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PR MCAT Pscyh/Soc > Sociological Theories > Flashcards

Sociological Theories Flashcards

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1
Q

What is functionalism?

A
  • Macro-level theory that focuses on parts of a society that help shape it as a whole to maintain solidarity, order, balance, and stability.
  • Looks at society like an organism, which is a complex system made of individual parts working together
  • Side note: solidarity refers to awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, etc that create a sense of unity
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2
Q

What person is most associated with functionalism?

A

Emile Durkheim

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3
Q

What is dynamic equillibrium?

A
  • refers to when multiple independent parts in a society work together to keep society ordered, balanced, and stable
  • Emile Durkheim sts that when a healthy society reaches imbalance or crisis, the major structures of society will work together to return to its state of dynamic equilibrium
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4
Q

What is anomie according to Durkheim?

A

a mismatch between the wider social standards and the standards of individuals or smaller groups within that wider society

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5
Q

Functionalism believes that the individual is significant only in terms of his __1__, his position of patterns in social ___2__, and his associated __3___

A

1) status
2) relations
3) behaviors

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6
Q

What is manifest function?

A

the intended and recognized functions of an institution

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7
Q

What is latent function?

A

the unintended, unforseen consequences of an institution; aka a byproduct of the main intended function

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8
Q

What are some of the main flaws in the theory of functionalism?

A

It doesn’t consider changes or conflict in society; is too broad, optimistic, and macro; doesn’t consider individual behaviors

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9
Q

What is conflict theory?

A
  • Macro-level theory that views society as a competition for limited resources (whether social, political, or material)
  • sees societies progress through class struggle
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10
Q

What are the main theorists associated with conflict theroy?

A

Karl Marx and Max Weber

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11
Q

Functionalist theorist would say that differences in a society are proportional to __1___, whereas a conflict theorist would say that differences in a society are proportional to __2__

A

1) needs

2) power

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12
Q

Karl Marx asserted that capitalism produces internal __1__, which will ultimately destroy capitalist society, to be replaced by ___2__

A

1) tensions

2) socialism

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13
Q

What is class consciousness? (conflict theory)

A

members of a subordinate social class are actively aware of themselves as a group that is exploited by the wealthy

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14
Q

What is false consciousness?

A 
lack of awareness that the subordinate class is being exploited by the wealthy.
members see themselves as individuals instead of as an exploited group
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15
Q

What is the one of the main flaws of conflict theory?

A

only focuses on conflict and not the role of stability within society i.e. altruistic actions

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16
Q

Max Weber asserted that a web of ideas can cause conflict. What does this mean?

A

refers to that there are different sources of conflict: political, social status, how we treat different sexual orientation or colored ppl, and etc.

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17
Q

Max Weber believed that rationalization promotes ideal ____

A

bureaucracies

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18
Q

Conflict theory is primarily concerned with imbalances of ___, ____, and ____

A

wealth, power, and prestige

and focuses on how such imbalances competitively advantage the haves over the have nots

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19
Q

What is symbolic interactionism?

A
  • Micro-level theory that focuses on everyday social interactions between individuals and believes that society is constructed into social symbols through human interpretation, and it is these interpretations that form the social bond.
  • It analyzes the subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and behaviors; and find these subjective meanings important because ppl behave based on what they believe is true, not just what is objectively true.
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20
Q

Who is the major theorist associated with symbolic interactionism?

A

George Herbert Mead

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21
Q

Briefy desbribe George Herbert Mead’s Preparatory stage

A

0-2yrs

children learn to use language and symbols, but only mimic those around them

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22
Q

Briefy desbribe George Herbert Mead’s Play Stage

A

2-6yrs

children learn to play the roles of others in pretend games i.e. playing doctor

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23
Q

Briefy desbribe George Herbert Mead’s Game Stage

A

children begin to understand the generalized other, the generalized attitude of a large social group i.e. you understand what role you play in the game and where that role is in contrast to other ppl’s roles

24
Q

Distinguish between the “I” and the “me”

A

me: refers to the social self and how other ppl identify you and the group that you fall into; consists of our interpretations of how the “generalized other” views us
I: arises in the response to the “me;” it is the personal identity and individuality
-Mead sts that thinking is siply an ongoing discussion between the “I” and the “me,” and that the actual self consists of a balance between the 2.

