Sociology Quiz 09_20_22

Sociology

scientific study of social structure

Sociological Perspective

never focuses on the individual

Sociological imagination

the ability of individuals to see the relationship between event in their personal lives and events in their society

Culture

knowledge, language, values, customs and physical objects that are passed from generation to generation

norm

rules defining appropriate and inappropriate behavior

folkways

lack moral significance

mores

norms that have moral dimensions and that should be followed by members of the society (Morals) (Taboo)

Laws

formally defined and enforced by officials

Values

broadest cultural ideas about what is good or desirable by people in society

Social Structure

Values are based on Norms which are types of folkways, mores, and laws which are enforced by sanctions

Society

group of people who live in a defined territory and share a common culture

Instincts

Genetically inherited patterns of behavior

Reflexes

automatic reaction to physical stimulus

Twin Studies

Sense of how certain stimuli impacts one twin over the other

Socialization

Cultural process of learning to participate in group life

Jane Addams

Co-founded hull house in Chicago's slums
Early women social reformers
Focuses on problems caused by an imbalance of power among social classes
Active in women's suffrage and peace movements
Social Ethics
Programs for immigrants and poor
Noble peace prize

W.E.B. DuBois

First African American to earn ph.D. from Harvard
Attacked “negro” problem
NAACp founder
Died 1 day before MLK speech
Fought for racial equality

Auguste Comte

Father of Sociology
Wanted to see scientific observation in the study of social behavior
Positivism: Scientific method
Social dynamics: driving social change
Functionalist
Social sciatics: holding society together

Harriet Martineau

An englishwoman
Best known for translation of Comte’s book
English translation

Karl Marx

Founder of communism
Conflict perspective
Class conflict (upper, middle, lower)
Bourgeoisie et prolétariat
Withering away of the state
Planned revolution

Herbert Spencer

Compared society to human body to explain social stability (society a sa social organism)
Social darwinism coined the term “survival of the fittest”
Militant: hierarchy & obedience
Industrial societies: social obligations

Max Weber

Rationalization
Putting yourself in someone else's shoe
Spirit of capitalism

Emile Durkheim

Mechanical solidarity (widespread consensus of values and beliefs, strong social pressure)
Organic solidarity - social interdependent based on a web of highly specialized roles
Interested in what hold a society together
Suicide studies - social control
Functionalist
Used statistical methods to find answers

Herbert Mead

Pointed out that some people are more important to us than others

Charles Horton Cooley

Developed the self concept from watching his children play
Realized that children interpreted how others reacted to them in many ways
People serve as mirrors for the development of ourselves- Cooley called this “looking-glass self”

Self Concept

your image of yourself

Looking Glass Self

A self concept based on our ideas of others judgment of us (others as a mirror to yourself)

Significant Others

The people whose judgments are most important to our self-concepts

Functionalism

socialization contributes to a stable society
A society is a relatively integrated whole
Society tends to seek relative stability
Most aspects of a society contribute to the society’s well-being and survival
Society rests on the consensus of its members

Conflict Perspective

socialization as a means to keep power

A society experiences inconsistency and conflict everywhere
A society is continually subjected to change
A society involves the constraint and coercion of some members by others

Symbolic Interactionism

Socialization is the major determinant of human nature

People’s interpretations of symbols are based on the meanings they learn from others
People base their interaction on their interpretations of symbols
Symbols permit people to have internal conversations. Thus, they can gear their interaction to the behavior that they think others expect of them and the behavior they expect of others.

Nature (Instinct)

Unlearned patterns of behavior

Nurture (Socialization)

The environmental influences that contribute to the development of an individual; see also nature