Aice Sociology
Aice sociology review
Symbolic Interactionism – Flashcards
Q: Who is G.H. Mead and what did he contribute to sociology?
A: Mead introduced the idea of "taking on the role of the other" through social interaction, first via imitative play, then understanding the "generalized other."
Q: What is the difference between a symbol and an instinct?
A: Instinct is automatic, preprogrammed response; a symbol is an object/gesture/word given meaning by individuals.
Q: What is the interpretive phase?
A: The process of interpreting a stimulus before reacting, allowing for a choice of response.
Q: Who is Herbert Blumer and what are his key principles?
A: He expanded Mead’s ideas: people act based on meanings, which arise from interactions and are interpreted.
Q: What is labelling theory?
A: People are labelled based on societal definitions, affecting how others treat them and how they behave.
Q: What did W.I. Thomas mean by “definition of the situation”?
A: The meaning or label given to a situation affects how we act in it.
Q: What is the Looking Glass Self (Cooley)?
A: We see ourselves as we think others see us: "I am who I think you think I am."
Q: What is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?
A: When a label or belief leads someone to act in a way that confirms the label.
Q: What is the labelling career?
A: (Becker & Lemert) The process from being labelled to possibly forming a master status around that label.
Q: What is Goffman’s dramaturgical model?
A: Life as a stage – people manage impressions with "front stage" (public) and "back stage" (private) behaviors.
Q: What is role distance?
A: The gap between our true self and the social roles we play.
Q: What are the critiques of Symbolic Interactionism?
A: Doesn’t explain origin of labels, overlooks structural patterns, lacks explanatory power, overuses performance metaphor.
Sociology and Social Policy – Flashcards
Q: What is a social policy?
A: Government laws or actions aimed at solving social problems or improving society.
Q: What is a social problem?
A: Behavior causing public concern and requiring collective response (e.g., crime, poverty).
Q: What is a sociological problem (Worsley)?
A: Any pattern of behavior requiring sociological explanation.
Theoretical Views on Social Policy
Q: What is the Functionalist view on social policy?
A: Policies are good for all; they promote order and cohesion through cautious changes (piecemeal engineering).
Q: What is the New Right view on social policy?
A: The state should stay out of people’s lives; welfare weakens responsibility and independence.
Q: What is the Marxist view on social policy?
A: Policies serve capitalism by legitimizing it, maintaining labor force, and preventing revolution.
Q: What should Marxist sociologists do?
A: Expose the truth behind policies, raise class consciousness, and spark revolution.
Q: What is the Feminist view on social policy?
A: Policies reinforce patriarchy (e.g., family/maternity policies). Liberal feminist ideas have influenced equal opportunity policies.
Q: What is the Postmodernist view on social policy?
A: Little interest in policy, but support diversity and freedom of choice. Late modernists believe policy must adapt to globalization.
Interpretivism – Flashcards
Q: What is Interpretivism?
A: A sociological approach that focuses on understanding the meanings and motives behind human actions.
Q: What methods do interpretivists prefer?
A: Qualitative methods like unstructured interviews, observations, and open-ended questionnaires.
Q: What is the aim of Interpretivist research?
A: To understand the world empathetically by seeing it through the eyes of the people being studied.
Q: What does “walking in someone else’s shoes” refer to?
A: Taking an empathetic approach to understand others' meanings and behavior.
Q: What is social construction?
A: The idea that reality is created through social interaction and varies by culture.
Q: Name 3 key interpretivist sociologists.
A: Weber, Goffman, Mead
Types of Interpretivism – Flashcards
Q: What is Interactionism?
A: A type of interpretivism that allows for causal explanation but warns against imposing hypotheses before data collection (Grounded Theory – Glaser & Strauss).
Q: What is Phenomenology and Ethnomethodology?
A: Reject causal explanations; believe society is built from shared meanings, not external forces.
Q: What are social facts (Durkheim)?
A: Things like institutions, norms, and values that exist outside individuals and constrain them.
Positivism – Flashcards
Q: What is Positivism?
A: A scientific approach to sociology aiming for objectivity, causality, and general laws.
Q: What kind of data do positivists prefer?
A: Quantitative data like structured interviews, closed questionnaires, and experiments.
Q: What is causality in Positivism?
A: Studying the cause-and-effect relationships between variables.
Q: What do positivists believe about objectivity?
A: Research should be free from the researcher’s values, like in natural sciences.
Q: Who are two key positivist thinkers?
A: Durkheim and Comte
Interpretivism vs Positivism – Flashcards
Q: What’s the main difference between Interpretivism and Positivism?
A: Interpretivism focuses on meaning and human experience (qualitative); Positivism focuses on facts and laws (quantitative).
Practical Research Factors – Flashcards
Q: How does access to participants affect research?
A: It influences method choice; for example, busy participants may prefer questionnaires over interviews.
