Lecture 3

Question 1

What is the ‘Paradox of Sociology’?

Answer 1

the things we want to observe and explain can’t normally be directly observed

Uses specialised meta language to understand social problems

Question 2

How do sociologists use metalanguage?

Answer 2

How people use words

Ex. discourse

Question 3

How can people approach social phenomenons differently? (example)

Answer 3

The palestine protest in modern time is an example

One researcher might see this protest as normal in a democratic society

Another might see it as a hindrance that must be addressed

Question 4

What was Auguste Comte’s solution to prevent upheaval (violent change) ?

Answer 4

to focus sociological eyes on two forces

1. Statis
   (how social institutions were able to remain largely the same over time)
   Ex. laws
2. Kinesis
   (how and why societies change)
   Ex. technology

Question 5

What was Emile Durkheim’s normative?

Answer 5

Identified two kinds of phenomena

1. Those that are normal
2. Those that are not normal that suggest societal dysfunction

Crime is bad, but for society as a whole it is not, because it reminds everyone there is rules to follow

Question 6

What is levels of analysis?

Answer 6

To be able to see different, values, and social forces work in the same situation

gives a way of focusing on particular aspects of a social situation

Question 7

What is micro, meso and macro levels of analysis?

Answer 7

Micro - studies about small groups of people

Meso - middle level of analysis of groups/organizations

Macro - focuses on the bigger picture of society and its institutions

Question 8

What did Willy Martinussen do?

Answer 8

organized sociological explanation into two dimensions

1. the level of analysis
2. whether they focus on structure (institutions) or agency (individual choices)

Question 9

What is a paradigm?

Answer 9

description of the interactions of human beings with a society

Question 10

What is another word for sociological theory?

Answer 10

Paradigm

Question 11

What is structural functionalism?

Answer 11

examines structures of society (family)

Question 12

Which theory does not focus on social change?

Answer 12

structural funcionalism

Question 13

What is symbolic interactionism?

Answer 13

Focuses on the meaning of daily social interactions

Aims to understand society as a whole

Question 14

What are the 4 C’s of conflict oriented Paradigms?

Answer 14

Contestation
Conflict
Class
Change

Question 15

What is a conflict oriented paradigm?

Answer 15

the idea that conflict exists in all large societies due to unequal access to resources

Question 16

What is conflict theory?

Answer 16

prioritizes the perspective of marginalized groups

ex. marxism, feminism