sociology theory x methods Flashcards
what are the 3 similarities between society and biological organism - organic analogy
system - both organisms and societies are both made up of interrelated and interdependent parts that fit together e.g. societies parts - institutions & individual roles
systems needs - if these needs are not met organism dies which is also true to society e.g. members must be socialised for society to function
functions- e.g. the economy helps to maintain social system by meeting needs for food and shelter.
social order
society running smoothly - achieved through a shared culture, parsons argues social order only possible if people agree on norms and values in society - this agreement = value consensus
Functionalism
the systems needs - GAIL
goal attainment - society needs goals + allocates resources to achieve them e.g. govn
adaptation - system meets material needs thru economic subsystem e.g. cost of living: society adapted to help
integration - parts of the system need to be connected to be able to pursue shared goals e.g. a consensus surrounding the need to work to meet members’ material needs + to achieve this, certain behaviours/ attitudes are necessary e.g. punctuality
latency
-pattern maintenance: prepares members for their roles in future society
-tension management: members can express tension thru different ways e.g. warm bath theory
social action theory
micro theory, verstehen: empathy, trying to understand someones experiences as if they were your own.
based on interpretations + meanings individuals assign to things
Goffman - dramaturgical model
front stage self: act we put on for other people
backstage self: private place where we can truly be ourselves
impression management: conscious/sub process used to control x change how they are perceived. e.g. tailoring behaviour, communication, appearance in interactions to project certain image or fit into societal norms
Mead - symbolic interactionists
taking on the role of the other- putting yourself in someone elses shoes and seeing ourselves as they see us
how we do this:
-thru process of social interaction 1st during childhood through imitative play and then we start to see ourselves as wider community see us
Blumer - added to mead
- actions based on meanings we give to situations,
- meanings based on interactions we have experienced - not fixed but negotiable
- meanings are result of interpretive procedures we use such as taking role of other.
evaluations of functionalism:
-merton: functionalist x strain theorist, internal critique of functionalism
- says parts of society can be replaced e.g. lone parent families
- parts of the system are functional for some & dysfunctional for others e.g. dark side of the family
- problems with achieving our goals legitimately e.g. making money by selling drugs
marx
capitalism divided society into p Vs b
-bourgeoisie able to maintain control as it controls the economic base (society’s infrastructure) e.g. money, good, social relations- regarding production of goods, commodities- raw materials, means of production
+ control the ideological superstructure e.g. education, media, politics & religion to legitimize their power and allow exploitation of proletariat
gramsci
-humanistic x neo marxist
-ruling class maintain dominance thru hegemony (political & moral beliefs passed down thru institutions to justify class dominance)
subject class aware of this happening - dual consciousness & need to create counter hegemony to overthrow ruling class - we have free will and need to use this
-thru education new gen will challenge hegemonic beliefs and lead to a revolution - will gain class consciousness
althusser- scientific
neo marxist x scientific marxism
ISA- controls way we think and creates false class consciousness
RSA- use of force to control us e.g. military, police etc
weber
4 types of action
instrumental ration action: goal orientated whilst prioritizing efficiency e.g. firing lazy employees to save money
value rational action: commitment based actions e.g. beliefs
traditional action: based on rituals, cultural norms and habits
affectual action: actions based on emotions rather than rationality
features of social action
1. social construction is made by individuals alone
2. voluntarism- people have free will to make choices + shape their own identities
3. micro approach: focus on small groups/ individuals
4. drive: beliefs/meanings/feelings individuals give drive behaviour
5. interpretivist methosd: uncovering meaning behind actions + behaviours defined by individuals
becker
- labels define the individual
internalised labels - people see themselves the way others do - leads to SFP
-labels can be rejected - self defeating prophecy, Halo effect
giddens
duality of structure= we need both structural and action theories e.g. we need both education and media as well as micro theories to understand the world
