Intro to Sociology Flashcards
What is sociology?
Is the investigation of different groups, societies, and organizations to see how people interact either good or bad within these contexts.
The systematic study of human behaviour and society.
Who is Auguste Comte?
He is a french philosopher from the 19th century, and he coined the word sociology.
What do we know about society?
- It constantly changes
- Individuals and groups struggle to adapt to the
changes - The changes are positive for society as a whole
- Society is a trial and error process
What is a rule
A system that we are told to follow, and if we don’t follow it there are often consequences.
A standard set of expectation for behaviour often outlined and recorded. Rules are more of an official thing.
What is a value
lasting beliefs of a society of what they deem good/bad, desirable/undesirable
What is a norm?
these are ‘rules’ set out for a particular role that is considered standard behaviour that is normal to society. Norms are more unofficial.
What methods do sociologists use to study people?
Surveys, observations, cohort studies, satistical collection and analysis, interviews, the study of trends and patterns in a society
What are the three schools of thought in sociology?
Structural functionalism, Conflict theory, Symbolic interactionalism.
What is Structural Functionalism?
The idea that a society is stable when the social institutions meet the need of the citizens
What are the 5 main institutions?
Politics, Religion, Education, Family, Economy
Which person is associated with structural-functionalism?
Emile Durkheim (He also made a controversial book on suicide, Pioneered modern statistical analysis.
What is Conflict Theory?
It is the study of competition between different groups for power, between the “haves” and the “have nots” Conflict theorists believe that Institutions are made to further alienate the poor and make them feel powerless, Conflict theory is also mostly political, or economical.
Who was the man behind conflict theory?
Karl Marx- A German Economic historian,
What is Symbolic Interactionism?
Follows the Idea of Microsociology, and that individuals act differently in different social situations because we attach different meanings to situations (the meaning of how we interact with that symbol)
- Humans attach meaning to objects & actions = symbolism
Who is Herbert Blumer?
An American sociologist, the founder of symbolic Interactionism.
