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Sociology > key theories and terms introduction > Flashcards

key theories and terms introduction Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is sociology?

A

The systematic and scientific study of the social world

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2
Q

What is modernity?

A

A period of dramatic social change during the 19th century (Industrialisation)

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3
Q

What are the key features of modernity?

A

1) Industrialisation, manufacturing and capitalism
2) democracy and the state
3) knowledge and development of science and rational thinking

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4
Q

What is the enlightenment?

A

In the late 17th/early 18th century, people began to think more rationally and scientifically instead of religious thinking

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5
Q

What does a good sociologist do?

A

Create theories by collecting evidence and carrying out research in order to improve society and help governments to develop more effective policies

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6
Q

What should a good sociological theory be?

A

Unbiased, evidence based, not harmful or unethical, contains a representative sample, can be tested and is relevant

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7
Q

Name 3 modern sociological theories

A

Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism

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8
Q

What is nature vs nurture?

A

Nature = behaviour shaped by DNA (innate)
Nurture = behaviour is learned through socialisation

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9
Q

What is socialisation?

A

The process of learning the culture of a society

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10
Q

What is culture?

A

The whole way of life as a society, including language, traditions, skills, knowledge, beliefs, values, norms etc

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11
Q

What are norms?

A

Behaviour which is socially accepted within society

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12
Q

What are values?

A

General principles or goals that society judges to be important

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13
Q

What is primary socialisation?

A

Socialisation in the formative years, occurring largely in the family learning basic language and skills

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14
Q

What is secondary socialisation?

A

Socialisation later in life, at school and in wider society

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15
Q

What is gender?

A

The social and cultural characteristics associated with being masculine and feminine

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16
Q

What is sex?

A

Biological differences between male and female bodies

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17
Q

What are gender roles?

A

The patterns of behaviour expected from men and women arising from biological development (nature) or cultural contributions (nurture)

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18
Q

What is gender role socialisation?

A

Individuals learn to conform to their expected patterns of behaviour through different agencies of socialisation , e.g parents

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19
Q

What is canalisation?

A

The way in which parents channel children’s interests into toys or activities that are expected of that particular sex

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20
Q

What is a sociological perspective?

A

A way of looking at society

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21
Q

What are structural theories?

A

Sees individuals as entirely shaped by society and behaviour is shaped by social institutions, is macro (large scale)

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22
Q

What are social action theories?

A

Sees individuals as having free will and choice, believes people make up society, micro approach

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23
Q

What is postmedernism?

A

Believes there is no single theory able to explain the social world, disagrees with both structural and social action theories

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24
Q

What are consensus theories?

A

Argues changes that have occurred in society are positive, society is in broad agreement, people share a sense of what is right and wrong and that they belong to society, criticised for overlooking serious issues in society such as social injustice

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25
Q

What are conflict theories?

A

Regards society as being unequal and oppressive, some groups have more power over others, criticised for failing to acknowledge the positive aspects of society

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26
Q

What type of theory is functionalism?

A

consensus/structural

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27
Q

Name 2 key thinkers of functionalism

A

Durkheim and Parsons

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28
Q

How does functionalism view society?

A

As a system, a set of inter connected parts that depend on each other

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29
Q

What is organic analogy?

A

Compares society to the human body in the sense that all the parts work together - social institutions are interdependent like organs

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30
Q

What is collective conscience?

A

Society is in widespread agreement of norms and values, which binds people together

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31
Q

What is social solidarity?

A

A sense of belonging

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32
Q

What is social cohesion?

A

People live together in society without tension

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33
Q

What is value consensus?

A

Sharing the same cultural values, goals and norms

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34
Q

What is anomie?

A

Chaos/normlessness occurring when one part of society fails

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35
Q

What is the new right?

A

Political ideology that is anti welfare state and stresses individual self help and reliance, believes in the traditional family values and believes state intervention creates laziness

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36
Q

Who is a key new right thinker?

A

Charles Murray

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37
Q

What type of theory is marxism?

A

conflict/structural

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38
Q

Name 2 key marxist thinkers

A

Marx and Engles

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39
Q

What is marxism?

A

Disturbance by the effects of industrialisation on workers - low wages, poor conditions, long hours and emerging economic system of capitalism

40
Q

What is capitalism?

A

An economic system in which the means of production are owned by the minority

41
Q

How do marxists view society?

A

As a system whose driving force is the economy

42
Q

What are the key marxist concepts?

A

Almost all societies are based on class divisions between a dominant (bourgeoisie) and a subordinate (proletariat) class, bourgeoisie exploit proletariat for a profit

43
Q

What 2 types of production do the bourgeoisie own?

A

means of production and mental production

44
Q

What are ideologies?

A

A set of beliefs that serve or benefit powerful groups, spread by by agencies of socialisation/social institutions

45
Q

What is ideological domination?

A

Proletariat are brainwashed into thinking society is fair

46
Q

What is false class-consciousness?

A

The proletariat’s lack of awareness that they are being exploited

47
Q

How does the bourgeoisie coerce the proletariat into complying?

A

Police, court, prisons

48
Q

What is alienation?

A

Proletariat’s loss of autonomy, power, control, ownership and ones natural self

49
Q

What is class polarisation?

A

Capitalism will ultimately self destruct when there will eventually be only a few rich capitalists with most of the wealth, and the proletariat are left in poverty - widening gap between rich and poor

50
Q

What is class consciousness?

A

Awareness of exploitation

51
Q

What is a communist society?

A

Everything is shared and owned by the state

52
Q

What is feminism?

A

Theory that society is patriarchal and malestream

53
Q

What type of theory is feminism?

