week 3: categorizing reality Flashcards
What is a social fact according to durkheim + explenations
A social fact is identifiable through the power of external coercion that it exerce
-Socio is a sc disc bcs there are facts in any society which are fundam diff froms those studied by the natural sc
Physical vs social facts
- collective nature of social facts: emerge from shared belief …
-coercive power
- exteriority of social facts
-analytical constructed: concepts used to analyse and understand sociétés, how they influence indiv ans group actions
Ex class, status, norms
-they evolve, not static ans sociology is abt how these facts are created, maintained and transformed, influence indiv and collective behaviour
What is a social fact (broadly)
.Values, cultural norms, and social structures that transcend thé individual and Can exercise social control
-> external to indiv, not a choice but collective phenomena ex language, customs, laws
-> influence société but Independent: social facts are constructed and maintained by collective human action
-> coercive power: pressure on indiv to conforme, in a subtule or explicit way (customs that enterred in Law so punishment by Law)
-surround us, influence us ( means that social fact exist? Independent of us or constituted by us?)
-building blocks of social science ( Social Science is thé study of how social facts influence our World, ourselves + social scientist investigate how social facts: impact behaviour, evolve, varry across cultures)
Marcel Mauss’ gift giving as a social practice
Gift giving is a social practices: échanges build relationship and reinforced social obligations ( maintaining social ties and obligations +show thé coercive and relational power of norms)
— failing to réspond to a gift Can bé Seen as a breach in social expectations
Différent perspectives on the study of social facts
.sociology: study structural influences ex eco système
. Anthropologists: culture variations ex gift-giving Mauss
.psychologists: how social facts shape indiv cognition and behaviour
What are concepts
.a collection of things that are regardes alike bcs they Shade common caracteristics or are ex of général type of behaviour
. A label, intellectual shorthand( raccourcis)
.an analytical construct: breaking down social reality in mangeable parts in order to better comprehend it
.not clear, lack of consensus ex what is a démo, an ideology… =/ dictionary def
.concept evolve as they are debated, refined…
Concept of racism what is it
.multiple def and perspectives:
1. oxford dictionary: racism= préjudice or discrimination based on racial or ethnic group membership + belief in the superiority of certain racial or ethnic groups + an ideology that supports such belief and practices
->Focus on indiv, institutional, societal level : attitude and structure
2.Vs dictionary of race, ethnicity and culture : historical Roots of the term + the shifting focus of racism in =/ contexts + the emergence of “New racism”(add online racism, microagressions…)
->Focus on historical and cultural contexts and their evolvement
Concept of state collapse by who
William zartman
“Situation where thé structure, authority, Law, and political order have fallen apart and must bé reconstitued in some form, old or New”( without nec being an anarchy)
Concept of path dependency
Idea that initial décisions or dvlmpt create self-reinforcing processes (ex the more people use technology, thé more it become essential bcs of familiarity and comptability: alternatives less appealing), making it difficult and costly to deviate from an established trajectory
EX: many countries retain légal trad based on colonial History, shaping current jusicial practices OR fossil fuel reliance persists bcs energy grids and economies were built around it, despite renewable alternatives
.used in historical institutionalism (studies how institutions evolve over Time)
….critical junctures:
periods of significant change within the concept of path dependency=window of opportunity during which significant decisions are made, and these decisions shape the trajectory of future developments. These junctures are rare but have lasting effects because the choices made at these moments create the foundation for path-dependent processes.
Thé concept of power
.Robert Dahl: ability of A to get B to do smtg that they would otherwise not do
.Complexity: Power is closely related to concepts like coercion, authority, influence, and manipulation.
● Differentiation: Scholars focus on two meanings:
➡ Control over actions and agendas (relations between entities).
➡ Control over events and outcomes (resulting from those relations).
● Structural power adds nuance by emphasizing indirect operations via institutions or systemic forces (e.g., working conditions for women in poor countries).
