sociology exam 1

Max Weber- rational society and bureaucracy

"rational society", where social and economic life is based on efficiency and technical knowledge Bureaucracy- organization marked by clear hierarchy of authority and the existence of written rules and procedures and staffed by full-time, salaried employees

W.E.B. Dubois- 20th century challenge

"the problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line"

Ethnography- definition and strengths

A first-hand study of people using observation or interviewing "Real world" settings Can focus on subcultures Captures unique perceptions of actors

Post-modern theory- core argument

A legacy of symbolic interactionist thinking Also argues that society is based on signs and images Jean Baudrillard- there is no grand narrative; society is "going" nowhere Heavy focus on mass media influence on daily life Ex: Princess Diana's death

Purposes of social research

A. Describe reality B. Identify correlations between two or more behaviors or characteristics C. Test causal hypotheses

Survey- definitions and strengths

Administering a questionnaire to the study population Can assess large groups Relatively inexpensive Document social change

Karl Marx- view of human history

All human history thus far is the history of class struggles.

The "sociological imagination"- definition (Mills)

An individual can understand his [sic] own experience and gauge his own fate only by locating himself within his period

Historical/Comparative Studies- definition

Compares findings from one society to that of another society

Correlation versus causation

Correlation- association Cause- cause

Cultural diffusion, cultural leveling, cultural imperialism- definitions and distinctions

Cultural diffusion- when different groups share their material and nonmaterial culture with each other Cultural leveling- occurs when cultures that were once distinct become increasingly similar to one another. Cultural imperialism - imposition of one culture's beliefs, practices, and artifacts on another culture through mass media and consumer products.

Criticism of functionalism

Emphasis on balance, status quo Does not ask "for whom" is something functional?

Ethnocentrism vs. cultural relativism

Ethnocentrism is the principle of using one's own culture as a standard by which to evaluate another group or individual, leading to the view that cultures other than one's own are abnormal. Cultural relativism is the principle of understanding other cultures on their own terms, rather than judging according to one's own culture.

Harriet Martineau- critique of social theory

Focus on all aspects of society Focus on all members of society Focus on domestic as well as public institutions Don't just observe- act

Folkways, mores, and taboos- definitions and distinctions

Folkway- loosely enforced norm that involves common customs, practices and procedures that ensure smooth social interaction More- a norm that carries greater moral significance and is related to values of a group; leads to more severe sanctions for violators Taboo- a norm related to such a deeply held value that the mere idea evokes feelings of disgust or horror

Emile Durkheim - key finding insuicide study

Found that suicide rates in Europe in the late 19th century were highly patterned

Social learning theories- role of opposite sex parents

Gender development happens via attachment to mother Girls remain attached to their mother throughout lifetime; identify with her learn to define themselves as a caretaker and helpmate of men Boys must define masculinity by breaking attachment to mother

Humphrey's Tearoom Trade- purpose, design, and ethical issues

Goal was to study "tearooming"- sex between men in public restrooms Misrepresented himself- did not disclose identity as a researcher Further violations of subjects' privacy

* Rational Choice Theory- core argument

Humans seek to maximize rewards and minimize punishments. Humans will engage in behaviors that are rewarded and cease behaviors that are punished (or where rewards are removed)

Mead- definitions of "I" and "me;" the importance of "play" for developing a me

I- personal self; un-socialized desires and urges Me- social self; our perception of ourselves as others see us Generalized other- "they"; the influence of society that we develop a social self around

Goffman- front stage vs. back stage; impression management (general idea, NOT details of the five specific strategies)

Impression management- preparing to play a role on the front stage of life

Ingroups and outgroups- definitions

Ingroup- the social group with which an individual identifies Outgroup- the social groups with which an individual does not identify

Internal validity vs. external validity

Internal validity The extent to which changes in the DV are attributable to changes in the IV External Validity: The extent to which research results can be generalized to other appropriate people, times, and settings (i.e., generalizability)

Auguste Comte- main contribution to sociology

Invented the word sociology

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis- main argument about language and cognition

Language is so important that many have argued that it shapes not only our communication but our perceptions of how we see things as well

Freud- importance of genitalia (NOT detailed explanations of boy/girl development)

