Sociology- Theory

Question 1

Theory-Liberal feminism
-sex and gender

Answer 1

Oakley-
-Sex refer to biological differences between men and women such as physical differences
-Gender refers to the differnt ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ identities assigned to males and females.
Sexist attitudes and stereotypical beliefs about gender are transmitted through socialisation.

Question 2

Theory-Liberal feminism
-critique

Answer 2

Marxist and radical feminists argue liberals fail to recognise the underlying causes of women’s subordination.

Question 3

Theory-Radical feminists
-Change
-separatism

Answer 3

Separatism-Greer argues for matrilocal households instead of heterosexual family to avoid men’s oppression

Question 4

Theory-Radical feminists
-3 changes suggested

Answer 4

-Separatism
-consciousness-raising
-Political lesbianism

Question 5

Theory-Radical feminists
-Change
-consciousness-raising

Answer 5

-through sharing their experience in women only groups women see other women have the same problems which lead to action such as slut walks

Question 6

Theory-Radical feminists
-Change
-Political Lesbianism

Answer 6

-heterosexual relationships are oppressive beacuse they involve sleeping with the enemy and that lesbianism is the only non-oppressive form of sexuality

Question 7

Theory-Radical feminists
-Critique

Answer 7

-Marxist feminist believe capitalism is the main form of oppression
-Liberal feminists belive that the patriarchy is in decline as the position of women has improved greatly due to changing attitudes

Question 8

Theory-Marxist feminists
-functions for capitalism

Answer 8

-women are a cheap source of Labour
-women are a reserve army of Labour
-women reproduce the labour force
-women absorb anger
(Ansley)

Question 9

Theory-Marxism
-Capitalism

Answer 9

-proletariat sell their Labour to the bourgeoisie in return for wages to survive
-through competition between capitalists ownership of the means of production become fewer and fewer
-concentration of ownership produces a class polarisation

Question 10

Theory-Marxism
-Alienation

Answer 10

Marx
-our true nature is based on our capacity to create thing to meet our needs.
-alienation is a result of our loss of control of our labour and creations
-alienation hits its peak in capitalism:
-workers have no control over production
-the workers are reduced to unskilled Labour beacuse of the division of labour

Question 11

Theory-Marxism
-ideology

Answer 11

Marx
-the bourgeoise who own the factors of production Also control the dominant ideas in society
-these ideas are spread through institutions such as:
Schools, media and religion
-this creases a false class consensus

Question 12

Theory-Marxism
-the state & revelution

Answer 12

Marx
-the state exists to protect the interests of the class of owners who control it.
(Ruling class)
-they use the state as a weapon to prevent revolution
-Marx predicted the revolution to be the ultimate victory and it would establish a communist society

Question 13

Theory-Marxism
-Critque

Answer 13

-Marx’s two class model cannot be apply today
E.g Weber states there are proletariat that are skilled and unskilled classes

Question 14

Theory- social action

Answer 14

-Social action theory uses small groups/individuals behavior
Weber-‘verstehen’ understanding actions through meanings

Question 15

Theory- phenomenology

Answer 15

Schutz
-typifications (shared category’s)
-we put the world into category’s and this is shared through society
-e.g had up in auction for bid

Question 16

Theory- Ethnomonlogy

Answer 16

Garfinkel
-construct meanings through common sense
-indexality (unclear meanings)
-reflexivity (use common sense to make meanings clear)
-through language, tone of voice and facial expressions
E.g suicide if he was happy and had freind probs not suicide but if lonely and depressed sucicide

Question 17

Theory- structuration

Answer 17

Giddens
-‘duality of structure’
Meaning both free will in interactions but still have to obey laws

Question 18

Theory- symbolic interactionism
Dramaturgical model

Answer 18

Goffman
-different to different people
-manage self imagine through language and probs

Question 19

Theory- symbolic interactionism
Labelling

Answer 19

Becker
-label is attached
-verstenhen
-accept or reject label self fulfilling phrocey

Question 20

Sociology & science:
Positivists

Answer 20

-is a science
-seek to discover causes of patterns
-researchers should remain detached and objective
-quantitative data

Question 21

Sociology & science:
Positivists
Study of suicide

Answer 21

Durkheim
-found a pattern in suicide rates
-Protestants had a higher suicide rate then catholics as catholics integrated members better
-shows sociology as a science as it has cause and effect

Question 22

Sociology & science:
Interpretivists

Answer 22

-isn’t a science
-seek to discover meanings people give to their actions
-‘verstehen’
-qualitative

Question 23

Sociology & science:
Interpritivists
Suicide

Answer 23

Douglas
-disagrees with Durkheim’s study as he doesn’t uncover the meaning for those
Involved
-use qualitative data to reveal the meanings and give us a better idea of the real suicide rate

Question 24

Sociology & science:
Popper

Answer 24

-is unscientific as it cannot be put to the test
-e.g Marxists revolution
-cannot be falsified
-however can be scientific as it can be falsified e.g if the theory is put to test

Question 25

Science & sociology:
Kuhn

Answer 25

Paradigm- is shared by members of a given scientific community
-sociology is pre Paradigm as there is no agreement on the fundamentals of what to study
-e.g Marxists and functionalists can’t agree on basic questions e.g consensus or conflict
-can be scientific if these disagreements are solved

Question 26

Theory- Functionalism
Organic analogy
System

Answer 26

Parsons
system- organisms like the body need to have parts that work together eg organs and institutions

Question 27

Theory- functionalism
Organic analogy
System needs

Answer 27

Parsons
System needs-organisms have needs e.g nutriance if these aren’t met the organism will fail
Members in society must be socialised to function

Question 28

Theory- functionalism
Organic analogy
Functions

Answer 28

Parsons
Functions-all parts of the system must be working to ensure survival
E.g circulatory system
E.g economy

Question 29

Theory- functionalism
Integration of individuals

Answer 29

Parsons
-basic function of value consensus is to make social order possible
-the system has to ensure that people needs are met
-to achieve this there must be specific norms

Question 30

Theory- functionalism
Socialisation

Answer 30

Parsons
-the system can ensure that it’s needs are met by teaching individuals to do what is required of them
-through socialisation individuals internalise norms and vales

Question 31

Theory- functionalism
Social control

Answer 31

Parsons
-postaive sanctions for conformity eg degrees
-negative sanctions for those who deviate

Question 32

Theory- functionalism
Critique of organic analogy

Answer 32

Merton
-parsons assumes that all parts of society are tightly interconnected
-howver this isn’t true as modern society is too complex and some parts are too distant
-e.g structure of banking and net ball

Question 33

Theory- functionalism
Critique of socialisation

Answer 33

Wrong
-parsons ignore that individuals have free will
-claims that society shapes individuals whereas wrong claims individuals shape society by their interactions

Question 34

Sociology & objectivity:
The value-free debate
Marxists and feminists

Answer 34

-shouldn’t be value free beacuse their research should aim to improve society

Question 35

Sociology & objectivity: