sociological approaches

Question 1

define sociology

Answer 1

study of society

Question 2

how do sociologists try to make sense of the social world

Answer 2

body of terms and concepts
research

Question 3

culture

Answer 3

refers to the whole way of life of a particular society which includes values, norms, customs, beliefs, knowledge, skills and language

Question 4

values

Answer 4

ideas and beliefs about what is desirable and worth striving for
e.g. top grades or respect

Question 5

norms

Answer 5

provide guidelines on appropriate and expected behaviour in specific social settings such as classrooms, cinema or restaurants.
e.g. norm in cinema is to be quiet

norms are enforced with sanctions (rewards or punishments) such as praise in a job or punishment like verbal warnings

Question 6

socialisation

Answer 6

process by which people learn culture, values and norms of society

Question 7

primary socialisation

Answer 7

early childhood learning, learning basic patterns, language and skills they will need later in life.

Question 8

what is agent of primary socialisation

Answer 8

family or parents by through interactions within the family, child acquire skills

Question 9

secondary socialisation

Answer 9

later in childhood and continues through adulthood, people learn the process of society’s norms and values

Question 10

agents of secondary socialisation

Answer 10

peers
schools
workplace
religions
mass media

Question 11

what perspective was Karl Marx

Answer 11

Marxist

Question 12

what did Karl Marx say about sociology

Answer 12

Marx argued that to understand the development of societies, it is necessary to examine how people produce the things they need to subsist.

Question 13

when did Karl Marx write his theory

Answer 13

He wrote at an early stage in the development of capitalism and wanted to explain the social changes taking place at that time.

Question 14

mode of production

Answer 14

refers to the way people produce the means of their subsistence.

Question 15

what were Marx’s key points on mode of production (2)

Answer 15

Under the capitalist mode of production, these include capital, big businesses, machinery, factories and land.

The social relations of production are the relationships between people as they engage in production. Under capitalism, the two main social classes are the bourgeoisie and proletariat.

Question 16

means of production

Answer 16

The means of production are the materials that people use in production.

Question 17

bourgeoisie

Answer 17

the minority capitalist or ruling class own the means of production and private property.

Question 18

proletariat

Answer 18

the majority working class - own nothing other than their ability to work as wage labourers.

Question 19

petty bourgeoisie

Answer 19

who own small businesses

Question 20

lumpenproletariat

Answer 20

the ‘dropouts’ who sometimes sell their services to the bourgeoisie.

Question 21

what do the bourgeoise do to the proletariat and what did Marx say about it

Answer 21

exploit them and profit from their labour.

Marx argued that the gap in the resources of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat would widen over time. The petty bourgeoisie would be unable to compete with bigger companies and would sink into the proletariat.

Question 22

what did Marx say about class struggle

Answer 22

it was key to change between the bourgeoise and proletariat

Question 23

what happens under communism

Answer 23

the means of production would be held communally rather than by a minority.
In this situation, there would be a classless society with neither private ownership nor exploitation

Question 24

criticisms of Marx

Answer 24

• saw social class as economic divisions however Weber says it’s also based on status difference between groups in society
• overlooked social divisions on gender and ethnicity
• outdated - revolution has not happened as he said it would

Question 25

what type of sociologist was Durkheim

Answer 25

functionalist

Question 26

functionalism approach

Answer 26

sees society as made up of different parts that fit together.
It examines institutions such as the family, education and religion in terms of their functions, that is, the job they perform to help society run smoothly.
The institutions meet the needs of society to ensure its survival

Question 27

is functionalism positive or negative

Answer 27

functionalism focuses on the POSTIVE rather than the negative functions that the different structures perform in society.

Question 28

what did Durkheim study

Answer 28

crime, religion and education by focusing on he functions they fulfil in meeting the needs of society

Question 29

social cohesion

Answer 29

the strength of relationships and the sense of solidarity among members of a community.

Question 30

how does crime (as an example) lead to social cohesion

Answer 30

Punishment reinforces the values and beliefs that the majority of people in society hold.
By binding people together in this way, crime can contribute to social cohesion.

Question 31

Criticisms of functionalist approach

Answer 31

• overlook dysfunctional or negative aspects of things such as crime, in reality it does not always perform positive functions for society
• outdated

Question 32

what did Weber study into

Answer 32

social class, status and power

Question 33

what did Marx and Weber both define class as

Answer 33

economic factors

Question 34

what did Weber agree with Marx about

Answer 34

Weber agreed with Marx that ownership and non-ownership of property is the most important basis of class divisions.

Question 35

what did Weber disagree with Marx about

Answer 35

However, Weber argued that class divisions are not based solely on economic factors. They are also linked to skills and qualifications, which affect the jobs that people get.
People with high-level qualifications (such as university degrees) and specialised skills (such as surgeons or architects) are in a stronger position in the labour market than those without.

Question 36

what did Weber argue (status)

Answer 36

Weber argued that status does not always go hand-in-hand with income.
Some groups (such as second-hand car dealers) earn high incomes but have relatively low status in society.
Others, such as religious leaders, have high status but low incomes.

Question 37

what did Weber argue (power)

Answer 37

Weber argued that an individual or group exercises power when they can get what they want, despite any opposition from others. People have power in so far as they can get other people to
behave as they want them to.

Question 38

Criticisms of Weber

Answer 38

Weber focused on class divisions in society.
He did not explore inequalities based on gender, ethnicity or age in detail.

Question 39

3 main sociological perspective of sociology

Answer 39

Marxism
Functionalist
Feminist

Question 40

what does the feminist perspective explore

Answer 40

explore gender inequality, sexism and discrimination in society.

Question 41

sex

Answer 41

biological differences between boys and girls

Question 42

gender

Answer 42

refers to the different cultural expectations, ideas and practice linked to masculinity and femininity.

Question 43

how do some feminists see society

Answer 43

see society as patriarchal.
In a patriarchal society, men have power over, and dominate, women.

Question 44

consensus

Answer 44

agreement and harmony

Question 45

conflict

Answer 45

disagreement or lack of harmony

Question 46

how does the consensus approach see society

Answer 46

in positive terms

order and stability in society depend on cooperation between individuals and groups who work together for the common good.

Question 47

how does the conflict approach see society

Answer 47

critical of the way society is organised

Question 48

how does functionalism see society (consensus or conflict)

Answer 48

based on value consensus, people agree with society’s norms and values.
This consensus arises from the socialisation process during which people learn society’s norms and values.
Functionalism argues that social order is based on consensus.
Order is maintained over time because most people support the rules and agree to stick (conform) to them.

Question 49

how does Marxist see society (consensus or conflict)

Answer 49

Conflict
The Marxist perspective sees capitalist societies as based on class conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.
However, social order is maintained over time partly because the bourgeoisie have the power to enforce order. They are able, for instance, to influence the type of laws that are passed.

Question 50

how does feminism see society (consensus or conflict)

Answer 50

Conflict
Some feminist approaches argue that society is patriarchal.
In other words, it is based on male power over women.
These approaches explore the workings of patriarchy within social structures such as families, education, the workplace and the criminal justice system.
They see family life, for example, as based on male dominance which is reflected in men’s control of decision-making and in domestic violence.

Question 51

how has there been changes to the family and household structures

Answer 51

a decrease in the number of children living in nuclear families with a married couple

an increase in the number of children living in families with a cohabiting couple

an increase in families with the same-sex couple a significant increase in one-person households.