Sociology Ch 1: Theory and Method Flashcards
Sociology
The scientific study of human social life, groups, and societies. It’s not an absolute science.
C. Wright Mills
(1959) observed that social sciences enable people to “translate private troubles into public issues.” Sociologist who coined the phrase “sociological imagination.”
Structuration
The two-way process by which we shape our social world through our individual actions and by which we are reshaped by society. Human society is being constantly restructured.
Globalization
The growth of world interdependence
When did sociology become a systematic scientific study?
Late 1700s, early 1800s
Auguste Comte
(1798-1857) Early sociological thinker and French philosopher. Invented the word “sociology” for his new field of science. Called the father of sociology. First to think of social interactions as a science.
Social facts
The aspects of social life that shape our actions as individuals. (Durkheim)
Émile Durkheim
(1858-1917) French scholar. Believed that to become a science, sociology had to study social facts. Saw society as a body of specialized parts. First sociologist to engage in sociological research. Came up with “social facts,” like gender, race, and age. Had idea of organic solidarity. Came up with term anomie.
Organic solidarity
The social cohesion that results from the various parts of a society functioning as an integrated whole. (Durkheim)
Social constraint
The conditioning influence on our behavior by the groups and societies of which we are members. Social constraint was regarded by Durkheim as one of the distinctive properties of social facts.
Anomie
Refers to a situation in which social norms lose their hold over individual behavior.
Capitalism
Involves the production of goods and services sold to a wide range of customers. An economic system based on the private ownership of wealth, which is invested and reinvested in order to produce profit.
Karl Marx
(1818-1883) German philosopher. Sought to explain the societal changes that took place during the Industrial Revolution. Targeted communism.
Max Weber
(1864 – 1920) Influenced by Karl Marx. Rejected the materialist conception of history. Believed ideas and values had just as much effect on social change as economic factors. Thought cultural ideas and values help shape society and affect our individual actions. Most influential work was his study on bureaucracy.
Symbolic interactionism
A theoretical approach in sociology which emphasizes the role of symbols and language as core elements of all human interaction.
Harriet Martineau
(1802 – 1876) Born in England. Authored more than 50 books. Translated Comte’s book “Positive Philosophy,” introducing sociology to England. The first to turn a sociological on previously ignored issues such as marriage, children, domestic and religious life, and race relations. Believed research wasn’t enough, but one must advocate for social change.
W. E. P. Du Bois
(1868 – 1963) African American. Conflict theorist. Concept of “double consciousness,” a way of talking about identity through the lens of the particular experiences of African Americans. Connected social analysis to social reform.
Functionalism
A rival tradition of thought to symbolic interactionism. Originally pioneered by Comte. A theoretical perspective based on the notion that social events can best be explained in terms of the functions they perform – that is, contributions they make to the continuity of a society. In recent years it has declined in popularity due to functionalist thinkers unduly stressing factors leading to social cohesion at the expense of those producing division and conflict, the functional analysis attributes to society qualities they do not have, and functionalists often wrote as though societies have needs and purposes even know these concepts only make sense when applied to individuals.
Manifest functions
The functions of a particular social activity that are known to and intended by the individuals involved in the activity.
Robert K. Merton
Functionalist. Distinguish between manifest and latent functions. Believed a major part of sociological explanation consisted in uncovering latent functions of social activities and institutions.
Latent functions
Functional consequences that are not intended or recognized by the members of a social system in which they occur.
Marxism
A body of thought deriving its main elements from Karl Marx’s ideas. Seen by its adherents as a combination of sociological analysis and political reform.
Feminist theory
A sociological perspective that emphasizes the centrality of gender in analyzing the social world and particularly the experiences of women. There are many strands of feminist theory, but they all share the intention to explain gender inequalities in society and to work to overcome them.
Feminism
Advocacy of the rights of women to be equal with men in all spheres of life. Feminism dates from the late 18th century in Europe, and feminist movements exist in most countries today.
Postmodernism
The belief that society is no longer governed by historical progress. Postmodern society is highly pluralistic and diverse, with no “grand narrative” guiding its development. Some go as far as to argue there’s no such thing as history.
Jean Baudrillard
Important theorist of postmodernism. French philosopher. Believes that the electronic media has destroyed our relationship to our past and has created a chaotic, empty world.
