Chapter 1: The Sociological Imanation: An Introduction

Question 0

What R the 4 (Divisions) of sociology?

Answer 0

1) Positivist Approach: Belief that theories about (Society), & the social world can be proved using empirical evidence just like other sciences
2) Interpretive Approach: Focuses on the (Meaning) people attach 2 events, situation, social institutions, etc
3) Macro Approach: Focuses on aspects of society, & the social world that influence society as a whole
4) Micro Approach: Focuses on a close up, & personal look at society, in (Specific Situations)

Question 1

What is (Sociology), & what R 2 of the most important aspects it teaches us 2 do?

Answer 1

The scientific study of human society, culture, & group relationships,
sociology teaches us 2 question everything, & to make the familiar unfamiliar

Question 2

Who coined (The Sociological Imagination, AKA The Sociological Perspective), why is this important in sociology?

Answer 2

C. Wright Mills, it’s the ability 2 look at situation, events, phenomenons, etc on a macro level, yet realizing how it fits into our lives, or the lives of others, thus on a micro or personal level, it helps us recognize how social world works, by using one’s sociological imagination we learn to make the familiar strange, as well as question everything

Question 3

What is a (Milieu)?

Answer 3

It is the (Social Environment) that a person grew up in

Question 4

What is a (Society)?

Answer 4

A group of people who (Interact), & have a shared (Culture), those in a culture share similar characteristics, eg (Beliefs, Values, Attitudes, Traditions, etc), societies can consist of the same or different ethnicities or genders

Question 5

What is one of the things (Sociologist) look 4 in a society, how do they do this?

Answer 5

Social patterns, & the (Influences) that causes them 2 happen, 2 do this sociologist look 4 (Similarities) in how groups respond 2 certain (Influences)

Question 6

What R (Social Institutions), what happens to social institutions overtime?

Answer 6

Places or social positions, aka social institutions do not have to have a physical presence, yet they still have a powerful influence in helping to shape society, eg legal system, labor market, language, etc, social institutions R constantly changing

Question 7

How do people in a society think about a social institutions?

Answer 7

People in a society can feel different about the same social institution it all depends on the meaning they attribute to the social institution, eg abortion clinics 2 some they R a means of comfort, 2 others they R an abomination, it all depends on the meaning you put on the institution, for this very reason as peoples opinions and meanings change so too does institutions

Question 8

Describe the concepts of Auguste Comte, aka (Positivism or Social Physics)?

Answer 8

(Auguste Comte) considered father of sociology, had first definition of Sociology, the study of society, believed society should be studied using same methods as the other sciences, Comte thought societies behavioral problems could be studied then solved in the same way a physics or math equation is solved by using logic, (Positivism) the belief that (Knowledge) can be gained via (Empirical Evidence) as opposed to superstition or supposition, the problem with positivism is the belief that only (Verifiable Knowledge) is true knowledge, quoted as saying sociology would one day become the queen of all sciences

Question 9

Although Comte is considered the founding father of sociology, who usually gets the credit as the founding fathers?

Answer 9

Durkheim, Marx, & Weber

Question 10

Explain the three stages that Comte believed the world had gone through, what did this lead him to believe about society overall?

Answer 10

1) The Theological Stage: Everything that happened during this stage was believed to be God’s plan, thus when a unique issue arose scholars consulted the Bible or other religious text for the answer
2) The Metaphysical Stage: This was the stage of (Enlightenment), starting around (1300’s) people became more (Objective), many still believed the Gods had influence, but they questioned if they were responsible for every good or bad thing that happened in one’s life, some believed humans themselves were responsible 4 many of life’s problems, & that behavior and personality was based in part on one’s biology, & social surroundings
3) The Scientific Stage: This stage provided us with (Social Physics), which was used to help identify the scientific laws, & logic that influence human behavior

Question 11

What is (Marxism)?

