Chapter 8: Social Structure Flashcards
Functionalism
a view that conceptualizes society as a living organism with many different parts and organs, each of which has a distinct purpose
Emile Durkheim
Macro-level perspective
Emile Durkheim
considered the father of sociology, was the pioneer of modern social research and established the field as separate and distinct from psych and political philosophy;
believed modern societies were more complex than primitive societies; argued that people in modern society were quite dissimilar but still relied on each other to make the society function
believed that society should always be viewed holistically - as a collective of social facts, rather than individuals
Dynamic equilibrium
Durkheim proposed that complex societies involved many different but interdependent parts working together to maintain stability
Social facts
the elements that serve some function in society, such as laws, morals, values, religions, customs, rituals, and rules that make up society
Manifest functions
intended and obvious consequences of a structure
Latent functions
unintended or less recognizable consequences, and can be considered beneficial, neutral, or harmful
Social dysfunction
not all of the effects of social structures are good; a process that has undesirable consequences, and may actually reduce the stability of society
Conflict theory
views society as a competition for limited resources; social structures and institutions will reflect the competition in their degree of inherent inequality - those with the most power and influence will maintain their power by suppressing the advancement of others
Karl Marx and Max Weber
ignores the non-forceful ways in which people and groups reach agreements; approaches society more from the perspective of those who lack power; focuses on economic factors almost exclusively as the sole issues for conflict within society
macro-level perspective
Karl Marx
founding father of sociology; looked at the economic conflict between different social classes; argued that societies progress through class struggle between those who own and control production and those who labor and provide the manpower for production
Ludwig Gumplowicz
expanded upon Marx’s ideas by proposing that society is shaped by war and conquest, and that cultural and ethnic conflicts lead to certain groups becoming dominant over others
Max Weber
founding father of sociology; thought there could be more than one source of conflict; argued that there were several factors that moderated people’s reaction to inequality
Symbolic interactionism
micro-level perspective
sees society as the buildup of these everyday typical interactions; examines the relationships between individuals and society by focusing on communication - exchange of info through language and symbols
Particularly interested in symbols (objects) that people use to contribute values and beliefs to others; the individual is active in shaping her society
Society is constructed through human interpretation - people behave based on what they believe to be true; holds the principle of meaning to be the central aspect of behavior - humans ascribe meaning to things and act based on that, language allows us to generate meaning through interactions, humans modify meaning through an interpretive thought process
criticisms are that research may not be objective and theory focuses too narrowly on symbolic interaction
Social constructionism
people actively shape their reality through social interactions - it is something that is constructed not inherent
investigate how individuals and groups participate in the creation of social constructs - their perceived social reality
Social construct
concept or practice that is a construct of a group - everyone of the group agrees to treat a certain aspect in a certain way regardless of its inherent value (the group constructs its own view of that concept)
ex. how marriage is viewed by different people
Social institutions
complex of norms, roles, and values organized into a relatively stable form that contributes to social order by governing the behavior of people
Polygyny
a subtype of polygamy in which a man is married to more than one woman
Polyandry
a subtype of polygamy in which a woman is married to more than one man
Endogamy
the practice of marrying within a particular group
Exogamy
a requirement to marry outside a particular group;
ex. the norm in almost all cultures to prohibit sexual relationships between certain relatives
Bilateral descent
kin groups that involves both the maternal and paternal relations
Patrilineal descent
preference for paternal relations in kin groups
Matrilineal descent
preference for maternal relations in kin groups
Ecclesia
a dominant religious organization that includes most members of society, is recognized as the national or official religion, and tolerates no other religions; often integrated into political institution and people are born into it
ex. Iran with Islam
Church
well-integrated into the larger society; concerned with sacred and ordinary aspects of life and have well-stipulated rules and regulations; most are members by birth, but people can join later as well
Churches may be tied to the state (state church) or independent of it (denomination)
Ex. Catholic Church in US
Sect
distinct from larger society; often formed by breaking away from larger religious institutions; withdraw from society to practice their beliefs and may be fairly exclusive
ex. Mormons or the Amish
