Sociology Chapter 1

Max Weber

Father of sociology. Argued that in a capitalist society inequalities would lead to conflict, but that there would be more than one source of conflict. Argued that there were several factors that moderated people's reaction to inequality.

conflict theory

a theoretical framework in which society is viewed as composed of groups that are competing for scarce resources.

postmodernism

the belief that society is no longer governed by history or progress.

Emile Durkheim

-Father of sociology, pioneer of modern social research and established the field as separate and distinct from psychology and politics -Major proponent of functionalism -Argued that modern society was more complex than primitive societies because they were all similar, shared a common language. Even when people were dissimilar, they relied on each other to make society function.

Jane Addams

1860-1935. Founder of Settlement House Movement. First American Woman to earn Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 as president of Women's Intenational League for Peace and Freedom.

W.E.B. DuBois

1st black to earn Ph.D. from Harvard, encouraged blacks to resist systems of segregation and discrimination, helped create NAACP in 1910

Karl Marx

1818-1883. 19th century philosopher, political economist, sociologist, humanist, political theorist, and revolutionary. Often recognized as the father of communism. Analysis of history led to his belief that communism would replace capitalism as it replaced feudalism. Believed in a classless society.

anomie

One of the main social forces that leads to suicide is the sense of normlessness resulting from drastic changes in living conditions or arrangements.

social institution

a complex group of interdependent positions that, together, perform a social role and reproduce themselves over time.

double consciousness

a concept conceived by W.E.B. DuBois to describe the two behavioral scripts, one for moving through the world and the other incorporating the external opinions of prejudiced onlookers, which are constantly maintained by African Americans.

symbolic interactionism

a micro-level theory in which shared meanings, orientations, and assumptions form the basic motivations behind people's actions.

positivist sociology

a strain within sociology that believes the social world can be described and predicted by certain describable relationships (akin to a social physics)

midrange theory

a theory that attempts to predict how certain social institutions tend to function.

social construction

an entity that exists because people behave as if it exists and whose existence is perpetuated as people and social institutions act in accordance with the widely agreed-upon formal rules or informal norms of behavior associated with that entity.

functionalism

derived its name from the notion that the best way to analyze society was to identify the roles that different aspects or phenomena play.

scientific stage

develop a social physics to understand human behavior(Comte)

Talcott Parsons

developed abstract models of society that influenced a generation of sociologists.

metaphysical stage

enlightenment thinkers believed human behavior is governed by natural, biological instincts(Comte)

theological stage

society is the result of divine will(Comte)

sociology

study of the evolution, development, and functioning of human society.

sociological imagination

the ability to see the connections between our personal experience and the larger forces of history.

organicism

the notion that society is like a living organism, each part of which serves an important role in keeping society together.

microsociology

the study of human behavior in contexts of face-to-face interaction.

macrosociology

the study of large-scale groups, organizations, or social systems.

interpretive sociology

the study of social meaning

Verstehen (Weber)

understanding social behavior by putting yourself in the place of others