Ch. 2: Social Theory
three common themes sociological theories address
-What is the nature of the individual? How does the individual act in the context of society? -What is the basis for social order? What is it that holds societies together? -What are the circumstances or conditions under which societies change?
Imagine you are a sociologist interested in designing a research study to investigate whether there are differences in college students' academic outcomes depending on whom they have in their social networks to help them through college. What social theorist might be most useful in helping you with this experiment?
Georg Simmel
_____ refers to the increasing flow of goods and services across national borders.
Globalization
_____ is one of the themes that nearly all social theories have sought to address.
How does the individual act within the context of society?
How is sociology different from economics?
It makes use of a number of different theoretical traditions.
Which pair of social theorists are similar in that they both emphasized how social class matters in social life?
Marx and Bourdieu
Which sociological theorist was most interested in understanding how people interpret and give meaning to the world around them?
Max Weber
A sociologist wants to do research about how elementary school children learn to monitor and discipline themselves. Which theorist's work might be useful for informing this research topic?
Michel Foucault
Which social theorist is primarily associated with the development of structural functionalism?
Talcott Parsons
Drawing on the theory developed by Karl Marx, Rupert Murdoch, owner of one of the world's largest media conglomerates, is best characterized as _____.
a member of the bourgeoisie
capital
a resource that can be used to make investments
social forces
all the forms of social structure (hierarchy and institutions) that any individual must operate within
social theory
an overarching framework that suggests certain assumptions and assertions about the way the world works. These frameworks are used for posing research questions and evaluating evidence related to those questions.
organic soliditary
as societies become more advanced, they are held together through the mutual dependence and interdependence individuals have with one another
What term best describes the idea that capitalists are driven to push down the wages of workers, which is in direct conflict with the goals of workers, who seek to secure higher wages?
class struggle
Which theoretical perspective focuses on how social and economic inequalities persist because powerful individuals and groups work to protect their advantages?
conflict theory
Different theoretical traditions offer _____ answers to the question, "What are the circumstances or conditions under which societies change?"
different
What concept refers to W.E.B. Du Bois's idea that unlike white Americans, black Americans must live multiple lives, one as a black person and one as an American?
double consciousness
sacred
holy; worthy of special reverence
Which of the following concepts would symbolic interactionists most likely use in their research?
impression management
modes of production
in Marxist theory, a mode of production is a concept for characterizing the dominant economic system in a society. a mode of production has 2 parts, the forces of production and the social relations of production
proletariat
individuals in capitalist economies who work in exchange for pay; working class
Karl Marx's social theory primarily focuses on _____.
inequality in economic systems
What concept refers to the interlocking nature of interlocking nature of inequality, or how gender inequalities are formed in relation to inequalities based on race, class, and sexuality?
intersectionality
Which of the following is the best example of cultural capital? -having lots of friends -knowing a lot about fine wine -owning a home -donating large amounts of money to charity
knowing a lot about fine wine
Contrary to dominant theories, W.E.B Du Bois argued that racial inequality was _____.
manufactured by American society
According to Karl Marx, capitalism, feudalism, and slavery are all examples of _____.
modes of production
_____ solidarity, unlike _____ solidarity, is associated with an extensive division of labor in society.
organic; mechanical
Within a symbolic interactionist framework, Herbert Blumer distinguished between 3 types of objects that can be the subject of interpretation. What were the 3 types of objects?
physical objects, social objects, and abstract objects
socialist
productive forces of society are collectively owned (not by individual business owners)
mechanical solidarity
refers to the factors that hold primitive societies together, mostly through family and kinship ties and a collective consciousness shared by all members of the community
When feminist social theorist Simone de Beauvoir wrote, "One is not born a woman but becomes one," she was pointing to a difference between an individual's _____ and _____.
sex; gender
Imagine you are entering an elevator full of people. When you step in, you most likely turn around to face the door like everyone else. Drawing on the work of Emile Durkheim, your behavior has been impacted by a _____.
social fact
Emile Durkheim emphasized _____, while Mark Weber emphasized _____ in his theory of society.
social facts; social action
What theme can readily be found in Emile Durkheim's theoretical work?
social solidarity
Human nature is not natural; it is learned. People learn how to behave in society through a process of _____.
socialization
Social theorists working in the tradition of _____ theorized that social change happened much like the theory of _____.
structural functionalism; evolution
Which of the following terms best describes theories that consciously connect social structure with individual action? -micro theories -macro theories -grand theories -structural individualism
structural individualism
Social theories are _____.
systematic ideas that help explain the relationship between individuals and society
bourgeoisie
the group in a capitalist economy who own a business and employ people to work for them. this term is used in the Marxist tradition to refer to the most powerful class in the capitalist society
class struggle
the idea that classes of people who are treated differently by the economic system are inevitably going to be in conflict with one another
socialization
the process by which individuals come to understand the expectations and norms of their groups as well as the various roles they transition into over the life course and how to behave in society or in particular social settings
social relations of production
the relationships and inequalities between different kinds of people within the economy
social solidarity
the social forces that hold any society together
classes
the sociological concept that refers to a group of people who share a similar social and economic position in society
division of labor
the specialization of individuals in any organization or group, or in a society as a whole, particularly in relation to work
forces of production
the technological and productive capacity of any society at a given point in time
social facts
those regularities and rules of every day life that exist independently and outside the control of individuals
Theories that are very grand or "macro" in nature typically seek to explain _____.
universal features of societies
