Sociology Flashcards
Macro
Focuses on large-scale social structures and processes, such as institutions, cultures, and societal systems.
Micro
Focuses on small-scale interactions, such as individual behaviors, face-to-face interactions, and social roles.
August Comte
Positivism
-Known as the “Father of Sociology”
-Positivism: Comte’s belief that society should be studied using scientific methods and empirical evidence, similar to the natural sciences.
Law of 3 Stages:
1. Theological Stage: Explanations of phenomena are based on supernatural or divine powers.
2. Metaphysical Stage: Abstract reasoning replaces supernatural beliefs, focusing on natural laws and philosophical ideas.
3. Positive Stage: Society relies on scientific observation, experimentation, and logic to understand the world.
Emile Durkheim
Functionalism
-Social institutions work together to meet the needs of the society/its individuals
-This theory stresses the important of interdependence among all things within a social system to ensure its long-term survival.
Karl Marx
Conflict Theory
-Theories focus on the idea of class conflict, its role in social evolution, and –its usefulness in understanding social issues
-Studied economic inequality(imbalance between the wealthy and poor is the source of conflict in society - he saw that society was based on a fierce competition for power and wealth)
-The wealthy class make it impossible for the poor to achieve economic equality/The only way the working class can achieve equality is to topple the wealthy class out of power
-This conflict between social classes creates isolation
we need to study the economy to understand social changes
-Conflict theory can also be applied to gender and race
Harriet Martineau
-Feminism
-First woman sociologist
-Looked through the lens of women
Agents of socialization
-people/institutions that shape an individual’s social development
-these agents play a significant role in one’s social, emotional, and physical development
-different agents have different levels of influence depending on one’s age/stage in life
-Primary agent of socialization: family
-Secondary agents of socialization: school, peer groups, workplace, media, religion
Institutions
-Structured systems of norms, values, and roles that organize and regulate behaviour in society.
-Eg. family, education, religion, and government, which shape social interactions and ensure societal stability.
Bystander Effect
-Social phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help in an emergency when others are present.
-Due to diffusion of responsibility(people assume someone else will take action)
-Eg. Kitty Genovese Case
Milgram Experiment
OBEDIENCE EXPERIMENT
-Show the significant impact of social influence and tendency for individuals to conform to group norms
-Conformity decreased when at least one other person in the group gave the correct answer
-If there was another person who agreed with the subject, it was easier for them to resist the pressure to conform
Ashe Experiment
CONFORMITY EXPERIMENT
-Shows the powerful influence of authority on human behaviour
-People were willing to obey orders that conflict with their personal morals, even to the extent of harming others
-68% of “teachers” obeyed the authority figure’s urging to continue the experiment to the end despite the fact that before the experiment they had been given a 45-volt shock so they knew what the shock felt like
Philip Zimbardo - Stanford Prisoners Experiment
-The experiment demonstrated how individuals conform to roles of authority and submission, with guards abusing power and prisoners becoming passive and emotionally distressed.
-Showed that situational factors, rather than personality traits, can lead ordinary people to engage in harmful behaviors when placed in a structured environment.
-Highlighted the dangers of unchecked authority and the ease with which people adopt oppressive behaviors, providing insights into real-world abuses in prisons and authoritarian systems.
Twin studies
-Twin studies compare identical and fraternal twins to understand the influence of genetics vs. environment.
-Identical twins share 100% of their genes, while fraternal twins share 50%.
They studies provide insights into nature vs. nurture debates.
Environmental factors are controlled to isolate genetic influences on behaviour or traits.
Isolate children
Isolates: children raised in near isolation within human households
Genie:
-For 13 years she was confined to a dark room and strapped to a potty chair with no human contact
-She could barely sleep/walk/eat and never made full recovery
-Her case shows the critical role of social interaction in language/cognitive development
Danielle:
-For 3 years she lived in a darkened room on a mattress covered in feces(poop),rashes, lice
-She was adopted/recieved medical treatment and is slowly recovering
-To socologists, Danielle’s story is an opportunity to study the dangerous effect of improper/lack of socialization in a young child’s life
David Reimer
-Bruce Reimer, later known as David, was raised as a girl after a botched circumcision, but the gender reassignment experiment failed as he ended up identifying as male(when his parents told him the truth) and faced severe emotional distress.
-The case challenged the idea that gender identity is solely a product of socialization, highlighting the complexity of gender and the importance of biological and psychological factors in identity development.
Symbolic Interactionism
-studies human interactions at a micro level
-emphasizes the individual living within a larger society
-the individual is at the center of understanding society since social values/roles are formed by -individual interpretation
focuses on the way that individuals, through their interpretations of social situations and behavioural negotiation with others, give meaning to social interactions
Norms
Social rules and expectations that govern behavior within a society or group, specifying what is considered acceptable and unacceptable.
Values
Shared beliefs or ideals about what is important, right, or desirable within a society. Values influence norms and guide people’s actions.
Sanctions
Mechanisms used to enforce norms. They can be formal (e.g., laws, legal penalties) or informal (e.g., social approval or disapproval) to encourage conformity or punish deviance.
Status Roles
Social positions individuals occupy within society (e.g., student, employee, parent), along with the expected behaviors and responsibilities tied to each role.
Deviance
Behavior, beliefs, or characteristics that violate societal norms or expectations, which can range from minor rule-breaking to serious criminal acts.
Conformity
The act of adhering to societal norms and expectations, ensuring that individuals align their behavior with the accepted standards of their society.
Lucifer Effect
-Ordinary people can engage in harmful behaviours when placed in certain situations
-The power dynamics between guards and prisoners lead individuals to behave in ways that are abusive/cruel, reflecting the Lucifer Effect
-Highlights the potential for evil in everyday individuals, challenging the belief that only inherently “bad” people commit harmful acts
Looking-glass self
-the process where individuals base their sense of self on how they believe others view them
-(Mead)the looking-glass self is a way of explaining how individuals see themselves through the eyes of those with whom they interact
