Theory Final
How is contemporary capitalism different from that of the 1800s from Kellner's point of view?
- todays capitalism differs mainly because we have technology. Marx's capitalism was different, our new capitalism is techno capitalism, completely different, we cant just use marxs analysis 100 percent blindly to understand todays so
Does agency always refer to individual human actors?
1. It generally does but can also refer to macro level individuals acting in groups or organizations. People acting collectively.
What is cultural pluralism?
Maintaining the differences between cultures and how everyone is different and we need to accept that, the differences between groups are valid.
According to Parsons, how are social wants and needs formed?
They're created by society, socialization, and individual internalization.
Do we live in a postmodern age according to Kellner? (Please explain)
- Postmodernists saying tha ttheres all perspectives valid, but Kellner saying that's not accurate in that we stil rely on modern ways of thinking, on experts. Kellner- science is still the dominant way of thinking in our society
What is the basic point of Giddens' structuration theory?
1. Looking at the relationship between structure and agency, as being related to one another. He wanted to bridge the divide between agency and structure, and look at how individuals create and recreate the social structure. In other words agency and structure are connected, we act in ways to create the structure, collective action creates the social structure.
What are some of the central research questions one might ask from this race and ethnicity theory?
1. What are race and ethnicity and what makes up the differences among different races and ethnicities? Are they based on biological factors? Are they socially constructed?
How does Giddens profess to resolve the agency structure debate?
2. How does Giddens profess to resolve the agency structure debate?Structuration. Drawing attention to the ways people create structure through agency. Trying to bridge the divide between agency and structure and process through which indidivuals create and recreate social structure. When we act in regular and routine ways we create social structure, collective action creates social structure, we need to look at how individuals continuously create social structure?
What does Habermas mean by an "ideal speech situation?"
A circumstance in which a discussion is won by the side with the best and most valid points. The winner isn't chosen by systems of power, instead systems of logic. Habernmas believed these kinds of discussions could lead to a better understanding of the 'truth' free from manipulation.
What is postmodernism according to Lyotard?
A disbelief in metanarratives, tendency to be skeptical toward any kind of truth claims.
Why is the concept of "gender" important in feminist theory?
A major contribution in feminist theory in terms of gender was how they got people to distinguish between seeing it as something biological (male and female organs) and something socially determined. By seeing gender as something social in terms of femininity and masculinity feminists have been able to show how gender is socially constructed, learned, and flexible.
What is "symbolic violence" according to Bourdieu?
A more low key and less direct type of violence against agents, where the receiver accepts the violence. Can be used to uphold power structures and distort the truth, or show power over the subordinate group. doing violence to the truth, can be btwn social groups
What is the relationship between agency and structure, according to Giddens?
A person creates structure through agency, by acting in routine ways (structuration, when people acting in routine ways)
identify one of the basic research questions associated with conflict theory approach.
A question is figuring out which group has the power over the subordinate group to see how the world functions due to these varying power structures. People are oppressed so we need to see who has power to challenge that.
What is enlightenment, according to Foucault?
Being able to think critically and independently-
What did Blumer see as the relationship between the individual and social forces?
Blumer saw that society and social forces were made up of individuals and their actions. He said society was made up of individual and collective actions. Blume basically thought that it's the social forces in group life that create and support the rules and not the other way around; that the rules do not create and support group life.
According to Blumer, what were some of the main problems with behaviorism?
Blumer thought that behaviorism and structural functionalism don't look at how people attribute meaning to their behaviors and the forces that act upon them. Blumer thought behaviorists were basically "psychological reductionists" Blumer disapproved of when people explained individuals' actions as being attributed to "attitude" as a predetermined tendency Blumer criticized people who focused on behavior as being attributed to unconscious or conscious factors. Blumer specifically didn't like when sociologists acted like people have no control over their actions. Blumer criticized the view that people's actions are determined by larger external forces.
What did Blumer say about meaning and why did he consider meaning important?
Blumer was particularly focused on how individuals give meaning to their actions and forces around them. He thought people did things consciously. He thought people create meaning about themselves and the world around them. Blumer thought that the nature of an object came from the meaning the person attributed to it and who has the object. He thought meaning came from interaction and the meanings people create allow them to understand and organize the world around them. Blumer thought the meanings people attribute to things are often ignored and in explaining their behavior.
What theorist is a conflict theorist
C. Wright Mills
What is one of the main problems of communication in contemporary society according to Habermas?
Communication is distorted and impacted by larger institutions, the level of discussion is down. System is weeding its way into the lifeworld? Is it that people aren't using communication to effect change.
What are some of the differences between consensus theories and conflict theories identified by Ritzer?
Consensus theories are trying to maintain the organization of different structures of a society (used structural functionalism). Conflict theory is when society is the continuous state of conflict between different classes.
What did the critical theorists mean by the "irrationality of rationality?"
Critical theorists believed that although people think that modern society is rational, there is a lot of irrationality in it. There are things that happen in society based on rationality that ignore common sense or reason. Things that ignore the good of the people by "rationally" listening to bad authorities.
What did the critical theorists have to say about positivism?
Critical theorists think that by positivism depicting the social world as something natural and scientific it loses sight of larger societal structures and people's choice. Critical theorists also thought positivism maintained the order of things and didn't confront the systems enough.
What criticisms did the critical theorists have about sociology?
Critical theorists though sociology maintained the order of things and didn't challenge that order or the people within society enough. Specifically, critical theorists think sociology doesn't focus enough on each person. They were also critical of its focus on science.
