Sociology exam 1

Textbook definition of sociology

The study of human groups: their origin, development, structure, function, and significance for social life.

Historical view/perspective of sociology

Sociology is the “physics” of society-laws describing cause and effect

Social science location of sociology

Psychology is based on the individual, anthropology is based on the human race, and sociology is based on the group.

Peter Berger definiton of Sociology

Sociology is a passionate curiosity disciplined by scientific methodology and is about the interactions of people.

C. Write Mills definiton of Sociology

Sociology studies the intersection of biography and history (troubles/issues) to provide insight into both, especially how those social structures over which people have no control influence their lives.

Talks about the sociological imagination

Terry McGinnis defintion of Sociology

A disciplined conversation about the power of groups
over their members/ each other in society

Influence on a larger group that affects their thinking

Benefit/purpose of Sociology - Durkheim’s view

The study of the group is more powerful in understanding human behavior than either biology or psychology

Max Webber’s “Ideal Types” + Risk

Groups whose members share characteristics and can be studied as a single unit. theirs a risk of sterotyping.

How the group perspective enriches an analysis of race-based police issues?

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Privilege

Commonly used in the context of social inequality, particularly regarding age, disability, ethnic or racial category, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and/or social class.

A special favor, right, or advantage given to a person or group

unearned opportunities, not distributed equally.

Individualism

Explains the world only in terms of what goes on inside individuals.
Sees social problems as resulting from flaws in individual character

social system

collections of roles/relationships forming a whole

Suicide - Durkheim systems action example

caused by social factors, not just individual psychological ones. Durkheim reasoned that social integration in particular is a factor. The more socially integrated a person is--connected to society and generally feeling that they belong and that their life makes sense within the social context--the less likely they are to commit suicide
Individualism cannot explain suicide in a larger sense when we look at all the suicides for a particular group in a given year
To explain systematic patterns, we have to look at how people feel and behave in relation to systems and how those systems work

Individual (arrow up) vs Systems Action (arrow down)

People make systems happen — consciously or not — and systems contain paths of least resistance that shape how people participate

agency (arrow up) vs structure (arrow down)

The ability of individuals to exercise free will vs patterned social arrangements that affect agency

Ideology

A set of beliefs, attitudes, and opinions that may or may not be based on scientific evidence. Created by social groups

Critical thinking

The attempt to step outside our ideologies and make a reflective, logic-based judgment. What is the best conclusion that can be drawn from partial information? 

Dominant Discourse

EITHER: the way most people think and speak about a particular issue. 

OR: the way that the people in power think and speak about a particular issue 

• The conversation that is getting the most support or the people in power talking about something.