Exam 1 Flashcards
What are the 3 factors contributing to the emergence of sociological theory?
Economic: industrial revolution
Political: French revolution
Intellectual: search for humanism & science over church
Comte’s Law of three stages
There are 3 stages of human mental development:
-theological stage (fictitious or supernatural)
-metaphysical stage (abstract or speculation)
-positivistic stage (scientific or empirical)
Comte’s hierarchy of the sciences
Math, astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, sociology (MAPCBS)
Comte’s social statics and dynamics
statics (order)
dynamics (change)
Comte’s body social
society is a biological organism held together by adaptation and growth
Comte’s theories (4)
law of 3 stages, hierarchy of the sciences, social statics and dynamics, and body social
What type of sociologist is Comte?
Functionalist
Spencer’s organismic analogy
Society goes through stages of growth, differentiation (division of labor), integration (labor depends on one another), and adaptation just like an organism
the body has different parts that work together just as an organism.
Spencer’s theory of super-organic dynamics
Super-organisms can grow and develop. An increase in size means an increase in complexity. Parts of the whole are inter-dependent, and a change in one affects other parts
Spencer’s stages of societal evolution
-Simple, without a head. no real government
-simple with a head, formal government
-compound
-double compound
-trebly compound
goes from simple to complex
According to spencer, what are the 3 basic functional subsystems of a super-organic system?
-Operative/sustaining system: groups that produce goods (family/economic)
-Regulatory system: groups that maintain political order (gov’t, military)
-Distributive system: Linking the system with transportation (roads, railway, communication)
What kind of sociologist is Spencer?
Structural functionalist
Spencer’s theories
super-organic body, stages of societal evolution
3 intellectuals that inspired Marx
Hegel- German Idealism
Saint Simon- French socialism
British political economy- adam smith
Marx’s historical materialism
When primary needs are met, secondary needs come up. Materialism views production and reproduction as fundamental for social change
Marx’s dialectic materialism
competing material interests create tension toward some form of revolution, which creates social change
Marx’s labor theory of value and surplus value
Surplus of profit only comes from the exploitation of labor
Marx’s theory of alienation
workers create products, but they don’t know where they go. This makes them alienated from the means of production. Alienation is dehumanization
Marx’s theory of false consciousness
working class people don’t see capitalists as their enemy. they are influenced by the bourgeoisie, which prevents them from seeing the true nature of their exploitation
What kind of sociologist is Marx?
A conflict theorist
Marx’s theories
Historical and dialectic materialism, surplus value, alienation, false consciousness
Idealism vs materialism
Comte viewed evolution of mankind as the evolution of ideas, whereas marx viewed it as the evolution of material advance in the mode of production
Functionalism vs conflict theory
Spencer: value-consensus and conflict is a pathological state
Marx: power-coercion and conflict is ubiquitous and a driving force of social change
Weber’s theory of verstehen
an approach used to determine subjective meanings people attach to their actions as these meanings are related to intentions, values, and beliefs that underlie behavior.
Weber’s theory of ideal type
allows sociologists to ignore minor differences to accentuate major similarities
Weber’s 3 types of authority/domination
traditional: based on popular belief of age-old rules
charismatic: belief in a person w/extraordinary character
Rational-legal: belief in state’s constitution and laws
Weber’s theory of rationalization/bureaucracy. Pros/Cons?
B came into being as a result of rationalization. It serves to make enterprises become operational.
B is superior, but it leads to depersonalization. It is a system of an iron cage.
Weber’s characteristics of Bureaucracy
division of labor, hierarchy of authority, special skills and knowledge required, career advancement, loyalty to org rather than individual.
Weber’s protestant ethic
Protestantism and Capitalism appeared at the same time. Protestant values of hard work, sobriety, and restraint led to capitalism.
Weber vs marx
Marx believed in a single dimensional view of stratification. Weber believed that class was not the only source of conflict in society.
What kind of sociologist is Weber
conflict theorist
Simmel’s sociation and web of group affiliation
society is a sociation of individuals who are in constant interaction with each other. not an organism
Simmel’s primary and secondary group relations
In simple society, groups were formed organically and around groups such as families. Limited by residence and ethnicity.
In complex society, groups are formed from a natural basis where individuals have more choice and freedom of who they associate with.
Simmel’s theory on money
money constitutes as a form of interaction
money objectifies/depersonalizes the social life
-money as a unit of social change has become a major force behind the evolutionary process.
money commodifies everything which modifies the nature of interpersonal interaction
Simmel’s conflict as a social form
Within groups: conflict strengthens ties with people in groups.
Between groups: Increases the degree of group solidarity, also increases alliances with other groups`
What kind of sociologist is Simmel?
Relational sociologist
Durkheim’s mechanical solidarity
Undifferentiated social structure with little division of labor. Held together by a sense of oneness
Durkheim’s organic solidarity
Greater refined division of labor. Held together by inter-dependence and need for survival
Durkheim’s types of suicide
Egoistic: weak conformity
Altruistic: strong conformity
Anomic: under-regulation
Fatalistic: overregulation
What kind of sociologist is Durkheim?
Structural functionalist
