Chapter 4: Sociological Theories & Social institutions Flashcards
What are the 4 major sociological theories that explain society?
- Functionalism
- Conflcit theory
- Symbolic interactionalism
- Social constructionism
- Femist
- Rational choice/ social exchange theories
Out of the 4 major sociological theories which ones are macro theories?
Functionalism & conflict theory
________ theories focus on the effects of a large scale social structure & try to answer questions such as why societies form, why societies change, and why their social structures function in the manner that they function
Macro
Symbolic interactionism analyzes society on a _______ level & are interested in small scale individual considerations, 1 on 1 & small groups interaction
Mirco
_____________ can be either macro or micro depending on the context
Social constructionism
Functionalism
Views society as a living organism with many different interrelated & interdependent parts each of which has a distinct & necessary purpose (society works like the human body)
Functionalism (such as Emile Durkhiem) focuses on asking what type of questions?
How these structures (institutions) contribute to society
When a healthy society faces an imbalance or crisis, the functionalist theory proposes that the major structures of society will work together to return to a state of ___________ equilibrium
Dynamic
____________ societies can successfully achieve & maintain a dynamic equilibrium
Healthy (not unhealthy ones)
Manifest functions
Are the official, intended & anticipated consequences of a structure & are usually beneficial (ex. police enforces laws against violent crimes)
Latent functions
Are consequences of a structure that are not officially sought or sanctioned & can be beneficial, neutral, or harmful (ex. a police department give jobs to people, raise money for the government by issuing traffic tickets or showing racism by only killing black people)
Social dysfunction
A process that has undesirable consequences & may actually reduce the stability of society (ex. police committing policy brutality) but functionalist that in a healthy society it will over time work to reduce social dysfunction
Conflict theory (by Karl Max & Max Weber)
Views society as a never-ending competition for limited resources, where people compete for social, political, and material resources like money, land, & power
In conflict theory, what are the two social classes in society?
- Bourgeoisie
- Proletariat
Bourgeoisie
Is the ruling class (upper class) which own most of the production (& try their best to stay in power)
Proletariat
Is the working class which provides labor
Hegemony
A coerced acceptances of the values, expectations, & conditions as determined by the capitalist class (where your at in social class is inevitable)
Class consciousness
When working-class realize the reason for their oppression (Karl Marxbelieved that the collapse of capitalism is inevitable)
Weber believed in Protestant / Puritan work ethic which was what?
Belief that lauded the maorality of hard work for the sake of godliness
Weber believed in Protestant / Puritan work ethic which was what?
Belief that lauded the maorality of hard work for the sake of godliness
________________ examines relationships between individuals & society by focusing on the exchange of information through language & symbols in 1 on 1 & small groups communications
Symbolic Interactionism
According to ______________ individuals make sense of the world around them by ascribing meaning to the symbols & language of their shared culture & theses meanings depend on both individual interpretation & social context
Symbolic interactionism
Symbolic interactionism holds the principle of meaning to be the central aspect of human behavior based on what?
- Humans ascribe meaning to things & act toward those things based on their ascribed meaning
- Language allows meaning through an interpretive thought process that observes & considered the reactions of others as well as the social context of these interactions
- Humans modify meaning through an interpretive thought process that observes & considered the reaction of others as well as the social context of theses interactions
Language, play & games are the primary ways that we interact with each other & interpret the role of the _______ & play a critical role in the formation of identity
Self (Language being the most impactful)
“I” represents what?
The individualistic self where represents the part of the self that is the active agent & acts on other people & things & has its own autonomy & will
“Me” represents what?
The social self, others acting & interpreting our behavior & we are the objects of their actions & interpretations
Thomas Theorem
The theory is that the interpretation of a situation affects the response to that situation
Dramaturgical approach
Views people as theatrical performers & everyday life as a stage (ppl decide what kind of image they want others to view them as)
Social constructionism belive what?
That people actively shape their reality through social interactions, reality is therefore something that is socially constructed rather than inherent
Typification
Our individual stock of knowledge allow classify objects & actions we observe quickly & routinely structure our own action in immediate response to
____________ is concerned with the social experience of both men & women & the difference between these experiences
Feminist theory
______________ sociologist try to understand both social structures that contribute to gender difference & the effects of gender difference on individual interactions & is related to feminism where they seek to establish men & women as equals in terms of social rights, roles, statuses, etc
Feminist
Intersectionality
Posits that various human aspects subject to societal oppression (like class, race, sexual orientation, & gender) don’t exist isolated & separated from each other but instead have complex influential & interwoven relationships
Rational choice theory can include what?
Social change theory, game theory, rational actor theory
___________ brings a decidedly economic approach to the analysis of why, when, and how people interact
Rational choice
In all ____________ theory, people seek to maximize the benefits they gain and minimize the disadvantages they sustain in all of their social interactions
rational choice
All rational choice theory believe that human behavior are ___________________
Utilitarian
Utilitarian is based on what two assumptions?
- That individual humans are rational in their actions
- That in every human interaction, individuals will seek to maximize their own self-interest
Is Rational choice theory macro or micro sociological theory?
Both
________________ are complexes of roles, norms, and values organized into a relatively stable form that contribute to social order by governing the behavior of people
Social institutions
What are the different social institutions in the US?
Educational systems, family, religions, government, and healthc are systems
What are the 5 functions that family serves?