What did the critical theorists mean by "the culture industry" and what was their concern about this?
Critical theorists thought that our modern society was dominated by 'rational' and systems by powerful institutions. They think that type of industry inhibits change or uniqueness in that it promotes one false common narrative. It makes it hard for the people within a society to think outside the box.
What was one of the criticisms of the critical theorists with regard to Marxian theories?
Critical theorists were critical of Marxists theories focused on determinism. They were especially critical of economic determinism. They didn't think it was bad to focus on economics but critical theorists believed the Marxists were so focused on economic aspects, they often didn't focus enough on other areas of society like its cultural aspects. determinism- the doctrine that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes external to the will.
What are some of the ways critical theory has influenced contemporary social theory, according to Kellner?
Critical theory has influenced the way that we understand and look at society and culture, its helped theorists focus on different views of society and see the parts lacking in various other theories. It had created a conversation through its critiques.
What does Crossman say about the "biological" determinants of race?
Crossman says there is no biological determinant of race and that race is socially constructed.
What is the "cultural system" and why is it important from Parsons' point of view?
Cultural systems drive the actions for individuals and they're important because they influence people, and provides norms/values. like religion
What were some of the important insights of the book Dialectic of Enlightenment discussed by Kellner?
Enlightenment wasn't being used to free like preciously thought; it was being used as a system to dominate and oppress. Also, reasoning reinforces the configuration of society. It questions modernity.
What is one of the positive functions of an ethnic community according to Steinberg?
Ethnic communities can give individuals a sense of belonging and comfort.
What is the social constructionist position in the area of race and ethnicity?
Ethnicity and race are socially constructed and not based off say biological factors. People themselves have created these distinctions based off social differences and not any inherent biological differences.
What is ethnicity according to Crossman?
Ethnicity is something understood by others as being based off shared culture such as customs, norms, literature, religion, and language for example. Ethnicity is not based simply on a shared national origin of a group.
What are some of the dangers associated with eugenics that Soo-Jin Lee mentions in this article?
Eugenics can justify racism and violence. It can create irrational social fears. It can be used to justify the poor treatment of minorities. Examples would be the justification of the inhumane treatment of blacks in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study surgence in the study of genetics led many scientists to pursue development of the "perfect" human race
What is the distinction between formal rationality and substantive rationality (or reason as the critical theorists called it)?
Formal rationality is focused on the best way to get a particular outcome. Particularly, how to get those in a position of power the best outcome. Formal rationality actual isn't rational at all as it is disparaging of individuals and what they need. People remain in bad economic and social situations. Substantive rationality takes reason into account, it takes into account the individuals and not just those in power.
Mills argued that the promise of sociology lies in its ability to provide more than just information about the world around us. What can it also provide from his point of view?
From Mill's point of view sociology gives us a way to understand the information we get about the things going on all around us. Sociology allows us to interpret the information and make connections between ourselves as individuals and larger historical forces. Sociology allows us to understand the meanings of our lives and become aware of our position in the world and how we contribute to its development. Basically, sociology helps us understand, interpret, and connect with the world around us.
What is the front-stage / back-stage distinction in Goffman's work?
Front and back stage by Goffman:Front stage deals with things we can see. It deals with things that are typically generalized and deal with the individual and the setting around them. In terms of the individual, things like appearance and demeanor we see.Backstage deals with things we can't see that individuals hide or don't show us.
What is "habitus" from Bourdieu's perspective?
Habitus is the mental and internal way through which people understand society. How we each internalize the structures and understand society. a sense of the game, familiarity with ways of thinking and acting in a specific society or group , having habits of 1%
Ritzer states that Parsons identified seven "functional prerequisites" of a social system. What are these? like before u can establish functional imperatives
Has support from other societies to survive receive participation needed by actors, structured in a way to function with other societies, deviances must be controlled, have a form of language.
what changes have come about in the treatment of the insane, according to Foucault
He said it hasn't necessarily gotten more humane or better, it's just become more rational and those in control have gotten increasingly better at repressing the insane.
What did Mills say about the power elite?
He said the elite control society and resources, that bureaucracies control the major areas of societies and that the elite dominate our society.
What did Bourdieu see as the relationship between theory and research?
He said the two were connected, he rejected theories with no research base and rejected research with no theoretical base. He said the two are connected and need one another.
What did Bourdieu mean by "practice" and how does this concept help to resolve the agency-structure debate?
He saw practice is what you do and are as the result of the intersection between agency and structure. It helped the debate of agency versus structure because it got away from looking at things as being determined by either one or the other. Instead practice is determined by both.
What was the argument Foucault made in Discipline and Punish about the shift from the old to the new system of punishment?
He saw that these two things haven't necessarily become more humane just more rational, and that now punishment doesn't cause unease across citizens because its hidden away.
What did Nietzsche say about reason in modern civilization?
He thought it was repressive. He said reason was being used to discipline and control society in modern civilization, and that it wasn't as valuable as people thought. He thought people were using reason to try to cover up the fact that they were actually motivated by more instinctual urges.
What did Foucault see as the relationship between power and knowledge?
He thought they were interwoven. He sees society as going from one form of power through knowledge to another form. He sees the relationship between the two concepts and how those in power create the knowledge and have interest in what kind of knowledge is spread.
What is Bourdieu's assessment of the distinction between structure and agency?
He wanted to bridge the divide between agency and structure, he thought it was nonsense to divide agency and structure. So he came up w concepts to bridge the divide like "habitus"- the familiarity w ways of acting and thinking, and thinking more comprehensibly, the way people are as individuals and group. We need to talk about them both as one whole thing, that's why he came up w habitus- the ways of being and thinking of a culture all under one concept
What was one of the main goals of Bourdieu's theoretical work, according to Ritzer?
