Module 2 — Sociology and the Study of Society Flashcards
What are social norms?
Social norms are rules that define and prescribe normative behaviour, beliefs and views in society.
What is society?
Society is the social construction that is shaped by historical, cultural, social, economic and political values which both liberates and constraints individuals.
What is the role of society in our lives?
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.
What are formal social structures?
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.
What are informal social structures?
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.
What is social regulation?
Social regulation refers to regulating one’s behaviour through daily encounters to conform to existing social norms of society. Ex. rules against social exclusion.
What is deviance?
Deviance refers to behaviour that resists and challenges the existing order of society.
What is the Enlightenment?
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)
What is scientific inquiry?
Scientific inquiry is the study of empirical thought. Notable figures: Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates
What is secularism?
Secularism refers to the act of moving away from religious explanations in favour of science to explain the world.
tWhat are the other names used to refer to the European Enlightenment?
(1) The Age of Reason; (2) The Age of Progress.
What is Idealism?
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.
What is Materialism?
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/
What are other terms used for Marxism?
Change theories; materialism
What are order theories?
Order theories focus on and support the current order of society by reinforcing conformity and reflect the interests and values of the ruling class.
What are examples of order theories?
Biological determinism; Structural Functionalism.
What are change theories?
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.
What are examples of change theories?
Feminist; anti-Racist; Post-colonial; Social and resistance movements.
What is Sociology?
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
Sociologists refer to society by different terms:
Social structures, social organization and social relations of ruling
Age of Reason
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)
Religious Discourse
Used to maintain and reproduce the existing social order and to ensure that everyone in society conformed to the existing social order.
Arab Enlightenment
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.
Age of Progress
(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.
