Sociology: Theoretical Perspectives — Vocabulary Flashcards (Ch 1–5)

Structural Functionalism

• Macro-level theory: views society as a system with parts that have to work together for stability.
• Background and framing:
  • Emile Durkheim as a key figure; his era linked life sciences to the study of social life.
  • Discussion of research methods in studying structural functionalism.
  • Metaphors to understand the whole: organism, machine, or car. You can pick a metaphor; the idea is that parts work together for the whole to function.
• Core idea: structural functionalists see society as a system where interdependent parts promote stability and order.
• Key concepts:
  • Social solidarity: the degree of a group's cohesion based on shared values, beliefs, and regular interaction. Higher social solidarity = more stable society.
  • Anomie: a negative state produced by absence or poorly defined norms (normlessness).
  • Homeostasis: a balanced state within the social system.
• Macro vs micro levels:
  • Structural functionalism is a macro-level theory (focus on the big picture of society).
  • Contrast with micro-level theories that focus on individual meanings and everyday interactions.
• Social solidarity and stability intuition:
  • When people share similar values and interact regularly, cohesion increases and the system remains stable.
• Real-life example concept:
  • If a neighborhood experiences a lot of norm violations (e.g., privacy or private-property norms are not shared), social solidarity may be weakened, leading to instability.
• The function of social life:
  • Manifest function: the obvious, intended outcome of a phenomenon or institution.
  • Latent function: an unintended but positive side effect.
  • Dysfunction: negative effects that undermine cohesion or stability.
• Examples of functions in modern life:
  • Manifest function of social media: information sharing.
  • Latent function of social media: creation of a wide range of jobs in the labor market connected to social media, even if those jobs weren’t the original aim.
  • Dysfunction: social media can undermine cohesion, breed distrust in authority, or reduce face-to-face interaction.
• Important caveat about the function typology:
  • These are analytic lenses or a typology for thinking about how parts support or undermine the system; they are not rigid testable binaries.
  • A few explicit points from the course emphasize that the exact categorization (manifest/latent/dysfunction) isn’t always clean or the only explanation.
• Everyday analogy and norms:
  • Norms like walking on the right side of the sidewalk and giving others space illustrate how norms guide social interaction and reduce friction.
• Connections and implications:
  • Stability and cohesion depend on shared values and regular interaction (solidarity).
  • Normlessness (anomie) can disrupt cohesion and stability.
  • The macro lens emphasizes structural constraints and the functioning of the whole society, rather than just individual actions.

Conflict Theory

• Origins and core focus:
  • Roots in Karl Marx; commonly referred to as conflict theory.
  • Central question: who gets what and why? (resource distribution and power dynamics)
• Different perspective from Durkheim:
  • Durkheim emphasizes stability and integration; Marx emphasizes conflict, inequality, and the means of production.
• Means of production:
  • The resources needed to produce goods and wealth (e.g., factories, machinery, raw materials, and labor power).
  • In capitalist society, ownership of the means of production by the bourgeoisie leads to profit, while the proletariat owns only their labor power.
• Class structure and relations:
  • Bourgeoisie: owners of the means of production; tend to profit and control productive assets.
  • Proletariat: workers who own only their labor power and must sell it for wages; often work in unsafe conditions.
• Core concepts:
  • Means of production and exploitation: economic structure shapes social relations and interests of different classes.
  • Class conflict as a driver of social change: tensions between owners and workers can lead to reforms or upheaval.
• Analytical focus and applications:
  • Useful lens for understanding patterns of inequality and distribution of power.
  • Applies to the study of socioeconomic status (SES), both within a country and across nations.
  • Helps explain how economic structure influences other social institutions and outcomes.
• Connections to broader themes:
  • The theory encourages looking at how livelihood and economic arrangements shape social life, including politics, education, and culture.
  • The framework highlights how those with power may maintain advantages and constrain others.
• Relevance for the module:
  • You’ll encounter this perspective explicitly when discussing socioeconomic status and cross-national comparisons (module three).
• Practical and ethical implications:
  • By analyzing means of production and class relations, conflict theory informs debates about wealth distribution, labor rights, poverty, and social reform.

Theoretical Tools, Comparison, and Course Context

• How the five theories are framed in this course:
  • The instructor notes focus on five theories; some courses cover only the first 3 or 4 theories, but this course centers on five.
• The theory table:
  • Throughout chapters you’ll see a theory table that contrasts how each theory views a topic (e.g., religion), with a dedicated focus on how a structural functionalist and a conflict theorist would approach it.
  • Some chapters show a theory table with an audio overlay indicated by a play button.
• Foundational piece of the discipline:
  • Theory is a foundational piece; not every chapter will discuss every theory in equal depth, but the framework remains.
• Historical context and methods:
  • Durkheim’s era coincided with the life sciences’ influence on discourse and social research methods; this shapes how structural functionalism is framed.
• Exam expectations and study approach:
  • Your job is to understand the major focus of each perspective and be able to compare theories with one another.
  • By Thursday, you should be able to answer the questions related to these theories.
• Important caveat about testing:
  • Do not expect to be asked to classify everything strictly as manifest, latent, or dysfunctional in a binary way. These categories are useful for analysis but not rigid test items.
• Metaphors and cognitive tools:
  • The car, organism, or machine metaphors help you grasp how parts function together to keep the whole system running.
• Real-world relevance and ethics:
  • The theories offer lenses to interpret everyday life, public policy, and ethical questions about social order, inequality, and cohesion.
• Practical takeaways:
  • Distinguish macro-level theories (focusing on large-scale social structures) from micro-level theories (focusing on individual meanings and interactions).
  • Use social solidarity, anomie, and means of production as anchor concepts to analyze social life, policy, and change.

Everyday Examples and Practical Implications

• Norms and everyday behavior:

  • Sidewalk etiquette (walking on the right, allowing space, not crowding) is an example of normative behavior that maintains social order.

• Social media example:

  • Manifest function: information sharing.
  • Latent function: emergence of new labor-market opportunities related to social media.
  • Dysfunction: erosion of face-to-face cohesion and potential trust in institutions.

• Real-world relevance:

  • Structural functionalism helps explain how norms and institutions contribute to stability, while conflict theory helps explain how power and resources shape inequality and social change.

• Exam preparation emphasis:

  • Be able to summarize the major focus of each theory, compare theories side-by-side, and apply them to real-world topics like religion, SES, or neighborhood dynamics.

• Final note:

  • Thursday’s questions will test your ability to distinguish theories and explain their central ideas and implications.

• Numerical references used in this summary: 3 theories; 4 chapters; 5 theories discussed in this course.