charon

Question 1

• Max weber says we are unequal in three arenas in society

Answer 1

the economic order, the social order and the political order

Question 2

. 4 reasons that social structure becomes unequal:

Answer 2

1) the division of labor
2) social conflict- winners and losers
3) the institution of private property and the ability to accumulate wealth
4) the interplay of power, prestige and privilege

Question 3

• division of labor

Answer 3

dividing activities among people in an organization: diversity of occupations, division between employers and employees, and division between leaders and followers. An important cause of social inequality

Question 4

• Iron law of oligarchy-

Answer 4

Michel’s view that organization inevitably creates oligarchy when leaders are chosen. Oligarchy-rule by few

Question 5

traditional vs rational organization

Answer 5

• For many centuries, these organizations were traditional- head of community chosen based on blood. It decides position. Now, they are chosen by qualifications.- rational organization
• Max weber describes modern structures as bureaucratic.
• Both traditional and rational organization brings social inequality created on purpose, by people who wish to organize and control other people

Question 6

The fortunate have both (blank) and (blank)

Answer 6

both power and privilege

Question 7

5 mechanisms seem to bring about stability in inequality

Answer 7

• 1) efforts of the powerful, 2) social institutions 3) culture 4) socialization 5) instruments of force

Question 8

the 2 aspects of freedom

Answer 8

: freedom of thought and freedom of action.

Question 9

reality is (blank) constructed

Answer 9

socially constructed

Question 10

poor (blank) hurts ones ability to think freely

Answer 10

knowledge

Question 11

sanctions

Answer 11

Social controls on actions like punishments or rewards

Question 12

Control over thinking is highly social, arising from ……

Answer 12

culture, language, structure, lack of knowledge and lack of good thinking

Question 13

values

Answer 13

• Values are our commitments and reflect our image of what is good and what is not good. They are the standards by which we judge people
• There is no way for us to prove that our values are better than someone else’s

Question 14

ethnocentrism

Answer 14

• The tendency for people in a social organization to regard their own culture as central to the universe and believe their own ideas, values, and rules must be true and right; leads to judging other people according to how close they are to this culture. It Is a feeling that owns own socially created culture is right. Makes us loyal to the social organization
-social interaction creates it. (we cant socialize with everyone) loyalty to an organization encourages it. the creation of deviance encourages it. it exists because we want to rationalize our actions.

Question 15

• Organizations differ from one another for 3 reasons

Answer 15

1) interaction isolates and differentiates them 2) their histories are unique 3) their situation in the world and the problems they must solve, must develop different social patterns

Question 16

Misery

Answer 16

a state of chronic suffering and unhappiness. More likely to find misery in a person struggling to survive (poor vs rich)

Question 17

what are the 4 social causes of misery that sociologists focus on

Answer 17

social inequality, destructive social conflict, and socialization, and alienation

Question 18

social inequality is linked to misery in what 7 ways

Answer 18

it produces poverty, contributes to crime, forces some people to work at bad jobs, facilitates the exploitation of some by others, creates low self esteem and loss of hope, contributes to high levels of stress throughout society and forms institutions that produce and maintain misery

Question 19

Conflict

Answer 19

conflict-humans in a struggle within social interaction.
• Competition-a form of conflict that take place within clearly specified and accepted rulers
• This is one kind of conflict that is “constructive social conflict”
• Destructive social conflict is characterized by intense anger and the desire to destroy or hurt one’s opponent. Such conflict often escalates and becomes increasingly violent, inflicting physical and emotional harm on the victims. It ends in harm to others while ignoring the real issues between people that create the conflict in the first place- cause of MISERY

Question 20

socialization and misery

Answer 20

• A life without affection and support in the early years of socialization becomes an important source of misery for the actor and often, for others with whom the actor interacts
• Socialization is also important for the development of self-control. To become independent. Without it, we will act compulsively. May also fail to develop our consciousness
-those who are socialized by people who live lives of misery often follow lives of misery
-those who are socialized to expect As become sad when they get a B

Question 21

alienation and misery

Answer 21

• Alienation=separation. Sociologists use it to describe 1)separation from other people (isolation), 2) separation from meaningful work 3) separation from ourselves as active beings

Question 22

Communitarianism

Answer 22

a theory or perspective that emphasizes a balance between responsibility and freedom in society. It criticizes those who care only for themselves rights are very important, but community is also important

Question 23

can an individual influence his own life

Answer 23

• Freedom of thought→ ability to direct one’s own life

* Because of social factors that control us, the ability to make our own choices is limited

Question 24

can an individual influence other individuals

Answer 24

• Yes we do make a big difference on others and they make a big difference on us
• People almost always forget what they are taught because it is not useful to them
• Many are actively influencing others at the same time I am trying
• My influence on another may be far more unintentional than intentional
• The influence of one individual on another is difficult to achieve in exactly the way that is intended
• Our actions will often have a harmful influence on those with whom we interact- harassment etc

Question 25

can an individual influence social organization

Answer 25

• It is much more difficult to have an influence on a social organization than an individual
• There are established patterns in society and for one of us to decide to abandon these patterns or to change them radically upsets the relationships we have with others. Anyone who tries to radically change those patterns threatens the organization, and its success.
• People can affect an organization within the bounds of social patterns, helping it achieve its goals or obstructing it. This kind of success/change does not normally affect the social patterns.
• Some individuals do have a large impact and the potential to change social patterns, however. This is much harder and rarer than influencing an org. that difference is usually small and unintentional

Question 26

true or false: social change exists in all social organization

Answer 26

true.. every organization continuously changes.

