Intro to Sociology Test 1

sociology

the scientific study of human society and social behavior

Levels of analysis

micro and macro

Mirco

the study of small group interactions in order to understand how they impact larger society

macro 

the study of large scale social structures in order to determine how they effect the lives of groups and individuals 

famous black sociologists

WEB DuBois, E. Franklin Fraizer, Manning Marble, Ida B. Wells, Oliver Cox

Theories of Sociology

Structural Functionalism, Conflict theory, Weberian Theory, DuBoisian Theory, Symbolic Interactionism

Structural Functionalism (macro)

society is a unified whole that functions because of the integration of multiple structure; social order is accomplished by maintaining the status quo 

Conflict Theory (macro)

social structures and institutions create different classes of the privileged and the disadvantaged; the economic system is the root of social inequality

Weberian Theory (macro + micro)

industrialism traps people into an iron cage of rules; sociologist should study human interactions with empathy

verstehen

empathy

DuBoisian Theory (macro)

society is divided along a color line; black people have a double consciousness 

Symbolic Interactionism (micro)

individual behaviors and actions organize into structures and systems; face-to-face interactions are the building block of society

Global White Supremacy

the union of political, economic, social, and ideological structures linked into an overall system that guarantees the power, position, and privilege of the white race.

Eras of white supremacy 

1. colonization 

2. imperialism 

3. neo colonialism 

4. neo liberalism/globalization

Colonization

1492-present, the period of invasion and occupying a country with settlers and exploiting economically

imperialism

1492-1945, the policy of extending a countries power over another through military and economic force

neocolonialism 

1492-present, the use of economic and political power to control countries especially former dependencies 

neo-liberalism

1930-present, the expansion of free market capitalism to all areas of society and the world

research methods

qualitative and quantitative

qualitative research 

research that works with non numerical data, text, notes, pictures, interviews

quantitative

research that translates the social world into numbers that can be treated

scientific method

1. identify a problem/ask a question

2. conduct a literature review

3. hypothesis

4. choose a research design

5. collect data

6. analyze the data

7. draw conclusions and present findings

ethnography 

naturalistic method based on studying people in their own environment to understand the meaning they give their activities 

interviews

person to person conversations

surveys

questionnaire given to a target population

existing sources

materials that have been produced and already exist

experiments

formal tests of specific variables and effects in controlled settings

Culture

the entire way of life of a group of people that serves as a lens they view the world

ethnocentrism 

using ones own culture as the standard to evaluate another as abnormal or inferior 

cultural relativism

understanding and appreciating a culture without judging it against your own

Value

Standards of right and wrong, good and bad, desirable or worthy within a group

Norms 

rules governing what is acceptable or appropriate in a culture

Laws

formally codified norms as permissible or forbidden in society

Sanctions

the means by which norms are enforced, rewards and punishment

Social control for blacks 

1. slavery 

2. Jim Crow 

3. Mass incarceration 

multiculturalism

valuing diverse racial, ethnic, national, linguistic backgrounds by encouraging retaining cultural differences

dominant culture

the values, norms, and practices that are apart of the mainstream culture; have the most influence

subculture 

a group within a society with different norms, values, and lifestyle than the dominant culture 

couter culture

a group within society that openly rejects society and its norms

consciousness

ones level of awareness of their identity, social conditions and inequality, and their agency to change them

ideology

system of belief, ideas, attitudes, and values that direct a group or society 

dominant ideology

the dominant ideas and beliefs promoted by the ruling class that reproduce that status quo

levels of consciousness

1. submerged consciousness

2. individual consciousness

3. social consciousness

4. collective consciousness

5. liberatory consciousness

submerged consciousness

reflects ones internalization of the dominate ideology; hazy on identity, social conditions, inequality, and agency 

individual consciousness

the pursuit of individual material success without consideration or regard for the conditions of the oppressed; americanism/meritocracy

social consciousness

the awareness of social conditions and inequality

collective consciousness/class consciousness

an awareness of the class structure of social inequality, awareness of class membership

liberatory consciousness

awareness of ones identity, social conditions, and inequality, and their agency to change. And ones’ commitment to bring about self liberation and other oppressed groups

socialization

the process of teaching, learning and internalizing the values, beliefs, and norms of our social group

agents of socialization 

1. the family 

2. school 

3. peers

4. media 

deviant behavior

a behavior, belief, or other characteristic that violates a norm and causes a negative reaction

theories of deviance

1. deviance in functionalism

2. conflict theory

3. symbolic interactionism

deviance in functionalism 

• deviance helps a society clarify its moral boundaries

• when a society defines what is deviant, it promotes social cohesion by bringing the community together

Strain theory

social inequality creates strain for people when they don’t have the means to obtain society’s goal

Conflict theory

• inequalities are present in our definition of deviance

• rules are applied unequally

• norms, rules, and laws used to regulate people and groups

symbolic interactionism 

deviance is learned through interactions with those that break the rules; differential associationalism theory 

4 structures of society

1. economic systems

2. political structures

3. social structure

4. ideology holds it all together

social class

a system of hierarchy based on power, position, and privilege

social stratification 

the division of society into groups arranged in a hierarchy 

social inequality

the unequal distribution of wealth, power, position, and privilege

Three systems of stratification

1. slavery

2. caste systems

3. social class

socioeconomic status and life chances (SES)

if your SES is known, predictions about your life chances in work, education, criminal justice family, and health can be made

social mobility 

the movement of individuals or groups within the class hierarchy 

poverty

living below the standard of living with the inability to meet your basic needs for food, clothing, healthcare, and housing

culture of poverty

poor people have attitudes and behaviors that keep them in poverty

meritocracy 

a system where rewards are based on merit, is an illusion in the US

historical economic change

1. agricultural revolution

2. industrial revolution

3. information/digital revolution

agricultural revolution

(1600-1800) innovations in farming lead to increased food productions

industrial revolution 

(1800-1970s) the invention of the steam engine lead to steam powered factories and mechanized production which caused bigger urban areas 

information/digital revolution

(1970-present) micro chips and computers brought vast expansion to manage info; there was a shift from an economy based on productions of goods to production of knowledge

knowledge work

higher paying jobs

service work

unstable and lower paying; retail

political economy

the system of production and distribution in a society and its structures of governance

capitalism

economic system based on maximizing profits for owners at the expense of subordinate classes

socialism

based on collective ownership of production, and collective sharing of goods

communism 

a socialist economic system run by the government 

globalization

the expansion of capitalism to all regions of the world societies are connected by trade; neoliberalism

political economy institutions

1. WTO

2. IMF

3. NAFTA

5 stages of capitalism

1. merchant capitalism

2. industrial capitalism

3. welfare capitalism

4. finance capitalism

5. globalization capitalism

merchant capitalism 

1492-1800, colonization and slavery  

industrial capitalism

1800-1929, imperialism and oil, steel, and rail

welfare capitalism 

1930-1980, neocolonialism and social security 

finance capitalism

1980-2000s, globalization and WTO, IMF, and NAFTA

global capitalism

2000-present, globalization