Q: How do the researcher's personal characteristics affect method choice?
A: Skills like communication or observation ability can determine which method is best.
Q: How does subject matter influence method?
A: Sensitive topics may need careful methods (e.g., interviews over surveys for domestic violence).
Q: How does sample size affect method choice?
A: Large samples suit surveys; small samples may need in-depth interviews.
Q: How does time availability affect research method?
A: Time-consuming methods like observations may not be feasible under time pressure.
Q: How does cost or funding influence research?
A: Budget limits may restrict method choice, favoring cheaper options like online questionnaires.
Q: What is a research opportunity?
A: An unplanned chance to study something, which may require fast, flexible methods.
Questionnaires & Ethics
Q: What is informed consent in sociological research?
A: Participants must be told the purpose, process, and data use of the research before agreeing to take part.
Q: What is covert research?
A: Research conducted without participants knowing, often followed by post-research or pre-emptive consent.
Q: What is pre-emptive consent?
A: Gaining consent from a similar group to ethically justify covert research.
Q: What is deception in research?
A: Lying to participants about the research purpose to avoid invalid data from researcher effects.
Q: Who are gatekeepers in research?
A: People who give access to participants (e.g., teachers, managers).
Q: Why is confidentiality important in research?
A: Identifying features must be kept private and not published.
Q: What does the principle of privacy mean in research?
A: Avoid asking about private matters unrelated to the study.
Q: What kind of harm must be avoided in research?
A: Physical, psychological, and emotional harm.
Q: Can researchers break the law during research?
A: No—researchers must follow legal guidelines at all times.
Key Research Terms
Q: What is a hypothesis?
A: A proposed explanation made on limited evidence to be tested.
Q: Define qualitative data.
A: Non-numerical data often in written or verbal form.
Q: Define quantitative data.
A: Numerical data that can be statistically analyzed.
Q: What is reliability in research?
A: The ability to replicate a study using the same methods.
Q: What is validity in research?
A: How accurately a study measures what it claims to.
Q: What is triangulation?
A: Using multiple research methods to increase validity.
Q: What is a correlation?
A: A relationship between two variables (positive or negative).
Types of Research
Q: What is an ethnography?
A: A detailed study of people's customs, habits, and cultures.
Q: What is a pilot study?
A: A small-scale preliminary study to test feasibility.
Q: What is a longitudinal study?
A: Research conducted over a long time period.
Q: What is a case study?
A: An in-depth study of a single person, group, or event.
Functionalism
Q: Who is associated with social facts?
A: Émile Durkheim.
Q: What are social facts?
A: Norms, values, and institutions that constrain individuals.
Q: What is value consensus?
A: Shared agreement on goals and values in society.
Q: What is anomie?
A: A state of normlessness or lack of social regulation.
Q: What is the organic analogy and who used it?
A: Parsons—society functions like the human body.
Q: What are Parsons' 4 basic needs of society?
A: Goal Attainment, Adaption, Integration, Latency.
Q: What are formal and informal social control?
A: Formal: CJS & police; Informal: peers & family.
Q: Who criticized Parsons’ assumptions?
A: Robert K. Merton.
Q: What is manifest vs latent function?
A: Manifest = intended; Latent = unintended consequences.
Q: Give an example of manifest and latent function.
A: Rain dance: Manifest = cause rain; Latent = social cohesion.
Feminism
Q: What is patriarchy?
A: Male dominance over women.
Q: What are the three waves of feminism?
A: 1st - suffrage; 2nd - 1960s rights; 3rd - modern issues (#MeToo).
Q: What is malestream?
A: Male-biased sociological perspectives.
Q: What are Sylvia Walby’s 6 patriarchal structures?
A: State, Violence, Domestic Labour, Paid Work, Sexuality, Culture.
Q: What is liberal feminism?
A: Seeks gender equality through reform.
Q: What is radical feminism?
A: Believes in separation of sexes, revolution, political lesbianism.
Q: What is Marxist feminism?
A: Sees capitalism as root of women's oppression.
Q: What is intersectional feminism?
A: Focuses on how race, class, etc., intersect with gender oppression.
Q: What is dual systems feminism?
A: Combines Marxist and radical—oppression by capitalism and patriarchy.
Social Action Theory (Weber)
Q: What is the micro approach?
A: Focus on individuals and small groups.
Q: What is verstehen?
A: Empathy—understanding others’ perspectives.
Q: What are Weber’s 4 types of action?
A: Instrumental Rational, Value Rational, Traditional, Affectual.
Q: What are Weber’s two levels of explanation?
A: Cause (structural) and Meaning (subjective).
Q: Give an example of Weber’s analysis of religion.
A: Protestant Work Ethic—Calvinist beliefs led to capitalist behavior.
Q: What is a criticism of Weber's theory?
A: Too individualistic; meaning is hard to measure or share.