question

Practical vs. Scientific Knowledge

answer

o The systematic or scientific study of human society and social behavior, from larger scale institutions and mass culture to smalle rgroups and individual interactions o Society: a group of people who shape their lives in aggregated and patterned ways that distinguish their group from other groups • Society comes from the greek origin: socious and logos=study of society

question

what are humans essentially

answer

Humans are essentially social beings but our sense of self derives from out membership of society

question

social sciences

answer

the disciplines that use the scientific method to examine the social world, in contrast to the natural sciences, which examine the physical world

question

sociological perspective

answer

a way of looking at the world through a sociological lens

question

beginners mind

answer

the opposite of experts mind, which is so filled with facts projections assumptions opinions and explanations that is can't learn anything new. (it is open and receptive to experience)

question

culture shock

answer

a sense of disorientation that occurs when you enter a radically new social or cultural environment, through this complete lack of understanding we are able to fully be present to the situation before us

question

sociological imagination

answer

a quality of the mind that allows us to understand the relationship between our individual circumstances and larger social forces. this is an attempt that many sociologists used to attain the culture shock attitude/mindset without having to fully diverse themselves in a completely new culture. C Wright Mills says: by this he means the ability to understand the intersection between biography and history or the interplay of self and the world; this is sociology's task and its promise. this aims at connecting micro and macro forms of analysis

question

important quote of mills

answer

while larger social forces can influence individuals lives, individuals can influence larger social forces

question

ultimate benefit of sociological imagination

answer

access to a world beyond our own immediate sphere where we can discover radically different ways of experiencing life and interpreting reality.

question

microsociology

answer

concentrates on the interactions between individuals and the ways in which those interactions contract the larger patters processes and institutions of society

question

macrosociology

answer

looking at the large scale social structures in order to determine how is affects the lives of groups and individuals

question

what was found through the research of are men more powerful then women?

answer

it seemed that women had greater issues with insecurities and from that grew an increase of the number of questions females asked on average. this links with the fact that most females during this research process were denied the opportunity to speak out because their respective husbands would command the conversations direction

question

glass ceiling vs glass elevator

answer

jobs which are held by predominately females and a male holds same job experience an increased ability of mowing forward into the company while the opposite is true of a female in a males position (glass ceiling) not being able to move up

question

theories

answer

in sociology abstract propositions that explain the social world and make predictions about the future

question

paradigms

answer

a set of assumptions theories and perspectives that make up a way of understanding social reality

question

positivism

answer

the theory developed by august comte, that sense perceptions are the only valid source of knowledge

question

scientific method

answer

a procedure for acquiring knowledge that emphasizes collecting concrete data through observation and experiment

question

social darwinism

answer

the application of the theory of evolution and the notion of the survival of the fittest to the study of society

question

mechanical solidarity

answer

term developed by emile durkheim to describe the type of social bonds present in premodern agrarian societies in which shared traditions and beliefs created a sense of social cohesion

question

organic solidarity

answer

term developed by emile durkheim to describe the type of social bonds present in modern societies based on difference interdependence and individual rights

question

emile durkheim

answer

central figure of functionalism. born into jewish family, hard worker. he also studied suicide and how suicide was related to religious affiliation marital status and employment he also made a link from suicide to the greater society by saying the lack of connection to others aids in increasing the chances of suicide all religions are connected through there definition of what is sacred and profane a distinction between sacred and profane and participation in shared ritual ceremonies creates a collective conscious he believed that what the collective conscious entails must be frequently renewed through a ritual through which a group revitalizes the sense of its self and its unit

question

what the individuals did in a nut shell

answer

the origins of structural functionalism can be traced back to the roots of sociology. august comte proposed that society itself could and should be studied, herbert spencer added the idea that societies are living organisms that grow and evolve just like other species on the plant. as the discipline of biology might study the physical organism of the human body, the discipline of sociology could study the social organisms in the world of human development. Durkheim integrated and advanced these insights into a comprehensive theory for understanding the nature of society.