He wanted to overcome the differences between objective and subjective factors. He thought focusing on just objectivity ignores agency, and focusing on just subjectivity and ignores larger structures. So he wanted to look at the relationship between the two.
What was Parsons trying to do by developing a "general theory of action"?
He was trying to create a relationship between society and an individual's actions
What was Parsons' overwhelming concern according to Ritzer? Please explain your answer.
His concern was chaos returning to societies because of disorder and wanted to implement order using philosophical ideas.
Does bell hooks seek to diminish the efficacy of feminist theory? If not, then what is her goal?
Hooks sees the usefulness of feminist theory she just sees room for improvement and instances for which to build upon. She wants all women to work together to be included in the description of feminism; the voices of non-white women and white women. Hooks shows that black women add different perspectives to feminist theory and the explanation of women's issues that could be valuable. She shows that limiting feminist theory to only privileged whites is also oppressive.
What's bell hooks' main point in this article?
Hooks wanted to show that the perspectives being brought up by women activists were underrepresenting those ideas of non-white underprivileged women. They were oversimplifying the oppression of women and ignoring issues of race and class among women. basically feminists weren't being inclusive, said second wave feminists were just white upper class
What were the main concerns of the classical critical theorists regarding modern society? and who were they
Horkheimer, Adorno, Benjamin, Marcuse) society having less room for individual freedom, concerned about democracy falling, how institutions and authorities are getting better at getting us to do what they want
What are some of the basic research questions of feminist theory?
How do men and women differ and what systems are in place to uphold dominance and keep women underrepresented?
What is one of the basic research questions of structural functionalism?
How does society function and what keeps society together?
What are some research topics in the area of race and ethnicity according to Crossman?
How ethnicity and race contribute to the formation of individual identity, how racism shapes a person's life, how racism is evident within our criminal justice system, how we have seen racism throughout history.
What is the "will to power" according to Nietzsche?
Human's intrinsic determination to constantly grow and become more powerful. He thought this determination was the source of human accomplishment. He thought this was instinctual. humans driven by instinctual urge to constantly grow and be more powerful- this instinct is the source of all of our achievements. Nietzche thought that modern world was trying to repress the idea that we follow this instinct and claim we only follow reason.
What did Goffman mean by "impression management?"
Impression management deals with how people try to manage the impressions they have on others and guard against errors, and anything that would go against the social norms you could say. It allows us to manage how people react to us and how we react to others.
What does Lyotard mean when he argues that there is a "grand narrative of modernity"?
In society narratives are the stories used to explain and understand things collectively. grand narratives are unified singular accounts about how things are. Lyotard thinks these grand narratives are myths, and don't encompass the diversity of society now. He thinks postmodern society is more individualistic and theres diff interpretations of things sees narratives as a diff type of knowledge, and society made up of isolated atomistic instrumentally connected individuals
What was the context within which conflict theory emerged?
In the 60s society changed, more critical of things, free love, protests, critical of government. The functionalist norm was kind of done, no more maintinaining status quo. The idea that through conflict we will achieve progress
What did Mills see as the difference between a public and a mass society?
In the public is more self-directed and expressive of its opinions and discusses more, whereas the mass is less expressive of opinions that are different, actions are controlled by larger people in power who control and there is virtually no self-direction.
What does Giddens mean by rationalization?
Individuals act in routine ways to help them deal with their social world and make them feel secure.
What does intersectionality mean?
Intersectionality explains the varying intersections or parts of social life through which women are oppressed. There are varying degrees of oppression and various forms of privilege, power associations, and structures. It's the convergence of various factors.
What does standpoint mean for intersectionality theorists?
It relates to how a person views something from their own point of view based off of their own social situation and the things around their specific area. It's a specific point of view that can also be shared by a group and shows that different people can share a common experience.
what did the classical critical theorists have to say about the Enlightenment?
It was based on ideas of being equal, being free, and being fair, but society itself wasn't becoming like this, it was becoming the opposite. Critical theorists saw the enlightenment as something to be used to critique since in reality individuality and freedom were still lacking just by different systems. enlightenment being used to dominate and press and infringe on individual freedoms
What is hooks principal criticism of mainstream feminist thought?
It was one sided and based only off of white middle-class women; excluded the issues minority women faced, and didn't focus enough on large change and progression.
What is the panopticon and how is it related to Foucault's overall argument about the control of people in modern society.
It's a type of building where the people in control can see all of the prisoners entirely. It relates to his argument that surveillance gives power and those in power have control, it's a model of society.
why is critical theory relevant today- kellner
Its relevant because you need a theory to explain both the separation and the structuring of society. You need a theory that can describe macro and micro-level
What does it mean to say that knowledge has become a commodity?
Knowledge as a force and means to control society, to be sold and used by those in power. Knowledge as not just being something in people's minds but something that those in power use to control. Knowledge becoming more globalized.
What was the context within which symbolic interactionism developed?
Late 60s and 70s, university of Chicago.
What does Soo-Jin Lee mean when she says that "scientific research has consistently revealed that more genetic variation exists within than between populations?"
Lee means that the differences between the genetics of people of different communities, and as such races, are very minimal. That there is more differences in genetics among people of the same race than between races.
What does Soo-Jin Lee say about the idea of a genetic basis for race?
