Sociological Theories and Perspectives Flashcards

Flashcards covering key sociological theorists and their associated theories across functionalism, symbolic interactionism, conflict theory, and feminist theory.

Symbolic interactionism

A sociological perspective that focuses on the symbolic meaning that people develop and rely upon in the process of social interaction.

George Herbert Mead: Theory of the Self

Focuses on the development of the self through social interaction, involving the perspectives of the "I" and the "Me."

Herbert Blumer: Symbolic Interactionism

An expansion of Mead's ideas emphasizing the importance of symbols and language in shaping individual behavior and social interaction.

Erving Goffman: Dramaturgical Theory

Likens social interaction to a theatrical performance where individuals play roles and engage in "impression management" and "face-saving behavior."

Charles Horton Cooley: Theory of the Looking-Glass Self

Proposes that individuals develop their self-concept by imagining how they appear to others and how others perceive them.

Howard S. Becker: Labelling Theory

Focuses on how labels assigned by society influence behavior and self-identity, arguing that deviance is the result of societal reactions.

Anselm L. Strauss: Social Worlds Theory

Describes the unique perspectives and meanings that individuals attach to their social environments.

George Homans: Exchange Theory

Emphasizes that individuals weigh the costs and benefits of their actions in social interactions.

Dorothy E. Smith: Institutional Ethnography

Focuses on uncovering underlying institutional structures and understanding how power operates within everyday experiences.

Harold Garfinkel: Ethnomethodology

Studies the methods people use to make sense of their social world and the taken-for-granted assumptions underlying interaction.

Functionalism

A perspective viewing society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote stability and cohesion.

Émile Durkheim: Theory of Social Integration

Argued that strong social ties and shared values are essential for preventing anomie (a state of normlessness) and promoting stability.

Talcott Parsons: Structural Functionalism

Emphasizes the functional interdependence of social institutions and social roles, including the "sick role."

Robert K. Merton: Social Strain Theory

Argues that misalignment between societal goals and means leads to strain and deviance; introduced manifest functions, latent functions, and dysfunctions.

Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore: Davis-Moore Thesis

Proposes that social stratification serves a purpose by ensuring talented individuals are allocated to important roles.

Herbert Spencer: Social Darwinism

Applies biological evolution to society, suggesting social inequality is a natural outcome of natural selection where the "fit" prosper.

Talcott Parsons: Pattern Variables

Dimensions for analyzing social action, including specificity versus diffuseness and self-orientation versus collective orientation.

Alfred Radcliffe-Brown: Structural Functionalism

Focuses on how social structures and institutions serve the needs of society as a whole to maintain social order.

Conflict theory

A perspective viewing society as characterized by inequality and conflict over resources and power.

Karl Marx: Marxist Theory

Emphasizes class struggle between the bourgeoisie and the working class, highlighting exploitation and the concept of alienation.

Friedrich Engels: Historical Materialism

An analysis of the historical development of class societies and the role of economic factors in shaping social relations.

Max Weber: Conflict Theory of Social Stratification

Emphasizes the multidimensional nature of inequality across class, status, and power.

Ralf Dahrendorf: Conflict Theory of Society

Argues that conflict is an inevitable feature of social life arising from the unequal distribution of power and resources.

Georg Simmel: Formal Sociology

Focuses on social forms and patterns, exploring conflict, competition, and the tension between individual and society via the concept of the "stranger."

Lewis Coser: Social Conflict Theory

Emphasizes the functional aspects of conflict as a mechanism for social change and adaptation.

Michel Foucault: Theory of Power

Focuses on how power operates through disciplinary mechanisms and surveillance to shape behavior and identity.

Feminist theory

Analyzes social, economic, and political inequalities experienced by women and seeks to challenge systems of oppression.

Simone de Beauvoir: The Second Sex

Explored the social construction of gender, arguing women are defined as the "Other" in relation to men.

Betty Friedan: The Feminine Mystique

Critiqued the ideal of domesticity for women in post-World War II America and helped spark second wave feminism.

bell hooks: Intersectionality

Emphasizes the intersections of race, class, and gender in shaping women's experiences of oppression.

Audre Lorde: Intersectionality and Black Feminism

Focuses on the interconnected nature of racism, sexism, and homophobia for black women.

Patricia Hill Collins: Black Feminist Thought

Emphasizes standpoint epistemology, recognizing the experiences of marginalized groups as valid sources of knowledge.

Judith Butler: Gender Performativity

Argues that gender is not a fixed identity but is performative and constructed through repeated acts and behaviors.

Nancy Chodorow: Psychoanalytic Feminism

Examines how family dynamics and mothering practices contribute to the reproduction of gender roles.

Sylvia Walby: Theorizing Patriarchy

Analyzes patriarchy as a system of social structure and power relations, including capitalist patriarchy and patriarchal capitalism.

Angela Davis: Intersectionality and Abolitionism

Integrates feminist theory with activism against systems like mass incarceration and the prison-industrial complex.