Week 1 SOCI242

Émile Durkheim

A sociologist known for his work on Functionalism, emphasizing that society is a system of interrelated parts.

Social facts

External forces like norms, values, and laws that influence behavior.

Collective conscience

Shared beliefs that bind a community together.

Karl Marx

A sociologist known for Conflict Theory, which highlights economic inequalities and class struggles.

Historical Materialism

The theory that economic systems drive historical change.

Class Conflict

The struggle between the proletariat (working class) and the bourgeoisie (owners of production).

Alienation

A condition in capitalism where workers become disconnected from the products of their labor.

Max Weber

A sociologist known for Interpretive Sociology, focusing on understanding social action through subjective meanings.

Verstehen

Interpretive understanding of human behavior.

Bureaucracy

A rational-legal authority that organizes society but can lead to control issues.

C. Wright Mills

A sociologist known for the concept of Sociological Imagination, connecting personal experiences to larger social forces.

The Promise

An idea encouraging individuals to see how their lives are shaped by societal changes.

Power Elite

A small group of leaders who dominate politics, economics, and military.

Sociological Imagination

The capacity to relate individual experiences to larger social and historical contexts.

Patterned Web of Human Interactions

Recurring interactions between individuals and groups that form the structure of society.

Social Structure

The organized framework of society consisting of institutions, roles, norms, and hierarchies.

Cultural Norms

Shared expectations and rules that guide the behavior of individuals within a group.

Functionalism

A theory that views society as a complex system with parts that work together to promote stability.

Conflict Theory

A framework that emphasizes the role of power and inequality in shaping social relations.

Symbolic Interactionism

A theory focusing on small-scale social interactions and the meanings individuals give to them.

Feminist Theory

Analyzes gender inequality and examines the social construction of gender roles.

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

A policy affecting healthcare access for lower-income populations.

Mnookin, The Panic Virus

A reading examining the cultural dimensions of vaccine misinformation.

Rosich and Hankin Study

Research highlighting how social structures influence health outcomes.

Mills' The Promise

Encourages using sociological imagination to connect personal troubles with public issues.

Micro-Level

A patient’s interaction with a doctor.

Macro-Level

How race, class, and gender affect access to healthcare and outcomes.

Conflict Theory Example

Racial disparities in health arise from unequal resource distribution.

Functionalist Example:

Healthcare serves to maintain societal stability but may have dysfunctions like unequal access.