- Reproduction and the monitoring of sexual behavior
- Protection
- Socialization-passing down norms and values of society
- Affection and companionship
- Social status- social position if often based on family background and reputation
What is a nuclear family?
Family consisting of direct blood relations
What is an extended family?
Grandparent , aunts, uncles, and others are included
Monogamy
Refers to a form of marriage in which two individuals are married only to each other
Polygamy
Allows an individual to have multiple wives or husbands at the same time
What are the two subtypes of polygamy?
- Polygyny
- Endogamy
Polygyny
Refers to a man married to more than one woman while polyandry refers to a woman marries to more than one man
Endogamy
Refers to the practice of marrying within a particular group, Exogamy refers to a requirement to marry outside a particular group with it being the norm in almost all cultures
Kinship (kin)
How we think about who we are related to
If kin groups involved both maternal and paternal relations its called what?
Bilateral descent
Preference for paternal and maternal relations is called _____________ & ______________ descent
Patrilineal & Matrilineal
In a patriarchy Family
Men have more authority than women and in a matriarchy, women have more authority than men
In an egalitarian family
Spouses are treated equals and may be involved in more negotiations when making decisions
Educational _________ functions are to systematically pass down knowledge and to give status to those who have been educated
manifest
Educational ______________ functions include socialization, serving as agents of change, and maintaining social control
Latent
What are the 4 forms of religious organizations?
- Ecclesia
- Church
- Sect
- Cult/New religious movement
Ecclesia
A dominant religious organization that includes most members of society, is recognized as the national or official religion and tolerates no other religions
Church
A type of religious organization that is well-integrated into the larger society. Church membership tends to occur by birth but most churches allow people to join
Sect
A religious organization that is distinct from that od the larger society, sects are often formed by breaking away from larger religious institutions.
Cult/New religious movement
A religious organization that is far outside society’s norms and often involves a very different lifestyle
What are the five major world religions?
- Christianity
- Islam
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Judaism
Christianity
Is the largest single faith in the world, with about 30% of the population across the world identifying as Christians & about 8-0% of people in the US identifying as Christians. Its monotheistic & its followers believe in Jesus, the afterlife & judgement day
Islam
Is the 2nd largest religion in the world & its followers are known as Muslims & 20-25% of the world population is Muslim. Its monotheistic (allah) & they believe in Mohammad, afterlife & judgement day
Hinduism
Is a polytheistic religion (many gods) & believes in reincarnation or rebirth after death
Buddhism
Teaches overcoming cravings for physical or material pleasures primarily through meditative practice
Judaism
Monotheistic & believe in the ten commandments &that if the ten commandments are followed god will paradise the earth
Secularization
The process through which religion loses its social significance in modern societies
Religiosity
Refers to the extent of influence of religion in a person’s life
Fundamentalists
Adhere strictly to religious beliefs
Aristarchic governments
Are controlled by small groups of people selected based on specific qualifications with decision-making power & the public is not involved in political decision
Monarchic governments
Are controlled by a single person or a selective small group who inherited leadership
Authoritarian government
Consist of unelected leaders the public have no control over representation (totalitarianism where have over public & private life)
Democratic government
Consist of elected leaders & the public and public has some degree of political decision making power through either direct decision or representation
Direct democracies
Governments in which there is direct public participation
Representative democracies
Government in which there is indirect public participation through the election of representatives
Oligarchic governments
Are less clear as leaders can be elected or unelected, the public might have the power to elect representations but people have little influence in directing decision and social change (control by a small group of people with shared interest)
___________________ government consider their countries to be public concerns and are thus democratic in nature, meaning that the people have the supreme power in these societies
Republican
Federalist government
Included a governing representative head that shares power with constituent groups
Parliamentary governments
Include both executive and legislative branches that are interconnected
Presidential governments
Also include organzing branches as well as a head of state
Anarchy
Societies without a public government basically “lawless”
Economics
Is concerned with the production, distrubtion, and consumption of resources
What are the 4 types of economics?
- Command
- Market
- Mixed
4.Traditional
Command economics (planned economics)
Economic decision are based on a plan of production and the means of production are often public (state-owned)
Market economics
Economics decision are based on the market (supply & demand) and the means od production are often private these include laissez-faire and free market economics
Mixed economics
Blend elements of command and market economics with both public and private ownership
Traditional economics
Consider social customs in economic decisions, this practice is most common in rural areas and often involves bartering and trading
Capitalism
An economic system in which resources and production are mainly privately own (whole concept is to promote higher quality & lower price of goods)
Socialism
Is an economic system where resources and production are collectively owned & are designed to satisfy human needs (goods/services are produced for direct use instead of for profit)
Communism
Is a specific socialist structure in which there is common ownership of the means of production but the absence of currencies, classes, & states, based on shared economic, political, and social ideologies
Welfare capitalism
Is a system in which most of the economy is private with the exception of extensive social welfare programs to serve certain needs within society
State capitalism
Is a system in which companies are privately run but work closely with the government in forming laws & regulations
Mechanical solidarity
Allows society to remain integrated because individuals have common beliefs that lead to each person having the same fundamental experience
Organic solidarity
Allows society to integrate through a division
Medicalization
The process by which a condition comes to be reconceptualized as a disease states with a medical diagnosis and a medical treatment
Social epidemiology
Studies how social organizations contributes to the prevalence, incidence, and distribution of disease across and within populations
