Soc Theory Pt. 1

Individualism

how a person’s actions and choices contribute to maintaining or disrupting social order. “patterns of social life seen as emerging from ongoing interaction”

Collectivism

how groups and society create shared norms. rules, and expectations that maintain social order. “patterns of social life seen as the product of existing structural arrangements”

Order

sources of predictability in human action that trickle down to individals (collectivists) or bubble up from interactions (individualists)

Action

Rational (calculation to achieve goals) or non rational (morals, traditions, habits, emotions) motivations of action

Nonrational

actions motivated by ideals, values, morals, tradition, habits, or emotional stakes.ationalr

Rational

action motivated by a strategic or calculated attempt to maximize rewards/benefits while minimizing costs.

Enlightenment

rise of scientific thought and philosophical reason, challenged religion as ultimate source of truth, and mad epossible by rise of civil society.

Industrial revolution

Leads to urbanization, separartion of production from households, growing population, and new social problems

Political revolution

end of monarchies and the rise of democratic rule

Hobbes

people are naturally selfish and violent so agree to an authoritarian state to maintain order

Locke

people follow natural laws created by god. they rationally choose democratic government to fairl resolve disputes

Rousseau

humans are naturally compassionate. Social contact based on non-rational “will of the people.” Society tends to corrupt “naturally good” individuals.

Hume

people are used to obedience based on habit. Less guided by rational calculation

Kant

moral behavior is based on rationally limiting one’s own desires based on universal rules.

Enlightenment limits

-Race and racism are products of enlightenment. Sexism too, with few exceptions like female theorists like Wollstonecraft.

classical theory

-19th century

-uses reason and model of natural sciences to understand modern society

-also considers non-rational dimensions of society and begins with moral assumptions

-interested in the disruptions that came with industrial/political calculations

contemporary theory

-begins in 1930s

-more diverse and contested than classical.

relations of production

The social and economic relationships involved in production.

-EX: Property systems, relationships between workers and owners, forms of exchange

Commodification of labor

The process of turning a person's ability to work into something that can be bought and sold.

In capitalism, workers sell their labor to employers in exchange for wages.

feudalism

A traditional agricultural society based heavily on custom, birth, inheritance, and social titles. Wealth came largely from things like taxes and control of land.

-EX: Lords, peasants, clergy

Capitalism

An economic system based on markets, industrial production, private property, and profit.

Marx was especially interested in the transition from feudalism → capitalism.

Adam Smith

He believed markets helped eliminate some of the inefficiencies of feudalism and that supply and demand could benefit consumers.

ruling ideas

Ideas promoted by intellectuals and institutions that support the existing social/economic system.

ideology

A set of ideas or beliefs that can make the existing system seem normal, natural, or desirable.

False Consciousness

When people accept beliefs about society that hide or distort the real class inequalities of the system.

EX: ruling ideas can create this by making people believe the existing system is the best system imaginable.

Class Consciousness

Workers become aware of their shared class interests and their position within the economic system.

base

The economic foundation of society.

-Includes the economic system and production.

superstructure

Everything built on top of the economic base.

EX: culture, laws, ideas, institutions

class interest

refers to the interests people have based on their economic position/class.

EX: workers and business owners may have different interests because they occupy different positions in the economic system.

collective conscience

The shared beliefs, values, morals, and ideas that hold a society together.

rational division of labor

A system where work is divided into specialized jobs, with people depending on each other to accomplish things.

Anomic suicide

Suicide caused by a lack of social regulation or stability, often when major changes disrupt a person's sense of normal expectations and rules.

Egoistic suicide

Suicide caused by weak social connections or lack of integration with society, leaving someone feeling isolated or disconnected.

Altruistic suicide

Suicide that occurs when a person is too strongly connected to or controlled by a group and puts the group's needs above their own.

suicide

reflects insufficient social ties and social regulation

beliefs

Ideas or thoughts that people hold to be true, especially about sacred things.

Rites

Actions or rituals performed in relation to sacred beliefs.

Sacred

Things considered special, set apart, or extraordinary, often connected to religion or shared group meaning.

Profane

The ordinary, everyday parts of life that are separate from the sacred.

Totem

A symbol representing a clan, often taking the form of an animal or plant. Durkheim argues that when people worship this, they are actually expressing the power and unity of their social group, then therefore represents both the group and its collective identity.