Answer 11

Marxism is a term attributed to Karl Marx and is his alternative to (Capitalism), Marx the father of (Communism) believed social unrest was in large part due to the few (Capitalist), or job creators and the many (Proletariat), or those who fill the jobs created by capitalists, these 2 groups have different interests which sometimes leads 2 conflict, which leads 2 social change, Marx called this (Historical Materialism)

Question 12

Explain Max Weber’s concept of (Interpretive Sociology), aka verstehen?

Answer 12

Made famous by Max Weber, interpretive sociology focuses on the meaning, & understanding of (Social Situations), thus 2 truly understand the meaning a person attaches 2 their actions or a situation, U must attempt to put self in their shoes, thus there are times when sociology must be (Subjective vs Objective), Weber thought society was influenced by culture, politics and economics

Question 13

Describe Emile Durkheim’s concept of (Anomie)?

Answer 13

A term used by Emile Durkheim, that describes, what happens when one’s life is no longer predictable, often caused by the absence of (Moral Guidance) which is usually provided by society or culture, Durkheim suggests if one truly believes they will never attain a higher status or if certain rights T taken from them in some cases these people would rather commit suicide, aka (Anomie), some of his findings about suicide in the 19th century remain true today

Question 14

Who was Harriet Martineau?

Answer 14

She was an author, & the first person to translate Comte’s work into english, she wrote about childhood education, marriage, and the differences between state and federal govt., considered to be one of the first feminist, in part due to her belief that the concept of marriage puts a woman in an inferior position

Question 15

Who was Georg Simmel?

Answer 15

Simmel established the form of sociology still used today known as (Formal Sociology), which is based on pure numbers, & group size

Question 16

Explain the main belief of those attending (The Chicago School of American Sociology)?

Answer 16

America’s sociology roots traced 2 University of Chicago, where many believed environment has strong influenced over one’s behavior/personality

Question 17

What is (Social Ecology), when did it become a part of sociology?

Answer 17

Social ecology is the belief that behavior and personality is influenced by one’s social and physical environment, this term was coined during the rise of American Sociology which got its start in Chicago

Question 18

What are the three stages immigrants go through when first coming to America?

Answer 18

1) Contact
2) Competition
3) Assimilation

Question 19

Explain the concept behind the (Looking Glass Self)?

Answer 19

This is the belief that different people see us differently, eg we appear to be different people to our friends as opposed to our loved ones, this can lead to us constantly changing to be what each group expects us to be, developed by Charles Cooley

Question 20

Explain the term (Generalized Others)?

Answer 20

It’s when we learn and sometimes emulate the role/point of view of those around us, developed by George Mead

Question 21

What do Cooley’s and Mead’s concepts tell us about society?

Answer 21

Meaning is influenced via social interaction, aka if you believe something is real then it is real as far as you are concerned

Question 22

Who was W. E. B. DuBois?

Answer 22

The first black man to receive a PhD from Harvard, DuBois was a sociologist who developed the concept known as (Double Consciousness), he believed African-Americans maintained to constantly running scripts simultaneously, one script is shared with all Americans it’s the script used 2 make one’s way through the world, the second script is a script only African-Americans have, & serves as a constant reminder of the way we all looked at by many with contempt and pity
DuBois also theorized that the high crime rate for African-Americans was due to the breakdown of norms due to the end of slavery, aka (Anomie), he thought inequality for blacks was good because this would make them work hard to gain equality, he was also the cofounder of the NAACP

Question 23

What can (Double Consciousness) lead to?

Answer 23

It can lead to people conforming to the perception that others perceive of you

Question 24

Who was Jane Addams?

Answer 24

She was a sociologist who was marginalized due to her gender, she started Hull House which was a community center in Chicago that help bring University knowledge to those who could not afford a higher education

Question 25

What R the 3 major (Theoretical Approaches) used by sociologist?

Answer 25

1) Functionalism Theory: A macro level theory
2) Conflict Theory: A macro level theory
3) Symbolic Interaction Theory: A micro level theory

Question 26

Explain the (Functionalism Theory)?

Answer 26

The belief that certain social institutions, & social processes R needed 2 keep society functioning, thus when we follow social norms we feel accepted, which helps create togetherness also a (Macro) level theory

Question 26

Explain the (Conflict Theory)?

