Module 2 — Sociology and the Study of Society

Question 1

What are social norms?

Answer 1

Social norms are rules that define and prescribe normative behaviour, beliefs and views in society.

Question 2

What is society?

Answer 2

Society is the social construction that is shaped by historical, cultural, social, economic and political values which both liberates and constraints individuals.

Question 3

What is the role of society in our lives?

Answer 3

The role of society is to organize and shape our behaviour through formal and informal social structures and regulations to live in harmony together as individuals.

Question 4

What are formal social structures?

Answer 4

Formal social structures regulate our behaviour, beliefs and values through the interests of the ruling class elite and when failing to understand such values, behaviour is regulated through the ruling authorities and justice system.

Question 5

What are informal social structures?

Answer 5

Informal social structures are tougher to identify but they refer to regulation of behaviour through mannerism, body language and verbal communication. Ex. greetings to one another.

Question 6

What is social regulation?

Answer 6

Social regulation refers to regulating one’s behaviour through daily encounters to conform to existing social norms of society. Ex. rules against social exclusion.

Question 7

What is deviance?

Answer 7

Deviance refers to behaviour that resists and challenges the existing order of society.

Question 8

What is the Enlightenment?

Answer 8

The Enlightenment (aka. The Age of Reason) refers to the period of time where philosophers questioned religious discourse and favoured scientific methods and study instead. (1600s)

Question 9

What is scientific inquiry?

Answer 9

Scientific inquiry is the study of empirical thought. Notable figures: Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates

Question 10

What is secularism?

Answer 10

Secularism refers to the act of moving away from religious explanations in favour of science to explain the world.

Question 11

tWhat are the other names used to refer to the European Enlightenment?

Answer 11

(1) The Age of Reason; (2) The Age of Progress.

Question 12

What is Idealism?

Answer 12

George Hedel argued that ideas are the most important concept as they operate as the basis to shape how we construct our everyday lives; the view that the only reality is the real world. Ex. People who believe that they can ‘save’ the world.

Question 13

What is Materialism?

Answer 13

refers to the view that everyday material reality shapes one’s understanding of the world; ideas start from what one can see and how one experiences daily life/

Question 14

What are other terms used for Marxism?

Answer 14

Change theories; materialism

Question 15

What are order theories?

Answer 15

Order theories focus on and support the current order of society by reinforcing conformity and reflect the interests and values of the ruling class.

Question 16

What are examples of order theories?

Answer 16

Biological determinism; Structural Functionalism.

Question 17

What are change theories?

Answer 17

Change theories (aka. Marxism) focus on change in the present and future through examining social behaviours by looking at daily material conditions and realities of the majority. They sought to understand how economic, political and social changes could occur to improve the lives of the majority and change society as a whole.

Question 18

What are examples of change theories?

Answer 18

Feminist; anti-Racist; Post-colonial; Social and resistance movements.

Question 19

What is Sociology?

Answer 19

Systematic study of human society and social interactions; focus on analyzing social structures that organize and regulate our behaviour and establish the social norms of society

Question 20

Sociologists refer to society by different terms:

Answer 20

Social structures, social organization and social relations of ruling

Question 21

Age of Reason

Answer 21

Philosophers argued that man was a reasonable and rational being therefore, should be allowed the opportunity to make this own choices about every aspect of his life. (Another name for Enlightenment)

Question 22

Religious Discourse

Answer 22

Used to maintain and reproduce the existing social order and to ensure that everyone in society conformed to the existing social order.

Question 23

Arab Enlightenment

Answer 23

9-12th centuries AD; cooperation of an atmosphere to develop scientific methods for religion; math, art, poetry and literature; when Christianity conquered EU, S/I disappeared and R/D appeared.

Question 24

Age of Progress

Answer 24

(John Locke, JJ Rousseau and JS Mills) argued that “Rational Man” could use scientific methods of study and inquiry to understand and alter their world for the better, using experimentation.

Question 25

Bourgeoisie

Answer 25

the middle class, including merchants, industrialists, and professional people

Question 26

Proletariat

Answer 26

Working Class

Question 27

biological determinism

Answer 27

1) social Darwinism 2) sociobiology; explain that social behaviour and characteristics are determined by genetics and anatomy. which cannot be altered. Nothing about us can be socially or environmentally shaped. (Lombroso, Freud)

Question 28

Structural Functionalism

Answer 28

A conceptual framework positing that each element of society serves a particular function to keep the entire system in order. If one part breaks down, society will end up in chaos (deviance and resistance). (Durkheim, Parsons)

Question 29

Auguste Comte

Answer 29

Argued that natural laws shaped social life and that once these so-called natural laws were scientifically investigated, they can be applied to controlling society and its members.

Question 30

Positivism

Answer 30

The application of the scientific approach to the social world (Auguste Comte)

Question 31

Emile Durkheim

Answer 31

Father of sociology; order theorist who developed structural functionalism