Sociology test Flashcards
Chicago school
university of chicago
Ethnology and participant observation
Symbolic interactionalism: the study of interaction
With symbols and gestures
Ibn Khaldun
Arab philosopher and historian
The kitab al-lbar
precurser of sociology
Argued that older groups will be taken over by younger people (status)
The first figure to talk about society like a sociologist
Not a sociologist, but a philosopher
Asabiyyah
Symbolic Interactionism
micro theory
believes that the individual is the centre
The idea of the individual based on how they are percieved by others
you reshape yourself based on people’s reactions
depends on interpetation
your physical appearance and actions matter
the study of interaction
Max Weber
theory of rationalization
actions are dependant on efficiency
rationalization helps society function efficently
Example: you get promoted because it helps tge higher-ups, get your “best” work
Buraccucracy is better than revolution
He compared history like a game of clue
Rationalization: people are replaceable
referred to society as an “iron cage”
The idea that you are always trapped in everything
Always controlled
Agreed with Karl Marx about the harm of power, and that it wasn’t just money separating group, but it was gender, age, etc. that is affected by wealth
Thinks that everyone should be equal
Agreed with Emile about religion being essential but concluded that religion didn’t always lead to love
religious beliefs/values led to social changes
not all outcomes are possible in society, there are “tracks”
Positivism
Auguste comte
Saw the french revolution
positivism= natural world could be productively used to study the world
1. looking at sciences, scientific investigation, knowledge
2. laws
3. science + laws = change
4. science can be used to build a better world
Three stages of society in progress
1. Theological stage (religion)
2. Metaphysical stage
3. scientific stage
he was seen as too broad
Organic Solidarity
people have to adapt to certain situations
Emile durkheim
David Riesman
Americans stopped controlling themselves, and started being controlled (religion, consumerism)
First sociologist to be featured on time magazine
Zero-sum view of power
limited amount of power to go around
Conflict theory (Karl Marx)
Socialization
- primary socialization (simple, common)
- Secondary socialization (behaving properly)
- Anticipatory socialization (problem-solving)
- Resocialization (Transfrom negative behaviour into positive behaviour)
Primary: family, first thing you are brought into
Secondary: school, peer-groups, the workplace, media, religion
ADHD
Some people say that ADHD is overdiagnosed
There might be too much medication so doctors will over diagnose ADHD. Sociologists say that we must wait until there’s evidence to prove it
Auguste Comte
positivism
Saw the french revolution
positivism= natural world could be productively used to study the world
1. looking at sciences, scientific investigation, knowledge
2. laws
3. science + laws = change
4. science can be used to build a better world
Three stages of society in progress
1. Theological stage (religion)
2. Metaphysical stage
3. scientific stage
he was seen as too broad
Rational Choice Theory
in cases, someone’s actions seem inexcliciple, there are probably self-serving motives
humans are selfish
you will never do something perfectly
What people do vs. what people actually do
Cultural Toolkit
dressing/acting on something in certain areas which may not be acceptable in other areas. This is more broad
Ann swindler
C. Wright Mills
“The sociologist imagination”
Reminded society that sociologists exist to change society
pointed out that society was still rife with social problems
Douglas McAdam
resource mobalization theory
social movements from when people share grievance and are able to mobalize resources and take action
Rationalization
people are replaceable
referred to society as an “iron cage”
The idea that you are always trapped in everything
Always controlled
Max weber
Broken Windows Theory
Rudy Giulian
“more broken windows=more crime”
Robert Sampson and Stephen Raudenbush tested this theory
Giulian was wrong, since broken windows don’t mean more crime, but it says something about the area that makes people think there’s more crime
Examples of social facts
About half of marriages end in divorce
People can have different jobs in their lives
Most people don’t listen to classical music
This is a social thing, judging a group but not every single inidividual
Norms, values, laws
norms - normal
values- important
laws- roles that must be followed
Only laws are necessary
Ann Swindler
