Sociology: Race, Resistance, Research Methods, and Family

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key sociological concepts of race, resistance, identity, research methodology, and family structures as discussed in the lecture notes.

Race (Giddens and Sutton)

A social construct invented by society to justify inequality such as slavery and colonialism; it is not biological or genetic but results in real life inequalities due to racism.

New Racism (Stuart Hall)

A form of exclusion that uses cultural language instead of biological language to justify the exclusion of people.

Resistance

Actions that challenge inequalities, ranging from large-scale protests to everyday acts of refusal.

Counter-hegemony

The act of challenging dominant ideas, norms, and cultural meanings that support inequality, such as questioning the idea that patriotism requires silence about racism.

Activism

Organised actions to challenge injustice and demand change, categorized into types including symbolic, grassroots, sport-based, economic, digital, and direct action.

Social Constructivism

The theory that social reality, including categories like race, gender, and nation, is created through interactions and historical culture rather than being natural or fixed.

Identity

A socially constructed concept shaped by race, gender, class, and media, representing how people see themselves and how society labels them.

Colourism

Skin-shade prejudice occurring within and between racialised groups where lighter skin is valued and darker skin is devalued.

Colonialism (Glenn)

The process where a nation takes control of another place to rule it and use its resources, often spreading ideas that Western culture and lighter skin are superior and civilised.

Skin-lightening industry (Julie Jung)

A contemporary continuation of colonial beauty hierarchies where lighter skin is marketed as modern and civilised, impacting marital and employment opportunities, particularly in Asian societies.

Social Movement

Collective action taking place outside formal political institutions aimed at transforming cultural meanings, public opinion, and power structures.

Global South Feminism

Feminist movements in regions like Bangladesh or Latin America that may draw on religion, motherhood, and community rather than focusing solely on individual rights.

Femicide

The gender-based killing of women rooted in patriarchy, particularly identified as a central political issue in Latin America.

First Wave Feminism

The phase of the feminist movement focused on legal rights, specifically suffrage and education.

Second Wave Feminism (Friedan)

The phase of the feminist movement that argued "the personal is political," challenging patriarchy in private and public life, including reproductive rights and liberation.

Third Wave Feminism

The phase of the feminist movement emphasizing intersectionality and the diversity of women's experiences based on race, class, and culture.

Positivism (Comte, Durkheim)

The belief that society can be studied scientifically like the natural world using quantitative data, objective measurement, and the discovery of "social facts."

Interpretivism (Weber)

A research perspective that argues humans are meaning-making beings and researchers must understand the subjective meanings (verstehen) behind social actions.

Atkinson’s Study of Coroners

A study supporting interpretivism by showing that suicide statistics are socially constructed through the subjective interpretations and cultural norms of coroners.

Inductive Approach

A research method that begins with observations and builds theory from data in an open-ended and exploratory way.

Deductive Approach

A research method that begins with a theory or hypothesis and tests it using data to confirm or reject the idea.

Qualitative Methods

Research tools such as interviews and participant observation that produce rich, detailed data in words to explore meaning and depth.

Quantitative Methods

Research tools such as surveys and official statistics that collect numerical data to identify patterns and test hypotheses.

Ethnography

An in-depth qualitative method where a researcher immerses themselves in a social setting to observe behavior in its natural context.

Selection Bias

An error that occurs when a sample is not representative of the population because certain groups are more likely to be included than others.

Social Desirability Bias

When participants provide answers they believe are socially acceptable rather than being truthful, often occurring with sensitive topics like racism.

Functionalism (Roberts)

A structural theory that sees society as a stable system where institutions like family and education perform essential functions to maintain order.

Nuclear Family

A family form consisting of two parents and their children, which functionalists argue became dominant following industrialisation due to its geographic mobility.

Warm Bath Theory

A functionalist concept describing the family's role in the primary socialisation of children and the stabilisation of adult personalities.

Marxism (Family View)

A conflict theory arguing the family supports capitalism by reproducing labor power, socialising children into obedience, and allowing the inheritance of property among the bourgeoisie.

Radical Feminism (Family View)

The perspective that the family is a site of oppression where patriarchy is maintained through domestic labor, childcare, and male control.

Liberal Feminism (Family View)

The belief that gender inequality in the family can be reduced through gradual legal reforms and changing social attitudes toward shared domestic roles.

Modernisation Theory

The idea that as societies move from traditional rural life to urban industrial life, institutions change and individuals gain more freedom and choice.

De-institutionalisation of Marriage (Cherlin)

The weakening of social norms that dictated how marriage should be performed, leading to marriage becoming less predictable and more focused on individual preference.

Pure Relationship (Giddens and Beck)

A relationship based on personal fulfilment and individual choice rather than traditional duty or obligation.

Families of Choice

Non-biological families formed through emotional bonds and chosen kinship, often found in LGBTQ+ communities.

Lone Families

A family structure where a single parent raises children; notably over half of African-Caribbean families in the UK are led by a lone mother.