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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