Cultural toolkit, dressing/acting on something in certain areas which may not be acceptable in other areas. This is more broad
Prudence carter
Code switching: actual act of switching (person to person)
Rationality vs. irrationality
rational choice theory: in cases, someone’s actions seem inexcliciple, there are probably self-serving motives
humans are selfish
you will never do something perfectly
What people do vs. what people actually do
Challenges to rational decisions
People make suboptional decisions
People make irrational decisions
Emotion
Altruism- balancing selfishness and selflessness
Symbolic interacionalism
micro theory
believes that the individual is the centre
The idea of the individual based on how they are percieved by others
you reshape yourself based on people’s reactions
depends on interpetation
your physical appearance and actions matter
Max weber
theory of rationalization
actions are dependant on efficiency
rationalization helps society function efficently
Example: you get promoted because it helps tge higher-ups, get your “best” work
Buraccucracy is better than revolution
He compared history like a game of clue
Rationalization: people are replaceable
referred to society as an “iron cage”
The idea that you are always trapped in everything
Always controlled
Agreed with Karl Marx about the harm of power, and that it wasn’t just money separating group, but it was gender, age, etc. that is affected by wealth
Thinks that everyone should be equal
Agreed with Emile about religion being essential but concluded that religion didn’t always lead to love
religious beliefs/values led to social changes
not all outcomes are possible in society, there are “tracks”
George Herbert Mead
Believed that symbols are key to understanding society
Symbols define our relationships
Without symbols, we wouldn’t know how to interact with each other
The looking glass self
theory
the way you percieve yoursel is how others percieve you
Step 1: imagine how you look to other people
step 2: imagine the judgements these people make about you
Step 3: Imagine yourself after people judged you
Re-inventing yourself
This is why you are never your true self
You will always think about what others think about you
C. Wright Mills
“The sociologist imagination”
Reminded society that sociologists exist to change society
pointed out that society was still rife with social problems
The history of sociology
1700’s-1800’s
people went from monarchy to republicans
3 most influencial and important sociologists
Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max weber
3 types of sociology
Microsociology- how society works from person to person
Network sociology- viewing society as a web
Macrosociology- society to society
religion-micro
comparing religions- macro
Emile durkheim
one of the founders of sociology
“organic metaphor’- society is a human body which has small parts
First sociologist
More positive than Karl Marx
people are governed by social facts
There’s “facts” that are not applicable to be true by some people
He believed as time went on, people change, and changes happen (sociological method)
Argues that crime can be normal only if it’s useful to society
Disgareed with marx about religion being bad, he believed that religion serves a funtion in society and that religion helps maintain solidarity
2 types of solidarity:
organic: people have to adapt to certain situations
mechanical: following rules and living in harmony
conclusion: religion is essential, encourages mutual respect, proves change over time, adapted because society also changed. He appreciated that religion can serv as a powerful form of social glue holding people together.
Empirical questions
- Theoretical questions- question about an idea “what is racism”
- Moral questions- question about what ti do morally “should racism exist”
- Empirical question- question about fact “does racism exist”
The broken windows Theory
Rudy Giulian
“more broken windows=more crime”
Robert Sampson and Stephen Raudenbush tested this theory
Giulian was wrong, since broken windows don’t mean more crime, but it says something about the area that makes people think there’s more crime
Pre sociologists
Theologians: studied religion, argued that God had a plan
Philosophers: looked at human nature
historians: studied past societies
Ibn Khaldun
Arab philosopher and historian
The kitab al-lbar
precurser of sociology
Argued that older groups will be taken over by younger people (status)
The first figure to talk about society like a sociologist
Not a sociologist, but a philosopher
Asabiyyah
Political revolutions
American revolution (1776)
