Midterm 1 Flashcards
Collective Conscience
The shared values of society
Functionalist Theories
Theories that examine how different elements of society collectively contribute to its overall function
Social Equilibrium
Balance and stability within a social system
Modernity
Shifts in society over time brought about by science, technology that contributed to an urban industrial economy
Social Solidarity
The collective bonds that connect
Conflict Theory
Society consists of diverse groups that are always in conflict with one another to acquire resources (wealth, power, prestige)
Modern Conflict Theory
Conflict theory but expanded to encompass more types of social conflict over more values (eg religion) and disparities in social values
Interactionist Perspective
Focuses on daily social interactions among individuals rather than overarching societal structures
Asserts that interactions are the best means of understanding greater societal dynamics
The theorists
Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber, Talcott Parsons
Karl Marx
Influenced conflict theory
Theories revolved around the working-class taking advantage of workers
Anti-capitalist!
Emile Durkheim
Influenced functionalism
Collective conscious, social solidarity, issues of the sacred and profane
Max Weber
influenced functionalism and conflict theory
Interested in how the modern world moved away from traditional ways of thinking
Believed bureaucracy did this. Necessities in bureaucracy:
1. division of labor
2. hierarchy
3. qualification based employment
4. rules and regulations
Also focused on charismatic leaderss
Talcott Parsons
“grand scale” theorist
social action theory, systems theory, AGIL system
Social Action Theory
linking individual actions to broader social systems
Systems Theory
Cultural system: values and norms shaping self-choices
Personal system: individual motives
Social system: interrelation between actors
AGIL system
Adaptation
Goal attainment
Integration
Latent Pattern Maintenance
four basic functions that any social system needs to perform to survive and thrive
sociological imagination
mindset that enables one to understand the larger historical scene in terms of its meaning for individuals (role of social forces in shaping society)
Types of social solidarity
mechanical solidarity:
common values and beliefs
limited division of labor
traditional society
collective conscience
organic solidarity:
division of labor
exchanges and services
modern society
interdependence
sacred and profane
sacred: protected
profane: prohibited, not collective
elements of bureaucracy according to max weber
division of labor
hierarchy
rules and regulations
qualification-based employment
Merton’s theory of deviance
conformity + +
monetary success, working hard
innovation + -
wealth through illegal means
ritualism - +
rejecting wealth, yes education
retreatism - -
rejecting ends and means (outsider)
rebellion - -
rejecting both and seeking to change systems
manifest and latent functions
manifest: intended and observed outcomes of an action or structure
latent: unintended or unrecognized outcome
false consciousness
one does not realize/understand their own oppression
breaking free from the system is impossible
the stratification systems
slavery
caste system- status determined by birth
estate system- ownership of land
social class- based on economic status, wealth, and income
stratification: structural-functionalist
stratification in essential for society to function
inequality exists in all societies and is necessary for maintaining order and efficiency
important jobs must offer more pay to attract prestige
poverty ensures “unskilled” labor is always done
stratification: conflict theory
social inequality is a source of conflict and unhappiness - not a societal necessity
stratification arises from an unequal distribution of resources (money, land, healthcare, education)
those in high levels control resource distribution & serve their own interests
US class distinctions
upper class
middle class
working class
poor
working class
people employed in factory, clerical, or low-wage sales jobs
economic instability
“unskilled” labor
classifications of poor
absolute deprivation:
capacity to secure fundamental necessities - consistent economic threshold
relative deprivation:
poor in relation to a specific standard/society
Oscar Lewis “culture of poverty”
poverty is not about lack of financial/economic resources, but about certain “traits” that keep the poor in a cycle of poverty
intersection of race and social class
“money whitens” - financial status can elevate racial status
lighter skin tones = better socio-economic status
civil rights movement legal acts
civil rights act of 1964
voting rights act of 1965
relationships between prejudice and discrimination
unprejudiced non-discriminator
prejudiced discriminator
prejudiced non-discriminator
unprejudiced discriminator
gender performativity
challenges traditional notions of gender as something inherent, fixed, and biologically determined
gender: biological perspective
biological differences between men and women influence their roles in society
differences in aggressiveness, cognitive ability, and strength
gender: conflict perspective
inherent conflict of interest between men and women shapes sex roles
women accept male dominance due to socialization
gender inequality becomes a social problem when women realize their oppression and possibility for change
economic competition contributes to sexual inequality
gender: functionalist
pre-industrial: practical considerations- men strength, women nursing
industrial:
instrumental (goal-oriented) for men
expressive (relationship-focused)
social problem arises when sex-role divisions no longer match society’s needs
gender: interactionist perspective
interaction patterns play a role in maintaining and reinforcing beliefs and practices related to gender inequality
gender inequality becomes a social problem when consensus and shared expectations about men and women’s roles are lacking
Max Weber and the state
defines the state as “a human community that claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory
Michael Mann’s types of power
despotic: physical force
infrastructural: state ability to infiltrate and influence our daily lives without physical force
Charles Tilly: formation of the state
wars and capital accumulation make states
civil religion
where symbols, values, and historical events acquire sacred significance (sacred and profane)
emergence of nation: modernist perspective
the nation is a result of specific social and economic developments (capitalism, industrialization, etc)
the state comes first
types of democracy
direct: citizens participate directly
representative: elect representatives
liberal: form of representative, emphasizes freedoms
polyarchy
elite democracy: elites are in control political processes
totalitarianism
complete control over political and social life by the state
using terror and propaganda to maintain control
authoritarianism
less extreme that totalitarianism
still relies on centralized control and often suppresses civil society
