Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics – Week 1

Vocabulary flashcards covering key disciplines, branches, theorists, and core concepts from the Week 1 lecture on Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics.

Anthropology

Systematic study of the biological, cultural, and social aspects of humans.

Sociology

Scientific study of human social life, groups, and institutions, focusing on the interplay of economic, political, and social factors.

Political Science

Systematic study of politics, concerned with how people make, preserve, and amend rules, emphasizing equality, freedom, and justice.

Social Anthropology

Branch that explores how social patterns, practices, and cultural variations develop in different societies.

Cultural Anthropology

Branch that examines cultural variation across societies and insists each culture be understood in its own context.

Linguistic Anthropology

Branch that investigates language and discourse and how they shape and reflect society and culture.

Biological (Physical) Anthropology

Branch that studies human origins, evolution, adaptation, and variation in relation to social factors.

Archaeology

Branch that studies prehistoric societies by analyzing their tools, artifacts, and environments.

Franz Boas

“Father of American Anthropology”; proposed Historical Particularism—each society has a unique culture.

Historical Particularism

Boasian view that every culture must be understood on its own terms and cannot fit one universal model.

Alfred Kroeber

Early American anthropologist; introduced the idea of the superorganic—culture exists beyond individuals.

Superorganic

Kroeber’s concept that cultural patterns transcend individual actions.

Bronislaw Malinowski

Influential ethnographer who pioneered Participant Observation in fieldwork.

Participant Observation

Research method where the investigator lives within a community to observe and take part in daily life.

Alfred Radcliffe-Brown

Anthropologist known for Structural-Functionalism, focusing on social structures and their functions.

Social-Functionalist Paradigm

Theory that social structures work together to maintain societal equilibrium.

Clifford Geertz

Symbolic anthropologist who argued culture is a system of inherited symbols guiding action.

Ruth Benedict

Anthropologist who linked culture with personality, arguing each culture selects specific human potentials.

Auguste Comte

‘Founding Father of Sociology’; advanced Positivism and the three stages of societal development.

Positivism

Comte’s belief that scientific method is the only valid route to knowledge.

Theological Stage

Comte’s first societal stage where phenomena are explained by supernatural forces.

Metaphysical Stage

Second Comtean stage where abstract philosophy replaces supernatural explanations.

Positive (Scientific) Stage

Final Comtean stage where science explains social and natural phenomena.

Harriet Martineau

‘Mother of Sociology’; produced early ethnographic narratives on morals and manners.

Karl Marx

Father of Scientific Socialism; analyzed class conflict and historical materialism.

Social Stratification

Marxian concept of hierarchical layers based on class, status, and role.

Historical Materialism

Marx’s idea that material (economic) conditions drive historical change, not religion or ideals.

Emile Durkheim

Pioneer of Functionalism; argued society is sui generis (a reality of its own).

Sui Generis

Durkheim’s term for society as an independent reality beyond individual members.

Anomie

Durkheim’s term for normlessness, when society fails to regulate individuals.

Max Weber

Sociologist famed for Interpretative Sociology and the concept of rationalization.

Interpretative Sociology

Weber’s approach focusing on understanding social action through subjective meaning.

Rationalization

Weber’s process in which scientific logic increasingly shapes social life.

Political Theory

Branch of political science studying ideas of classical and modern thinkers about politics.

Public Administration

Branch examining how governments function and implement policies.

Political Economy

Branch analyzing the interaction of economics, politics, and law in societal institutions.

Comparative Politics

Branch comparing domestic political systems across different states.

Plato

Classical Greek philosopher; employed the dialectic method to discuss political ideas.

Dialectic

Plato’s method of dialogue and logical argument to reach philosophical truths.

Aristotle

Student of Plato; proclaimed humans are ‘political animals’ and promoted empiricism.

Empiricism

Aristotelian view that knowledge originates from sensory experience.

Baron de Montesquieu

Enlightenment thinker known for the Theory of Separation of Powers and discussions on despotism.

Separation of Powers

Montesquieu’s principle dividing government authority among distinct branches.

Despotism

Government by a ruler with absolute, often oppressive, power.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Philosopher who emphasized human goodness and authored The Social Contract.

Social Contract

Rousseau’s idea that legitimate government is based on an agreement among free individuals.

Thomas Hobbes

Political philosopher of Leviathan; argued humans are naturally self-interested and need strong authority.

Leviathan

Hobbes’s work advocating an absolute sovereign to ensure collective security.

Materialism

View that only material entities are real; used by Hobbes to justify political order.

John Locke

‘Father of Liberalism’; asserted natural rights to life, liberty, and property.

Liberalism

Ideology favoring freedom, tolerance, and progressive social change.

Natural Rights

Lockean rights inherent to all humans: life, liberty, and property.

Marxism

Marx’s theory aiming for a classless society via abolition of capitalism.

Capitalism

Economic system Marx criticized, where private owners control production and profit.

Anthony Giddens

refers Sociology as “The study of human

social life, groups, and society. ”

Structural Functionalism

Individuals as mere products of social structures.

Sociology

An academic discipline that attempts to provide a deeper assessment of individual and group behavior, as well as social phenomena, by examining the interplay between economic, political, and social factors.

Sociology

Deal with the scientific study of human interactions, social groups, and institutions.

Opposing Domination

less powerful individual, idea of liberty-authority, self-directing moral agents.

Harriet Martineau

Who said “opposing domination”?

“It’s own kind or a class by itself”.

sui generis means?

Methodogical Individualism

Argued that society pre-existed the individuals and will continue to exist long after the individual is dead known as

Emile Durkheim

who said “methodogical individualism”?

Emile Durkheim

“suicide” and “anomie” - society lacks social regulation of through social norms

Andrew Heywood

According to _____ “The activity through which people make, preserve, and amend the general rules under which they live. ”

4

how many branches does political science have?

Political theory

Concerned with the study of the ideas and

contributions of classical thinkers.

Public administration

Which examines how the government functions and how decisions and policies are made.

Political economy

Which evaluates the interplay between economics, politics, and law and its implications to the various institutions within society.

Comparative politics

Which compares domestic politics and governance systems across different sovereign states.

Plato

Widely considered the most pivotal

figure in the development of

philosophy.

Dialectic

This is a

method used to present the solution

and argument to other philosophers

for them to critic and assist them in

their judgment.

Empiricism

All people’s concepts and

all of their knowledge was ultimately

based on perception.

Despotism

Ruled by a despot – A despot is a ruler

who has the total power and who

often uses that power in cruel and

unfair ways.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

he said that “Men are born free, yet everywhere

are in chains”

Thomas Hobbes

Known for his political philosophy – LEVIATHAN

– Something that is very large and powerful