A

Conflict/structural

54
Q

When did feminist sociology first become influential?

A

1970s

55
Q

When was the first wave of feminism and what was it?

A

1840s-1920s
Focuses on legal equality- votes for women, property, educational and occupational rights

56
Q

When/what was the second wave of feminism?

A

1960s-1990s
Protests for social independence- workplace, sexual violence and reproductive rights

57
Q

When/what was the third wave of feminism?

A

1990s-present
Starts to recognise different types of women- intersectionality, third world feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, queer politics, CAGE groups , includes black and marxist feminism , argues previous feminism was essentialist

58
Q

When/what was the fourth wave of feminism?

A

Present
Includes the use of internet and social media to expose double standards, contemporary society takes into account ICT and globalisation e.g #metoo campaign

59
Q

What is essentialism?

A

The assumption that all women are affected by the patriarchy in the same way (mainly used by white, middle class women)

60
Q

Why do agencies of socialisation promote patriachal ideologies?

A

To keep women in a subordinate place in society

61
Q

What is the glass ceiling?

A

Women finding it harder to be promoted to top positions in the workplace as they tend to be male dominated

62
Q

What is the glass cliff?

A

A woman is appointed to a senior leadership role at a time of chaos or failure to take the blame for a man- seen in politics

63
Q

What is radical feminism?

A

Extreme end, are essentialists, women become dependent on men when they bear and care for infants, men are the enemy, systematic oppression- men have secured power over women, patriarchy is a systematic phenomenon

64
Q

What is a radical feminist solution?

A

Abolish the patriarchy, get rid of men

65
Q

What is marxist feminism?

A

Women are double oppressed through capitalism and the patriarchy, however mainly capitalism, unpaid work ( housework) and paid work is exploiting womens labour, reverse army of labour = women are second choice

66
Q

What is a marxist feminist solution?

A

Dismantling the capitalist system and embracing communsim

67
Q

What is liberal feminsim?

A

Gender inequality is due to social and cultural attitudes, and stems primarily from the ignorance of men (lack of education and knowledge), sexist and stereotypical attitudes are culturally constructed by gender role socialisation

68
Q

What is a liberal feminist solution?

A

Legal changes such as equal wages, no discrimination in the workplace, education, equal access to opportunities in employment/education

69
Q

What is black feminism?

A

Criticises the ethnocentricity (cultural bias) of most feminism for focusing on solely white women’s experiences, triple oppression = patriarchy, capitalism, racism, anti-essentialist, wants to incorporate intersectionality

70
Q

What is a black feminist solution?

A

Empowering women of colour and amplifying their voices and experiences, matriarchal households, fighting eurocentric/ethnocentric culture

71
Q

What is poststructuralist feminism?

A

Accuses white, western, middle class women of essentialism, there is no fixed idea about womanhood, women’s experiences are shaped by social class, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical appearance etc

72
Q

What is a poststructuralist feminist solution?

A

Making sure everyone’s experiences are heard and focusing on multiple perspectives

73
Q

What type of theory is symbolic interactionisim?

A

social action

74
Q

Name 2 key thinkers of symbolic interactionism

A

Mead and Blumer

75
Q

What is social interactionism?

A

We make sense of the world by attaching meanings to things, such as symbols that represent something else and get different reactions

76
Q

What things are not fixed?

A

Our actions, behaviour and meanings are subject to change as well as our reactions

77
Q

Who developed the labelling theory?

A

Becker

78
Q

What is labelling theory?

A

Humans interact with each other and create definitions of themselves which have major consequences on their identity and behaviour

79
Q

What is the process of labelling?

A

Applying a definition to, or categorising people or groups

80
Q

What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?

A

We become what others see us as, also known as the looking-glass self

81
Q

What is a master status?

A

A dominant identity overriding other aspects of a persons’ identity

82
Q

What is postmodernism?

A

A major intellectual movement arising in the 1970s. Emphasises their dissatisfaction with modern theories as they are outdated and no longer relevant due to todays diverse and globalised society

83
Q

Name a key postmodernist

A

Lyotard

84
Q

How has family changed through pre-modern, modern and postmodern society?

A

nuclear family, extended family, family diversity

85
Q

How has work changed through pre-modern, modern and postmodern society?

A

agricultural, industrial manufacturing jobs, service sector jobs

86
Q

How has communication changed through pre-modern, modern and postmodern society?

A

Face to face, television and newspapers, interactive global media

87
Q

How has religion changed through pre-modern, modern and postmodern society?

A

tradition magic and superstition, science and technological processes are good, science is no longer a source of truth

88
Q

How has identity changed through pre-modern, modern and postmodern society?

A

Group identity, occupation/social class identity, hybrid identity

89
Q

How has politics changed through pre-modern, modern and postmodern society?

A

non nation state, nation state, international governments

90
Q

What is fragmentation?

A

The postmodernist belief that society has become broken up in terms of culture and diversity, people are far more individualistic and there is less unity

91
Q

What is rapid social change?

A

The postmodernist belief that society is in a state of constant change that is unpredictable and marked by risk, instability and chaos

92
Q

What is globalisation?

A

The postmodernist belief that societies are becoming more interconnected in the world

93
Q

In what ways is the world interconnected?

A

PECS - politically, economically, culturally and socially

94
Q

What are some strengths of globalisation?

A

New employment opportunities, instant communication and international culture

95
Q

What are some limitations of globalisation?

A

Transnational corporations exploit their workers, global crime and climate change/global warming

96
Q

Why does Lyotard argue that there should not be only one single theory that explains the social world?

A

It is too complex and fragmented, so we need various viewpoints (relativist approach)

Sociology (2 decks)

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