25
Q

What is the looking glass self?

A
  • Refers to the “self” that is shaped by others, the interaction with others and the perception of others.
  • Individuals shape themselves on this perception, tending to confirm expectations
26
Q

What is Social Constructionism?

A
  • Both a macro and micro level theory that suggests we actively shape our reality through social constructs
  • involves the social construct: a concept or practice that is created by a group; essentially everybody in society agrees to treat a certain aspect/object a certain way regardless of its inherent value, and that therefore determines it’s value.
27
Q

Social constructionism has a major focus on socialization, which is the dynamic, ongoing process by which an individual internalizes the __1_, ___, and ___ of their society and learns to function as a __2__ of that society.

A

1) values, beliefs, and norms

2) member

28
Q

Social constructionism: social construction is a dynamic, ongoing process which must be maintained, reaffirmed, and passed along to ______ _____

A

future generations

29
Q

What are some hard vs soft social constructs?

A

soft social constructs refer to those constructs that are arguably constructs made up by groups, whereas hard social constructs could be thought of as things that are not made up
soft i.e. sports, gender, marriage, race, beauty ideals, etc.
hard i.e. gravity, mass, time

30
Q

What is rational choice theory and social exchange theory?

A
  • These are both micro-level theories that assume ppl make rational choices because they weigh the costs and benefits of various courses of action; ppl try to maximize benefits and reduce costs to achieve the greatest satisfaction
  • social exchange theory in particular suggests individuals assign rewards and punishments to interactions and prefer those with the greatest benefit.
31
Q

What is feminist theory? Describe the 3 waves/eras of feminism.

A
  • focuses on a variety of perspectives regarding the difference experiences and treatment of women vs men; has the ultimate goal to minimize disparities between genders
  • Includes 3 main eras/waves: first wave, second wave, and third wave
  • Both a macro and micro level perspective
32
Q

What did each of the 3 waves/eras of feminism focus on?

A

First wave: focused on women’s suffrage i.e. right to vote, own property, have equal rights within marriage, and work for wages
Second wave: focused on women’s liberation (from patriarchal culture) i.e. gender equality, sexual rights/de-stigmatization, resisting patriarchal culture, and equal pay
Third wave:focused on intersectionality (the study of how different social identities such as gender, race, class, etc interact). This third wave focuses on more than just differences between men and women, but now inc. the differences between race and class

33
Q

What is intersectionality?

A
  • the study of overlapping systems of oppression between gender, race, sexuality, and etc.
  • It can be used to understand how systemic injustice and social inequality occur on a multidimensional basis
34
Q

Which theories are considered macro, micro, or both? (6 total, 2 in each category)

A

Macro only-functionalism, conflict
Micro only- symbolic interactionism and rational choice/social exchange theory
Macro and micro-social constructionism and feminist theory

35
Q

Conflict theory: sts the imbalances of wealth, power, and prestige create a ____ struggle between those who control production (i.e. factory owners) and those who provide labor power (i.e. factory workers)

A

class

36
Q

Distinguish between common consciousness, class consciousness, and false consciousness.

A
  • common consciousness- ideas by Durkheim’s functionalism: scoietal structures are working together toward societal solidarity/unity
  • class consciousness: subordinate social class is aware they are being exploited by the wealthy
  • false consciousness: lack of such awareness; members of subordinate class see themselves as individuals instead of as an exploited group
  • class consciousness and false consciousness were ideas of Karlx Marx
37
Q

Who are considered the 3 founders of sociology?

