Lecture 22: Conclusion & Sociology Review Flashcards

Flashcards based on lecture notes covering key concepts in sociology, including social construction, social inequality, social change, and methodological approaches.

What is Sociology?

The scientific study of society, including patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and culture.

What are the multiple facets of Sociology?

A way of thinking, a group of people (sociologists), a discipline or field, and a collection of texts.

How is Sociology characterized as a discipline?

An undisciplined discipline with heterogeneous methods, blurry boundaries, and heterogeneous topics.

What are the main areas of study in Sociology?

Social construction, social inequality, and social change.

What does 'socially constructed' mean?

The opposite of fixed, unchanging, or inevitable.

What does social construction explain?

A claim about how something becomes real, not whether it's real.

What are the two components of inequality and stratification?

How far apart + who gets slotted where.

What contributes to Social Order in societies?

Societies reproduce themselves; ideologies naturalize the existing world; institutions stick.

What causes Social Change?

Social movements, economic forces, environmental factors, etc.

What are the common methods Sociologists use to study society?

Experiments, surveys, ethnographies, interviews, historical narrative, memoir.

What are the key methodological tradeoffs in sociological research?

Breadth vs. depth, exploratory vs. confirmatory, descriptive vs. causal.

What are the practical applications of Sociology?

Navigating organizations, understanding politics, diagnosing social problems, identifying solutions, understanding your own life.

What is the sociological imagination?

The capacity to think about our own personal experience in relation to a larger set of social forces.

How can sociology be used to understand facts and values?

Sociology can challenge the factual basis of your ideology, and give you tools for making changes.

What are some topics not covered in the lecture?

History of sociology, social theory, migration, global/transnational studies, demography, and more.

What are some biases in sociological coverage?

More on inequality than growth, more on the present than pre-19th century, more on the US & Europe than the Global South.

What sociology courses are suggested for further study?

Social Problems in the United States (Soc 2070), Race, Racism, and Public Policy (Soc 2370), etc.

What readings are required?

Read Blee et al Chapters 2-6 and Data Appendix.

When are discussion responses due?

Discussion responses are due Thursday at 6pm.

When is the reflection essay due?

The reflection essay is due on Sunday.

When is the final prelim?

The third and final prelim is next Monday.

What do experiments help sociologists determine?

Experiments are used to determine cause and effect relationships, such as in Pager's study on employment discrimination.

What is the main purpose of surveys in sociological research?

Surveys are used to gather data from a large number of people, such as in Pfeffer & Killewald's study on wealth inequality.

What research method involves immersing oneself in a culture or group?

Ethnographies are used to study people and cultures in their natural settings, such as in Gansen, Meadow, Van Cleve, and Jack's research.

What method helps sociologists gain in-depth insights from individuals?

Interviews are used to gather in-depth information from people about their experiences and perspectives, such as in Levy, Rivera, and Streib's research.

What is historical narrative used for in sociological research?

Historical narratives are used to examine social phenomena over time, such as in Hirschman, Mora, Morris, and Blee et al's research.

What type of writing offers a personal reflection on social issues?

Memoir or personal essay provides a personal reflection on social issues, as seen in McMillan Cottom's work.

What effect do new technologies have on precarious work?

New technologies may exacerbate the rise of precarious work, but promises of technological revolutions are often more hype than reality.

What does Gonzalez Van Cleve study in the context of social inequality?

The unequal treatment of poor, Black, and Latinx/Hispanic defendants in criminal courts.

What is an example of a sociological topic related to facts and values?

Structural racism and individual merit.

Besides politics and social change, what else can sociology help with?

Organizations, careers, etc.

What is an example mentioned in the lecture that sociology can challenge the factual basis of?

Gender essentialism.

Who's research exemplifies how Social movements pressure for change on behalf of larger groups?

Morris, Blee et al.

Give an example of social construction related to gender.

“Trans” is currently being constructed as a new form of gender (Meadow).

Besides navigating organizations and understanding politics, what personal benefit does sociology offer?

Understanding your own life.

According to which textbook, the sociological imagination is the capacity to think about our own personal experience in relation to a larger set of social forces?

Khan et al.

Who said 'With the privilege to read and to think comes great responsibility'?

McMillan Cottom

Who conducted experiments as a method to study society?

Pager

How are inequality and stratification defined in this lecture?

Inequality: how far apart + Stratification: who gets slotted where.

What often causes social change but also because of economic, environmental, or other forces?

Social movement

What type of sociological study uses in-depth qualitative data collection?

Ethnographies

What can sociology help diagnose?

Social problems.

What kind of methods does Sociology employ?

Heterogeneous methods.

What does Sociology help identify?

Identify solutions.

What is a characteristic of Sociology's boundaries?

Blurry boundaries with other fields.