• Every action of every individual alters society a little bit
• Societies have rates of social change- traditional societies change slower than modern ones

Question 27

change depends on (blank)

Answer 27

(social power) • The individual can change an organization only if he or she has some basis for power.
• Social power means the ability to achieve one’s will in relation to others. Depends on resources.
• Most people in power usually don’t want change.
• Even if a person desires change, others will power will resist the change.
• Change usually occurs because people join together to form a power base.

Question 28

social conflict can often lead to (blank)

Answer 28

change

• The third sociological principle is that change results more from social conflict than from the acts of any individual group.
• Most sociologists see conflict as inevitable

Question 29

true or false: Change is less Likely When the Social Situation Favors it

Answer 29

false: • A 4th principle is that individuals, groups, and social conflict are most likely to change an organization when the social situation favors it.
• Certain factors like the humiliation of Germany in WW1 made hitler successful. Without the social context he wouldn’t have gotten into power

Question 30

most lasting change results from (blank)

Answer 30

social trends- • A 5th principle to which most sociologists subscribe is that much of what we call social change results from impersonal social trends over which individual actors have little control

Question 31

social trend

Answer 31

change that arises from the actions of many individuals who act in a similar direction and produce a cumulative effect on society; partly as a result of individuals attempting to deal with everyday situations without intending to change society. Trends are long lasting, far reaching, general developments that have important impacts on social patterns in society. Once begun, it is hard to stop
• Ex. Urbanization, industrialization

Question 32

Emile Durkheim’s View of Religion

Answer 32

• to durkheim, religion was the creation of the sacred
Durkheim believed religion was a set of beliefs and practices that divide the universe into 2 parts: the sacred and the profane (sacred-regarded as special) (profane- the physical and normal things part of everyday life)
• Religious practices determine how people are supposed to act in the presence of sacred objects
• To him, religion was a statement that there was more out there than the profane
• We treat the profane different than the sacred. Sacred is created through social life. Sacredness can apply to things, people and rituals. Violation of the sacred violates the community.

Question 33

Max Weber’s View of Religion

Answer 33

•to weber, religion was a central part of one’s culture
Emphasized the social aspect to religion and said that it was central to a people’s culture. Said it was used as a cultural tool to add meaning to a person’s life. Over time these beliefs are organized into a church. The religion influences everything in society like the government. People even fight wars over it.
• He wrote a lot about religion, including, the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. He showed that people are moved by religious values. Said that rather than economics influencing religion, the converse was occurring.
• Idea is that religion was an important basis for a persons ideas and values
• Said the conflict that occurred in religion generated change. This religious change in turn creates larger societal changes.
• Said that secularization will probably accompany the modernization that is occurring.

Question 34

peter berger’s view of religion

Answer 34

•to berger, religion is a way of giving understanding and importance to human existence
Says that religion is the way that people in a community make sense out of the reality they live in. it helps us understand why people do good and bad things.
• For him, religion lets us see beyond the scientific and profane to find a meaningful, more permanent universe. Religion helps us see our lives as important, our actions as worthwhile, our places as special. It brings meaning to our lives

Question 35

Max Weber’s View of Religion

Answer 35

• Emphasized the social aspect to religion and said that it was central to a people’s culture. Said it was used as a cultural tool to add meaning to a person’s life. Over time these beliefs are organized into a church. The religion influences everything in society like the government. People even fight wars over it.
• He wrote a lot about religion, including, the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. He showed that people are moved by religious values. Said that rather than economics influencing religion, the converse was occurring.
• Idea is that religion was an important basis for a persons ideas and values
• Said the conflict that occurred in religion generated change. This religious change in turn creates larger societal changes.
• Said that secularization will probably accompany the modernization that is occurring.

Question 36

peter berger’s view of religion

Answer 36

• Says that religion is the way that people in a community make sense out of the reality they live in. it helps us understand why people do good and bad things.
• For him, religion lets us see beyond the scientific and profane to find a meaningful, more permanent universe. Religion helps us see our lives as important, our actions as worthwhile, our places as special. It brings meaning to our lives

Question 37

Religion

Answer 37

a view of the universe that through beliefs and practices identifies a special, separate, sacred world apart from our physical, mundane, profane, everyday existence. It is socially created, it is part of human culture, and it has an important impact on human action as well as the continues existence of a community
• Organized religion is not the same as spiritual

Question 38

Spiritual

Answer 38

religious in the sense that an individual believes that there is more to life than profane. This includes those who accept an organized religion as well as hose who hold individualistic beliefs and practices that focus on the sacred. Belief in god is not necessary for one to be spiritual, but one believes in more than just the physical aspects of the universe

Question 39

Sects

Answer 39

smaller than denominations and are critical of society and other religions. The sect works within society and competes with established religions rather than seeking isolation by cults from society

Question 40

Cult

Answer 40

smaller, less established in society than sects. The cult pulls away from society

Question 41

3 social functions of religion

Answer 41

social solidarity, protecting group identity and control over the individual

social solidarity- durkheim said that religion brings people into a community.

Question 42

civil religion

Answer 42

a political philosophy taught and practiced by its citizens that values democracy, pluralism, and diversity; functions like a religion; has become more important than any single organized religion. Is sacred in its own right; and is thus important for bringing people together into community

Question 43

just universe

Answer 43

religion says that there will always be consequences for one’s actions. go to hell etc. serves to control