sociology final review

be able to explain how each term relates to the sociological imagination/big picture

sociological imagination

the idea that each person’s life is influenced by society as a whole and vice versa

functionalism

emile durkheim → emphasizes stability and structure

if one aspect of society is broken or stops working, it affects all of society. functionalism assumes that the things that make up society are already as they should be, even for institutions that are inherently wrong or corrupted.

symbolic interactionism

max weber → based on idea that meaning isn’t inherent, it’s created and can change

the same object or idea can have different meanings in diff places/times, and every time it is interacted with it changes slightly → interactions on a micro level build up and eventually change things on a larger scale

conflict theory

karl marx → all aspects of society are competing with each other for resources, money, etc

marx believed the only way to fix society was through revolution/change from the bottom up

stratification

the organization of society into groups based on status

stricter stratification will limit social mobility and vice versa

social mobility

the ability of people in a society to improve/worsen their status

based on achievement, related to stratification

ascribed status

qualities a person is born with/can’t change (gender, race, class, ability)

determines how well meritocracy works in america → whether or not a person stays limited by their ascribed status

achieved status

qualities a person has control over (wealth, education, income, occupation)

basis of american dream → anyone can work to make themselves a better life than what they were born into

cultural capital

knowledge and habits that give a person social advantages

having a high cultural capital can land a person better opportunities because they are seen as sophisticated or knowledgeable/cultured

gender polarization

idea that men and women are fundamentally different/opposed

not necessarily true, but gender polarization has been used to fuel conflict between genders and profit off differences

hegemonic masculinity

masculinity that values aggression, violence, and dominance

teaches men/boys that they have to be assertive and unfeeling to be “real men”

emphasized femininity

femininity that teaches girls they need to be pretty, quiet, charming, submissive

collective effervescence

gained mutual energy/power that is shared with a group

not always recognized for what it is, but it can be very powerful/effective in creating social cohesion

social cohesion

the amount of connectedness and unity felt within a society

affected by collective effervescence