Sociology Midterm: Chapter One

Sociology

Scientific study of relationships between individuals and society

Sociological Perspective

Seeking connections between individuals and broader social contents

The Sociological Imagination

Awareness of the relationship between a person’s behavior and the wider social structure that shapes the person’s choices, perceptions, and opportunities

Society

Group of people who live in a specific geographic area who interact with one another and share a common culture

Modernity

Historical era starting in the 1700s characterized by the growth of democracy, increased reliance on reason and science, and a shift toward an urban industrial economy

Capitalism

Private ownership of the means of production

Social Solidarity

Collective bonds that connect individuals

Division of Labor

The way people specialize in different tasks, each requiring specific skills

Social Theory

A set of principles and propositions that explains the relationship among social phenomena

Social Structure

Patterns of human behavior and institutions that shape society

Social Agency

An individuals capacity to act independently and make choices that can influence their own lives

Cultural Changes

People began to use reason, observation, and scientific methods to understand the world instead of relying on religion

Political Chages

American Revolution and French Revolution promoted the ideas of freedom, equality, and individual rights and inspired people to question how societies are governed, challenging the church

Economic and Social Changes

The Industrial Revolution transformed economies from farming to factory production, creating new classes and new social problems such as crowded living positions and poverty due to people moving cities for their jobs

August Comte

Coined the term ‘sociology’

Karl Marx

Concerned with the effects of capitalism and believed that societies grew as a result of struggle between different social and political classes

Communist Manifesto

Critiques capitalism, advocates for communism, calls for the proletariat to rise against the bourgeoise, emphasizes the need for a classless society

Goals of Communism

Abolition of private property

Establishment of a society where goods are distributed based on needs

Durkheim

Focused on sociological study of objective social facts and emphasized the importance of empirical research and social facts. Theories on social solidarity and anomie help us understand social cohesion and the role of institutions in society

Social Solidarity

Collective bonds that connect individuals

Anomie

Social normalness, without moral guidance or standards

Weber

Believed that changes in culture and ideas shaped social life and argued for the methodological principle of Verstehen. He believed the rationalization of society was inevitable and warned that it would lead to the “disenchantment” of society

Verstehen

Sociologists should try to put themselves in the place of those they are studying to understand the world from their perspective

Antipositism

Strive for subjectivity to represent social processes, cultural norms, and social values

Rationalization of Society

Rationality replaces tradition as the basis for social and economic life

Disenchantment of Society

Where the world becomes less mystical as science replaces religion

Harriet Martineau

First woman sociologist who studied economics, social class, religion, suicide, government, and women’s rights. She was critical of the disconnect between American principles and the reality where workers were exploited and woman didn’t have the same rights as men

W.E.B.Du Bois

One of the preeminent leaders in the African American Civil Rights movement, drove the Niagra movement, and was less tolerant of racism. Developed empirical research methods that were accepted as refuting lower-quality theories that provided backing for the biological basis of racism

Micro-level social theories

Focuses on individual interactions and behaviors between small groups.

Macro-level social theories

Examines large-scale social structures that affect society.

Structural Functionalism: Focus

The way each part of society functions together to contribute to society

Structural Functionalism: Key Concepts

Uses the human body as a model for understanding society and how each part of it has specific functions to help preserve the health of society

Conflict Theory: Focus

Issues of contention, power, and inequality that highlight the competition for resources

Conflict Theory: Key Concepts

Conflict of interest between the bourgeoisie and proletariat. Ruling class owns means of production while the working class is exploited and oppressed

Conflict Theory: Examples

Pervasive inequality based on race, social class, and gender

Resources and power are unequally distributed

Symbolic Interactionist: Focus

The way one-on-one interactions and communications behave

Symbolic Interactionist: Key Concepts

Social structure is produced through individual actions that create a pattern

People construct roles as they interact

people heavily rely on symbols such as words ad gestures to reach shared understanding

We act to situations in accordance with how we perceive it

Core concepts that diverse sociological theories share

Concepts related to the dynamic between human action and social organization

Relationship between individuals and society

A reciprocal dynamic. Social structures shape and constrain individual actions while individuals create those structures through their actions

Thomas theorem

“If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences,” meaning that people perceive a situation as real in its consequences, regardless of whether it’s objectively true

Social Construction of Reality

People interpret situations and act in ways similar to how they perceive it.