Core Theory Flashcards
Define society.
A group of people who live in a definable community and share the same culture. Consists of people, institutions, shared beliefs and cultural ideas.
Define social institutions.
Mechanisms/patterns of social order focused on meeting social needs. For example, the government, economy, education, family, and religion.
What is the structuralist theory?
Aka top down theory. They believe that those with higher social positions in society create and passed down ideology.
What is the social action theory?
Aka bottom up theory. They believe that society is constructed by the people within the society.
Who are structuralists?
- Marxists
- Feminists
- Functionalist
Who are social action theorists?
- Liberal feminists
What is consensus theory?
Believe that the members in society work together towards a common shared goal.
What do consensus theorists believe in?
Social solidarity and social cohesion.
What is social solidarity and social cohesion?
Social solidarity - refers to a society where the individuals are connected to and supported by one another
Social cohesion - society working together in a peaceful and effective way
What is conflict theory?
Believe that society functions based on the conflicts between the majority and minority groups.
Eg, patriarchy and capitalism.
What are functionalist?
Consensus theorists.
Who are the major functionalist?
- Parson’s
- Durkheim
- Murdock
What are Marxists?
Structural conflict theory.
Who are the major Marxists?
- Karl Marx
- Engels
- Althusser
What are Feminists?
Structural conflict theorists.
Who are the major Feminists?
- Greer
- Somerville
- Oakley
Who are the major late modernists?
- Beck
- Giddens
Who are the major post modernists?
- Ballard
- Baudrillard
Who are interactionsts?
Instead of trying to explain human behaviour in the context of large social structures or fundamental conflicts or cleavages in society, they look on a smaller level, acknowledging that humans have agency and are not swept away by forces outside their control and create their own meanings.
What is the patriarchy?
A social system in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property.
What is capitalism?
An economic system based on market competiton and the pursuit of profit, in which the means of production or capital are privately owned by individuals or corporations.
What is the infrastructure?
The economy system divided into two phenomenon; the means of production (raw materials) and the relations of production (people for production).
What is the superstructure?
The ideas, philosophies, and cultures that are built upon the means of production.
Eg, capitalist ideologies.