Lee says that people have constantly tried to study if race is due to genetics but that in reality race is not based off of genetics, we are all basically homogenous, and instead race is based on historical, societal, and environmental factors. enomic sequencing- When you look at the genetic makeup of people you see that there are patterns, but the differences don't correspond to the categories we've created-
What is the main goal of the liberal feminists' political agenda?
Liberal feminists believe that women are seen as, different, less than, and unequal to men. They fight for equality, legal recognition, defining gender socially, and universal rights. They fight against inequality in labor, marriage, and laws. liberal feminism- system is fundamentally okay we just need to improve upon certain things
Why is the issue of making choices important from a symbolic interactionist standpoint?
Making choices is important because not only is it a rather unique characteristic humans have; choices allow individuals to decide whether to accept meanings as well as to decide how to act. In terms of symbolic interactionism it means humans have some sense of self-government and independence.
What did Mead see as the difference between covert and overt behavior and why is this distinction important for symbolic interactionism?
Mead believed that covert behavior dealt with thoughts whereas overt behavior dealt with actions. Covert behavior deals with the thoughts associated with meanings and symbols. Overt behavior is the actions people engage in. The difference between these two topics is important for symbolic interactionism in terms of social interaction and seeing how people interpret and respond to meanings and actions.
What is Mead's view of the self (in your own words) and how does this offer a starting point for symbolic interactionism?
Mead see's the self as a person's ability to, through social interactions, see themselves as both an object and a subject. The self is made possible through reflexivity or as they say people's ability to 'put themselves in someone else's shoes'. Mead says the self is what lets people be aware of what they're saying and allows them to conversate with others. The self lets people evaluate themselves from an outsider perspective but a person can't directly experience themselves. Mead shows that the self is made up of the "I" and "Me". The "I" is spontaneous and creative and we're never fully aware of it, until after an action is done. It contributes to change. Whereas the "me" is calculated and conscious, people are aware of it. It makes adapting living in the social world easier. The self is an important beginning point for symbolic interactionism because it allows us to see things from a different point of view which is what symbolic interactionism is about.
who are the 4 symbolic interactionist theorists and what topics do each cover? (micro level)
Mead, Blumer, Goffman, Thomas and Thomas mead- self, i, me the generalized other, covert v overt behavior, looking glass self?, mix btw free will and social experience blumer- problems w behaviorism, meaning, individual and social forces, critique of variable analysis thomas and thomas- perceptions of reality w symbolic interactionism goffman- impression management, front and backstage, performance, frame and frame analysis, dramaturgy
Is it possible, according to Mills, for social scientists to engage in research without working toward any specific political goals? Please explain.
Mill's doesn't believe sociologists can put specific political goals aside when engaging in research. Mill says that in research, a sociologist is operating with a level of pre-existing values whether consciously or unconsciously. Mill doesn't believe sociologists can avoid implementing their values onto their work because they might not be aware they are doing so, it might be out of their control, or they might just not want to control their values.
Does Mills believe that human history is shaped simply by fate? What does he offer as an alternative explanation?
Mills believes human history is shaped by fate but not simply just by fate. Fate shapes history through small individual decisions unintentionally coming together to form consequences which are out of peoples control. In that sense Mill's says "history is made behind men's backs." However, history is not only unintentional or attributed to fate. Mills believes that men can intentionally make history, it's just becoming increasingly difficult to do so with the decline in intention to do so. Mills believes people aren't trying to make demands or create alternative solutions.
What kinds of questions should sociologists ask, according to Mills, in developing their analyses of society?
Mills believes sociologists should ask questions first about the structure of the specific society, then about that society within the context of history, and then about the people making up the specific society. i. In terms of the structure: questions about the relations between the different components of a society as well as how and why these may change. ii. In terms of society within history: questions about how this society has developed and changed and questions about the specific period of history it's in. iii. In term of people: Questions about the qualities, characteristics, and motivating factors of humans within the society.
Mills contended that there were three major trends in sociology at the time of his writing. Please briefly describe each of these three.
Mills said sociological studies have moved towards a theory based on history, on a systematic understanding of society, or on empirical studies. i. Theory based on history in that it looks at past historical events to understand commonalities among society, different historical periods and potential future outcomes. ii. Theory based on systems in that it categorizes all different social relations to understand their features, commonalities, and differences. iii. Empirical in that sociology is seen as a study to research different aspects of society. Sociology as a collection of different studies.
What did Mills say about intellectuals in the U.S. and the former Soviet Union?
Mills said that developments in politics, economics, and violence were occurring most intensely in the U.S and Soviet Union during this time allowing intellectuals the chance to consciously make history more easily than any previous era.
What did Mills say about personal troubles and social issues
Mills said the sociological imagination allows us to distinguish between our personal troublesand larger social issues. Mills says troubleshappen from those things that an individual directly experiences and is aware of within society, whereas issuescome from larger factors that extend past what the individual directly experiences. Mills says a trouble is private whereas an issue is public.
What are "need-dispositions" in Parsons' analysis?
Needs to function otherwise people will go somewhere else to get them. (ex- love, role expectations, values)
Does Foucault reject the ideas of the Enlightenment entirely?
No but he didn't fully support them. he wanted to critique it not just accept things easily. The part that he liked about enlightenment was challenging the status quo and questioning thing. He values critique and independent thought.
What does patriarchy mean and why is this important in terms of feminist theory?
Patriarchy is a society that is structured to benefit men in all aspects of life through both biological, social, and class factors. It's important in feminist theory because many feminists see patriarchy as being suppressing to women and a system that's been upheld over time and rarely challenged.
mills role of a scientist
Philosopher king- just didn't wanna live w it, social scientists not really leaders Advisor to the king- still follows king Independent- the best and only, you decide what you think is important, set up a study study what u thinks important
What did Blumer mean by "self-indication"?
