sociology midterm

the three types of sociology perspectives

functionalist, conflict, interactionist

Functionalism

beliefs in social order

Functionalism: level of analysis

usually macro

Functionalist theorist

Durkheim, Merton

examples of functionalism

an elementary school

manifest functions (of school)

basic life skills

latent functions (of school)

free daycare

functionalism social life:

a living system made of interrelated parts in equilibrium

conflict

social conflict and changes

Conflict: level of analysis

usually macro

conflict theorists

weber, Marx

conflict example

racial

Interactionism: social life

an ongoing process of interacting individuals and groups

Interactionalism: focus of study

meaning which people create and share

interactionism: level of analysis

micro

interactionism theorist

mead, baudrillard, Cooley, Goffman

interactionism example

Dating/Courtship

Creation

provides answers to questions of identity, structure, purpose

Fall

provides answer to the question of the source of our problems. Sin brought separations from God, Self, others, and physical environment

Redemption

provides solutions and resolution of the conflicts. Christians have worked to bring redemption in a broad sense, not merely individual salvation

independent variable

cause

dependent variable

effect

examples of independent variable and dependent variable

- \# of hours can lead to level of income

- \# of stressors can lead to likelihood of suicide

- drug abuse can lead to level of homelessness

- Parent's church attendance can lead to likelihood of child attendance

- time spend preparing for an exam can lead to test scores

sociology

the scientific study of the individual in culture and society

Durkheim's theory

Suicide rates are explained by the degree of connectedness within groups (social solidarity)

three types of society

pre-modern, modern, post-modern

pre-modern

amish

modern

old, factory

post-modern

computer

society

the organized interaction of people who typically live in a nation or some other specific terrioty

Modernity

explains all the modern changes

why did society begin

because of dramatic social change with the rise of a modern society

How did sociology develop in the US?

academic: society and culture

practical side: what to do about social problems

Why is sociology significant

Sociology helps people understand social influence

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Gensis 1:28

have children and subdue the earth

variable

any characteristic that can change or differ

examples of variables

gender, hair color, suicide rates

association

a way of describing a relationship between two or more variables

Hypothesis

A testable prediction about a relationship btw variables

spurious association

is an association for which two variables have no direct casual relationship

culture

the shared way of life of a society

three components of culture

Artifacts, ideas and values, behavior patterns of units

cultural lag

the tendency for one component of culture to change faster than another component

counter culture

a culture whose members consciously, and, often proudly, reject dominant culture

Subculture

a cult within a dominant culture

cultural relativism

suspending judgement about any cultural pattern since it is "relative to a particular time, place and circumstances" in that culture

ethcocentrism

the tendency to view one's own cultural patterns as good and righting to judge others by those standards

cultural universals

cultural patterns that are found in all cultures

Resocialization

replacing one way of life with another way of life

common agents of socialization

Family, school, media, friends, and clubs

socialization

the lifelong process of learning the way of life

nature

born this way

nuture

raised this way

Margaret Mead

she had a nature and nurture perspective. she took a trip to Samoa to document their lives however her work was controversial

cultural determinism

the culture wholly determines the behavior of the persons socialized in that society

coming of age in same

no adolescent trauma, teens had complete sexual freedom, no double standard, rape was unknown, "Americans are too restrictive"

Derek Freeman

Called out Mead for false information and found that Samoas have strict sex norms, raped was actually reported the time she was there

social group

two or more persons who maintain a stable pattern of relations over a period of time

aggregate

a mere collection of people, usually coming together only briefly and accidentally

category

people who share a particular trait

Durkheim

prior to 1900, the source of solidarity was religion. After 1900, he though the source of solidarity would be independence

weber

the old society emphasized: tradition and religion. the new society emphasizes reason and science

results: iron cage of rationality

people are reduced to things

McDonaldization

the process by which the principles of the fast food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world

social status

a relatively stable position for an individual in a social structure

master status

what society recognizes as "your most important status"

role

the behavior consistent with a status

role conflict

when an individual has 2 or more roles, then conflicting demands may arise

role strain

when one role requires conflicting actions

achieved status

status attained through effort

ascribed status

status that is given to person, independent of the individual's effort

social structure

the patterned relationships within and between units in society

primary groups

family members, close friends, peers

secondary groups

schools, churches, corporations

"Quiet Rage" Stanford Prison study

college students played a role as prisons and guards but acted out their roles too literally. guards started harming the prisoners

Family Kinship diagram

family tree

reference group

social unit used to shape your attitudes and behavior and it is the unit with which you identify

Bureaucracy

a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

your thoughts are shaped and limited by your language (which comes from your culture)

example of sapir-whorf hypothesis

hierarchy by age

primary socialization

the process of learning that begins at birth and occurs in the home and family

anticipatory socialization

processes of socialization in which a person rehearses for future positions, occupations, and social relationships

Genie the Wild Child

Isolated and abused, no language, never really fully developed fully fluent language because she missed the critical period. She was under study to see if she could ever recover from missing the critical period of her childhood and learning

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Psalm 1:1

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers

prestige

High standing; respect earned by accomplishments

Cultural Mandate - bible

Genesis 1:28: "And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"

Cultural mandate

God's directive to dominate the earth

Suicide as a sociological phenomenon

The importance of social groups

Questions a functionalism perspective would ask

What are the parts of society? What is the function?

Questions a conflict perspective wouldnask

Who is being exploited? How is society divided?

Questions interactionism would ask

What is the meaning created or shared? How is the meaning created or shared? What are the symbols?

social construction of reality

the process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction