BSU Intro to Sociology test 1

Chapter 1 – Introduction to Sociology

Sociological Perspective/Imagination: Individual and society and inseparable/awareness between persons behavior and expierance in their wider culture

Durkheim’s Study of Suicide: Researching suicide rate differences in catholic and protestant communities’ difference in socio-religious forces.

Macro/Microsociology Macro is large scale, like the world, micro is smaller more local.

Three Major Theoretical Perspectives:

--Structural Functionalism (Durkheim, Merton)

Macro level social structure, and social function. Promotes solidarity and stability so society can function.

--Social Conflict (Marx)

Society is an arena of inequality that generates conflict that leads to change. It benefits the few at the expense of the many. Adv v. Disadv. Race conflict gender conflict. All linked to inequality

--Symbolic Interactionism

Society is the product of everyday interactions of individuals, micro small scale. People build their personalities from social experiences.

Chapter 2 – Sociological Research

Types of Data Collection

--Survey

Collecting data via a series of questions about behaviors and opinions, one of the most widely used methods

--Interview

One on one conversation between researcher and subject, researcher has to avoid steering the conversation.

--Field

Gathering primary data from a natural environment

--Participant Observation

Take on the role of the people you’re observing, joining them. But a specific role like a job

--Ethnography

Immersing the researcher into the natural setting of a whole community

Quantitative/Qualitative: Numbers versus characteristics or observations

Scientific (Positivist)/Interpretive/Critical Sociology

Positivist/Scientific= What? Specific concept you’re looking at

Interpretative= Why (meaning) meaning people give to their social world. Meaning v. Action

Critical= Problems (change) rejects “Fixed/natural” order

Research Concepts

--Independent/Dependent Variables:

IVDV independent causes the change in the dependent

--Spurious Correlation

Two variables change together but aren’t related Number of fire trucks Amount of property damage.

Research Process Wheel

???

Ethics in Research (Stanford Experiment)

Stanford experiment, demand characteristics.

Chapter 3 – Culture

Q’ero Tribe Story- Goes to New York and when he comes back he cannot put into words what he’s seen so he describes lights as like “capturing the sun”

Nacirema Article- Twisted the American world to sound crazy to us but that’s all about perspective.

Cultural Universal: Patterns or traits common to all societies

Culture Shock: disorientation or frustration from being in a new culture whose customs aren’t what you’re used to.

Components of Culture...

--Symbol: Means something to people of the same culture (ex. Bald eagle)

--Language: system of communication

--Values: vary to some degree based on age, race, sex.

--Beliefs: Statements people believe to be true

Sapir-Whorf Thesis: The way people understand the world is based off their language

Sub v. Counterculture:

Sub= part of a smaller culture within the larger culture

Counterculture= contrast/oppose their larger cultures

Chapter 4 – Society and Social Interaction

Types of Societies

--Preindustrial: hunter gathererdepend on wild animals and gathering uncultivated plants pastoral/horticulturalbased around domestication of animals and cultivating crops

--Industrial: 1700’s and 1800’s, steam power production, manufacturing reduced production time and increased volume, urban centers, wealth distribution

--Post Industrial: U.S. today, society based around production of information and services

Role of technology in Social Advancement: as a society advances so does its technology.

Social Change: People became more aware of their role in societies, and this can be used for social improvement

Theories on Society/Impact of Industrialization

--Functionalist

Collective conscience: common beliefs, morals, and attitudes

Mechanical shifts to organic via industrialization

Mechanical is small scale organic rely and depend on others

--Conflict

Proletariat are laborers Bourgeoise own production. Disconnected from work and false consciousness

Status: social position that an individual occupies

 --Ascribed: born with

 --Achieved: worked for

 --Master: most important or recognized of your statuses

Role: job within a status

 --Conflict: conflict with two or more statuses (ex. Being a student and being an athlete)

 --Strain: tension among roles in one status (ex. Whole bunch of tests at once)

Social Construction of Reality: people creatively shape reality through social interactions

--Thomas Theorem: “If man defines situations as real, they are real in their consequence.” Constructed reality

--Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: idea that becomes true when acted on

--Breaching Experiments: breaching the norms that have been constructed in the reality we live in.

Elements of Self-Presentation:

--Looking-Glass Self: base our self-feeling on how we think we look to others

--Three Forms of Self-Presentation (Goffman): Authentic, ideal, tactical