Sociology 1010 Review Questions (Midterm)

sociology

the study of human society, social behavior, and the patterns that govern them through research and analysis

analyze society in a way that considers broader social influences and patterns

sociological perspective helps us...

how does the sociological perspective differ from common sense thinking?

the sociological perspective considers social factors and patterns, while common sense relies on personal assumptions and generalizations

Aguste Comte

who is considered the "father of sociology" and is credited with founding the discipline?

the development of sociology as a field was influenced by:

the Industrial revolution, which brought rapid social and economic changes

Jake believes that people who are poor simply need to work harder to improve their situation. he assumes that individuals' success or failure in life is mostly a result of personal choices. his friend, Sarah, however, argues that poverty is influenced by larger social structures, such as access to education, job opportunities, and social inequality, which affect individuals differently based on their backgrounds. how does Sarah's perspective align with the sociological view, and how does it differ from Jake's common sense approach?

Sarah's perspective considers social factors and structures that influence behavior, while Jake's view relies on personal assumptions and generalizations

a framework for understanding and explaining social behavior and societal structure

social theory in sociology

the policy is a result of power struggles, where the elite use their control over resources to maintain inequality and advantage

a company implements a new policy that significantly lowers wages for lower-level employees while increasing pay for top executives. according to conflict theory, what is the likely explanation for this policy?

to maintain stability and order within society

according to structural-functionalism, what is the primary role of society's institutions?

symbolic interactionism

which perspective focuses on how people create meaning through their interactions and symbols in everyday life?

what explains the difference between structural-functionalism and conflict theory?

structural-functionalism emphasizes that stability and cooperation of society, while conflict theory focuses on inequality and power struggles between groups

meso

Eric wants to study why drug use is so prevalent at SLU. what level of society is Eric concerned with?

Tom is convinced that people living in poverty are simply lazy and lack the motivation to improve their lives. he believes that if they just worked harder, they would be able to overcome their challenges. a sociological perspective would challenge Tom's view by:

analyzing how social structures, such as the economy and education system, contribute to poverty

symbolic interactionism

symbolic interactionism Hakeem wants to text the girl he met last night at the party, but his friend tells him to wait until the next day so he won't come off as too pushy. what theoretical perspective is best equipped to explain this?

what is the core idea of structural functionalism in sociology?

society is a complex system of interconnected parts that work together to promote stability and equilibrium

it lacks generalizability

what's one disadvantage of ethnographic (field observation) research?

Max Weber

who defined power as the ability to bring about an intended outcome even when opposed by others?

organization

Kristen is trying to get her local government to overturn a policy that requires nightclubs and bars to close at 1am. she connects with some people who also want to overturn the policy and they begin having weekly meetings and holding rallies once a month at a city hall. what strategy for empowerment is this?

expert power

Margaret was having a hard time convincing her mother that she should take the COVID vaccine so she called a friend who is a doctor to talk to her mother. Margaret's mom ultimately agrees to take the vaccine because she trusts that doctors known best. what power bases is this an example of?

false

Taure is trying to convince his daughter to use the potty. he says he will give her a cookie if she goes to the potty. this is an example of a unilateral power tactic.

true

illegitimate authority relies on force and coercion

consensus

cooperation, solidarity

conflict

tensions, disputes, inequality

objective

material world, economics, technology, etc.

subjective

world of ideas, values, beliefs, etc.

micro level

small scale, one-on-one interaction, small group, etc.

meso level

medium scale, companies, organizations, etc.

macro level

large scale, politics, major institutions, etc.

conflict theory

focuses on power and the distribution of resources in society; helps us make sense on issues of dealing with inequality and social change

structural functionalism

focuses on social stability; looks at how different parts of society work together; helps us make sense of how different aspects of society contribute to one another

symbolic interactionalism

focuses on how society emerges from people's use of shared symbols in the course of their everyday interactions; helps us understand how culture is produced, the socialization process, and how people interact with one another

quantitative analysis

statistical analysis of numerical data for surveys; often involves the use of statistical software

qualitative analysis

uses coding to find patterns in data

culture

the collection of values, beliefs, knowledge, norms, language, behaviors, and material objects shared by a people and socially transmitted from generation to generation

values

a deeply help principle or standard that people use to make judgements about the world, especially in deciding what is desirable or worthwhile

beliefs

the specific convictions or opinions that its people generally accept as being true

knowledge

the range of information, awareness, and understand that helps us navigate our world

norms

culture's rules and expectations for "appropriate" behavior

symbols

anything, a sound, a gesture, an image, an object--that represents something else

language

an elaborate system of symbols that allow people to communicate with one another in complex ways

dominant culture

reflects the ideas and practices of those in power

subcultures

cultures associated with smaller groups that have their own distinct norms and values

counterculture

a subculture that organizes itself in opposition to dominant culture

high culture

refers to cultural forms associated with, and especially valued, by elites (ex: art galleries, opera, classical music, literature)

popular culture

refers to cultural forms that are widespread and commonly embraced within a society (ex: TV programs, movies, sports, hip hop, music)

social structure

recurring patterns of behavior; relate it to a script

social institutions

the durable routines and patterns associated with major areas of social life (ex: family, school, government, business, churches, etc.)

status

positions within the social structures that we move through in our daily life (ex: professor, father, husband, colleague)

ascribed

a status assigned to us involuntarily

achieved

a status that we attain voluntarily

role

sets of expected behavior associated with that status

traditional

action motivated by custom

affective

action motivated by emotions and feelings

rational

action motivated by calculations or efficiency

4 elements of McDonaldization

efficiency, calculability, predictability, control

George Ritzer

argues something similar when describing how our modern society is becoming increasingly shaped by rational action, a process which he calls "McDonaldization"

power to

focuses on the ability to bring about an intended outcome; looks at empowerment, particularly how individuals and collective become empowered to meet their goals

power over

focuses on the ability to overcome opposition; looks at domination

reward power

based on control over valued resources

coercive power

based on the ability to punish

legitimate power

based on the ability to create a feeling of obligation

referent power

based on respect from others

expert power

based on being seen as an expert

informational power

based on a person using evidence to persuade

power tactics

specific strategies people use to influence others in everyday life

hard and soft

forceful, direct, or harsh --- a friendly reminder

rational and non-rational

appeal to logic --- appeal to emotions

unilateral and bilateral

orders, demands --- give and take

agents of socialization

teach us how to behave and integrate into society

looking glass self

we develop a self-image based on how we think others see us

three steps of the looking-glass self

1. we imagine how others see us

2. we interpret their reactions

3. we develop a self-concept based on those interpretations

george herbert

suggested that we develop our sense of self through social interaction

prepartory stage

children mimic others without understanding

play stage

children role-play specific roles (e.g., pretending to be a teacher or firefighter)

game stage

children learn to take multiple roles and understand society's expectations

sanctions

reinforce accepted behaviors

positive sanctions

praise, rewards, promotions

negative sanctions

criticism, punishment, ostracism

resocialization

occurs when individuals must unlearn old behaviors and adopt new ones