French revolution (1789-1814)
Critisms of government (and it’s role pf society)
Discussion of fairness and human rights
The industrial revolution
18-19 century
Cities and jobs grew
Efficiency in production
Entertainment grew in quality
Too much work
Auguste Comte
Saw the french revolution
positivism= natural world could be productively used to study the world
1. looking at sciences, scientific investigation, knowledge
2. laws
3. science + laws = change
4. science can be used to build a better world
Three stages of society in progress
1. Theological stage (religion)
2. Metaphysical stage
3. scientific stage
he was seen as too broad
Karl Marx
First of the three thinkers
commented on capitalism, economic system
WI Freidrich Engels
Conflict theory:
competition of power
Inbalance of wealth
powerful instutions harm the poor
conflict of burgious and palitarian
He believed everything was a competition of power/money
He predicted that the lower class world
Conflict +revolution = societal evolution to Marx
Believed religion was bad because he understood that society was fundemental for gaining power
Dialetic Materialism
Every stage in history: mode of production (organizing production)
Our source of material changes
Each mode of production = conflict
Borgeais vs. protetariat
b= upper class, favored by capitalism
p= lower class, hurt by capitalism
technically, capitalism hurts everyone
The chicago School
university of chicago
Ethnology and participant observation
Symbolic interactionalism: the study of interaction
With symbols and gestures
David riesman
Americans stopped controlling themselves, and started being controlled (religion, consumerism)
First sociologist to be featured on time magazine
Talcott Parsons
Espoured functionalism: the same model of something exists for a reason since it works
He thought Reisman’s argument was a good thing
controvertial (for example, murder or racism)
Culture continuem
- art
- religion
- politics
- laws
- economy
- language
- technology
Different types of family
Nuclear family (basic family)
Extended family (more genrations)
Lone families (one parent)
Same sex family
Interracial family (increasing the most)
Peer groups
influencial group of people
Teach some skills family don’t
Can be beliefs from social media
nature vs. nurture
nature: genetic inherticance
nurture: influences in lives
Subculture/counterculture
Smaller groups
A culture that is very different from the mainstream culture
Microculture
Smaller groups of people in a culture
to learn a culture
- basic skills (good hygiene)
- Socially accepted goals (behaving good in school)
- Roles and behaviours
Process of socialization
- primary socialization (simple, common)
- Secondary socialization (behaving properly)
- Anticipatory socialization (problem-solving)
- Resocialization (Transfrom negative behaviour into positive behaviour)
Agents of socialization
Primary: family, first thing you are brought into
Secondary: school, peer-groups, the workplace, media, religion
family
A group of people who do physical maintenance
Procreating or adoption, socializing children, nurturing, social control and/or producing, distributing goods
Commodity fetishism
Giving “phantom-like” idea/qualities to an object
The object is given value
Focus on the item rather than how it was made
Structural functionalism
Durkheim and parsons
the belief that instution that work together help to make everyone happy
Family, religions, schools, etc.
Macrotheory
Durkheim believed that society functions the way it should
We thrive off social interactions
Because society works, that means we are doing it properly
Parsons said that social behaviour is an entity
If something exists, it’s from something good
Society exist as one behaviour
Feminist sociology
Patriarchial: male dominated
Feminism wants instutions to have less male power
Dorothy smith
feminist sociology
Believed that society favored men, everything society does is to benefit men
Social stratification
social layes
1. material
2. money
3. power
4. prestige
5. relationships (holds everything like a pyramid)
Ascribed
attributes you are born with and cannot get rid of
Achieved
Attributes you are given/earned, controlled
Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore
Recognized people inhertited different traits
Talent does not equate to one’s work
People require motivation
People who work minimum wage jobs are unmotivated
The argument of inequality
- people need to be motivated to work the best they can
- motivation = reward
- people who get paid more than others means equality
sociologists argue that inequality is inevitable, it needs to happen.