question

two main principles to functionalism

answer

1. society is conceived as as table ordered system made up of interrelated parts or structures 2. each structure has a function that contributes to the continued stability and equilibrium of the unified whole (structures= family religion culture)

question

anomie

answer

normlessness; term used to describe the alienation and loss of purpose that result from weaker social bonds and on increased pace of change

question

solidarity

answer

the degree of integration or unity within a particular society the extent to which individuals feel connected toothed members of their group

question

sacred

answer

the holy divine or supernatural

question

profane

answer

the ordinary everyday, or mundane

question

collective effervescence

answer

an intense energy in share events where people feel swept up in something larger than themselves

question

empirical

answer

base on scientific experimentation or observation

question

structure

answer

a social institution that is relatively stable over time and that meets the needs of society by performing functions necessary to maintain social order and stability

question

dysfunction

answer

a disturbance to or undesirable consequence of some aspect of the social system

question

manifest functions

answer

the obvious intended functions of a social structure for the social system (example: education is there to prepare you how to read and write )

question

latent functions

answer

the less obvious perhaps un intended functions of a social structure (example: education: keep kids busy and keep them out of trouble)

question

conflict theory

answer

a paradigm that sees social conflict as the basis os society and social change and emphasizes a materialist view of society a critical view of the status quo and a dynamic model of historical change

question

social inequality

answer

the unequal distribution of wealth power or prestige amon members of society

question

communism

answer

a political system based on the collective ownership of the means of production opposed to capitalism

question

conflict

answer

generated by the competition among different class groups for scarce resources and the source of all social change according to karl marx

question

conflict theory 2

answer

the second major school of though in sociology. like functionalism its macro level approach to understanding social life that dates to mid 19th century europe. its focus on social inequality helped answer some of the critiques of struc funct. founder of this is karl marx so is is often called marxism

question

karl marx

answer

identified that conflict between social groups is central to the working of society and serves as the engine os social change is one of the most vital perspectives in sociology today. opposed capitalism and instead proposed the idea of communism

question

what did marx feel

answer

that in industrial society the forces of capitalism were creating distinct and social economic classes he felt that this would inevitably lead to class struggle between those who wine the means of production (anything that could create more wealth) and those who worked for them.

question

capitalism

answer

an economic system based on private ownership of the means of production and characterized by competition the profit motive and wage labor

question

means of production

answer

anything that can create wealth, money, property, factories, and other types of businesses and the infrastructure necessary to run them

question

proletariat

answer

workers those who have no means of production of their own and so are reduced to selling their labor power in order to live

question

bourgeoisie

answer

owners the class of modern capitalists who own the means of production and employ wage laborers

question

alienation

answer

the sense of dissatisfaction the modern worker feels as a result of producing goods that are owned and controlled by someone else according to karl marx

question

socialism

answer

a political system based on the state ownership or control of principal elements of the economy in order to reduce levels of social inequality

question

conflict theory propose what?

answer

that conflict and tension are basic facts of social life, and suggests that people have disagreements over goals and values are involved in struggles over both resources and power

question

what did the belief system do to society?

answer

because the ideology or belief system that permeated society arose from the values of the ruling class beliefs that seemed to be widely held were actually a kind of justification that helped to rationalize and explain the status quo

question

ideology

answer

a system of beliefs attitudes and values that directs a society and reproduces the status quo of the bourgeoisie ( karl marx)

question

false consciousness

answer

a denial of the truth on the part of the oppressed when they fail to recognize the interests of the ruling class in their ideology (karl marx)

question

class consciousness

answer

(only way to change status quo)the recognition of social inequality on the part of the oppressed leading to revolutionary action

question

dialectical model

answer

karl marx's model of the historical change whereby two extreme positions come into consult and create some new third thing between them

question

thesis

answer

the existing social arrangements in a dialectical model

question

antithesis

answer

the opposition to the existing arrangements in a dialectical model

question

synthesis

answer

the new social system created out of the conflict between thesis and antithesis in a dialectical model

question

critical theory

answer

a contemporary form of conflict theory that critics many different systems and ideologies of domination and oppression

question

critical theorists saw what?

