sociological theory Flashcards
According to Durkheim, the “glue” that holds together
mechanical-solidarity type societies is _____.
A) Collective conscience
B) Self-reliance
C) Repressive law
D) Division of labor
A
Marx’s theory of _____ posits that society is moving through
sequential stages, where things such as religion, law, and
morality are all the outgrowth of collective economic activity.
A) Capital
B) Primitive accumulation
C) Base and superstructure
D) Historical materialism
D
For the proletariat, the general law of capitalist accumulation
follows what pattern?
A) M-C-M
B) C-M-C
C) M-M-C
D) C-C-M
B
—– refers to the relative simplicity of a theory.
A) Empirical support
B) Logical consistency
C) Parsimony
D) Scope
C
According to Marx, capital is a social relation of production.
A) True
B) False
A
Durkheim was primarily interested in the study of
A) Nonmaterial social facts.
B) Material social facts.
C) The economy.
D) Social action and ideal types
A
LIKE MORALITY
A slave commits suicide to escape their harsh living conditions.
This illustrates ____ suicide.
A) Anomic
B) Altruistic
C) Egoistic
D) Fatalistic
D
Class consciousness is best exemplified by which of the
following?
A) The proletariat not recognizing the permanence of their social and
economic status
B) The proletariat recognizing their shared experiences and rising against
bourgeoise oppression
C) The bourgeois class not recognizing the social and economic status of the
proletariat
D) The proletariat believing they are the superior class
B
Biff feels detached from society and is unsure of his how his work
fits into the greater collective. This illustrates a(n) _________
division of labor.
ANOMIC
REWRITE THE QUOTE
Durkheim: “There cannot be rich and poor at birth without there
being unjust contracts.” (3+ sentences)
Durkheim believed that inequalities in the division of labor should reflect
“natural” inequalities. For example, a true meritocracy promotes people
based purely on merit. In contrast, individuals who are born poor have less
opportunity to succeed than do their rich counterparts. For Durkheim, this
illustrated a “sick” division of labor that must be treated the way a doctor
treats a patient.
REWRITE THE QUOTE
Durkheim: “No longer should we desperately pursue an end
which we might never grasp, but rather should we work
diligently to keep things going and to recalibrate
when necessary, and to recover our health when things change.
The leader should not push us violently toward an ideal only she
might hold, but be more like a doctor, who checks in on our
health, and seeks to cure our illnesses when they are discovered.
” (2+ sentences)
Durkheim believed that revolution was harmful for society, and instead
advocating for treating social ills much like a doctor treats a patient. He saw
many issues arising from a “sick” division of labor that occurs as societies
advance and felt that addressing these issues required recalibrating society
so it could find its equilibrium again.
STATE HOW THE TWO THEORISTS COMPARE
“Capitalism is good.” (Marx & Durkheim) (3+ sentences)
Marx might concede that capitalism is productive and efficient, but he would hardly say it
was a good thing. Durkheim didn’t criticize capitalism directly, but he thought that any
system that allowed social inequalities to interfere with a natural division of labor would
be “immoral” (that is, prone to societal breakdown).
SHORT ANSWER/ESSAY QUESTION
Why does Marx say that “workers are as much the invention of
modern time as machinery itself”? (2+ sentences)
The relationship between bourgeoisie and the proletariat results from
capitalism as a mode of production. This relationship did not occur prior to the
development of capitalism—thus, both technology and workers are new
“inventions” in society
SAQ
List one way that theory differs from each of the following: (a)
ideology, (b) simple explanation, and (c) opinion. (5+ sentences)
Both a theory and a an ideology involve an organized system of concepts that
make some claim as to how the world works. However, ideologies are
typically rigid, unchanging and untestable—theories are not. Theory can be
used to explain a wide variety of different events using only the concepts and
causal processes set out in the theory. In contrast, a simple explanation is a
descriptive account of a limited, specific event, Finally, theories are not
opinions—they are logical, falsifiable, and based on facts.
ESSAY QUESTION
Describe two elements of alienation. Be specific. (4+ sentences)
First, individuals may be alienated from the product they create. Objects that are produced are
lost to the worker. Next, individuals may be alienated from the labor process. Workers lose
control over the activity of production—there is no self-expression, and the work has no relation
to the individual or what they wish to be. Individuals may be alienated from their own species
being, which Marx considered the human essence. Individuals lose their creative potential, their
self-actualization and their self-realization. Finally, individuals may be alienated from their
fellow workers. Everything is broken down into terms of money—it mediates all relationships
and becomes the core component of social relations.
