don’t explain everyday experience of individuals.
Examples of Conflict Theory
. Intimate love relationships . Family . Adolescent-Parent Conflict . White supremacy/Black fear . Immigrants
Symbolic Interactionism
A micro-level theory that focuses on the relationships among individuals within a society. Communication—the exchange of meaning through language and symbols is believed to be the way in which people make sense of their social worlds. Since it’s micro-level theory, it overlooks widespread influence of culture, class, gender, race, etc. Theory made by George Herbert Mead and Erving Goffman.