More money=more power
Ethnicity
Where you are from
Where your culture is from
Some ethnicities and races are linked
1. historical background (place of origin)
2. culture and food (language)
3. symbols and clothing
Can be argues that ethnicity isn’t who you are
Racial discrimination
Concious - the choice of treating people unfairly
unconcious - someone take’s another person’s race into consideration without realizing it
The weight of history - can’t escape racist stereotypes
Self fullfilling prophecy - when a group of people face systemic discrimination, they can also hurt
Model minority
the idea that ideal minorities are all the same
Problem because they are different
Not all racism is the same
Different groups come from different circumstances
A minority group is actually many minority groups
Crime and deviance
crime=deviance, but not all deviance is crime
Informal norms: good manners, keeping secrets, dressing accordingly
Court
Decide what’s legal and what’s illegal
Decide if someone is guilty or not
They decide the meaning of a law
If someone did a crime, the court can find a loophole to not arrest that person
Politics inforce laws, court interpets law
De jure
officially, when you break a law, it’s official
De facto
Riding a bike on side walk- can be charged for it but it’s not always the same outcome
Becoming deviant
Robert W. Balch
Asked high schol students to imagine a boy being caught outside of class without a hall pass
he asked if the student was a troublemaker, hippie, or a quiet person
The class voted that the troublemaker and hippie would have to have harsher punishments
Stereotypes and bias control us, which is why we always act on them
Biggest cause of deviance= being called a deviant
When you get on someone’s bad side, they can see you as deviant
When you get called a deviant, sometimes you embrace something bas that you did beforre
Fighting and punishing crime
Deterrence: punishing someone and they don’t do it again
Prevention: preventing education
reformation: you help someone learn from their lesson
groups
Based on solidarity
Group of two: dyad
less personal groups: informal
Secondary group: individual’s role is measured by contribution
Virtual group: communication over a virtual platform, but you don’t know anyone personally
groups set expectations
Sanctions: formal or informal penalty or reward to ensure conformality within a group
Guidelines also establish norms
gangs
Tied to antisocial and criminal purposes, but they have the same characteristics of a group
They are meant for protection
They provide identity, power, purpose, protection
They usually have a history of being discriminated against
The average age of a member of a gang is 16 years old
Collective behaviour
spontanious, example: everyone panics
Convergence theory
Collective theory as the most outcome
rational decision theory
based on self, individual favours larger groups over smaller, less organized groups
Prosocial behaviour
Altruism- principle of unselfish regard, people do things because they actually mean to do good
prosocial behaviour- individual or group do care fir the welfare of ithers without getting a reward
Conformity
compliance: social behaviour that is contrary to one’s own belief but is exhibited to achieve rewards
The breaching experiments
Herold Garfinkel
intentional breaking of social norms and analyzed people’s reactions to the breach
Social movements and political sociology
Traditional rule: run by older, wise people
Monarchy
Theocracy: government run by religious leader
Imperial republic: republic but it’s an empire
Communist republic
Democradic republic
causes of political revolution
An environmental catastrophe
An outside attack by an aggressive neighbor
internal fighting
Too much economic inequality
A cultural challenge to the justification for te govenment
How to build a nation
infrastructure
stable economy
transparent government
respect cultures and religions
A lack of interference
Zero-sum view of power
limited amount of power to go around
Conflict theory (Karl Marx)
Relative deprevation theory
When there’s a gab between what people get and what they deserve to get, and they do something about it. lack of representation. Example: women’s suffrage
resource mobalization theory
Douglas McAdam
social movements from when people share grievance and are able to mobalize resources and take action
Successful social movements
- full response: ligitament, goal achieved
- pre-emption: attainable, doesn’t seem ligitament
- co-optation: seem ligitament, not attainable
- Collapse: fails to give ligitamenence and not attainable, goal not met, this is the most negative, and opposite of full response
Ferdinand toonies
Born in germany
two ideas
geimenschaft and gesselschaft
Schaft is unity
geimen is community, the idea that people live together and also have similar interests. gessel means society, where people live together but they may not share interests. Over time, he thinks that society will be gesselschaft because there are too many people, so it would be hard to be close with everyone
Life course transitions
Sociologists have come up with different stages that people go through.
1. birth
2. education
3. labour force participation
4. dating and sexual activity
5. moving out of parents household
6. childbaring
7. co-habitation
8. marriage
9. divorce
10. death
ADHD
Some people say that ADHD is overdiagnosed
There might be too much medication so doctors will over diagnose ADHD. Sociologists say that we must wait until there’s evidence to prove it
Post war
people started to change after WWII
before the war, people were different
After the war:
Economy became trebulent, prices went up
Unmarried couples barely has rights
Discrimination against women went down because they took on jobs from home, and society accepted it
Contraceptions started to increase and population increased. meaning that STDs were on the rise.
This led to the increase of middle-class
- need two incomes to be stable
- they also live modestly, they can afford things without stress
- afford luxury vacations but not comfortably
- middle-class workers have specialized jobs
- own property but don’t have many investments
Religious organizations
Supernatural: beyond the natural physical world
Traditions: customs passed down over time
Worship: taking part in your religion
Congregation: the people you worship with
Geography: where the religion is
Services: services offered theough organization
7 elements of indoctrination in cults
- find someone vulnerable/in a transitional state
- soft sell: the candidate has an initial meeting/talk
- the candidate is seperated from immerse seperation
- You make it your mission to make yourself become close with the mem..
