Sociology - Ch 1 Flashcards
How does Bergen describe the sociological perspective? What does this mean?
Seeking the general in the particular
Sociologists seek out general patterns on the behavior of particular people
Sociology
Systematic study of human society
How do you begin to think sociologically?
By realizing the society that we live in - as well as the general categories into which we fall within that society - shape our particular life experiences
Looking sociologically means
Challenging the familiar idea that we live in terms of what we decide
Why is attending college not simply a matter of personal choice? (2)
Social forces (age - typical U.S. college student is 18-24)
Cost
Compare the suicide rates for African American men to that of white men in the U.S.
African men - 9.8
White men - 19.1
What did Durkheim conclude about the suicide rates:
Social integration - categories of people with strong social ties had low suicide rates, whereas more individualistic categories of people had high suicide rates
Global perspective
The study of the larger world and our society’s place in it
What % of the world’s wealth is controlled by 20/1000 (2%) of the population?
80%
What is the biggest problem for the majority of the people?
Getting enough food and water
Half of the people…
Cannot read or write
High income countries
Nations with very productive economic systems in which most people have relatively high incomes
Middle-income countries
Nations with moderately productive economic systems in which people’s income are about global average
Low-income countries
Nations with less productive economic systems in which most people are poor
Why does the text highlight life outside of the U.S. In every chapter?
- Where we live makes a great difference in shaping our lives
- Societies throughout the world are increasingly interconnected
- Many problems that we face in the U.S. Are far more serious elsewhere
- Thinking globally in a good way to learn more about ourselves
What is an “outsider”?
Not part of the dominant group
Four benefits of the sociological perspective?
- Helps us assess the truth of “common sense”
- Helps us see the opportunities and constraints in our lives
- Empowers us to be active participants in our society
- Helps us live in a diverse world
What were three major changes in the development of society
- the rise of the factory-based industrial economy
- the explosive growth of utilities
- new ideas about democracy and political rights
How was Auguste Comte’s work different from other “ancient thinkers”?
The workings of the social world fascinated them
What did Harriet Martineau do? (2)
Exposed evils of slavery
Argued for laws to protect factory workers and advance the standing for women
What did Jane Addams do? (2)
Spoke out against racial inequality
Served as a founding member of the NAACP
Positivism
A way of understanding based on science
Theory
A statement of how and why specific facts are related
Theoretical paradigm
A basic image of society that guides thinking and research
Structural functional paradigm
A framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability
Social structure
The consequences of any social pattern for the operation of society as a whole
Manifest functions
The recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern
Latent functions
The unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social pattern
Social dysfunction
Any social pattern that may disrupt the operation of society
Social conflict paradigm
A framework for building theory that seed society as an area of inequality that generates conflict and change
Macro-level orientation
A broad focus on social structures that shape society as a whole
Micro-level orientation
A close up focus on social interaction in specific situations
Symbolic-interaction paradigm
A framework for building theory that sees society as the product of the everyday interaction of individuals
Stereotype
An exaggerated description applied to every person is some category
