SOCIOLOGY MIDTERM

What defines sociology as a scientific discipline?

sociology is the study of human society, social behavior, and the patterns that govern them through research and analysis

What does the sociological perspective help us do?

analyze society in a way that considers broader social influences and patterns

How does the sociological perspective differ from common sense thinking?

It considers social factors and patterns, while common sense relies on personal assumption and generalizations

Who is considered the "father of sociology" and is credited with founding the discipline?

August Comte

What was the development of the field of sociology influenced by?

The Industrial Revolution, which brought rapid social and economic changes.

What is social theory in sociology?

a framework for understanding and explaining social behavior and societal structures

According to structural-functionalism, what is the primary role of society's institutions?

to maintain stability and order within society

Which perspective focuses on how people create meaning through their interactions and symbols in every day life?

symbolic interactionalism

Explain the difference between structural-functionalism and conflict theory.

Structural-functionalism emphasizes the stability and cooperation of society, while conflict theory focuses on inequality and power struggles between groups.

a set of principles and propositions that explains the relationships among social phenomena

social theory

True or False: Social theories are mere opinions.

False, they must align with the evidence (be tested)

Can theories be changed?

Yes, theories evolve and can be discounted as they are tested.

What is micro level?

small scale; one on one interactions, small groups, etc.

What is meso level?

medium scale; companies, organizations, etc.

What is macro level?

large scale; politics, major institutions, etc.

What is conflict theory?

focuses on power and the distribution of resources in society

What does conflict theory help us make sense of?

issues of dealing with inequality and social change

What is structural functionalism?

focuses on social stability, looks at how different parts of society work together

What does structural functionalism help us make sense of?

how different aspects of society contribute to one another

What is symbolic interactionalism?

focuses on how society emerges from people's use of shared symbols in the course of their everyday interactions

What does symbolic interactionalism help us understand?

how culture is produced, the socialization process, and how people interact with one another

Differentiate between sociology sense and common sense.

Sociology sense is an objective examination of humans, institutions, and society in general while common sense comes from personal experiences or the experiences of others (subjective)

What are the pros and cons of surveys?

Pros: east to administer, good for getting info about particular populations (generalizability)

Cons: limited by questions, not able to capture nuance, people lie

What are the pros and cons of interviews?

Pros: provides rich data, captures nuance, ability to read nonverbal communication (body language)

Cons: takes time, cost money, less generalizability, and people lie

What are the pros and cons of ethnography?

Pros: very rich data, observe social interaction while it is happening, captures verbal and nonverbal interaction

Cons: takes a lot of time, a lot of data to sort through, lack generalizability, limited by the lens of the observer

statistical analysis of numerical data for surveys that often involves the use of statistical software

quantitative analysis

uses coding to find patterns in data

qualitative analysis

What is sociology?

the systematic study of the relationship between individuals and society

What are sociologists interested in?

the impact society has on individuals and groups of people and how those individuals and groups help shape and create society

What is a sociological perspective?

sociological lens, mindfulness, eye, and imagination; it draws connections between the individual experience and larger forces, sociologists try to balance between structure and agency

How did sociology come about?

European Enlightenment, Industrialization, and Political Revolutions

Who were 2 early sociologists?

August Comte and Herbert Spencer

Who are sociology's ideological founders?

Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber

Who are sociology's "forgotten founders?"

W.E.B. Dubois, Harriet Martineau, and Anna Julia Cooper

How do sociologists define culture?

In a broad manner.. the collection of values, beliefs, knowledge, Norms, language, behaviors, and material objects shared by people and socially transmitted from generation to generation

How is culture based?

socially, it Is learned

What level does culture operate on?