answer

the importance of mass communications and popular cultures as powerful ideological tools in capitalist societies

question

what is one of marx's greatest contributions?

answer

praxis which is a practical action that is taken on the basis of intellectual or theoretical understanding. it explains that intellectuals should act on what they believe

question

feminist theory

answer

a theoretical approach that looks at gender inequalities in society and the way that gender structures the social world

question

queer theory

answer

a paradigm that proposes that categories of sexual identity are social contracts and that no sexual category is fundamentally either deviant or normal

question

praxis

answer

practical action that is taken on the basis of intellectual or theoretical understanding

question

Max Weber believed..

answer

in the shift from a more traditional society to a modern one. interested in how individual motivation led to certain social actions and how those actions helped shape society as a whole. unlink durkheim or marx, weber was cautious about attributing any reality to social institutions or forces independent of individual action and meaningful thought.

question

rationalization

answer

Max Weber the application of economic logic to human activity the use of formal rules and regulations in order to maximize efficiency without consideration of subjective or individual concerns

question

bureaucracies

answer

secondary groups designed to perform tasks efficiently characterized by specialization technical competence hierarchy written rules impersonality and formal written communication

question

iron cage

answer

Max Weber's pessimistic description of modern life in which we are caught in bureaucratic structures that control our lives through rigid rules and rationalization

question

disenchantment

answer

the rationalization of modern society

question

Max Weber's German term?

answer

verstehen (empathic understanding, Webers term describe good social research which tries to understand the meanings that individual social actors attach to various actions and events

question

symbolic interactionism

answer

a paradigm that sees interaction and meaning as central to society and assumes that meanings are not inherent but are created through interaction

question

the Chicago school

answer

a type of sociology practiced by researches at the university of schicago in the 1920s and 30s that centered on urban sociology and field methods

question

pragmatism

answer

a theoretical perspective that assumes organisms including humans make practical adaptations to their environments humans do this through cognition interpretation and interaction (developed by william james and was the driving force behind the chicago school of though)

question

third major school of thought?

answer

symbolic interactionism: helps explain both our individual personalities and the wats in which we are all linked together it allows us to understand the processes by which social order and social change are constructed

question

founder of symbolic interactionism

answer

george herbert mead

question

what did pragmatism mean to james?

answer

seeking the truth of an idea by evaluating its usefulness in everyday life

question

pragmatists

answer

implied that the process of adaptation was essentially immediate and that it involved conscious thought

question

george herert mead proposed

answer

that both human development and the meanings we assign to everyday objects and events are fundamentals social processes they require interaction of multiple individuals believed language is the uniting factor society and self were created through communicative acts like speech and gesture

question

herebert blumer

answer

professional football player and sociologists who kept mead's work alive, he gave mead's work the term symbolic interactionism

question

W.E.B Dubois

answer

activist of color joined communist regime as protest

question

Jane Adams

answer

first proponents of applied sociology. founder of social work

question

for symbolic interactionists

answer

society is produced and reproduced through out interactions with each other by means of language and our interpretations of that language

question

basic tenets of symbolic interactionism

answer

1. we act toward things on the basis of their meanings 2. meanings are not inherent rather they are negotiated through interaction with others 3.meainings can change or be modified throng interaction

question

symbolic interactionism proposes...

