Sociological Imagination/Theories Flashcards
When and why did sociology emerge?
Emerged in mid 1800s because of Industrial Revolution
How did industrial revolution change society?
Sudden increase in population and rapid development of manufacturing caused people to leave rural areas to find factory jobs. People used to rely on themselves (for food, clothes, etc.) and now relied on each other
What did Adam Smith (1776) say about the industrial revolution?
Said this division of labour would cause wealth of nations (people specializing in their strengths, community had more products as result of social dependency)
Who introduced concept of sociological imagination and when?
C.Wright Mills, in 1959
Define sociological imagination
Ability to switch back and forth between a social and individual standpoint, think about social context which shapes individual behaviour
Example of sociological imagination: do not need to memorize
Married couple seeks divorce for personal reasons (which also requires focus), but when nearly half of marriages end in divorce, we may ask about the social conditions that give rise to this
A) Define social structure
B) Define personal milieu
A) Constellation of social institutions, economic systems, political arrangements, and cultural values
B) One’s immediate personal bubble
What good does Mills say sociological imagination can do?
If there are common social explanations for individual circumstances, then perhaps that can form beginning of making social changes to alleviate the problem
What did Clare Stacy say about empathy relating to sociological imagination?
Sociological imagination encourages us to imagine circumstances of behaviour and consider broader realities that shape a persons choice, see empathy as a skill not innate trait
A) What does structural functionalism focus on/believe?
B) What are two criticisms of structural functionalism?
A) Society is system of interconnected parts that work together for social balance, human behaviour is governed by stable patterns of social relations/structures. Focuses on norms, traditions, institutions that connect people and maintain social order
B) Does not look at equalities, Lacks critique of power relations, may assume society benefits everyone equally
Define functional and dysfunctional under structural functionalism.
Functional: contributes to social stability
Dysfunctional: disrupts social stability
A) Define manifest function
B) Define latent function
A) Manifest function: intended and recognized, (e.g. college for education)
B) Latent function: unintended and hidden, (e.g. college for finding significant other)
What did Emile Durkheim believe in?
Wanted sociology to be a science guided by social facts. He helped develop sociology to social science, was structural sociologist, and explored solidarity (patterns of connections)
What are social facts?
Manners of acting, thinking, and feeling that are external to an individual (e.g. suicide rates, Christmas gifts)
What are two types of solidarity? And a pro and con for them.
1) Mechanical solidarity: older/simpler societies, extremely cohesive and integrated.
- People feel essential/with purpose, but society is more fragile and reliant on individuals
2) Organic solidarity: modern age, members more distant, but increasingly reliant on one another
- People can feel useless, but society is much less fragile
What are the two dimensions of society?
1) Integration: how tied you are to others
2) Regulation: all groups have rules which we call norms
What did Durkheim define anomie as? Define anomie.
Too little regulation and integration. When norms and values break down in (people feel disconnected to) society.
What are two possible consequences of high anomie?
Society can crumble as people lose faith in importance of large group
More likely to commit suicide
A) What does conflict theory focus on?
B) What are two criticisms?
A) Examines how conflict structures affect society. Large social forces (class relations), patterns of inequality and outcomes, and how members of advantaged groups try to maintain their advantages
B) Overlooks forces of stability, assumes only powerful people benefit from society
Who founded conflict theory?
Karl Marx
What type of sociologist was Karl Marx? What did he believe?
Relational sociologist: individuals defined by relationships
Believed societies are based on social conflict and changes occur because of conflicts over economic relationships.
Strived for a way society could be ‘free’ and concerned with dynamics of capitalism
What are the two types of constraints? and how do they relate to each other?
Natural Constraints (e.g. need for food) could be solved by working together
but Social Constraints were created as some people didn’t do any labour while some did all.
Who created historical materialism?
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
Looks at change over time and material things (e.g. distribution of resources). Believed superstructure (politics, religion, etc.) was built on top of material reality.
What did Karl Marx see as the central conflict in society?
Between two classes: owners/capitalists and workers
-Capitalists want more wealth, give workers lower wages, and put workers in competition with each other so they don’t band to fight the capitalist
-Workers want more wages and control. Workers are alienated from each other (competition), capitalists, and labour process and product itself.
Marx says they are alienated from their humanity