A

Durkheim, Marx, and Weber

38
Q

_____ are culturally derived social objects that have shared meanings, which are created and maintained through social interaction

A

symbols

39
Q

George Herbert Mead is considered a founder of _____ ____

A

social psychology

40
Q

Mead asserted that the self develops in three stages. What are these 3 stages?

A

preparatory stage, play stage, and game stage

41
Q

A major focus of social constructionists is the study of how individuals and groups participate in the construction of _____ _____

A

social reality

42
Q

The contention that racial differences are not meaningful in any biological way most accords with which of the following sociological theories?
A)functionalism
B)social constructionism C)symbolic interactionism D)conflict theory

A

B) social constructionism

43
Q

The fact that a patient is more willing to discuss his symptoms with his doctor because she uses language that is not stigmatizing, dresses more casually, and keeps more relaxed posture coincides best with: functionalism, social constructionism, symbolic interactionism, or conflict theory

A

symbolic interactionism

44
Q

Comparing Symbolic Interactionism and Social Constructionism:
Symbolic interactionism focuses on how __1___ impact interactions between doctors and patients.
Social Constructionism focuses on the ___2___, and looks at how __3___ maintains and transmits these concepts through society

A

1) symbols
2) social constructs
3) socialization

45
Q 
bureaucracy acts as:
A) a mechanism for maintaining class consciousness
B) an operational definition
C) a mechanism for maintaining dynamic equillibrium
D) a barrier to intersectionality
A

C) a mechanism for maintaining dynamic equillibrium

46
Q 
In the theory of the looking-glass self, the primary causal agent is:
A) the "me"
B) the "I"
C) the common consciousness
D) anomie
A

A) the “me”

47
Q

What is hegemony? Which theory supports this?

A
  • hegemony: a social dominance of one group over the other via coerced acceptance of values, expectations, and conditions
  • according to conflict theorists, this is how unequal social order is maintained: the capitalist class determines this coerced consensus and justifies the social, political, and economic status quo as natural, inevitable, and perpetual, a well as beneficial for everyone in society rather than only for the capitalist class that engenders this cultural hegemony
48
Q

How did Max Weber’s views differ from Karl Marx?

A

Max Weber viewed Karl Marx’s views on economic inequality was too narrow and extreme.
Max Weber believed
1) inequalities in a capitalist system would lead to conflict, but didn’t believe that the collapse of conflict was inevitable,
2) that the Protestant/Puritan work ethic (morality of hard work for the sake of Godliness) was a factor that helped capitalist society be successful,
3) viewed the trend of modern society was increasing the rationalization of society (or increasing the efficiency of society: achieving the max result possible with the minimum amount of effort),
4) there were several factors that helped people become less violent and have more acceptance to inequality within society, including agreement with authority figures, high rates of social mobility, and low rates of class difference.

49
Q

What are the major criticisms of conflict theory?

A

focuses too much on competition and not on the role of stability in society; they ignore that people cooperatively work together to reach pragmatic agreements for the good of society as a whole)

50
Q

Symbolic interactionism holds the principal of ____ to be the central aspect of human behavior

A

meaning

51
Q

According to symbolic interactionisn, society is constrcuted through human ____

A

interpretation

52
Q

Symbolic interactionism is focused on the exchange of information through _____ and ____ in one-on-one and small group communication

A

language and symbols

53
Q

What is the dramaturgical approach?

A

views ppl as theatrical performers and everyday life as a stage

54
Q

what is typification in relation to social constructionist theory?

A

the process of creating a standard social construction of actions and responses to standard assumptions held by that culture. These standard assumptions are in reference to the social constructs put in place by that culture.

55
Q

Rational choice/social exchange theory holds the fundamental paradigm that human behaviors are utilitarian. What 2 assumptions is this utilitarianism based on?

A

Utilitarianism is based on 2 assumptions:

1) that individual humans are rational in their actions
2) in every human interaction, individuals will seek to maximize their own self-interest

PR MCAT Pscyh/Soc (5 decks)

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