MCAT Theories of Sociology – Flashcards
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Conflict Theory
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Views society as a competition for limited resources. Certain groups and people amass more wealth, power, and resources and maintain their position by suppressing the advancement of other.
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Ludwig Gumplowicz's view of conflict theory?
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Society is shaped by war and conquest, cultural and ethical conflicts lead to certain groups becoming dominant.
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Karl Marx's view of conflict theory
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Societies progress through class struggle between those who own and control the means of production and those who labor and provide man power for production. He believed that capitalism produces internal tensions that ultimately lead to self-destruction of the capitalist society in favor of socialism.
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Max Weber's view of conflict theory?
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Max Weber agreed with Marx that capitalism leads to conflict but not that it's collapse was inevitable. He argued that there can be more than once source of conflict and several factors moderate peoples reaction to inequality: such as agreement with authority figures, high rates of social mobility, and low rates of class difference.
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Weak Social Constructionism?
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Social constructs are dependent upon brute facts. Brute facts are facts that can't be explained by something else. Institutional facts dependent upon brute facts
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Social Constructionism?
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Theory of sociology (micro) which argues that people actively shape their reality through social interactions. We create social constructs, such as money and nations. There is weak constructionism and strong constructionism.
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Strong Social Constructionism?
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Argues that there are no brute facts. The whole of reality is dependent upon language and social habits. All knowledge is a social construct.
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What is the main criticism of social constructionism?
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Doesn't account for natural phenomenon on society. Strong SC has difficulty explaining natural phenomena b/c they are not dependent upon human speech or action.
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Structural Functionalism
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Is a theory of sociology (macro) pioneered by Emile Durkheim. It argues that the structures necessary for society work to preserve stability (dynamic equilibrium). Society comprises multiple connected structures (institutions and social facts).
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Institutions (Structural Functionalism)
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Structures that meet needs of the society: educations systems, financial institutions, businesses and marriage.
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Social Facts
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Can not be influenced by the individual. Ways of thinking and acting formed by the society. Can have coercive effect that goes unnoticed until resisted. Examples: Law, Religious codes, moral codes, suicide.
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Manifest functions
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Expressed and intended consequences of a structure. ex: a hospital providing healthcare for the community.
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Latent Functions
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Unintended, less recognizable, consequences of a social structure. ex: a hospital providing jobs for a community.
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Symbolic Interactionism
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A theory of micro-sociology pioneered by George Mead. 1.) Humans ascribe meaning to things and act towards those things based on ascribed meaning. 2.) Language allows humans to generate meaning through social interactions with each other and society 3. Humans modify meaning through interpretive thought processes.
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Dramaturgical Approach
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A specific type of social interactionism that envisions people as theatrical performers and everyday life is a stage.
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Weakness of symbolic interactionism
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Research may not be objective and the theory is too narrowly focused on symbolic interaction.
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Rational Choice Theory
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A theory of microeconomics concerned with Cost-Benefit Analysis. People make decisions that provide the greatest reward for the minimal cost. This theory is focused on measurable resources (extrinsic costs): information, money, time. Rather than subjective emotions such as guilt (intrinsic cost).
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Social Exchange Theory
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A theory of microeconomics that is concerned with decision regarding multiple opportunities for interaction. People seek to maximize rewards while minimizing costs. Rewards and costs are not limited to those that are economic in nature but may include emotional and physical ones.