Answer 26

opposite of functionalism (conflict theory) states that society is in constant conflict & competition over limited resources, thus in any society there R (winners & losers), aka (haves, & have nots) the only way to bring about change is through conflict and unrest, aka strikes or revolutions, can also happen when society doesn’t respect (Authority), aka tea party, that said conflict can be good it helps release pent up frustration, & gives both sides a chance 2 negotiate a better situation, thus avoiding strike/revolution, this is a (Macro) level theory, because it covers whole states or nations

Question 28

Explain the (Symbolic Interactionisim Theory)?

Answer 28

The belief that societies R made up of individuals that feel accepted when they (Share) many of the same (Meaning/Assumptions) of (Symbols, Situations, Events, Traditions, etc), aka norms R socially constructed, & change over time, these norms R reinforced through social interaction, eg U see a red light U stop, a micro level theory

Question 29

How do today’s sociologists feel about conflict, & functionalism theory?

Answer 29

They believe the majority of society has adopted aspects of both concepts, thus society believes in both consensus as well as conflict, while also believing in fighting to enact change as well as change happening over a long period of time

Question 30

What is the over all theory of the (Feminist Movement)?

Answer 30

Feminist believe that society looks at women as being subordinate to men based solely on their gender

Question 30

What is one’s (Social Identity)?

Answer 30

It’s how an individual defines self in regards 2 the group they R a part of, or not a part of, aka (Grand Narrative) and can be made up of many different stories told by different individuals

Question 31

Explain the (Postmodern Theory)?

Answer 31

The belief that most things in life have more than one meaning, it depends on doing the interpreting, aka the opposite of symbolic Interactionisim, which gives a single meaning 2 a particular situation

Question 32

Explain (Social Construction)?

Answer 32

A concept that exists because we believe it exists, thus we treat it as if it is a real entity

Question 33

Explain the (Midrange Theory), what does this theory generate?

Answer 33

An attempt 2 explain/predict how social institutions function, thus it’s not macro or micro sociology, this theory generates (Falsifiable Hypotheses), thus the hypothesis can be tested in the real world

Question 34

Because social sociology studies group dynamics there can be a sociology of anything as long as there’s two or more people, that said what does all sociology boil down to?

Answer 34

All of sociology boils down to comparisons across cases of some form or another, aka sociologists look for patterns they use this to make hypothesis about society, culture, or a particular group

1) Eg. Historians look to understand past events, people, etc. in the hope it will help us understand the current world better, to do this historians use a (Comparative Framework) 4 eg. you might compare (Hitler to Mussolini), historians also use (Counterfactual Thinking), eg what would’ve happened if Hitler were killed in WW 1 instead of wounded, how would history be different

By contrast sociology is not concerned with the uniqueness of a period of time or a person, instead they are interested in what makes that person or a period of time (Common) with other people or periods of time

Question 35

Describe the (Nomothetic Approach) 2 sociology?

Answer 35

This is a (Generalized) understanding of a particular situation, person, event, etc. in the eg of Hitler a historian might ask what was the unique situation that led to Hitler’s rise in power, vs a sociologist that would look to find what was (Common) cause 4 the rise in fascism in some countries but not others

Question 36

What is sociologies interest in groups of all sizes as well as individuals?

Answer 36

They are interested in how they (Interact) with each other on an individual as well as group level

Question 37

Which science has a lot of overlap with sociology?

Answer 37

Cultural Anthropology

Question 38

How do psychology and biology differ from sociology?

Answer 38

While sociology and psychology focus on a lot of the same topics, sociology focuses on group dynamics whereas psychology focuses one he individual, biology focuses on things inside the body that influence it whereas sociology focuses on things outside the body that influence individuals as well as groups

Question 39

How does sociology differ from political science and economics?

Answer 39

Economics is completely (Quantitive) a.k.a. based on numbers, with the belief that all people are logical and will attempt to get the best deal possible, sociology realize there are other drives that influence people, thus they don’t always think logically, as for the political sciences it focuses on power in a group dynamic