postmodernity
late 1970s after collapse of communism
foucalt
- postmodernist
believes other theories are metanarratives (someone’s version of reality not the truth e.g. marxism) & rejects them arguing there is no such thing as objective knowledge
enlightenment period
features of postmodernity/ postmodernism
- increased diversity + choice
- increased hybridity = merging of cultures + creating new ones
- influence of globalisation on crime, education, family, culture, identity, media + beliefs
features of pre-modern society
- arts x theatre
- importance of religion as a grand metanarrative - a version of the truth
^ relied on religion for reasoning and decision making
late modernity x beck
- late modernism is a continuation of modernity with the features of modernity being intensified = pace of change has increased
- Beck believes todays late modern society (risk - society) faces new dangers = in past dangers were physical e.g. famine x disease but today are manufactured x created by tech e.g. global warming x pollution
^ late modernity is period of individualism : tradition no longer governs how we act + we now need to consider our actions and possible risks attached - this is risk consciousness e.g. reading abt risks + benefits of food
learn abt risks thru mass media giving us distorted view e.g. high fear of crime
EV : some groups more likely to be exposed to risks e.g. poor are more likely to live in heavily polluted areas since they can’t afford to live in healthier areas meaning even if they reflect on their actions they cannot change them to avoid risks
lyotard
- postmodernist
- ppl no longer believe in the myth of truth e.g. vaccines + no longer blindly believe there is one truth ( metanarratives) as society is changing too fast to be explained by general theories like marxism
- loss of faith in the superiority of science + progress
baudrillard
- postmodernist
- mass media is so far into our lives that it begins to shape the way we live -> our society is saturated with media imagery
- simulacra = people have been over saturated with media & now fail to distinguish between real vs fake e.g. media images of war zones - no corpses just war torn streets
- we live in hyperreality = media images appear more real than reality itself, this leads to inability to distinguish btwn image x reality
hyperreality
blurring lines between what is real x what is simulated
simulation
an alternative way of life with different rules = new layer of believability that represents reality
Bauman
- postmodernist
- pick n mix identities –> we aren’t so constrained by factors like class, ethnicity etc but can choose + swap as many identities as we want
- similar to trying on new clothes and switching when they don’t fit
evaluation of postmodernist views
- ignores power + inequality & the ruling class’s ability to control institutions e.g. media x education
- structures in society still exist = class, gender etc still relevant concepts in contemp society
popper - is sociology a science
agrees with Durkheim x Comte
Sociology can & should be a science - thru falsification
falsifiability = proving ourselves wrong in order to prove that our hypothesis is right
ev: cannot disprove meanings, Kuhn = this never works for meanings.
Kuhn - is sociology a science
- sociology could be a science if there is only a single paradigm
~ however sociology is PRE - SCIENTIFIC & not a science since there are too many paradigms e.g. marxism, feminism etc & everybody does not agree
believes sociology should work like this:
1. science has 1 single paradigm
- anomalies occur which force paradigm to be questioned leading to scientific revolution
- sociology is pre scientific but not scientific yet as there are too many contrasting paradigms - if they unite we are a science
Keat & Urry
- Realists
sociology is a science depending on your definition of a science
closed belief system - where all variables are controlled and we can make clear predictions + draw facts = sociology is not a science
open belief system - where you accept all variables can be controlled = sociology is a science
Douglas
intepretivist + direct critique of Durkheim’s study of suicide :
- studied suicide being socially constructed via suicide notes + interviews
- found that in the victorian era that suicide was stigmatised and shamed upon which meant that coroners would code these deaths under other causes to avoid shame/ social reaction.
- meant that suicide was socially constructed and Durkheim’s method lacked representation x validity.
Durkheim
- functionalist x positivist - claimed sociology was a science and that anything could be studied scientifically (objectively) including sensitive topics
- studied suicides in the victorian era using empirical data + quantitative methods e.g. structured interviews, surveys, lab experiments to establish social facts ( facts about society) objectively.
