Sociology 101 Flashcards
what is sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It can be described as the study of social lives in a micro and macro level
what can sociology do
1.be a liberating practical activity
2. teach who you are and what you can become
3. help create the best possible future
what is the main goal of sociology
to identity and explain personal problem in relation to the social structure
what are the three levels of social structure
- macrostructures : outside the social relation
- microstructures: close social relation.Ex: families and friends
- global structures outside the national level
What is the sociological imagination
the ability to see the connection between personal problems and social structures
what are the origin of sociological imagination
The sociological imagination was born with three revolutions that pushed people to think differently
1. Scientific revolution: led to evidence based conclusion thinking
2. Democratic revolution:led to the thinking of people have the ability to think for themselves
3. Industrial revolution: led to the large scale application of science and technology. Host of many social problems as it created disparities between the working and upper class
Who is Auguste Comte
Coined the word “sociology” and wanted to use scientific method to better understand the world
What did Herbert Spencer believe
- Theorized societies evolved the same way biological species do
- father of social darwinism
- believed social inequality is needed for societies to evolve
what are the tension in sociology
There is a tension between the importance of science and the vision of an ideal society. As there is a possibility for ideas to become extreme in an attempt to ideal society
What is the project of sociology
The project of sociology is for people to create an identity and life for themselves with no restraint
what are theories
Theories are tentative explanations about aspects of life that state how and why certain facts are related
What are the two form of theories
The two forms of theories are grand and middle range theories. The grand theory is the broad explanation of social theory, ex: Karl Marx ideas . The middle range theory is the specific explanation of specific phenomenon, ex: theory of suicide
what is research
it is the process of systematically observing reality to assess the validity of a theory
what is value
Value is the idea of what is good or bad.Helps sociologist formulate their research
What is the sociologist perspective of suicide
Suicide is viewed as an individualistic action. It is regard as an anti-social and non-social act
Who is Emile Durkheim
The sociologist explanation of suicide. Durkheim deostarted suicide rates were influenced by social forces. Examined the association between psychological disorder and the suicide. It appeared to be inversely. The less suicide rate is related to the degree of social solidarity
What is social solidarity
Social solidarity is the close relationship with members of a group that shares the same beliefs and value. The connection builts reduces the rates of suicide
What is the possible explanation for the increase of suicide today
It could be the decrease of social connection. As there has been an increase of an individualistic mindset
What is functionalism
Functionalism stresses that human behavior is governed by social structure. Social structure can undermine or maintain social structure. If the social structure is dysfunctional it can be re-established
who is Talcott Parsosn
contribute to functionalism in north america. He believes various institutions need to work together to maintain a stable society . He believes family is the most important social structure, then school. Also, according to Parson religion is for shared moral and value
who is Robert Merton
contributes to functionalism in North America. believes different institution have different consequences for different group of people, which can cause dysfunction
What is manifest function
It is an obvious and intended function of an social structure
Ex: going to school to get a degree
What is latent function
it is the non obvious and unintended function of an social structure
Ex: the creation of couples from school setting
What is the conflict theory
- Karl Marx
- Karl Marx believed social structure are driven by the economic
- focus on large institution
- believes inequality produces social stability
- Karl Marx’s solution to imbalance is communism
- the upper class tries to maintain their privilege, while the lower class tries to increase their privilege
- suggest the elimination of privilege will lower the level of conflict and increase human welfare
What is the class conflict
It is the struggle between classes to resist and overcome the opposition of other classes. Focused on economic, which is central to Karl Marx’s ideas
Who is Max Weber
- critiqued Karl Marx’s works
- disagreed with Marx centralizing the social structure around the economy. He believes there are other contributions to social structures
- For examples, he believes politics and religion are contributor to the social structures
Who laid the foundation of modern conflict theory
C Wright Mill
Why did conflict theory took hold of North America
It is due to the worker distress from low wages, poor work condition, long work hours
Why did conflict theory take a cultural turn
Conflict theory took a cultural turn to better understand the element of which culture express domination by the powerful and resistance by others
Who is Antoni Gramsci
He is communist intellect. He believes in cultural hegemony and the media plays a role in spread culture hegemony. Culture hegemony is when the upper thinking ideas and thinking are so deeply entrenched it is seem as common sense
Who is Micheal Foucault
believes exercise of power is unstable.In every social interaction power is exercised. Believes culture is the ongoing conflict between dominance and non-dominate. Lastly, he believes institutions use technologies and internalized controlling mechanisms to control individuals
What is post structuralism
denied the stability of social relation of cultures in shaping individual identities. When others don’t fit into a group, we uses language to remove their existence
What is symbolic interaction
- emphasize social life since people attach meaning
- focus on interpersonal communication on a small level
- people create their social circumstance
- tolerance of people different from us
- focus on people’s interpretation of the world
what is the Protestant Ethic
It is the belief that religious doubt can be reduced and ticket to heaven can be ensured if people live diligently
Who is George Herbert Mead
- contributes to the symbolic interactionism
- believes an individual sense of self is developed along the course of interaction with others.
Who is Erving Goffman
- contributes to symbolic interactionism
- believes people present themselves in the best possible light
- we have roles in the play of our life, the roles could be being a student, daughter, friend and more
What is social constructionism
- peter berjer
- the assumption that in interaction people assume are natural and innately what seems.
- This is sustained by social processes
Queer Theory
-deines the very existence of stable identities
- believes labels do not capture the fluidity and variability of people identities and performance
- labels act as forms of control and domination
what is feminist theory
- focuses on various aspects of patriarchy
- beliefs male domination and female subordination are determined not by biological necessity, but by structures of power and social convention
- gender is constructed because of the way boys and girls are treated as children
- examines the operation of patriarchy in both the macro level and macro level setting
existing patterns of gender inequality can be changed for the benefit if all members of society - has element of conflict theory
what is modern feminism
- modern feminism draws attention to the remainder of inequalities between women and men
- the main source of gender inequality include the differences in the upbringing of boys and girls leading to barrier to equal opportunity (education, work and politics) ad the unequal division of domestic responsibilities between women and men