- creating as extreme enemy
- peer pressure: strong push to join the cult
- fully brainwashed the recruit into serving as sociopathic narcassist
Who are the “three key thinkers of sociology”?
Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber
What is an example of secondary socialization?
How to properly behave in school.
What is network sociology?
The study of society as an interrelated web of connections.
What is an example of macrosociology?
A religious institution.
Which sociologists popularized the study of symbolic interactionism?
The Chicago School
List the four principals of positivism:
*Knowledge of society can be gained through scientific investigation.
*And by observing the laws that govern social stability and change.
*Scientific understanding of these laws can bring about change.
*Science can be used to build a better world.
What are microcultures?
Cultures where groups can see other like-minded individuals.
Who is Emile Durkheim?
He viewed humans as “social creatures,” who define themselves by their social interactions.
Who was Max Weber?
A sociologist who argued that people could free themselves from the capitalist system through bureaucracy instead of revolution.
Who argued that in addition to economic inequalities, there were inequalities of political power and social structure that caused conflict?
Max Weber
What are ascribed bases of stratification?
Attributes that you’re born with, and that society judges you upon.
What are the three features of ethnicity?
1.A historical narrative, generally associated with a place of origin.
2.Cultural customs, such as food, holiday celebrations, a language.
3.Symbols and distinctive styles of dress.
The argument of inequality:
What is the argument that suggests?:
1.People need to be motivated to work hard and to take the jobs they’re best suited for.
2.Motivation means reward . . . and the real possibility of having significantly more or less reward.
3.Because there need to be people who are rewarded more than others, there needs to be inequality.
What is Emile Durkheim’s belief on religion’s function?
Religion must: 1. serve a function in society, 2. must do something to help people work together happily and productively.
List the seven steps (in order) of joining a cult:
- Finding someone who is in a vulnerable or transitional state (at a crossroads in their life).
**2. Soft sell: The candidate has an initial meeting or talk with the recruiters.
- The candidate is immersed into a new reality and separated from outside influences (ex. no television, movies, contact with friends, etc.)
- The candidate’s #1 relationship is with the cult leader.
*5. The cult creates an external enemy.
*6. The candidate experiences peer pressure (ex. a strong push to become part of the cult).
- *7. The new member is brainwashed into serving a sociopathic narcissist.
What is convergence theory?
The theory that collective action as the most common outcome.
What is an example of preemption?
Using 123movies/putlockers/torrents to download movies.
List the 5 causes of revolutions:
*An environmental catastrophe, like a drought or natural disaster (for example, the Rapanui of Easter Island who ran short of resources and fell into disastrous conflict with each other)
*An outside attack by an aggressive neighbor (for example, European nations in the Second World War)
*Internal fighting or disorganization among the people in the government (for example, the American Civil War)
*Too much economic inequality, which can cause the have-nots to rise up and take over (for example, the French Revolution)
*A cultural challenge to the justification for the system of government (for example, the Russian Revolution)
What is compliance?
Social behaviour that is contrary to one’s own beliefs but is exhibited to achieve rewards and avoid punishments.
What are life-course transitions?
Points at which people transition from one stage of life to the next.
What is an example of a breaching experiment?
☠ ☮ ☯ ♤ Ω ♤ ♧ ♧ ♥ ♡ ♢ ♢ ♔ ♕ ♚ ♛ ⚜ ☄ ☾ ☽ ☼ ☀ ☁ ☂ ☃ ☻ ☺ ☹ ۞ ۩
What is the final stage in the life-course transition?
Death
What is cohabitation?
Moving in with a romantic partner.
What is the 8th life-course transition?
Marriage
List the life-course transitions (in order)
✓ Birth
✓ Completing stages of education (grade school, high school, college, grad
school)
✓ The beginning of labor-force participation (in other words, getting a job)
✓ The start of dating and sexual activity
✓ Moving out of one’s parents’ household
✓ Childbearing
✓ Cohabitation (moving in with a romantic partner)
✓ Marriage
✓ Divorce
✓ Death