answer

that social facts exist only because we create and re create them through our interactions

question

Symbolic Interactionism explained

answer

founder: George Herbert Mead contributions:verstehen, the chicago school pragmatism orignial principles: 1. we act toward things on the basis of their meanings 2. meanings are not inherent rather they are negotiated through interaction with others 3.meainings can change or be modified throng interaction offshoots: erving goffman proposed: that the self is a loan to us from society it is created through interaction with others and hence ever changing within various social contacts he used dramaturgy harold garfinkel conversation analysis advantages and critiques: is the only perspective that assumes an active expressive model of thehe human actor and thats treats the individual and the social at the same level of analysis biggest contribution is in the area of research methods critiques: apolitical (supportive of status quo) unscientific ( little more than tenured journalism) hostile to the classical question of macro sociology (limited to social psychology) a structural (fundamentally nonsociological)

question

dramaturgy

answer

a theoretical paradigm that uses the metaphor of the theater to understand how individuals present themselves to others

question

ethnomethodology

answer

the study of folk methods and background knowledge that sustains a shared sense of reality in everyday interactions

question

harold garfinkel is the founder of what?

answer

enthnomethodology which states that as members of society as must acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to act practically in our everyday lives

question

conversation analysis

answer

the best place to look for the social processes of meaning production is in natural occurring conversation

question

what are the two contemporary approaches?

answer

postmodernism and midrange theory

question

what is postmodernism all about

answer

-developed out of French intellectual scence -postmodernists really don't like the label (jacques derrida jea baudrillard michel foucault

question

modernists thoughts

answer

values scientific knowledge a linear view of history and a belief in the universality of human nature

question

contrast from modernism to post modernism

answer

postmodernism on the other hand there are no absolutes no claims to truth reason right order to stability everything is therefore relative fragmented temporary and contingent. they propose that there are no universal human truths from which we can interpret the meaning of existence dismiss moral standards. it allows us to question scientific ideals about clarity and coherence revealing inherent shortcomings and weaknesses in our current arguments

question

midrange theory

answer

an approach that integrates empiricism and grand theory

question

What midrange theory is all about

answer

it is rather a style of theorizing -tries to find the balance between macro and micro -it aims to build knowledge cumulatively while offering a way to make sociology more effective as a science rather than just a way of thinking

question

Approach to society Structural Functionalism

answer

assumes that society is a unified whole that functions because of the contributions of its separate structures

question

Approach to society conflict theory

answer

sees social conflict as the basis of society and social change and empahizes a materialist view of society a critical view of the status quo and a dynamic model of historical change

question

Approach to society symbolic interactionism

answer

asserts that interaction and meaning are central to society and assumes that meanings are not inherent but are created through interaction

question

postmodernism

answer

suggests that social reality is diverse pluralistic and constantly in flux

question

Structural Functionalism explained 1st thought

answer

founder: Emile Durkheim original principles: offshoots: robert merton=manifest functions, and laten functions neil smelter attempted to modify functionalist theory to better incorporate problems like racial and ethnic identity advantages: its inclusion of all social institutions it attempts to provide a universal social theory a way of explaining society on one comprehensive model believes that only dysfunction can bring about change critiques: provides little insight into social processes because its model of society is static rather than dynamic its focus on the macro level also means that functionalism has less interest in ecplaing independent human action there is no apparent approach to the lives on individuals except as part of social institutions explanation for inequality are unsatisfying because it states that the poor racism and sexist must serve as a function to society

question

2nd school of though Conflict Theory exlpained

answer

founder: Karl Marx principles: proposes that conflict and tension are basic facts of social life and suggest people have disagreements over goals and values and are involved in struggles over both resources and power, the theory thus focuses on power and dominance competition upheaval and social change offshoots: critical theory (marxism) first to see the importance of mass communications and popular culture as powerful ideological tools in capitalist theories advantages: conflict theory stands in sharp contrast to structural functionalism. conflict theory argues that a social arrangement's existence does not mean that its beneficial it may merely represent the interests of those in power and it challenges the status quo and emphasizes the need for social upheaval critues: in focusing on tensino and conflict however conflict theory can often ignore those ports os comity that are truly orderly stable and enduring

sociology chapter 1 self notes

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards