Psych-Soc Class 2 - Sociological Perspectives

What is the micro-level perspective?

Symbolic interactionism

Societies are best understood as emergent properties of individual human interactions and best studied by liiking at specific relatioships between individuals and small groups

What are the macro-level perspectives?

Functionalism and conflict theory

Focus on large scale social structures (why societies form, change, social structures, and how they function)

What is functionalism?

AKA structural functionalism

Society as a living organism of many parts

Herbert Spencer and Emile Durkheim

What is dynamic equilibrium?

Functionalist theory that society will correct itself when faced with imbalance or crisis

Thanks to Durkheim

What are social facts?

Elements that serve a function of society

Durkheim, functionalism

What are manifest functions?

Functionalism

Intended, anticipted consequences of a structure

What are latent functions?con

Functionalism

Unintended consequences of a structure (can be good, bad, neutral)

What is social dysfunction?

Functionalism

Processs that has undesirable consequences and reduces society's stability

What is conflict theory?

Society is a never-ending competition for limited resources

This causes inequelity

Karl Marx and Max Weber

What is capitalism?

Conflict perspective

Encourages competition and private ownership

Bourgeousie owns means of production while proletariat provides labor and is oppressed

Proletariat attempts to overthrow Bourgeoisie to get resources

What is hegemony?

Conflict perspective

Unequal social order is maintained through ideological coercion

What is class consciousness?

Conflict perspective

Inevitability of the proletariat realizing they are being exploited

Leads to revolt

What is socialism?

Conflict theory

The numerous are in charge

What is communism?

Conflict theory

Marx thought this communism will rise once proletariat overthrown bourgeoisie

All means of production owned equally by all workers

What is protestant/puritan work ethic?

Conflict theory

Weber's idea that a widely held religious belief is critical for the functioning of capitalism

What is rationalization of society?

Conflict theory

Increasing concern with efficacy

Weber thought this was a fundamental trend in modern society

What is symbolic interactionism?

Humans ascribe meaning to things and act based on them, language allows meaning to be generated, humans modify meanings through interpretive thought processes that consider the reaction of others and social context of interactionsn

George Herbert Mead

What is the Thomas theorem?

Symbolic interactionism

Theory that interpretation of a situation affects the response to it

What is the dramaturgical approach?

Symbolic interactionism

Erving Goodman's idea that people chose the image they want to communicate to those they interact with, and others don't see the behind the scenes

What is social constructionism?

Idea that people actively shape their reality through social interactions

Reality is socially constructed, not inherent

What are stocks of knowledge

Social constructionists focus on them

Mechanisms or practices sustained and created by society that change accross cultures and within a culture over time

Once knowledge is institutionalized, it is experienced as objective truth

What are stocks of knowledge?

Social constructionism

Allow us to classify objects and actions quickly, to structure our own actions in response

What is typification?

Social constructionist

How we structure our responses to things

This becomes so ingrained by society that we do not consider alternatives

What is feminist theory?

Concerned with social experiences of men and women and differences between them

Both macro and micro level focus

What is intersectionality?

Feminist theory

Various human aspects relate to societal oppression, but do not exist separately (they are interwoven)

What is rational choice theory?

Includes social exchange theory, game theory, and rational actor theory

Economic approach to analysis of social interactions

Human behaviors are utilitarian

Look at micro and macro levels of society

What is utilitariansim?

Rational choice theory

Assumes humans are rational in their actions and that they will seek to maximize their own interests