Same thing as generalized other- that people understand themselves through interpreting the things and people around them. We can look inwardly and tell how people see us and how we see ourself. The agent- has choice.
What are the two primary ways society is held together, according to Parsons?
Social forces and shared values among groups and within society
What does Steinberg mean by the idea that beliefs about ethnic differences can be illusory?
Steinberg means that the actual differences among different ethnicities are not as extensive as people make them out to be, but that really these differences are socially constructed. That these differences people portray can lead to inequalities, hardships, and discrimination.
What are some of the problems with American pluralism, according to Steinberg?
Strindberg explains that American pluralism reinforces class boundaries, inequalities, and ethnic differences, based on a person's ethnicity or race. the dominant theoretical perspective is pluralism, all for people maintaining culture but our enthusiasm for pluralism can potentially lead to "essentialism"- a misguided belief that people of different races and ethnicities are essentially different -against pluralism- fundamentally undemocratic- will allow white ppl to keep other ppl out.
What is the basis of the conflict between democratic principles and the wishes of various ethnic groups to maintain their separate cultures?
Strindberg mentions that democracy is fighting against the melting pot. The melting pot or mix of cultures and ethnicities where ethic groups could have national loyalty but also foster their ethnic differences isn't viable. A melting pot could only be achieved through repression of democracy and individual freedoms.
What are the basic principles of symbolic interactionism as outlined by Ritzer? (Again, please present these principles in your own words.)
Symbolic Interactionism main ideas by Ritzer: Human beings can think. Animals cannot. Social interaction creates and allows for thought. Learning meanings and symbols through social interaction allows humans to exercise thought, act differently, and interact uniquely. People can interpret situations and adjust meanings and symbols. People can interact with themselves, allowing them to weigh pros and cons and make decisions Societies and groups are made from actions and interactions.
Why is symbolic power important from Bourdieu's point of view?
Symbolic power is the ability to convince others of the legitimacy of your interpretation of things he thought it was important bc it could shift public opinion, the extent to which they can influence ppl through their symbolic power is important
What is Dorothy Smith's primary criticism of mainstream sociological thought?
That it ignores the women's perspective while being focused on the males depiction of encounters. Basically that women's experiences are being explained through the male perspective.
What is the third fundamental interest that human beings have and why is this important according to Jurgen Habermas?
The first two are instrumental and emancipatory interests Horkheimer and adorno), the third fundamental interest is communication and communicating w other people, interest in communication. We're desperate for social interaction. Its important because Habermas is hopeful communicative action will push back on institutional domination.
Please explain briefly what the first, second, and third wave feminism are.
The first wave of feminism is mainly involved with women's battle for political rights like voting. The second wave enhances upon the first wave by upholding critical thought and wanting to convert that new political freedom into social and economic equality. They wanted to work against sexism, prejudice, and discrimination. EQUALITY The third wave is concerned with INCLUSIVITY- women in the 21stcentury and has seen the emergence of a new anti-feminist idea apart from feminism. inclusivity and intersectionality btwn diff things like race, ethnicity and stuff w
what did Habermas mean by "legitimation crisis" and why is this important?
The legitimacy of political leaders is diminishing, the legitimacy of capitalism is diminishing. The decline of confidence in administrative functions and institutions and leadership. Important bc the system is showing some evidence of stress and flaws.
What do social scientists mean when they refer to "the looking glass self?"
The looking glass self basically describes our ability to interpret or assume how others perceive us in their minds. How they perceive and judge our actions and life. mead or cooley
What does Soo-Jin Lee say is the main point of Omi and Winant in their book, Racial Formation in the United States?
The point of Omi and Winant's book is that importance of race comes from social, political, and economic factors. They argue that all of the push for genetic testing, test score analysis, identification of skin colors, and other practices are due to a racialized process and not due to any innate physiological differences and more so the perception of differences.
What did Habermas mean by the "system?"
The point of view of society by outsiders, not the person actually doing the actions.
What is the "life-world" according to Habermas?
The point of view of society by the individual himself, the person doing the acting. In the life world the person's internal perspective can compare to the external perspective to reach a better understanding.
What did Bourdieu mean by "field?"
The social space. Any particular one like music, politics, religion, education, etc.
What is the sociological imagination as seen by Mills?
The sociological imagination is a mentality that allows an individual to understand what's going on in the world around them and within themselves. It helps individuals become aware of how society affects them and how they contribute to the development of society as a whole. Mills explains that the sociological imagination allows us to understand the connection between 'biography' and 'history'.
What was the context within which structural functionalism developed?
The time period following world war two when the Nazi's had been defeated and there was a lot of support for the nation and its government. Structural functionalism came about to be able to explain society.
What are the characteristics of a feminist sociology of knowledge for the authors of the chapter?
There are four. First it comes from the point of view of people in different groups within society. Second, it's not impartial or total. Third, it differs between groups and between the individuals of groups. Fourth, its affected by power structures between dominant and subordinate factions.
Merton attempted to clarify that within structural functionalism one can also see instances of dysfunction. What did he mean by this?
There are good and bad aspects that can be good for or bad for society and create negative effects within society.
What are some of the reasons according to hooks that the views of non-white women were marginalized as the feminist movement developed?
There was little research and thought into how different women experienced things. Specifically how women who weren't white experienced things and as such these minority women felt not only left out but also experienced less of the benefits of feminism that white women did.
