WK: 1 Intro to Social Theory Flashcards
What is Sociology?
Sociology is a science guided by the basic
understanding that the social matters: our
lives are affected not only by our individual
characteristics, but by our place in the social
world.
What is Agency?
self-determination, volition, or free will; it is the power of individuals to act independently
of the determining constraints of
social structure.
What is structure?
Any relatively enduring pattern of social arrangements within a particular society,
organisation, or group.
What is Structuralism?
A structuralist perspective takes the view that individual and collective behaviour is ultimately determined by underlying social structures such as:
The legal system
The education system
Political systems
The family
Religion
The economy
Our health systems
Criticisms of Structuralism?
- Structuralism implies that human beings lack
free will and the ability to make choices - If humans do not control their own lives or what
surrounds them, then how is social structure
created in the first place? - Social movements occur due to the act of
people seeking change
Who is Anthony Giddens?
Anthony Giddens’ (1938-) – renowned
British Sociologist. Came up with the Theory of Structuration.
What is the Theory of
Structuration?
Attempts to overcome the dualism of structure and agency by proposing that while we create meaning and impose meaning upon the world, we are also constrained by it.
In other words, we create and are created by the social world that surrounds and inhabits us.
What is Culture?
Definition: The symbolic, learned
and socially constructed aspects of
society that include language, morals,
values, meanings, norms, rules,
behaviour pattens, beliefs, lifestyles,
as well as scientific knowledge and
technology.
Culture can be seen as the
sociological alternative to biology or
psychology in explaining the social
world and its encompassing social
phenomena.
Culture emphasises a
community’s shared meanings,
values and way of life and which
distinguish it from other
communities
What are values?
represent cultural
standards by which we
determine what is good,
bad, right or wrong. They
identify what we ought and
ought not to aspire to (for
e.g., a well-paid job and
having children)
What are norms?
which are the
translation of values into
rules of behavior about
how people should behave.
Norms vary between
places, social groups and
cultural groups.
What are symbols?
represent, suggest or stand
for something else. They can be
words, gestures or even objects, and
they often represent abstract or
complex concepts. We often
unconsciously give meaning to the
symbols in our lives.
What is language?
is a system of spoken and/
or written symbols used to convey
meaning and to communicate. It is an
arbitrary system (de Saussure, 1991).
What is socialisation?
the process
by which individuals
acquire and internalise
socially patterned
behaviors and norms
throughout their lives,
starting from birth until
their death
In sociology, we focus on
the broader social forces
operating at the level of
institutions and systems.
For example:
The education system
The economy
The media
The health system
What is identity?
The characteristics
that we regard as part of our
self but are derived from the
social environment.
What is Modernity?
The 17th century onwards
saw society shift from
agricultural to industrial
and feudal to capitalist.
The historical processes
that embody these shifts is
known as modernity.
Modernity - Industrial structure
Mass production, machine
incorporation, usage of
accumulated stored energy.
Modernity - Capitalist structure
Accumulation of profit and
increasing consumption.
Modernity - Nation-state based
political organization
Geography organised by
fixed, stable borders enforced
by strong centralized and
militarised government
What are the central components of Modernity?
- Rationality: People
started valuing reason and
logic more than tradition,
religion, and feelings. They
began to rely on science to
solve societal problems. - A belief in progress:
People thought that we
could evolve as individuals
and as a society, and that
we can eliminate injustice,
poverty, and inequality - Each person has
individual rights and
freedoms, and we have more
choices and preferences than
before. But at the same time,
the government, organisations,
and institutions also have more
control over our lives - Colonialism has allowed for
Western Europe’s modern
society to export its
characteristics onto the rest of
the world
What is Post Modernity?
The new social order that replaced
modernity in advanced industrial
societies
* The death of the ‘grand narrative’.
People are less likely to believe that
human beings are progressing
toward a perfect society.
* Growing cynicism about science,
expertise and the rise of ‘alternative’
lifestyles and beliefs.
- Truth is subjective
What is Globalisation?
The process by which
people’s lives are
increasingly influenced by
the growing cultural,
political, and economic
integration of communities
and nations.
* We live in a global village
(Marshall McLuhan, 1962)
wherein people
everywhere are networked,
connected and share their
cultural experience
Globalisation has seen a
rise in the power of private
corporations (such as Apple),
the effect of social media on
our lives and health and
international agreements that
blur borders.
* The United Nations and
private corporations (such as
McDonalds, Nike or Rio Tinto)
have influence over the
decisions of national
governments.
What is deglobalisation?
Deglobalisation refers to the
ways in which globalisation
can reverse and where the
world becomes less integrated
in economics, politics, and
culture
* Nationalism has been
revitalised to assert our
identities in the face of a world
where boundaries are
becoming blurred.
* COVID19 has led to a form of
deglobalization.
The ‘Sociological
Imagination’ is a term
coined by American
sociologist C.Wright Mills in
1959
Using the sociological
imagination relies on
critical thought to look
beyond everyday ‘taken-for-
granted’ perspectives so
that we can see the world in
a different way, as if we had
come from another culture,
period of history, or social
context. To use the
sociological imagination is
to challenge the our
regular assumptions in
order to create new
insights and
understandings of our
experiences.
* According to C.Wright Mills,
sociology should not just
observe (bean counting) but
also take action to change
What is social theory?
Social Theory provides the theoretical underpinnings for the discipline of Sociology and
also includes many of the central ideas found in anthropology, politics, education, social
psychology, international relations, cultural studies, social work and human services.
Social Theory adds depth to common-sense perspectives and offers alternatives by
challenging our everyday assumptions about how the social world operates.
To think sociologically we must think for ourselves and question the social systems we
often take for granted.
