Paradigms, Social Structure, Society and Social Institutions Flashcards
What are theoritical perspective
- Conflict paradigm
- Functionalist paradigm
- Symbolic interactionist paradigm
How do sociologist study society?
Topic area or subject matter
-Culture, Family, Race and ethnicity, Education, Environment, Law, Mass Media, Political institutions
Theoretical perspectives (paradigms)
- Conflict paradigm
- Functional paradigm
- Symbolic Interactionist paradigm
Levels of analysis
- Macro
- Micro
Explain the conflict perspective.
- Assumes social behavior best understood in terms of conflict or tension between competing groups
- Subgroups
- Conflicting values and goals, competition for scarce resources
- Conflict is normal
Assumptions:
- Within any particular society, there are subgroups of people who cherish different beliefs and have conflicting values and goals
- Society is made up of subgroups that are in ruthless competition for scarce resources
- Society is never harmonious; conflict is normal in a society
Explain the functionalist perspective.
- Emphasizes the way parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability
- Whole made up of many integrated parts
- Consensus
- Seek stability
Assumptions:
- Within a particular society, there is a great deal of consensus about what values and norms are important
- Society is an entity or whole that is made up of many integrated parts; one part changes, other parts will change in response
- Society tends to seek stability and avoid conflict. Conflict is not normal, but is dysfunctional or pathological
Explain the interactionist perspective
Generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction to explain society as a whole
Assumptions:
- How people act depend on how they see and evaluate reality
- People learn from others how to see and evaluate reality
- People constantly work to interpret their own behaviour and the behaviour of others to determine what these behaviours “mean”
- When people do not attach same meanings to behaviours or perceive reality in the same way, there will be misunderstanding
Apply conflict paradigms in analysing a social phenomenon: high divorce rates
- With industrialisation
Men’s and women’s relationships have changed.
Previously, men dominated - Women making headway in historical struggle with men
Apply functionalist paradigms in analysing a social phenomenon: high divorce rates
- In the past, each family members perform their tasks
- Now, each individual earns their own pay checks and..
- Care of the sick and elderly, and care of children are taken over by outside agencies
- Family ties weakened
- Professionalism of services
Apply symbolic interactionist paradigms in analysing a social phenomenon: high divorce rates
What does marriage mean?
In the past
- Lifelong commitment
- Based on duty and obligation
Present
- Arrangement (temporary?)
- Based on feelings of intimacy
What does divorce mean?
In the past
- Symbol of failure
Present
- Indicator of freedom
What is the difference between status and role?
- You occupy a status (e.g. daughter)
- You play a role (expect to receive shelter and food; parents expect you to show them respect)
Social status is a position that someone occupies in a social structure
Role is the sum total of expectations about the behaviour, obligations, privileges attached to a particular social status
What are the different type of status?
Ascribed status
- Status one is born with
- Involuntary
Achieved status
- Status one earns
- Voluntary
Master status:
- Status that dominates other statuses and determines a person’s general position in society
- Can be a filter through which other statuses are perceives
What are status symbols?
- signs that identify a status
- helps us detect a person’s social status
Explain role conflict
- Occurs when incompatible expectations arise from two or more social positions held by the same person.
Examples:
- working mum whose employer requested her to work overtime
- Father umpiring a game in which his son committed a foul.
Explain role strain.
- Describe the difficulty that arises when the same social position imposes conflicting demands and expectations
- Occurs when the demands of a particular role are such that the incumbent is hard-pressed to meet them all
e.g. HMS student Study, attend class regularly, do individual essay and group assignment, take part in CCA, YEP
Explain status inconsistency
- Occurs when an individual occupy multiple statues that do not mesh with one another
- Ranking high on some dimension of social status and low on others
- Involves situation in which a person with a particular ascribed status achieved an inconsistent status
- Upsets our expectations
Explain what people do when role-playing everyday life performances
Dramaturgy
- Social life is like a drama or a stage play
Impression Management
- People’s efforts to control the impressions that others receive of them
Front and back stages
Front stage: whenever you deliver your lines
- We are all adept role players in everyday life performance.
- When a performance goes off as planned (Teamwork – two or more people working together)
- When a performance doesn’t come off quite right, face-saving behaviour is required to allow the performance to go on
