SOCY 1001- Exam 1

core commitments of sociology

1. observe social patterns

2. notice injustices & challenge them

culture

rules, traditions, beliefs, tangible items of society

good generalizations

• statements backed with evidence

• intend to describe, not judge

• can be changed

social patterns

recurring behaviors, actions, arrangements within a group

social structure

• skeleton of society

• status/role

• social institutions (gov, school, family, economy, religion)

sociological eye

allows for recognition of social injustices/patterns & observe the effect of society on humanity

sociological imagination

personal issues/decisions connected with social context

sociology

study of how society shapes/is shaped by individuals

stereotypes

predetermined, negative ideas about a group based on hearsay/experience

who was the first scholar to use the term sociology?

auguste comte

why did sociology emerge as a discipline

to understand impacts/changes of society

fallacy of the individualistic personality

belief that personal successes/failures depend entirely on the person; social issues are not a factor

examples of group based patterns

• pay gaps

• causes of death

who came up with the concept of the sociological imagination?

c. wright mills

three major problems related to higher education & sociology

• cost vs. benefit

• purpose of liberal arts education

• employability of sociology

employability

capacity to start, change, develop, manage careers fitting a sociology graduate’s career goals

theory

explanation for social patterns

theoretical perspectives

groups of theories with commonality

conflict theory/perspective

groups compete for resources & power in society

macro level of analysis

examining overall social structure, large-scale societal forces

micro level analysis

examining individuals or small groups

bourgeoisie

wealthy owners

proletariat

poor workers

lumpenproletariat

perpetually unemployed

alienation

isolation/dehumanization of workers in a capitalist society, laboring with unawareness

means of production

technology/materials/capital used for production

false consciousness

misunderstanding by proletariat of exploitation/mistreatment by bourgeoisie

true consciousness

awareness by proletariat of exploitation/mistreatment by bourgeoisie

structural functionalism

individuals work for larger society’s needs/interests; societies consists of interdependent parts working together for the good of the whole

(latent) dysfunctions

unintended negative consequences of social institutions

latent functions

unintended consequences of an institution

manifest functions

obvious, intended consequences of an institution

social institutions

sets of statuses/rules of society

seven primary social institutions

• family

• religion

• education

• economy

• government

• healthcare

• media

mechanical solidarity

solidarity by similarities (shared religion, systems, norms, values, labor systems)

organic solidarity

solidarity by division of labor in post industrial societies, centers on interdependence

symbolic interactionism

views society as a social construction constantly being reconstructed/recreated by individuals through shared symbols

structural functionalism key thinkers

• auguste comte

• emile durkheim

history of structural functionalism

• scientific revolution

• french revolution

questions structural functionalism sociologists ask

• how is societal order maintained?

• how do social institutions fit together to build social harmony/stability?

• what are manifest/latent functions of institutions?

structural functionalism outlook

macro-level theory

structural functionalism research concepts

• institutions

• statuses/roles

• manifest/latent functions

• norms

• social order

• social solidarity

limits of structural functionalism

• inequality

• dysfunction

• social change

conflict perspective key thinkers

• karl marx

• max weber

• web dubois

• harriet martineau

history of conflict perspective

• industrialization

• bureaucratization

• post- civil war reconstruction

questions conflict perspective sociologists ask

• who has power?

• who controls means of production?

• who shapes the dominant ideology?

conflict perspective outlook

macro-level theory

conflict perspective research concepts

• institutions

• power

• ideology

• oppression

• economy

• class-race-gender inequality

limits of conflict perspective

• positive functioning

• problems with rapid changes

symbolic interactionalism key thinkers

• george herbert mead

• charles horton cooley

• erving goffman

history of symbolic interactionalism

• urbanization

• demographic change

questions asked by symbolic interactionalism sociologists

• how do individuals develop a sense of self in social context?

• how are meaning & culture socially constructed/shared?

• how does socialization work?

symbolic interactionalism outlook

micro-level theory

symbolic interactionalism research concepts

• identity

• interaction

• group dynamics

• development

• culture

• socialization

• front stage

• back stage

limits of symbolic interactionalism

• social structure

• inequality

professional identity

• work-related sense of self

• creates a work-related consciousness

potential action orientations

• scientists

• educators

• mentors

• artists

• advocates

• activists

• organizers

• reformers

• community builders

• mediators

• communicators

• strategists

major vulnerabilities of sociologists

• tendency to be overly idealistic

• over socialized world view

• guilt over privilege/power

• tendency to analyze, not act

research

collecting data to produce knowledge

applied research

collecting data to find practical solutions to specific social problems

basic research

collecting data to expand general knowledge

empirical statement

can be proven right/wrong, true/false

normative statement

opinion based

data

collected information from research

data analysis

interpreting collected information

informed consent

informing participants of study risks/rewards prior to research & obtaining consent

literature review

evaluation of existing scholarly documents; occurs after creating research question

qualitative methods

using images, words to analyze data

quantitative methods

using numbers to analyze data

interviews

open ended questions asked to individuals/groups

observation

• observes people as an unobtrusive spectator

• must be done with permission or in public

participant observation

observes people & interactions while participating in environment

ethnography

research how people live & find meaning in life

surveys

• prewritten close-ended questions

• may be online, call, door-to-door, paper, etc

(field) experiment

controlled environment that allows for manipulation of certain variables to isolate change

content analysis

• collect data from existing documents

• may be qualitative or quantitative

generalizability

applicability to a broader population/society

representative

extent to which data represents its intended group

sampling

group chosen for study

population

every person/data source that qualifies for inclusion in study

non-random sampling

• used when random sampling is impossible/impractical

• can be representative but not generalizable

types of non-random sampling

• convenience

• snowball

• purposive

convenience non-random sampling

chooses respondents readily/easily accessible based on proximity/availability

snowball non-random sampling

relies on contacts of initial respondents to recruit future respondents; useful for hard to identify populations

purposive non-random sampling

recruits specific participants based on knowledge/experience with given event, topic, phenomenon

random sampling

every individual/data source has equal chance of being chosen for study; requires comprehensive list of population/documents

types of random sampling

• simple random

• stratified

• cluster

simple random sampling

participants are selected in a way where all people have equal opportunity to be chosen

stratified random sampling

population is divided into groups of interest based on similar characteristics & a random sample is drawn from each group

cluster random sampling

population is divided into smaller groups & a random sample is drawn from each group

steps of sociological research

1. research question

2. literature review

3. develop hypothesis

4. research design

5. (optional) IRB review/approval

6. data collection

7. data analysis

8. (optional) data reporting

norms/values guiding sociology

• truth- outcomes of reason (theory) & empiricism (methods)

  • truth of perception- beliefs have consequences

  • truth of experiences- those with certain experiences hold knowledge on it

    • backgrounds (race, gender, etc)

• cooperative order- society/social organization is integral & implied

  • organic/mechanical solidarity

  • interdependence & humanity

• emancipation- freedom from restrictions, evaulating/improving society to benefit people

behaviors to promote in sociology

• belief in possibility of positive social change & power of collective act

• emotional/intellectual openness

• use of research to improve society

• collaboration & respect

• value diversity

behaviors to avoid in sociology

• individualism

• physical/symbolic violence

• coercion

• negative labels

• language that hides reality/social issues

sociopolitical responsibilities

• promote political accountability

• promote redistribution of power

economic responsibilities

• respect/dignity

• living wages for all

• support companies producing positive social changes