Social Structures Flashcards
This branch of sociology might study the relationship between one specific doctor and his patient, Linda, regarding how they interact during visits.
Microsociology
This is the area of sociology which focuses on the nature of everyday human social interactions and agency on a small scale: face to face.
This branch of sociology might study the relationship between primary care physicians in general and their patients in a hospital setting.
Macrosociology
This is the area of sociology which focuses on the study of larger organizations, communities, and societies that individuals reside in.
___________ seeks to examine each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole society.
One example is the interdependence of families and the government to pay taxes and provide education for children, respectively.
Functionalism
According to social functionalism, societies are networks of interconnected parts that work together to maintain a state of balance and social equilibrium for the whole system.
From the sociological perspective of functionalism, what is the difference between manifest and latent functions?
- A manifest function is an intended purpose of the institution or other part of society.
- A latent function is an unintended benefit or result.
True or false:
From the sociological perspective of functionalism, all effects of social institutions are beneficial.
False
While functionalism does posit that societies are networks of interconnected parts that work together to maintain balance, it never states that all of the effects of these parts are good.
In fact, functionalism includes the concept of dysfunctions, or negative impacts of a social institution.
From a functionalist perspective, what term or phrase accurately describes the following?
Joining the military allows many individuals access to higher education through the G.I. Bill.
This is a latent function of the military.
A latent function is an unintended (or latent) beneficial consequence (or function) of a social institution.
Providing access to higher education is beneficial in current U.S. society, but it is not the manifest (or directly intended) function of the military.
From a functionalist perspective, what term or phrase accurately describes the following?
The U.S. military awards hundreds of billions of dollars annually in the form of contracts, which opens up the opportunity for unfair preferential treatment of and lobbying by defense and technology companies.
This is a latent dysfunction of the military.
A latent dysfunction is an unintended (or latent) adverse consequence (or dysfunction) of a social institution.
Please note that the military happens to be the example we used here, but according to functionalism, every social institution has its functions and dysfunctions.
From a functionalist perspective, what term or phrase accurately describes the following?
Anti-drug legislation in a medium-size country was passed to give the government power to arrest the leaders of violent gangs.
This is a manifest function of government legislation.
A manifest function is an intended (or manifest) beneficial consequence (or function) of a social institution. Since the legislation was designed to facilitate the arrest of gang leaders, this is a manifest function.
From a functionalist perspective, what term or phrase accurately describes the following?
Anti-drug legislation unintentionally forced drug sales farther into the shadows, causing more opiate addicts to die from violence and tainted drugs.
This is a latent dysfunction of government legislation.
A latent dysfunction is an unintended (or latent) adverse consequence (or dysfunction) of a social institution. While we all may have differing opinions about anti-drug legislation, killing opiate addicts was not the stated purpose of such legislation, making it latent rather than manifest.
________ views society as individuals and groups competing for finite resources, which leads to behaviors which allow one to maintain power and privilege in a given social setting.
Conflict theory
This theory posits that conflict can arise between different groups of people that have differing goals and/or are competing over limited resources. Conflict theory often relates to socioeconomic class, although it can also relate to gender, age, race, etc.
True or false:
Examples of conflict theory always involve a physical or military conflict.
False
If only it were that easy! However, conflict theory does not need to involve an obvious conflict. Instead, conflict theory can be identified based on:
- the presence of a struggle for resources or power, whether military or otherwise, and
- an overall outlook on society that is somewhat less positive than functionalism.
If Olivia loves to read, a ________ would suggest that she learned to like books via the interactions she had with family, friends, or figures at school.
Choose from the sociological perspectives (functionalist, conflict theorist, etc.).
symbolic interactionist
Symbolic interactionism is a view which understands social interactions via the subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and behaviors. It posits that subjective meanings are given primacy because people act based on what they believe and not just on what is objectively true. For example, a friendly hand gesture in one country may be considered obscene in another.
The U.S. dollar has no intrinsic value. Yet society has decided that these small, rectangular pieces of paper can be exchanged for goods and services. This collective agreement on meaning is an example of Vygotsky’s theory of:
social constructivism
Social constructivism (or constructionism) proposes that reality is what humans cognitively agree it to be. People build social constructs based on interactions with others, and those constructs that last over time are those that have widely agreed-upon meanings or are accepted by the majority of society.
Which sociological perspective does this exemplify?
Throughout U.S. history, women have banded together against opposition groups to lobby for the right to vote, for equal pay, and for other causes.
Conflict theory
This example involves different groups in society (women and opposition groups) competing and clashing in the service of their goals. In the fight for equal pay, for example, groups are competing over a limited resource: money.
Which sociological perspective does this exemplify?
The education system teaches children skills that are later useful in the workplace, while employers and workers support education with tax dollars and donations to nonprofit education groups.
Functionalism
Overall, this description is one of cohesion: different groups in society playing different roles to ensure a functioning system. This aligns best with functionalism.
Which sociological perspective does this exemplify?
Sharon, a 15-year-old, grew up hearing that women should focus on marriage and household roles. Courtney, a 15-year-old in a different part of the country, learned martial arts and is the kicker on her high school’s football team because she was taught that women need to be able to defend themselves.
