Unit 1: Introduction to Sociology Flashcards
Sociology
study of human society & societal behavior
Social interaction
how people relate to one another & influence each other’s behavior
Social phenomena
observable facts or events that involve human society
Social perspective
point of view that helps to view humans as social beings
- looks at life in a scientific way
- shows influence of social factors & learned behavior
Social imagination
the ability to see the connection between the larger world & one’s personal life
- helps you understand how the social environment shapes you & you shape the social environment
August Comte
- the founder of sociology
- Felt sociologists should only study how society remains unchanged & what social developments force changes in society
Herbert Spencer
- strongly influenced by Charles Darwin & the theory of evolution
- Social change & unrest are natural occurrences during a society’s evolution toward stability & perfection
- Believed that only the fittest societies would survive over time (Social Darwinism)
Emile Durkheim
saw shared beliefs & values as what held a society together
Karl Marx
- believed that the structure of a society is influenced by how its economy is organized
- Communist manifesto
- Society is divided into 2 classes: the elite & workers
- imbalance of power would lead to rebellion
Conflict theory
emphasis on conflict as the primary cause of social change
Max Weber
- interested more in social groups than the whole society
- Introduced the idea of an ideal type (essential characteristic)
Functionalist Perspective
- views society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce a stable social system
- society is held together through a consensus
- things that negatively affect society are viewed as a dysfunction
Manifest function
the intended & recognized consequence of some element of society
Latent function
the unintended & unrecognized consequence of an element of society
Feminist perspective
- views society as a “sex/gender system in which men dominate women & that which is considered masculine is more highly valued than that which is considered feminine”
- Gender of inequality created by society
Globalization
the worldwide spread of political, economic, and social institutions through trade and the exchange of ideas
Interactionist perspective
- focuses on how individuals interact with one another in society
- how individuals respond to one another in everyday situations & the meanings that individuals attach to their own actions & the actions of others
Conflict perspective
- focus on the forces in society that promote competition & change
- those with more power have more control
symbol
any thing that represents something else
Karl Marx ideas fall under what perspective?
Conflict perspective
Comte, Spencer, and Durkheim ideas fall under what perspective?
Functionalist perspective
Max Weber would be a champion of this perspective.
Interactionist perspective
Inequality of gender fits which perspective?
Conflict perspective
This perspective focuses in the use of symbols and the role they play in our daily lives.
Interactionist perspective
Dysfunction manifest function and latent function are all part of this perspective.
Functionalist perspective
The individual responds to people and things based on the meanings he or she gives to those people or things
Interactionist perspectives