What is the context within which feminist theory developed?
Theres different waves of feminism. First wave was before civil war, during abolition movement around mid-1800s US. The second wave was 1960s-70s focused on challenging cultural norms. Third wave was after all of these and focused on not just grouping all women together in their views.
What is the basis of the postmodern critique of the "Enlightenment project"?
They critiqued that it was something that couldn't be sustained with our developments. They thought we needed alternatives to enlightenment. rejecting the idea that we're improving bc of science.
What do the poststructuralists say about the ability of science to bring about genuine knowledge about the world? Please explain.
They don't think it can bring this more pure knowledge. They think science is just one manifestation of the unconscious, and one form of knowledge. They think we cant separate our values from research so everything is inherently biased.
What did the critical theorists mean by ideology and what was their concern about it?
They thought that the dominant institutions and people within society promoted a set of ideas that were unclear and fake, and that they did this to try and control the rest of society.
What was the relationship between prisons and others social institutions such as schools, barracks, hospitals, etc? Why is this important from Foucault's point of view?
They were all forms of controlling and repressing people. This model started in prisons but later began entering institutions like schools and hospitals.
From Kellner's point of view, how was critical theory on the cutting edge from the 1930s to the 1960s?
This was when the theorists were the first to focus on issues within the economy and the state, and when critical theorists began to criticize positivism, and other theories. That's when they began looking at issues within society to invoke change.
What does the statement by W. I. Thomas and Dorothy Thomas regarding perceptions of reality have to do with symbolic interactionism?
Thomas and Thomas basically said that if a person believes a station is real then they will experience real consequences. (something is real if the consequences are real) They thought our interpretation of reality comes from society. Their ideas were important in terms of symbolic interactionism because they show that people consciously create meaning from social interactions and groups to use for themselves or as a group. example- money has value bc we assign it value, or social constructs of race and sex have consequences so they're real
Mills outlines three overriding political ideals that are common to sociological inquiry. What are these three values?
Three ideals common: value of truth, reason, freedom Value of truth and fact: political in that it reflects whether we say the truth or keep the truth from coming out. Value of human affairs: political in seeing if, and how, the facts we find relate to human affairs. Value of human freedom: political in the role sociologists play in distinguishing between freedom and reason as ideals.
What does Anthony Giddens mean by reflexivity?
To be conscious of oneself and outside structures. To be constantly evaluating, changing, and adapting practices with this new information
What are the values he saw as integral to sociology?
Truth, reason, and freedom. Also to help people be informed about what's going on, to shine a spotlight on power relations, to retain a critical attitude.
What are some of the characteristics of the structuralist point of view?
What are some of the characteristics of the structuralist point of view? Structure, social structure determining who you are and act. Bordieu. Wanted to come up w more nuinaced theories, sociologists had been too rigid in constructing categories, does sociology have the tools to understand modern society, society becoming to controlling of individual freedoms
Please describe in your own words what Ritzer means by micro-macro extremism.
When theories focus either on macro level or micro level factors.
What solution does Smith propose as a way out of this mode of thinking?
by moving towards a thinking focused on individual occurrences, specifically in the perspective of women and other minorities in the public. Moving towards explaining things not just from the male perspective but through everyone's perspective objectively. Moving away from generalization.
What is "repressive tolerance" and what is its relationship to human freedom? (marcuse)
capitalism turns critique into something tolerable, like a form of entertainment. Critique has lost its power, people listen to critiques but still say work for the company being critiqued. Modern society is becoming more tolerant of governmental and corpation powers where instrumental interest take over emancipatory ones. specifically capitalism welcomes critique, its entertaining. Capitalism tolerates critques of itself. Because capitalism is so good at deflecting critique, even though it might be repressive, we tolerate the repressive situation bc system continues.
joint action (in symbolic interactionism)
classroom culture created through our actions, all actions together create class norm
What is communicative action according to Jürgen Habermas?
communicating to share our ideas and understand others, social exchanges
What are the two fundamental interests that people have according to the classicalcritical theorists?
emancipatory interests and instrumental interests
Rationalization in terms of nietzche-
explaining humans, the way their minds work, and reaons for their activities as being related to more objective and higher minded reasons thanv they actually are.
What did he mean by the term "cultural capital"?
familiarity with the ways of thinking and acting of the upper class that gives you an advantage. People often rely on cultural capital to maintain economic high status. Cultural capital plays a big role in maintaining distinction btwn classes and you can use it to make connections.
critical theorists -modern v classical and what it focuses on
focuses on loss of individual freedom and the development of facism modern -habbermas and kellner classical -horkheimer, adorno, marcuse, benjamin's
mead- identity
formed by subconscious but also conscious, we take into consideration how others see us, what others think of me, and promote a certain image of ourselves
What are "frames" and what is "frame analysis?"
frame analysis- the frame of mind someone is in, like when ur watching a move v studying. can be group or individual state of mind, can be preconceived notions making us interpret something Frames are the basic components of understanding in our society that allow us to make sense of things and see their weaknesses. Individuals interpret things through frames, allowing us to understand our life and the world around us. Frame analysis is understanding the system of factors that influence individuals.
