sociology foundations

Question 1

structural functionalism

Answer 1

• the way different parts of a society are organized to maintain societal stability
• oldest theory
• macrotheory (large theory)
• more likely to look at big factors / theories like our laws, police training, institutions
• stability is important - everyone gets along, most do what they are supposed to do and follows the rules

Question 2

what is an easy way to remember structural functionalism?

Answer 2

think of the cans stacked! neat, structured, in order

Question 3

who was emile durkhiem, what did he study, and during what time period?

Answer 3

• french, jewish man who, during industrialization and urbanization, moved to austrialia and was impressed by the cohesiveness
• became interested in the study of suicide, and wondered how if suicide is at an individual level, why is it that it is so consistent within society?

Question 4

what are the for things durkheim noted about those who committed suicide?

Answer 4

1. men were more likely - men share less
2. single people more likely - more alone
3. higher rates among protesents as opposed to catholics - protesents do not have priests or intermediates that connect them to god; everything is a direct relationship between themselves and god
4. higher during peace time as opposed to war - we feel connected to each other during war

Question 5

what was the commonality that durkheim found of those who died from suicide?

Answer 5

all have a lack of social cohesion (lack of social integration and of collective moral regulation)

Question 6

what is an anomie?

Answer 6

social instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values

Question 7

what are critical theories? who are they most associated with?

Answer 7

conflict theory
feminist sociology
race / gender studies
macrotheory (large theory)
KARL MARX

Question 8

what is conflict theory?

Answer 8

• views society as an area of continual struggle between groups competing for resources and power
• asserts that some groups have privileged access to resources and power

Question 9

conflict theory - upton sinclair: the jungle; what was it?

Answer 9

worked at a meat packing factory with people immigrating to chicago

selects the healthy, strong young men to work, rest are told to leave

unsanitary and improper training - someone cuts off his thumb

next day for hiring, guy missing the thumb is not chosen to work

Question 10

what conclusions were made by sinclair?

Answer 10

witnessed exploitation of proletariat (worker) by capitalist (bourgeoisie, upper class owners) during industrial revolution

he saw the system was rigged, thought things were unfair

he predicted that this system would collapse: proletariat would eventually overthrow the capitalists to establish a communist society

Question 11

what is communism?

Answer 11

• classless society where the public owns the means of production and workers paid based on ability and need
• everyone was taken care of, no one went hungry

Question 12

what did karl marx believe?

Answer 12

capitalism was alienating
capitalism alienated people from each other and from the products of their labor

Question 13

what is alienation?

Answer 13

estrangement of people from their true human potential

Question 14

__________ is opposite to _____ ___________

Answer 14

alienation; social cohesion

Question 15

what is neoliberalism?

Answer 15

current political philosophy; emphasizes privatization, deregulation, reduction of welfare state through reduction in programs and lowering of taxes

Question 16

in the 1900’s, how much government intervention was there?

Answer 16

NONE
no labor union laws, no government help, no workers comp, social welfare, medical care

Question 17

what was keynesian economics (1940-1970)

Answer 17

“welfare state”; “almost golden age”
- was seen as “capitalism at its best”, where government intervention occurred
- government began implementing workers comp, unions, social welfare, employment, medical care
- less exploitation and alienation since there was government regulation around people and their rights

Question 18

why did we pull away from keynesian economics?

Answer 18

ran into excess

Question 19

what happened with neoliberalism?

Answer 19

largest increases between the highest and lowest brackets

Question 20

who was in charge of contemporary critical sociology?

Answer 20

michel foucault

Question 21

what was contemporary critical sociology?

Answer 21

• focus is on power and social control
• power is always operating on us
• we are free; we live in an advanced democracy
• find ways for self-discipline through sanctions
• incentivize them to do the right thing, but giving them the freedom to choose between right and wrong

Question 22

what is surveillance (contemporary)?

Answer 22

the direct or indirect observation of conduct toward producing a desired outcome

Question 23

what is self-surveillance (contemporary)?

Answer 23

monitoring our own behaviors in order to prevent being considered deviant
(this is the goal of contemporary society)

Question 24

what is a panopticon?

Answer 24

we are worried about getting in trouble, so we stay in line
- a disciplinary concept brought to life in the form of a central observation tower placed within a circle of prison cells. From the tower, a guard can see every cell and inmate but the inmates can’t see into the tower. Prisoners will never know whether or not they are being watched

Question 25

what is feminist sociology?

Answer 25

• extends conflict theory to inequality between the sexes
• gathered significant strength after 1970’s
• was one of the first branches (in comparison to race, religion, disabled, etc)

Question 26

who was dorothy smith?

Answer 26

• canadian sociologist and feminist theorist
• was critical of the absence of women’s voices / experiences in sociology
• believed in the importance to understand the ‘lived experience’; to understand what it truly means to live in society as a minority

Question 27

who came up with intersectionality theory?

Answer 27

kimberle crenshaw

Question 28

what was intersectionality theory?

Answer 28

• theoretical approach that examines the interlocking nature of social identity categories (class, gender, ethnicity) that create more complex. interdependent systems of oppression and marginalization
• considering minorities together
• african american women became laid off (two intersecting minority groups: black and women)

Question 29

what is symbolic interactionism?

Answer 29

• use of everyday forms of social interaction to explain society as a whole
• don’t want to disincentivize people
• people’s actions in each situation can be understood only by first understanding the meaning they ascribe to that situation
• canada has one of the highest levels of social mobility in the world

Question 30

what is meritocracy (symbolic)?

Answer 30

promises you that if you work hard, you will make it (american dream)

Question 31

what did max webber (symbolic) believe?

Answer 31

individuals act according to their interpretation of the meaning of the world