What are opérational def
operational def translate abstract ideas into mesurable and observable éléments to ensure clarifty, consistency and replicability
.positivist approach: causality and prédiction, using opérational def to test hypothèses with clear cause-and-effect relationship
.int approach: explore how actors understand and construct their realities, context
EX “democracy”: operationalizable through measurable indicators ( free élections, freedom of press…)
Concept of War: def operationalizing,
A.def: “hostile contention by means of armes forces, carried on btwn nations, states or rulers or btwn parties in thé same nation or state”
B.operationalizing War: criterias that Can bé observed:
.correlates of War project def War as “sustained combat, involving organised armes forces, resulting in a min of 1 000 battle-related fatalities within 12 month période”.
C.concept: various dimensions of War (Levy and Thompson); violence, political orga, coordination, duration
D. Diff btwn Levy and COW approaches: 2. Focus on modern nation states and mesurable outcomes and 1. Focus on coordinated violence, political entities, violence
E. Implications for understanding War: historical analysis (COw def not applicable in earlier periods bcs often smallef armies and fewer fatalities)
+
Théories of peace: ex démo peace theory impact how WE study relationship with political regimes
what is the criteria for concept adequacy? (what do a concept must be set of?)
author? reading of the week
➡ Gerring: A concept must meet a standard set of criteria in its formation and use:
1. Familiarity: -> Gerring states that a concept is more effective when it aligns with established usage + be intuitive for audiance (new terms are discouraged unless absolutely necessary)
2. Resonance: ->Gerring: Concepts should connect with existing typologies, giving them clarity and rhetorical power + The term should have a “cognitive click,” making it memorable and impactful.
3. Parsimony: Is it concise? -> G: avoid excessive definitions
4. Coherence: The attributes defining the concept should be internally consistent and logically related.
5. Differentiation: -> G: Concepts must have clear boundaries and distinguish themselves from similar ideas (operationalization crucial for that)
6. Depth:The concept should capture a wide range of properties or dimensions of the phenomenon it describes
7. Theoretical Utility: Does it support broader theoretical inferences?
-> G: Concepts should contribute to theoretical frameworks and classifications
8. Field Utility: The concept should be relevant and applicable within its disciplinary context
how is a concept formed?
Involves a triangular operation:
1. The event or phenomenon to be defined.
2. The attributes or properties that define it.
3. A label encompassing both.
pb and solution in concept formation
➡ Problem: Concepts are applied inconsistently across fields, subfields, and traditions, causing ambiguity.
➡ Solution: Define terms carefully and ensure consistency within the work.
● Concept formation is contextual but guided by criteria like coherence and utility rather than infinite subjectivity.
● Verdict: Concept formation is dynamic and flexible, shaped by tradeoffs between criteria rather than rigid rules.
what are the 4 types of structural power accroding to Suzanne Strange?
A.security: protection and survival: system that adress threat to indiv and states, mili capacites, Law enforcement ex NATO
B. Protection structure: power that derivate from controlling thé means and process of producung goods and services, shaping eco hierarchy EX china as a global manufacturing hub
C.finance structure : power rooted in the control of financial système, det who has access to flow of money, capital… EX US dollar dominance ( with sanctions to certain countries’ Access to int market)
D.knoweledge: power over thé création, dissémination, and control of info and knowledge, shaping perceptions, éducation… EX Google, X…
what’s the main challenge of the concept democracy?
Applied to diverse political regimes (e.g., post-authoritarian states), creating
conceptual ambiguities.
=Conceptual traveling: applying concepts to a New case Can lead to conceptual stretching: distorsion which occurs when a concept does not fit the New case (ex of demo)
what’s Dahl’s Polyarchy on the concept of democracy?
says that democracy as representative systems with equal opportunities to influence decisions and hold representatives accountable.
what does Operationalization of Concepts refers to?
the process of taking abstract ideas or theoretical concepts and defining them in measurable, observable, and practical terms: ensure clarity, consistency, and replicability when analyzing complex phenomena.
give an example of operationalization of the concept failed state
can be operationalized by identifying specific, measurable indicators:
-Humanitarian crises: Quantifiable through statistics on displaced populations…
-Economic decline: Measurable via GDP trends…
-Deterioration of public services: Observable through data on access to healthcare…
-External interventions: Evident in the presence international aid dependency…
-> By collecting data on these indicators, researchers can objectively assess whether a country qualifies as a “failed state.”
example of operationalization (Lenin’s Operationalization of Imperialism)
He identified specific indicators, such as the division of the world among colonial powers and the role of finance capital in driving imperialist competition.
