Lecture 1 (sociology)

Question 1

What is sociology?

Answer 1

The study of society and the individual in relationship to society.

Question 2

What are the two classifications of sociology?

Answer 2

1. Macrosociology

2. Microsociology

Question 3

Macrosociology

Answer 3

🔹Looks at society as a whole.
🔹Looks at LARGE-scale social structures and how these structures affect groups/individuals.
🔹 Positions within these social structures determine human behavior. (Roles, institutions, etc.)
🔹 ex. The healthcare system (structure) contributes to inequality in society because it allows for different methods/quality of care according to the patients financial status.

Khan: looking for “patterns” in the populations; war, poverty, economy, functionalism, conflict theory (society is made up of institutions that benefit the powerful and create inequalities).

Question 4

Microsociology

Answer 4

🔹Looks at individual interactions (smallest building blocks) and works its way upward to larger structures.
🔹Human behavior is the result of an individuals interpretation of a social situation.
🔹ex. The interaction between a physician and a patient can reflect social inequality if the physician decides to treat the patient differently based on the financial status of the patient (unethical, yet common).

Khan: looking at the everyday social interactions between individuals or small groups, families, schools. Look at a sample of society and interpret how their interactions would affect the "patterns" of the larger-scale society (macro-).
Ex. How family dynamics affect the expression of prejudice attitudes, how a teachers expectations will affect a students grades, etc. 
symbolic interactionism (the significance/meaning that individuals give to objects, events, symbols, etc)

Question 5

What are the 7 major sociological theories?

Answer 5

1. Functionalism (structural functionalism)
2. Conflict theory
3. Symbolic interactionism
4. Social constructionism
5. Rational choice theory
6. Social exchange theory
7. Feminist theory

Question 6

Functionalism

• Person associate
• Scope (macro/micro)
• Basic premise

Answer 6

A theory that views society as a complex system composed of many individual parts working together to maintain solidarity and social stability.

Compares society to a living organism maintaining homeostasis (stability). Families, individuals, groups, communities work together in society. It is a macro-level theory, meaning that it focuses on elements that shape society as a whole. 🌎

❗️Émile Durkheim: one of the founders of modern sociology, who pioneered modern social research and established the field of sociology as separate from psychology and political philosophy. He asserted that modern society is complex and requires many different types of people working together to make the society function. A dynamic equilibrium occurs when multiple independent parts in a society work together toward social stability. The individual is only significant in terms of their contribution to society.

Question 7

Functionalism:

manifest function v. latent function

Answer 7

Manifest function: the intended function of a social structure (obvious)

Latent function: unintended function of a social structure (not obvious)

Ex. Going to college
M: earn a degree, obtain better paying job, education
L: student debt

Question 8

Conflict theory

Answer 8

Views society as a competition for limited resources.

Macrosociology

Karl Marx: founder modern society and conflict theory, asserted that societies progress through class struggle.

Max Weber: refined Marx’s theory and stated that there could be more than one source of conflict, such as conflict over inequalities in political power and social status. He suggested that a persons reaction to inequality can be altered according to social mobility (moving up).

Question 9

Founders of sociology

Answer 9

1. Émile Durkheim
2. Karl Marx
3. Max Weber

Question 10

Symbolic interactionism

Answer 10

People act toward things based on the meaning those things have for them. Ex. A diamond ring on a persons hand aka don’t hit on them, they’re married. Human life is lived in the symbolic domain (labels, brands, etc) that are culturally derived. Prejudice, racism, stigma can also be considered a symbol.

It is a micro level theory.

George Herbert Mead: founder of social psychology. The self is developed through 3 social activities: language, play, and games.

Question 11

Social constructionism

Answer 11

A theory that “reality” is not inherent, instead socially constructed. Anything that appears to be natural, but is largely an invention of a given society. Ex. Childhood: some cultures conceptualize childhood differently.. 5 year old student, worker, soldier, etc. I’m
🔹Can be both Micro or Macro-level theory.🔹

Question 12

Symbolic interactionism VS. Social constructionism

Answer 12

Symbolic: focuses on symbols related to Doctor (white coat, etc), looks at how doctors and patients might use these symbols when interacting with each other. How symbols are used in a relationship. MICRO.

Social constructionism: focuses on the social construct of health, illness, healthcare, etc. Looks at how these concepts are transmitted through socialization, might consider individual interactions (DR/pt) or groups (govt/insur). MACRO/MICRO.

Question 13

Rational choice theory

Answer 13

Suggests that people make decisions by comparing costs/benefits of various courses of actions: try to maximize benefits and reduce costs. People will anticipate the outcomes, calculate their best option that will give them the greatest satisfaction.

MICRO level theory.

Question 14

Social exchange theory

Answer 14

People assign rewards (benefits) and punishments (costs) to interactions and prefer those with the greatest personal benefit.
Doing something you don’t like to gain the most out of the relationship.

MICRO level theory.

BEHAVIOR = reward - cost

Question 15

Feminist theory

Answer 15

Different perspectives on different experiences and treatment of men v. women. Emerged from 19th/20th centuries, advocating for the political, economic, and social rights of women.
Know the 3 “waves”:
1) 1900, focuses on women’s suffrage, right to vote, own property, equal marriage rights, and work for wages.
2) 1960/70, focuses on women’s liberation, gender equality, sexual rights, reproductive rights, resisting patriarchal culture.
3) 1980, focuses on any areas not covered in 1&2 wave, called the “white feminist wave”, mostly middle-class Caucasian women. Still continues today?

Question 16

Intersectionality

Answer 16

The study of overlapping systems of oppression (gender, race, class, sexuality, etc) and can be used to understand how systematic injustice and social inequality occur on a multidimensional basis. Examines all of the factors that contribute to inequality.

MACRO/micro level theory

Question 17

What is a social institution?

Answer 17

Standardized sets of social norms organized to preserve a basic societal value. (School, hospitals, government, family, religion)

Question 18

Manifest function

Answer 18

The intended outcome to an action (getting a degree for going to college)

Question 19

Latent function

Answer 19

The unintended outcome of an action (finding a husband in college)