All levels (micro, meso, macro)

deeply held principle or standard that people use to make judgements about the world, especially in deciding what is desirable or worthwhile

values

the specific convictions or opinions that its people generally accept as being true

beliefs

the range of information, awareness, and understanding that helps us navigate our world

knowledge

cultures rules and expectations for appropriate behavior

norms

anything that represents something else

symbol

an elaborate system of symbols that allows people to communicate with one another in complex ways

language

Is language a symbol?

yes

What are the elements of culture?

values, beliefs, knowledge, norms, behaviors, objects/artifacts, symbols/language

What is ideology?

comprehensive wordlview

What are ideologies made up of?

set of assumptions about how the world works

What is dominant ideology?

the dominant set of assumptions within a culture that generally support the existing social system (these become "common sense" or natural)

How do those in power within a society mean their power?

through ideology

What is a subculture?

cultures associated with smaller groups that have their own distinct norms and values

What is a counterculture?

subculture that organizes itself in opposition to dominant culture

What is high culture?

refers to cultural forms associated with and valued by elites

What is popular culture?

cultural forms that are widespread and commonly embraced within a society

What is multiculturalism?

the recognition, valuing, and protection of distinct cultures that make up a society

What is ethnocentrism?

the judging of other cultures by the standard one one's own assumption that one's own is superior

What can ethnocentrism lead to?

xenophobia

What is xenophobia?

an unreasonable fear or hatred towards people of other cultures

What helped us develop multiculturalism?

the struggle of subcultures against dominant culture to be recognized

What makes the process of recognizing the existence and value of the multiple cultures that make up a society hard?

ethnocentrism

What are social structures?

recurring patterns of behavior; you cannot physically see it

What are the durable routines and patterns associated with major arenas of social life called?

social institutions

What are positions within social structures called?

statuses

What are the two types of statuses?

ascribed: involuntarily; assigned at birth

achieved: voluntary; earned through effort

Each status comes with what?

roles, which are sets of behavior associated with that status

What refers to the rules and routines that shape daily activities within organizations?

organizational structure

Which of the following best defines sociology as a scientific discipline?

Sociology is the study of human society, social behavior, and the patterns that govern them through research and analysis.

The sociological perspective helps us to:

Analyze society in a way that considers broader social influences and patterns.

How does the sociological perspective differ from common sense thinking?

The sociological perspective considers social factors and patterns, while common sense relies on personal assumptions and generalizations.

How do social structures affect human action?

They enable and restrict particular actions, but they are also changed by human action as well

What are the 3 types of human actions that Weber identified?

tradition: motivated by custom

affective: motivated by emotions and feelings

rational: motivated by calculations of efficiency

Who is considered the "father of sociology" and is credited with founding the discipline?

Auguste Comte

The development of sociology as a field was influenced by:

The Industrial Revolution, which brought rapid social and economic changes.

What is social theory in sociology?

A framework for understanding and explaining social behavior and societal structures

A company implements a new policy that significantly lowers wages for lower-level employees while increasing pay for top executives. According to conflict theory, what is the likely explanation for this policy?

The policy is a result of power struggles, where the elite use their control over resources to maintain inequality and advantage.

According to structural-functionalism, what is the primary role of society's institutions?

To maintain stability and order within society

Which perspective focuses on how people create meaning through their interactions and symbols in everyday life?

symbolic interactionalism

Which of the following best explains the difference between structural-functionalism and conflict theory?

Structural-functionalism emphasizes the stability and cooperation of society, while conflict theory focuses on inequality and power struggles between groups.

Eric wants to study why drug use is so prevalent at SLU. What level of society is Eric concerned with?

meso

Hakeem wants to text the girl he met last night at the party, but his friend tells him to wait until the next day so he won't come off as too pushy. Which theoretical perspective is best equipped to explain this?

Symbolic interactionism

What's one disadvantage of ethnographic (field observation) research?

it lacks generalizability

Which of the following best describes the core idea of structural functionalism in sociology?

Society is a complex system of interconnected parts that work together to promote stability and equilibrium.

Who argued that modern industrial society was becoming more shaped by rational action than other forms of action?

Weber

What did Weber see?

our social life was becoming more and more like in a factory and he worried that this would make our society less personal

What did George Ritzer argue when describing how modern society was becoming increasingly shaped by rational action?

"McDonaldization"

What are the 4 elements of Ritzer's McDonaldization? Define them.

1. efficiency- optimal method to complete a task

2. calculability- quantity>quality

3. predictability- consistent and familiar

4. control- through technology

HAS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

How is dominant ideology spread?

social media is an example

What does a dominant culture reflect?

the ideas and practices of those in power

What is sociology sense used for and what does it rely on?

a tool to understanding the empirical world, systematically studies and analyzes data and observations, relies on peer reviewed application of scientific method

What are the steps of the research process?

1. identify phenomenon (research question)