Social Structures Flashcards
What are the 2 ways to view institutions?
- the conservative view
2. the progressive view
What does the conservative view think about institutions?
institutions are natural, positive byproducts of human nature
*hospitals were created out of necessity and aid humanity
What does the progressive view think about institutions?
institutions are artificial creations that need to be redesigned if they are to be helpful to society
*business may need to be reigned in if they get too much power
What is the sociologist interpretation of “institution?”
forms of social structures:
- businesses
- religion
- education
- legal system
they continue on without regard to any individual
What is religiosity?
how religious a person is, or the degree to which religion plays a role in their life
What is secularization?
the weakening of social and political power of religious organizations, as religious involvement and “belief” decline
What is the reaction to secularization?
fundamentalism, which is when people go back to the strict teachings and beliefs
What is the danger of fundamentalism?
the extreme nature can create social problems
What is social epidemiology?
examining how social factors (age, gender, race, SES) correlates with health disparities
What are the core concepts behind “functionalism?”
- examines society on a large scale (macro)
- each part plays a role in keeping society stable
- maintaining equilibrium
Who is associated with functionalism?
Emile Durkheim
What is “anomie?”
a feeling of “normlessness” that occurs when a society begins to feel fragmented and lack cohesiveness
What is the “sick role” theory?
aspect of functionalism, and developed by Talcott Parsons
it states that being sick means you are no longer the same kind of productive member of society; you cannot be blamed for being sick, but you do have certain obligations/responsibilities to get better as soon as possible
What is “conflict theory” and who developed it?
Carl Marx
-tensions and conflicts arise when RESOURCES are unevenly divided among different social classes
What is the theory of “social constructionism?”
things are real because we have socially agreed they are
*money, nation, books
What are the 2 types of social constructionism?
weak vs strong
What is weak social constructionism?
social constructs depend on
- “brute facts,” which are basic, fundamental, and don’t rely on other facts
- “institutional facts,” which are created by social conventions and DO rely on other facts
What is strong social constructionism?
the whole of reality is dependent on language and social habits
all knowledge is a social construct and there are no brute facts
What is the main criticism of social constructionism?
it does not explain natural phenomena
What is symbolic interactionism?
a small scale view of society (micro)
focuses on interactions between individuals
Who ushered in the start of symbolic interactionism?
George Herbert Mead
Who actually coined the term “symbolic interactionism?
Herbert Bloomer
What were the 3 tenets that Herbert Bloomer ascribed to symbolic interactionism?
- we act based on the meaning we have given something: if I decide that a tree is a nice place to rest, I will sit down and lean against it
- we give meaning to things based on our social interactions: a person comes up and warns me that all trees are infested with ants
- the meaning we give something is not permanent, it can change with everyday life: if you lean back against the tree and get bit by red ants, you may now view trees a little more cautiously in the future
Why is symbolic interactions sometimes considered a “supplemental” to some of the bigger theories?
because it is restricted to studying small interactions between individuals
