Module 1

Sociology

influence of social ideals in human behaviour and the study of societal structures and relationships.

social solidarity

the degree a group enforces ideals, dependent on intensity and frequency

Emile Durkheim

the likelihood of suicide increases/decreases with the degree they are anchored in society

social structures

social relation patterns

microstructures

patterns of close social relations

macrostructures

social relations outside of close circle

global structures

social relations on the international level

sociological imagination

personal troubles vs. social structures, and the connection between them

scientific revolution

caused people to use evidence to draw conclusions of the world

democratic revolution

this emphasized people are responsible for the state of society

industrial revolution

new social problems for people to think about, demanding solutions

theories

tentative explanations of social life, relating facts together

research

observing social reality to assess validity of theories

values

ideas of right and wrong

functionalism

A view of society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote stability and social order

dysfunctional consequence

social structure unintended consequences

manifest function

intended effects of social structures

latent function

unintended effects of social structures

Talcott Pearsons

societies function best when they promote their intended purpose

conflict theory

a sociological perspective that views social conflict as a fundamental aspect of society, emphasizing the role of power and inequality

cultural hegemony

culture dominance to the point a value is seen as common sense

Weber

there is importance to empathically understand motives and reasonings to understand significance of actions

mead

focuses on identity being structured through interaction with others

goffman

considers social interaction as a staged play, that people present themselves to appear good, leaving no room for creativity and choice

symbolic interactionism

emphasizes understanding subjective meanings and how these shape their behaviour through interpersonal communication

social constructionism

people behave not in a natural state, but are binded by social processes

queer theory

we are constrained under conventional labels of male, gay, etc. which does not capture the fluidity of identity, asserting control

martineau

one of the first feminists and wrote about gender, inequality, etc.

adams

fought for social reform and gave sociologists the chance to conduct interviews where she worked

feminist theory

focuses on patriarchy, where male domination is determined by the structure of power and social convention

dating and hooking up

male domination in sexual liberation

sociological compass

equality of opportunity and freedom vs. inequality of opportunity and constraint

globalization

separate cultures joining together, encouraging interdependence

postindustrial revolution

consequences of shifting from manufacturing to service industries from technology

seven generations

our choices, behaviours, and mistakes are reverberated throughout history

confucius

discussed socialization and role modeling

ibn khaldun

systematic studies of different societies, economics, and cultures

why study sociology

obtain understanding of the complex social world, gaining social context for understanding individual behaviour, whilst devloping cross-cultural awareness

scientific innovations

important for economic development, some tried to maintain status quo with the series of transformations while others tried to continue the transformations to overcome the problems that come with it

subdisciplines

includes various such as gender, ethnicity, education, etc. that all have a different specialization which utilizes the theories with different methods

michael foucault

emphasizes what we know has an origin, and how do we know what we know

dorothy smith

argues facts are not always objective, but rather experiences of the world in a different view

types of sociology

professional, critical, policy, public

C. Wright Mills

there are connections between personal experiences and larger forces of society and history

seeing the general in the particular

broad patterns of behaviour in specific people

alfred shutz

recipes are for interpretation and action; we’re born and socializaed into specific groups, so traditions and authority guides us to social situations

peter burger

discusses where our position in society shapes the options that are available to us in the first place

benefits of the sociological perspective

brings transformation and consciousness, so we understand where we sit in society as well as society itself