Soc theory - Later Years

Question 1

Politics of early american soc theory

Answer 1

• political liberals, early euro’s conservative
• understood social dangers, not in favour of radical social overhaul
  2 elements
• belief in freedom and welfare of individual
• evolutionary view of social progress (social darwinism)

Question 2

Spencer’s influence on american soc

Answer 2

• wrote in english, important for US

- society moving in direction of greater progress

Question 3

Who were the main influencers of the chicago school?

Answer 3

W.I. Thomas
Park
Mead

Question 4

Explain ideas of W.I. Thomas

Answer 4

• emphasized need to do scientific research on sociological issues
• helped move soc from abstract theories to emperical studies

Question 5

Explain ideas of Park

Answer 5

• interest on urban ecology

- focused on action and interaction

Question 6

Explain ideas of Cooley

Answer 6

consciosness shaped throug social interaction

• looking glass self
• rejected behaviouristic view of humanity (ppl blindly responding to external stimuli)

Question 7

Explain Mead

Answer 7

similar to cooley

offered scoial-spychological theory

Question 8

explain the declien of the chicago school

Answer 8

peak in 1920s, by 1930s decline
departure of park to fisk, death of mead
- discipline increasingly scientific
-Chischool qualitative
- important again in 50's with marxian theory

Question 9

role of women in early sociology

Answer 9

1. emphasis on women’s lives
2. awareness of situated embodiment
3. purpose of soc is social reform
4. focus on inequality

Question 10

explain Dubois and race theory

Answer 10

double consciousness

Question 11

What occured in mid-century for soc?

Answer 11

rise of harvard, ivy league, and structural functionalism

Question 12

Who’s parson?

Answer 12

Harvard

• developed structural functional theory
• created grand theory
• social structures perfom positive functions for eachother
• society has equilibriam, order maintance

Question 13

whos Homans

Answer 13

• Harvard
• Exchange theory
  = rise in 1950’s
• sociiology lies in individual behavioru and interaction
• interactions are series of rewardes and exchanges
  people do what has rewarded them in past
• soc should focus on patterns of reinforcement

Question 14

who’s mannheim

Answer 14

• focused on sociologyof knowledge
• ideology vs. utopia
• ideology - ideas seeking to conserve present through past interpretation
• utopia - ideas transcending present by focusing on future

Question 15

what were the trends after mid-century?

Answer 15

SF - peaked in 40s 50’s, in decline

• after 1945 US dominance grew, sf main ideal in soc
• it supported US domination
• decline in dominance in 70’s meant loss of high position in soc

Question 16

What were some forms of radical sociology in US?

Answer 16

C Wright Mills
Conflict Theory
Exchange Theory

Question 17

Explain Conflict theory

Answer 17

alternative to SF

- failed because it didn’t utilize marxism enough

Question 18

Goffman

Answer 18

• Dramaturgical theory
  interaction based on social performance (drama)
• poor performance threat to social interaction
• most influenctial 20th century sociologys

Question 19

sociologies of everyday life

Answer 19

phenomonology

ethnomethodology

Question 20

Explain phenomonology

Answer 20

Shutz

• study of consciousness
• focused on everyday life
• ‘life world’ = ppl both create social reality and are tied to preexisting social and cultural structures of predecessors

Question 21

explain ethnomethodolog

Answer 21

phenomonology focused on thought
ethno focused on action
- study conversations

Question 22

Rise and fall of Marxian soc

Answer 22

1960s strong marxists in US
1990s fal of socialism hurt marxian theory
mini renassaince in era of globalization

Question 23

feminist theory in soc

Answer 23

3 factors that inspired feminist theory

1) period of critical thinking
2) women rejected from other movements
3) sexism in workfoce and education

Question 24

explain structuralism

Answer 24

Levi-Strauss
uncionscious structures lead ppl to act
- invisible larger structures of society determinants of actions of people
- dialectical relationship between individuals and social structures

Question 25

explain poststructuralism

Answer 25

Foucault

- link between knowledge and power

Question 26

name 3 movements in late 20th century soc theory

Answer 26

1. micro-macro integration (US)
2. agency-structure integration (Concerns of europe)
   - agency can be macro like unions, structure can be micro
3. theoretical synthesis
   - 90’s trend
   - field excessively fragmented, synthesis 2 or more theories (marxism and conflict)

Question 27

explain modernity

Answer 27

• classical sociologists concerned with modern world
• all theoriests recognize change, some say there is continuity of society
  Anthony Giddens - ‘high priest of modernity’
• not same society as classical theoriests, but continuation of society

Question 28

explain postmodernity

Answer 28

• world has changed, need new ways of thinking
• reject grand narratives
• call for unity within disciplines
• focus on margins of society

Question 29

theories to watch

Answer 29

multicultural theores (queer theory, CTRR)
- theories of globalization
-actor network theory
= we are increasingly involved networks of human and non human components
= humans in postmodern world

Question 30

explain theories of globalization

Answer 30

• most important in 21st century
  3 types
• economic (celebrate neoliberal market, best known)
• political ( liberal approace is one position)
• cultural(most important in soc)

Question 31

explain cultural theories of globalization

Answer 31

1. cultural differentialism - deep differences among cultures, cultures unaffected by globalization
2. cultural convergence - important differences among cultures, more convergence and homogeneity
3. cultural hybridization - global and local interpenetrate to create hybrid identities and ‘glocalization’