Sociology introduction-Week 2 Flashcards
American Sociological Association definition of sociology
a science guided by the basic understanding that “the social matters: our lives are affected not only by our individual characteristics but by our place in the social world.”
Howard Becker’s definition of sociology
study of people “doing things together.” This reminds us that society and the individual are inherently connected, and each depends on the other.
Sociologists study this link:
how society individual affects the individual and how the individual affects society.
What is Society?
is a group of people who shape their lives in aggregated and patterned ways that distinguish their group from other groups.
What is Sociological imagination?
the ability to look beyond the individual as the cause for success and failure and see how one’s society influences the outcome.
What did Classic sociologist, C. Wright Mills do?
observed that people must understand how outside forces contribute to their situation – both the history and biography of a situation to generate this imagination
What is Microsociology?
the level of analysis that studies face-to-face and small-group interactions in order to understand how they affect the larger patterns and institutions of society.
Focuses on small-scale issues
ex. a man at a computer
What is Macrosociology?
the level of analysis that studies large-scale social structures in order to determine how they affect the lives of groups and individuals.
focuses on large scale issues
ex people in a library
What Is a Theoretical Paradigm?
paradigm- refers to a theoretical framework through which scientists study the world
theory-an abstract proposition that both explains the social world and makes predictions about future events. seek to explain society, which itself can change overtime
What is functional perspective? focus, argue, criticisms
Focus- order and stability
View of society- as a system of interrelated parts
Functionalists -everything exists because it serves a function…otherwise it would cease to exist
Argue- social institutions are critical for society to function properly ex; marriage, family, economic systems, school, political systems
Criticisms-defends existing social arrangements/supports the status quo;
offers no technique to establish a part’s net effect (final effect);
the paradigm does not take into consideration wealth and power on the formation of society.
What are the key functionalist Theorists ?
Auguste Comte
Herbert Spencer
Emilie Durkheim
Talcott Parsons
Robert Merton
Who is Augustine Comte?
coined the word sociology and also started sociologists thinking about the functionalist paradigm
felt one should discover social laws or statements of fact that are unchanging under given conditions and can be used as ground rules for any kind of society
felt one should discover social laws or statements of fact that are unchanging under given conditions and can be used as ground rules for any kind of society
best known for Positivism in which he discussed how people gain knowledge about the world through their senses.
Who is Herbert Spencer?
first great English-speaking sociologist. Spencer was an advocate of the idea of evolution before Darwin
believed that societies, like living organisms, evolve through time by adapting to their changing environment
social Darwinism
Who is Emilie Durkheim?
trying to establish sociology as an important academic discipline. argued that the sociologist’s task is to analyze & explain solidarity—the ties that bind us to one another. He wrote The Division of Labor in Society
Mechanical (pre-industrial)/ Organic (post) solidarity
known for his work on suicide anomie, a sense of disconnection
two forces determine whether a person will take his or her own life:
Solidarity- to the level of connectedness and integration a person feels to others in the environment and;
Social control - to the social mechanisms that regulate a person’s actions.
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Who is Talcott Parsons?
addressed the types of functions that social structures (or institutions) might fulfill, such as adaptation to the environment (socialization of children), realization of goals (opportunity for success provided by education system), social cohesion (shared values provided by religion helping to bring people together), and the maintenance of cultural patterns (the passing along of traditions by families).
Who is Robert Merton ?
clarified the difference between manifest functions, the obvious intended functions of a social structure for the social system, and latent functions, the less obvious unintended functions of a social structure.
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What is conflict theory? focus, theory, central question, criticisms
focus is over scarce and valued resources known for its opposition to Capitalism
theorists -view conflict as a major agent of change; emphasize role of competition in producing conflict; see the parts of society as very unequal; and believe that the elite at the top determine the rules for those below.
see society as a system of - have’s and have-not’s
tend to focus on macro process es
central question- who benefits from a particular pattern or social arrangement?
Criticisms-
exaggerates tensions & divisions in society, centering on the idea that the powerful people oppress the weak
what is Proletariat? what is Bourgeoisie ?
Proletariat-working class
Bourgeoisie- elite class, owners of the means of production
What is Means of production? What is Façade of Legitimacy?
Means of production- anything you need to produce (capital,labor,materials)
Façade of Legitimacy- an explanation that the elite give to justify their oppression against the weak
Who were the key theorists:
Karl Marx
Harriet Martineau
W.E.B DuBois
Jane Adams
Who is Karl Marx?
German philosopher and political activist whose contribution to sociology can be found in conflict theory
argued- it is the sociologists task is to analyze & explain conflict
that conflict is the major force that drives social change
HUGE critic of the Capitalist system
credited saying
the Bourgeoisie thrived off sucking the living blood of the Proletariat!
Published- The Communist Manifesto/ Das Kapital
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Who is Harriet Martineau?
established the foundation for non-judgmental research methods (something we largely take for granted today).
Work- Society in America
traveled unchaperoned
She analyzed the impact of slavery and the position of women in society, she observed that only white men could vote despite democratic ideals, she noted that enslaved people and women did not have equal rights, and she presented her data without bias and left reader to make own judgments. Her contributions helped to expand the conflict paradigm.
Who is W.E.B. DuBois ?
identified, what he referred to as, the problem of the 20th Century—the problem of the color line.
Double-Consciousness & two-ness, or the experience of being bi-racial (and now applied to the experience of multi-racial), but being viewed as one thing by society.
referred to himself as ‘mulatto’
examined being Black in America—physical recognition & categorization vs. personal perspective & heritage
Wrote-The Souls of Black Folk/ The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study
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Who is Jane Adams?
participated in and wrote about the life of the poor. She helped initiate the settlement house movement in Chicago. Her work was based on 3 principles:
Workers would live in the slums to better understand the problems there
Every person has dignity and worth regardless of race/ethnicity, gender or social class
Dedication, education, and service can overcome ignorance, disease and other problems often associated with poverty
