SOC 300 Macro Quiz

Spencer

Survival of the fittest in society, society is an organism that evolves and grows more complex over time

Function of religion

Takes existing values of a society and attributes them to a -supernatural figure -gives a group a feeling of being a part of something

Durkehim's Understanding of Soc

The study of the group (sociology) is more powerful in understanding human behavior than either biology or psychology.

Class

Those with the same situation in relationship to the labor or commodities market., i.e., the same possession of good or opportunity to make money Weber split bourgeoisie into three parts ex. capitalists, property owners, patent holders (intellectual property), laborers (proletariat)

Value vs Exchange Value

Use exchange (feudalism) and Value exchange (capitalism)

Bureaucracy vs. Democracy

-Bureaucracy is usually a result of social/economic differences being leveled. -Bureaucracy always accompanies "mass democracy": consistency in the use of authority is required to produce legal equity for all -Bureaucracy supports democracy by leveling differences among the governed -Bureaucracy makes democracy expensive.

Function of deviance

-gives chance to solidify laws that are broken -gives chance to change laws that are broken

Functionalism Principles

1. Society has a tendency toward equilibrium. 2. For a society to survive, certain functions must occur. 3. Social institutions and practices exist because they provide those functions for the larger society

Five key ideas about socialization

1. The social development of self 2. The Self as Object 3. The "I" and the "Me" 4. Even thinking is social 5. I think before I act - Beyond Behaviorism and Structuralism

What can be gained from a greater identification with humanities?

1.tie grand questions and interpretations of classic authors, 2.draw upon literature of those disciplines [phil, lit, history, HU] 3. understanding meaning more deeply in soc analytics 4. historic emergence of concepts 5. understand soc as cultural reality 6. HU as sources of hypotheses and theoretical framework

Status

A group whose members share a characteristic or lifestyle that is honored or dishonored in society. Positive status groups find dignity in their present; negative status groups find dignity in their future. Status may or may not be linked to class. Status groups tend toward exclusiveness; they avoid intermarriage; they monopolize jobs & resources, interfering with free markets.

Party

A self-selected group that seeks to influence a particular social issue or action. The party will have a specific program aimed at causing a particular action. The Party's issue may or may not be related to a specific class or status group. Location may effect the status of a certain party (ex. Ann Arbor is democratic) Does not have to be political

Theory

Abstract statements that offer unproven explanation or prediction

Social Theory

Abstract statements that offer unproven explanation or prediction....about the way people organize themselves socially

Sociological theory

Abstract statements that offer unproven explanation or prediction about the way people organize themselves socially....proposed by social scientists

Why did functionalism lose favor in the 1960's-70's?

Attacked by Conflict Theorists, such as C. Wright Mills about inequality

Class conciousness

Become aware of unfair circumstances for working class and revolt against bourgeoise

Mayer Zaid

Explored how movements "gain momentum by successfully garnering resources, competing with other movements, and mobilizing their available resources. Important in UM social movement

Suicide

If the most individual act of suicide can be explained by social facts, then everything is affected by society -no psychological, biological, climate factors that affect suicide everywhere -different religions, countries and family types affect suicide rates Society is more than the sum of its parts. Social realities are not a consequence of the actions of individuals. In fact, individual actions are the consequence of "social facts."

Three types of authority

Rational basis: there is a legal authority (ex. police, military, congress) Traditional basis: the authority has always been there (ex. parents, the pope, monarchy) Charismatic basis: it is authorized by a compelling individual (can be related to rational) (ex. celebrities, hitler, cult leaders) *NOT ALL POWER IS AUTHORITY. NOT ALL DOMINATION/COMPLIANCE RELIES ON LEGITIMACY.

Worldy Asceticism

Rationalization of conduct in this world for sake of worlds beyond -protestants do good (produce) for next world -wasting time is bad - spending earnings is bad -Becomes a part of American culture even when religion is gone

Why did sociology identify with science more than humanities?

