Social Stratification & Structures Flashcards
What is the difference between a social organization and a formal organization?
Social organization - group comprised of professional relationships, unique culture, and goals of its own
Formal organization - a social system which is organized by clearly laid out rules and a division of labor, with a defined hierarchy of power
Define normative, coercive, and utilitarian organizations
Normative - membership based on shared goals & values
Coercive - membership not freely chosen
Utilitarian - membership driven by compensation
what is red tape?
A term for regulations or bureaucratic procedures that are considered excessive or excessively time- and effort-consuming.
What is the iron law of oligarchy?
Created by Robert Michels, it’s a concept which posits that any and all forms of organizations (regardless of how democratic they say they are) inevitably end up being controlled by a powerful few. Which makes true democracy impossible
There is a term coined for the tendency of large organizations to standardize operations, focusing on efficiency, predictability/uniformity, calculability and formalized social control.
Mcdonaldization
Differentiate between manifest and latent functions.
Manifest - intended social outcomes for an institution
(Healthcare is intended to take care of the ill in society)
Latent - unintended social outcomes
(Increasing health disparities based on SES)
What is institutional memory?
Knowledge that is held by members of an organization about the organization’s procedures, rules, facts, etc.
Max Weber’s 5 necessary components of an ideal bureaucracy
- Division of labor and specialization
- Standardization in Management through written rules and regulations
- Hierarchy of authority
- Formal selection based on technical competence
- Impersonality
What are the key ideas of the functionalist approach to sociology?
- Macrosociological approach
- Each part of society works together to maintain dynamic equilibrium (homeostasis).
- Has more positive outlook than conflict theory.
What are the key ideas of the conflict theory in sociology?
Developed by Karl Marx
1. Macrosociological theory
2. Society is made up of a upper and lower class which struggle with each other for limited resources.
3. There is inequality based on social class.
What are the key ideas of social constructionism theory in sociology? (Also known as phenomenology)
- Can be micro or macro theory
- Posits that reality is created through social interactions, resulting in agreed-upon, shared meanings from society
- Different things such as money and race have meaning only because individuals and society as a whole have agreed on that meaning.
- Everything is a social construct created by cooperative construction of realities between people
What are the key ideas of the symbolic interactionist approach in sociology?
- Microsociological theory
- Focus on nonverbal communication and interactions between people on a small scale.
- Suggest that people communicate using symbols.
- Humans act towards things on the basis of the meanings they have assigned them. Meanings of things are changed through social interaction.
- Analyzes: How does reality change from person to person in situations?
Social exchange theory key ideas
Microsociological perspective
1. People act to get what they need by exchanging goods and services with others.
2. People try to maximize rewards and minimize personal costs.
3. If outcomes are positive, relationships continue.
Rational choice theory key ideas
- All actions are rationally motivated w/ a cost/benefit analysis.
- Focus on:
Individualism
Maximization of goals
Self-interest
Attribute the theorists to the following theories:
Functionalism
Conflict theory
Symbolic interactionism
Functionalism - Emile Durkheim & Talcott Parsons
Conflict - Karl Marx, Max Weber
Symbo I - Charles Cooley, George Herbert Mead
What is medicalization?
It is the process of defining and characterizing a given condition/behavior as a medical illness or coming from a medical cause, which creates both positive and negative consequences.
Ex: attributing medicalization to pregnancy, allows different expectations and treatment of pregnant women, due to this condition.
What does the medical model of illness and disability support?
-Sees the illness itself as the problem
-Diagnosis & treatment heavy, less focus on pt.
What does the social model of illness and disability support?
-Sees the invisible structures in society as the problem
- Focus on prevention and integration
-Less expensive treatment plans, use of medical professionals other than doctors
What is the sick role theory?
A theory that explains a sick person as having a role in society with both rights and obligations.
Differntiate between illness & disease.
Illness = A person’s subjective experience of a health problem.
Disease = A medical professional’s scientific definition of a health problem based on signs
& symptoms.
Define incidence
of new cases/ # of people at risk for the disease
The number of newly diagnosed cases of a disease.
# of new cases of disease/# of people at risk for the disease
Define prevalence
total cases of disease/total population
The total number of cases of a disease existing in an entire population.
# of total cases existing in a population/ whole population
Differentiate morbidity vs mortality
Morbidity - the state of having an illness
Mortality - # of deaths due to a specific illness
Explain the biopsychosocial perspective on disease
Takes in account interactions among genetics, psychological influences, and social norms/structures in having the disease
Define culture
The ways of thinking, acting and the
material objects that together form a people’s way of life
Name elements of culture
Beliefs (e.g., religion, politics)
Language
Rituals
Symbols
Values
Food
Clothing
What is the difference between cultural transmission and cultural diffusion?
Cultural transmission is the act of passing on cultural information from an older generation to a younger generation within the same culture.
Cultural diffusion is the mutual exchange of cultural information from one cultural group to a different cultural group.
Differentiate between symbolic culture and material culture.
Symbolic culture includes non-material aspects of a society that convey meaning (includes values, laws, folklore, language).
Material culture includes physical items that are valued by society, such as clothing, tools, computers, food).
What is cultural shock and what are some causes of cultural shock?
Cultural shock happens when a person moves and experiences, disorientation, uneasiness, and even fear due to an unfamiliar culture.
Causes of cultural shock include language barriers, unfamiliar symbols, different norms and values, different behaviors.
What are the 4 stages of culture shock
1.Honeymoon phase - new discoveries, interest in new culture
2. Negotiation/ Distress phase - feelings of frustration as one continues to experience events/behavior that seem strange and offensive to one’s culture
3. Adjustment phase - Person grows accustomed to new culture and starts to develop routines
4. Acceptance phase - Person able to comfortably participate in host culture
Cultural transmission occurs within (in-groups/out-groups).
Cultural diffusion occurs within (in-groups/out-groups).
In-groups, out-groups
What is cultural assimilation?
The process by which minorities gradually adopt practices of the dominant
culture.
Compare the multi-culturalism idea and melting pot idea.
What is culture lag?
Changes in material culture occur at a faster rate than changes in nonmaterial culture which create a strain in the two aspects of culture.
Define popular culture
The ideas, attitudes and perspective that are mainstream, including anything the majority of individuals in society believe.