What are the four "functional imperatives" that are necessary for a social system to survive, according to Parsons? (Please briefly describe each of these in your answer.)
functional imperatives- whats absolutely needed for a society to survive AGIL A- adaptation- society must get necessary resources from environment and distribute trough society G- goal attainment - society needs to state and define goals and then use resources available to attain goals (then use resources to attain them) I- Integration - society regulates and coordinates relationships l- latency- society must maintain appropriate behavior/actions by motivating each other ALL BASED ON HOW WE STRUCTURE SOCIETY
agency structure theorists
giddens and bordieu
instrumental versus expressive behavior, what is it and what theorist
goffman instrumental- for purpose, like glasses to see expressive- bc you want to, or you're trying to convey a specific image like wearing glasses for style
What was Lyotard's basic critique of "the grand narrative of modernity"?
grand narrative- the idea that science is leading us to knowledge, we are becoming smarter and advancing over time, human civilization is getting better and better we know more. Lyotard says that's one way of looking at it but there are many other ways of seeing the world. most people are believing grand narrative but there are other ways of seeing the world.
What did DuBois mean by the concept of "double consciousness?"
having an awareness of how you perceive yourself and how others perceive u and acting acording to that Dubois explains double consciousness as a person's awareness that they are split between two conflicting parts. like looking glass self (mead) / generalized other (blumer)
What were Blumer's main criticisms of variable analysis?
he said people were studying subjective things and making them seen as objective. Like determining things as facts when its an interpretive issue, and making things seem concrere and as facts when theyre not. Sociologists were trying to hard to make a concrete science that they were making things look like facts when theyre not (what is variable analysis)- variable analysis is independent and dependent variables within social science. Basically he was saying certain things aren't suited for variable analysis, like there isn't a correlation some times and some dependent variables in social sciences aren't specifically testable. Then you settle thigns in study that aren't studied in relat. "sensitizing concepts"- things you get a sense of through living. You shouldn't use variable analysis on sensitizing concepts; a lot of ppl were.
In what way was Blumer critical of structural sociological analysis?
he thought it was too macro-level and needed to focus more on individuals. It lacked a focus on agency. (structural sociological analysis- the idea that the structure of society shapes how we think and our belief systems)
Please describe Foucault's view of history and the evolution of knowledge.
history as evolving from one systemof knowledge to another. Focoult believed that throughout history as civilizations rise and fall they don't necessarily get better or worse in what the know.
mead- i, self, me
i- who you are naturally, not aware, creative spirit me- calculated, conscious, adapt to ppl self- understanding of oneself through other people and social interaction v
What are some of the basic research questions one might ask from Symbolic interactionism?
in what way was blumer critical of structural sociological analysis? he thought it was too macro-level and needed to focus more on individuals. It lacked a focus on agency. (structural sociological analysis- the idea that the structure of society shapes how we think and our belief systems)
What is the distinction between instrumental and expressive behavior in Goffman's analysis?
instrumental is what you do for a specific reason like to accomplish a goal (like wearing glasses to see better), and expressive is what you do to because you like it or for feelings (like wearing glasses because you like the look)
postulate of indispensability
it assumes all parts of society are positive, not just cultural and social norms, every aspect of every society has a positive function and its needed to survive merton disagrees because something could be negative and not needed.
Why is communicative action important from Habermas' point of view?
it can encourage unbiased communication and promote social change Communicative action is aimed towards wisdom being able to understand whereas the goal of work is to achieve some personal interest.
In what way does mainstream sociology objectify women's experience?
mainstream sociology trying so hard to be objective that it was dehumanizing its subjects, when you objectify something when its an object, there re no consequences for mistreating it so objectifying women can lead to their mistreatment Women's individual experiences are pretty much dismissed and or described in a way that creates a perfect generalized world. Mainstream sociology generalizes sociological dialogue and broadens social issues that could be known only from an individual perspective.
What are manifest and latent functions and how are these two different from one another according to Merton?
manifest- intended purpose like we knew slaves would help us make money latent- just an outcome (unintended goal) like slavery happens to be bad for ppl whoops a. Manifest- desirable and recognized (we want it and know its useful) b. Latent- undesirable and difficult to recognize (we don't intend it or know its outcomes)
did foucoault completely disagree w enlightenment?
no, he lied the part of challenging status quo and questioning things, he valued critique and independent thought, not just taking things at face value
what is the main problem among the three postulates according to merton
none of them offer alternatives or clarification
Ritzer claims that Parsons' "personality system" is a weak link in his theory. What is the reason for this according to Ritzer?
parsons says personality comes from the social system but ritzier is saying it comes from yourself, it can be influenced by society but not always
He also lists three roles that the social scientist can play in relation to public affairs. What are these three roles, and what does he think of each of these three?
philosopher-king, advisor to the king, and independent. Mills believes that within the role of philosopher-king, reason is diminished by power. Within the role of advisor to the king, sociology becomes functional and rational with reason being used to control. Within the role of independent, a sociologist would use reason to work on their own problems while understanding public issues and how he influences them.
What was the context surrounding the emergence of classical critical theory?
post world war 2, 1930s, media being all around us and consuming us, how culture persists through media interactions like ads, shows, and social media
structural functionalism
post world war 2, govt was giving out grants to academia to do research to better society - focuses on how society maintains structure
postmodernist (2) and poststructuralist theorists (2) and topics they each talk about
poststructuralist -nietzsche? -Foucault postmodernist -Lyotard
Radical feminism and liberal feminism
radical feminism- system patriarchal we need to tear it down at the core and fix it w radical social change liberal feminism- system is fundamentally okay we just need to improve upon certain things
postmodernism and poststructuralism main concerns
relationship btwn power and knowledge, concerned about the domination of one point of view due to dominant institutions reality as being socially constructed, deconstructing knowledge, grand narratives, (nietzsche seeing reason as bad, and ppl being driven more instinctually), knowledge as a commodity,
Foucault
said that the modern way of thinking is dominating- you either think like you're supposed to and we want or you're going to be labeled as insane. Insanity in the age of reason. In the age we're thinking, people who don't think like they're supposed to are labeled insane. Pointing out that social sciences can be used to control people. Focoults main concern is human freedom and modern society and institutions
blumers critique of variable analysis
says variable analysis is used sometimes in wrong cases, like studying something subjective but acting like ur studying something objective -concluding things as facts that are just interpretations -said sociologists were trying so hard to make a concrete science they were making things look like facts when they're not -saying only use variable analysis when necessary
How do the human sciences relate to the control of people in Foucault's view?