Science more intellectually attractive (Enlightenment) and legitimized soc as an academia, gave access to research, enhanced status and prestige

Commodification of labor

Selling your labor

research

an attempt to develop knowledge based on evidence from the real world (empirical) univariate (descriptive, inferred), multivariate

Historicism

argues nothing can be generalized and every event in history is its own discrete event

Mills Def of Soc

biography and history intersect to explain the social structures over which people have no control over and how those influence their lives

Bureaucracy

both private and public services exemplify rationalization and disenchantment but make more efficient Set areas of control, organized by laws or administrative procedures. MARX: bureau is with Tyranny WEBER: bureau is with democracy

Durkheim Method: determination of function

determine purpose for every part of society

action

direction for social change 1. activism (ex lobbying) 2. praxis (way of living in the world), 3. social movement:an organized social group that acts to promote or resist change in society

Intellectual factors that led to emergence of sociology

enlightenment, counter enlightenment and differentiation of social sciences within universities

Durkheim: functionalism

everything in society has a function and functions properly

Martineau

examined class, religion, suicide, national characteristics etc. between institutions and individuals

Economic factors that lead to emergence of sociology

expansion of commerce and markets, industrialization

Saint-Simon

founder of french sociology, had three stages of evolution of society, evolution of society comes more from people working together

Marx: Historical Materialism

history moves forward bc of conflicts related to production and society began bc we needed each other for work who you are in society=how you used in production

Macro Soc

how a group exerts power in their society

Meso Soc

how a group exerts power over another group

Micro Soc

how a group exerts power over its members thoughts and behaviors

Verstenen

look for meaning to participants

ideal type

looks at similarities and differences between groups as a way to compare; like stereotype

Power of money in bourgeois society

money dehumanizes by changing the nature of individuals

Social construction

most meanings in society are constructed through symbolic interaction -we create meaning for social things

Positivism

natural science method applied to studying the individual which assumes every member of a group is identical

Marx: German Ideology

production drives actions, actions drive ideas, ideas of the ruling class are the ruling ideas

Relevance of William James

psychologist who says an individual self is a sum of all they can call theirs (materials +relationships)

political factors that lead to emergence of sociology

rise of nation states, decline of power of the church, feminism

Commodity fetishism

start to treat people like products and products like people

Symbolic interaction vs structural sociology (traditional)

structural- social behaviors are reactions symbolic- individual behavior based on interpretation of social situation

McGinn Def of Soc

studying how groups are powerful in different situations and power dynamics

What are the problems in identifying science?

tended to cut soc off from the ACTION of it's practices

Disenchantment

the loss of mysticism and creativity when using rationalization

Rationalization

the tendency to focus most efficient means for achieving an end

Marx: Communist Manifesto

those who own means of production dominate the workers, one economic era gives birth to the next, all social institutions arise from economic base

Comte

through division of labor society becomes more complex, society from primitive to metaphysical to scientific

What holds society together?

traditional: social order is mechanical because everyone is similar(mechanical integration) modern: different specializations in work and social roles create inter-dependencies ~workplace play great role in solidarity (organic integration)

Two types of social science research

univariate multivariate

social factors that lead to emergence of sociology

urbanization, decline of local communities

Alienated labor

with captialism, labor becomes less specialized but more effective

Weber: Debating with the Ghost of Marx

Marx saw economic or material factors as the driving force of change whereas Weber argues that material factors alone are not enough to bring about capitalism. As we have just seen, in Weber's view, it also needed specific cultural factors - the beliefs and values of Calvinism - to bring it into being.

Iron Cage

Modern American materialism is like an iron cage because it consumes us with capitalism

Social facts

Outside cultural things that affect individuals

Berger Def of Soc

Passionate curiosity of interactions of people disciplined by scientific theory

Weber:Protestant Ethic

Protestants drive capitalism because it will help them get into heaven. -not working is lazy -spending wealth is greedy - Martin Luther's "calling" -not know if going to heaven, but good work is a sign of going to heaven (beza)