Learning about gender roles centers on the presence or absence of a penis

Piaget- role of cognitive development in forming a self

Main idea: children learn through mental efforts to organize their world Find patterns and make categories Piaget's Preoperational stage- children assumes that what is typical is the law; cannot distinguish between what is variable and what is fixed when defining a particular "thing"

* Latent vs. manifest functions

Manifest: obvious and intended purposes of institutions, practices and behaviors. Latent: not obvious or unintended purposes of institutions, practices, and behaviors

Operationalization- definition and why it's necessary for much of social research

Operationalization- the process turning abstract concepts into measurable, quantifiable variables A necessary process for statistical analysis- rates, differences, proportions, correlation

Agents of socialization- definition and recognize major examples

Parents/guardians Peers Schools Mass media

Personal troubles versus public issues (Mills

Personal troubles of the milieu: occur within the character of the individual and within the range of his immediate relations with others "Public issues of social structure: have to do with matters that transcend these local environments...and have do with the organization of...the institutions of a society as a whole

Positive and negative sanctions- definitions and be able to identify examples

Sanctions- positive or negative reactions to the ways that people follow or disobey norms

Social control- definition

Social control- the formal and informal mechanisms used to increase conformity to values and norms and thus increase social cohesion

Personal vs. social identity

Social identity Catholic Female Parent Bisexual

Conflict theory- core argument

Social inequality exists in all societies All social change is a result of struggles between "haves" and "have nots." Inequality leads to struggle, because "haves" do not want to give up their power and resources.

Social reproduction

Social reproduction- socialization helps perpetuate values and norms over time, leading to continuity in social structure

relationship between agency and structure

Socialization also influences individuality Agency and structure

Functionalism- core assumption

Society is greater than sum of its parts. All social institutions contribute to balance and continuation of society

social construction

Something which is taken for granted as objective, true, or real by a society, but is actually largely based on social context.

Subculture vs. counterculture

Subculture- A culture within a cultureProvide social support Enhance self-esteem by providing rationales for their situation Offer a way to survive A collection of norms, values, and beliefs which are distinguishable from those of the dominant culture counterculture- norms in opposition to the dominant culture

Symbolic interactionism- core argument

Symbols are the basis of human communication. Human interaction requires a "shared definition of the situation." Meaning is not inherent; meaning is given through social context

Belmont Report- purpose and 3 tenets

The Commission's 1979 report, the "Belmont Report," established three basic ethical principles. Was developed in response to human rights violations during WWII. Respect for Persons Treating persons as autonomous agents and protecting those with diminished autonomy Beneficence Minimizing possible harms and maximizing benefits Justice Distributing benefits and risks of research fairly

McDonaldization- definition and use as a metaphor for modern society

The principles of the fast food restaurant have come to dominate other areas of society A metaphor for the over-rationalization of society

Socialization- definition, understand it's a lifelong process

The process through which we learn the rules of society Is a life-long process, most apparent in early childhood

Relationship between values and norms

Values- shared beliefs of a group Guide the creation of norms Norms-the formal and informal rules regarding what kinds of behavior are acceptable and appropriate within a culture.

Experiments- definition

Variables can be controlled and analyzed in a systematic way, either in a laboratory or in naturally occurring settings

Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment- connection to Belmont Report Zimbardo Prison Experiment- purpose, design, and ethical issues

Zimbardo-Wanted to study how people conform to roles method- separated volunteers into prisoners and prison guards in a simulated prison Adopted to roles very quickly; prisoner harassment and mental breakdowns occurred within first 24 hours tuskegee-goal was to study the natural progression of untreated syphilis Did not tell the study group they had syphilis Did not treat study group at any point Told study group they were being treated for "bad blood" Incentive to participate in study was free healthcare

capitalism- definition

economic system based on private ownership of wealth. Goal is to invest and reinvest to make a profit

Material vs. symbolic culture

material culture - any physical object to which we give social meaning. symbolic culture- the ideas associated with a cultural group

Emile Durkheim- social facts

people can be studied just as natural science can be studied.

Milgram's obedience studies- purpose, design, and ethical issues

to see if a person would listen to an authority figure to cause extreme harm to another person even if they knew that person could die. Issue with the psychological damage it could have on a person.