science can control peoples point of view, critical bc his main concern is human freedom He sees people as the subjects and sees them getting power through knowledge
How did Durkheim, Parsons and other sociological thinkers help to strengthen this objectifying mode of thought?
smith said that when u objectify something if you mistreat it theres no issue, so when you objectify women you treat them less than humann durkheim and parsons were trying so hard to be objective that they were dehumanizing their subjects These sociologists further upheld an objectifying mode of thought by continuing to separate society through rules and laws. Durkheim saw thought and feeling as controlling of and objectifying of individuals. Parsons developed parameters to organize dialogue and society.
merton thought that other sociologists were misguided in their understanding of functionalism and clarified them through the postulates postulate= misguided assumption
so like ppl saying all social and cultural norms need to be same to survive (functional unity) ... he goes and says no thats not true,
What are the topics Mills covers
sociological imagination personal troubles and social issues 3 major trends of sociology values: truth, reason, freedom role of a scientist: philosopher king, advisor to the king, independent (yes) responsibility (task) of the social scientist
What are some of the characteristics of pragmatism? and what type of sociological theory does it fall under
symbolic interactionism Pragmatism:There's no such thing as 'true reality'. Reality is created by how we act towards and within the world.People's knowledge about the world is based on what they have found useful. People give meaning to the physical and social objects they find in the world by their use of them.In order to understand 'actors' we need to understand what they do in the world.
the principles of symbolic interactionism
symbols, how humans give meaning to things, how objects get significance through interactions w it, how we define and give meaning to interactions
What does it mean to say that the system is colonizing the life-world?
system (powerful institutions) infringe on our life world and forcefully implement their ideologies As the viewpoints of outsiders grow more powerful they have greater control over the way individuals (actors) view things.
What did Mills see as the main political task of the social scientist in today's world?
task of a social scientist- -retain a critical attitude towards ideas and organizations -clearly assess/power relations , like look at the situation and shine a spotlight on it -inform/ englighten part of democracy- help ppl be informed about whats actually going on Mills thought that a social scientist must, with an understanding of reason and freedom, use his work to educate and engage the three types of men. To teach those with power responsibility, to teach those with the ability to create consequence responsibility, and to teach those who feel powerless that their individual issues relate to larger social issues.
how is it possible for teams to be involved in a performance, according to Goffman
teams (actors) work together to portray a certain image, its a collective performance Teams are made up of both the performers and the audience. Teams are involved in performances because the audience's reaction depends on the performers actions. The audience's reaction plays a role in the success of the actors.
postulate of universal functionalism
the idea that all social and cultural norms are positive merton says this is wrong bc what is positive for one group may not be seen as positive for another. example- teen pregnancy is good in india, not good here
postulate of functional unity
the idea that we all need to have the same cultural and social norms to survive in society merton thought this assumption was misguided, that we already have different beliefs and thats what works
What did Lyotard mean by the commodification of knowledge?
the knowledge that is valuable is that which can make you money. Capitalism takes pure ideas and turns them into commodity, cheapens them, like a good idea I have that's amazing will be used to make money now.
goffman dramaturgy
the world is our stage and we have scripts, front stage, backstage
What are some ideas that are characteristic of postmodernism?
theres no absolute truth, everything is subject to interpretation and truth is an illusion, with many interpretations being valid.
What is the common focus of researchers emphasizing the influence of agency?
theyre looking at actors point of view, micro level ,individual, their point of view, agency
What does it mean to "deconstruct" an argument?
to look at the different parts of an argument and oppose them, to see whats lacking. They look at how valid facts are and question arguments. Find hidden internal inconsistencies not readily seen from the outside
How did Parsons attempt to address the issue of social change in his analysis?
trying to figure out a way of why society and structures are changing said its because of evolution, society is evolving and changing bc old ppl leaving and new ppl coming in
What did Mead mean by the term "the generalized other" and how is this related to symbolic interactionism?
we develop a general sense of how others see us, doesn't determine how we act but we do make choices The generalized other is the attitude of the entire group or community and a big part of the self in that people need to assess themselves in terms of the generalized others. People create their sense of self through their associations with a group.
did kellner think we were in a postmodern age
we're not in a postmodern age bc we put all our faith in economy and contemporary capitalism is diff today compared to marx bc growth of technology to help accommodate needs- technocapitalism
What did Goffman have to say about the "insane"?
what did Goffman say about the insane? the insane don't have a backstage, we categorize them as insane, and their lack of discretion might make them appear more crazy. They don't have the time or space to be really weird, like we do to get it out of our system. Front stage- what we show. Backstage- we have privacy our private selves and rooms. Conditions in mental institutions make ppl appear more crazy than they really are. Also theres a stigma around mentally ill they start looking for signs of it, read into things.
What did Parsons mean when he claimed that systems tend toward equilibrium?
when deviations occur that prevent society from functioning, society self regulates w the help of a larger institutions like justice system.
