SOC 1000 Theory

WEEK 3

What is the paradox of sociology?

Things we want to observe, explain, and understand but can’t normally be directly observed

What is the name of the specialized language that is provided by sociological theory?

Metalanguage

What 2 things did Auguste Comte focus on for his solution?

Statis + kinesis

What is “statis”?

How social institutions were able to remain largely the same over time

What is “kinesis”?

How and why societies change

What 2 kinds of social phenomena or social facts did Emile Durkheim identify?

1. Those that are average/expected that happen in a society

2. Those that are atypical/unexpected that suggest societal dysfunction

Why does Emile Durkheim state that criminal acts fulfill important functions?

Unify people to the moral code that society upholds/values

What are the 3 levels of analysis?

Micro, meso, macro

What does “micro” focus on?

Individual experiences

What does “meso” focus on?

Experiences of groups/interactions between groups

What does “macro” focus on?

Broader social forces

In 2017, Willi Martinussen organized modes of sociological explanation into what 2 dimensions?

1. Level of analysis (micro, meso, macro)

2. Complexity of the social phenomenon being analyzed (= whether is emphasizes structural aspects or the agency people have within the situation)

What are the 4 “explanations”?

Systems, communities, opportunities, meaningful behaviours

What do systems explanations look at?

How the internal dynamics and relations of social systems impact on sociological phenomena

Is systems explanations an example of micro, meso or macro?

Macro

What do communities explanations look at?

Relations and interactions between individuals acting in a particular position in a social formation

Is communities explanations an example of micro, meso or macro?

Meso

What do opportunities explanations look at?

Ways in which groups of individuals assess and access resources as well as what they define as a resource

Is opportunities explanations an example of micro, meso or macro?

Meso/micro

What do meaningful behaviours look at?

Explanatory factor in the collection of individual actions and the motives behind those actions

Is meaningful behaviours an example of micro, meso or macro?

Micro

Who is the author of The Structure of Scientific Revolution, who gives us the core components of a paradigm?

Thomas Kuhn

What is a paradigm?

A set of beliefs/concepts that shape how an individual sees the world

What are the 3 forms of theorizing?

Positivist, interpretative, critical

What is the positivist form of theorizing?

Examines relationships between variables

What is the interpretative form of theorizing?

How people understand themselves/the world

What is the critical form of theorizing?

Explores roles of power in social scenarios

What is the functionalist perspective?

Society is like a machine, each part has a role

What is the interactionist perspective?

How small interactions give meaning to daily life

What is the conflict perspective?

Power struggles (some benefit, others don’t)

What is the feminist perspective?

How society disadvantages women

What is the postmodern perspective?

Society is made of multiple perspectives

The functionalist perspective follows which of the 3 forms of theorizing?

Positivist

The interactionist perspective follows which of the 3 forms of theorizing?

Interpretative

The conflict, feminist and postmodern perspective all follow which of the 3 forms of theorizing?

Critical

What approach has fallen out of favour amongst most sociologists?

Structural functionalism

Structural functionalism uses an organic or _________ analogy for society

“biological”

What is the structural functionalist perspective?

Society is perceived as many structures that fulfill important functions to keep society running

Who came up with manifest and latent functions?

Merton

What are manifest functions?

Those that an institution is intended to fulfill

What are latent functions?

Unintended functions of societies structures

What does symbolic interactionism focus on?

Meaning of daily social interactions, ways in which we communicate these interactions to produce/reproduce the “social order'“

Symbolic interactionism emphasizes that social life is possible because?

People attach meaning to things

Who brought up a kind of interpretive analysis “Verstehen” being necessary to analyze behaviour?

Max Weber

Conflict-oriented paradigms are based on the idea that conflict exists in all large societies due to ______ divisions

“class”

Conflict theory is based on what 4 C’s?

Conflict, class, contestation (arguing), change

What are the 4 types of sociology?

Professional, critical, policy, public

Who is the audience of professional sociology?

Academics and professional readers

Who is the audience of critical sociology?

Academic and professional readers

Who is the audience of policy sociology?

Governments and corporations

Who is the audience of public sociology?

Those outside the discipline of sociology