Sociology Final Exam

Social Movements and Sociological Foundations

Sociology

Scientific study of social behaviors and human groups; society and social interaction

C. Wright Mills concept of the sociological imagination

Awareness of the relationship between a person’s experience and the wider culture that shaped a person’s choices/perspectives

Emile Durkheim’s theory of suicide

Impact of social forces; loneliness + depression

Structural Functionalist

Views society as stable; a structure with interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of individuals in a society

Manifest Functions

Anticipated consequences of a social process

Latent Functions

Unsought/unanticipated consequences of a social process

Conflict

Theory examines society as a competition for limited resources

Symbolic Interactionism

Micro level theory, focuses on meanings attached to human interaction; verbal + nonverbal and symbols

Qualitative

Data that cannot be easily converted into #’s, interviews, aims to understands ones experiences

Quantitative

Data that CAN be easily converted into #’s, statistical study analysis, surveys

Social Movement

Loosely organized but sustained campaign in support of a social goal

Preliminary

People become aware of an issue, leaders emerge

Coalescence

People join together, publicize the issue and raise awareness

Institutionalization

Movement has established organization, typically with paid staff

Decline

People don’t take the movement seriously anymore, find a new topic or the movement successfully brought change

Alternative

Self-improvement, limited specific changes to individual beliefs and behaviors (Alcoholics anonymous, Planned Parenthood etc.)

Redemptive

“Religious” movements, provoke inner change or spiritual growth in individuals, focused on specific segment of the population

Reformative

Changing something specific about social structure, targeted at the entire population (Environmental movements, Womens Suffrage movement, “Buy Nothing Day”)

Revolutionary

Seeking to completely change everything about society (Civil Rights Movement or any political movements)

Resource Mobilization Theory

Explains movement success in terms of the ability to gain resources and mobilize individuals

Frames

Constructs a social reality, immediately provides you a behavior template

Social Change

Alteration of mechanisms within the social structure

What is the approximate population of the United States?

334 million

Public Sociologist

Studies society and social policies to engage in issues of public and political concern