Social constructivism
Gender roles, in general, are a classic example of social constructivism, which proposes that reality is based on agreed-upon social constructs. This (partially) explains variations in gender roles across regions and societies.
Is the sociological perspective of symbolic interactionism a microsociological or macrosociological perspective?
A microsociological perspective.
Symbolic interactionism is microsociological because it often focuses on one-on-one or similarly small-scale interactions. While less likely to be tested, you can consider the remaining sociological perspectives (conflict theory, etc.) to be largely macrosociological.
Identify the social theory illustrated in the example below.
Shy, timid Petra walks up to Julian to ask him out on a date. If Julian says yes, Petra’s reward is a potential good date, and she is likely to ask men out again in the future. However, if Julian says no, Petra feels punished and she will likely stop initiating dates.
Social exchange theory
This theory posits that human relationships are formed via the use of a subjective cost-benefit analysis and the comparison of alternatives.
Sansa cannot believe the recent behavior of her friend, Petyr. Petyr tells Sansa that he makes all of his decisions based upon his own subjective calculations of personal profit, no matter how illogical they may seem to others. Which social theory does this best exemplify?
Rational choice theory
This theory posits that people are often motivated by “profit,” be it personal, financial, or emotional. Thus, an individual will make a decision after calculating the likely costs and benefits of any action, using their own rationality (which may not seem rational to others).
Name the sociological theory that focuses on exploring gender inequality and the nature of gender roles.
Feminist theory
Feminist theory involves analysis of gender roles, systemic inequalities, and societal expectations across many fields, from politics and the workplace to literature.
As of now, feminist theory has developed in how many waves?
Three waves (with a potential fourth wave in progress).
While a great deal more could be said about these waves, here they are in very short summary:
- A focus on suffrage and political rights
- A focus on social inequality between the sexes
- A focus on the concepts of globalization, postcolonialism, post-structuralism, and postmodernism
- A burgeoning focus on empowerment and justice against sexual assault and harassment
Feminism may conflict with ________, because while ________ necessitates the tolerance of foreign cultural practices, some of those practices might maintain an oppression of women that feminists find unacceptable.
Note that the same word applies to both blanks.
multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is a view of different cultures which posits that cultural practices, no matter how unusual, should be tolerated as a measure of respect for that culture. This can conflict with feminism when those cultural practices subjugate women, for example.
Idenitfy the five main social institutions that comprise society.
- Education
- Family
- Religion
- Government/economy
- Health/medicine
Define:
hidden curriculum
Refers to concepts, norms, and values that are taught in educational settings but are not explicitly part of the curriculum.
True or false:
The existence of a hidden curriculum is harmful and should always be minimized.
False
You may have guessed that this statement was false from its extreme nature alone. In fact, while the hidden curriculum can perpetuate inequalities, much attention has been paid to it recently in attempts to use it for good (that is, to transmit implicit beneficial norms and values).
Predictably, teachers’ expectations often meaningfully influence student performance. What name is given to this phenomenon?
Teacher expectancy
This concept posits that students can receive overt or covert signals about their abilities from their teacher. Students often pick up on their teachers’ expectations of them and perform accordingly.
A 2015 analysis of New York City public schools found a strong correlation between school performance on state-wide exams and the size of the local tax base. This difference illustrates the effect of:
educational segregation
Educational segregation is any disparity in educational opportunities or resources as a result of societal stratification (race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, religion, etc.).
Identify the three degrees of kinship.
- primary kin
- secondary kin
- tertiary kin
Here, primary kin represents the most direct relationship, while tertiary kin represents the least direct relationship.
Define:
primary kin
Individuals who are extremely closely related.
Here, “extremely closely related” must mean one of the following: husband/wife, parent/child, or sibling/sibling.
Define:
secondary kin
The primary kin of our primary kin. (In other words, they are one degree more distant from us than our primary kin.)
This includes relationships such as uncle/nephew and grandparent/grandchild.
Define:
tertiary kin
The primary kin of our secondary kin or the secondary kin of our primary kin. This is the most distant degree of kinship.
This includes relationships such as those between great-grandparents and their great-grandchildren.
My relationship with my sister’s son exemplifies which degree of kinship?
Secondary kinship
Secondary kinship is that between us and the primary kin of our primary kin. Here, my sister is my primary kin, and her son is her primary kin.
My relationship with my wife’s grandparents exemplifies which degree of kinship?
Tertiary kinship
Secondary kinship is that between us and the primary kin of our secondary kin or the secondary kin of our primary kin. Here, my wife is my primary kin, and her grandparents are her secondary kin.
In anthropology and sociology, there are generally considered to be three types of kinship. Name these three types.
- consanguineal kinship
- affinal kinship
- fictive kinship
Consanguineal kinship refers to kinship through blood relationships or genetics, affinal kinship is kinship through marriage, and fictive kinship includes all kinship that is neither consanguineal nor affinal.
Twin brothers are connected by which type of kinship?
Consanguineal
Consanguineal kinship refers to human relationships based on genetics (“blood relations”), such as parents and children or siblings.
The individuals in the images below are all members of distinct ________ within society.
subcultures
Subcultures are groups within a society that hold sets of values, behaviors and norms distinct from those of the majority. Subcultures might include hippies, Trekkies, punks, hipsters, goths, hip-hop fans, bikers, etc.
