4.1 - 4.2 Flashcards
(28 cards)
What is sociology?
Scientific study of society and human behavior.
Looks for patterns and behaviors
What is a society?
A group of people sharing a culture and territory.
How do sociologists perceive patterns and events?
They use the sociological imagination.
Sociological Imagination;
- Seeing the general in the particular
- Seeing the strange in the particular
What is social location?
A way of classifying yourself by class, race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. A persons choices are influenced by their social location.
What is marginalization?
Occupying a position in society outside the centers of power.
What is power and inequality?
Marginalization can cause many different types of inequalities.
What are some key concerns for sociologists?
- Determine whether changes in society are predictable or unpredictable
- Look at previous conditions that brought about change
- Census / General Data
- Looks at conflicts and interactions within a society
- All societies are governed by norms
What are normative statements?
- Opinion
- Contain a judgement
Examples; Politicians should be more dignified. You shouldn’t smoke.
What are empirical statements?
- Fact
- Contain no judgement
Examples; Justin Trudeau and Erin O’toole ran against each other in the last federal election. As of 2021, 12% of Canadians 15 and older smoke cigarettes.
What is structural functionalism?
- Macrosociology
- All parts of society serve a purpose
- For society to function all of it’s aspects must work in harmony
- Society works as a complex system with parts and structures that interact
- Change is gradual
What is conflict theory?
- Macrosociology
- Society is involved in a struggle for resources and power
- Change is inevitable and can be violent, end is often good
- Conflict within classes determines change, some groups are prosperous at the expense of others
- Social conflict is a struggle over power, includes; strikes, civil disorder, riots, marches, demonstrations, and protest gatherings
What is symbolic interactionism?
- Microsociology
- Examines sociology through interactions within small groups
- Human interaction is the key to behavior
- Humans need social interaction
- Humans use thought to interact
Who is Auguste Comte?
- One of the founders of the sociology field
- Founded positivism
a) Studying society in a scientific way - came up three stage theory
1. Religion (Believed people saw the word through a religious view)
2. Natural / Supernatural (Started seeing the world as natural instead of supernatural)
3. Scientific (Where people become governed by science and sociologists) - made his own religion called the religion of humanity
What is quantitative / qualitative?
Quantitative - Number of something
Qualitative - Qualities of something
What topics did Martineau address and why were they criticized?
The state of women’s education
How did Martineau think one should research societal topics?
She thought to study societal topics you had to focus on all aspects of it
What was happening in Europe when Karl Max came up with his theories? How did this
influence his theories?
Many economical and societal changes were being made, all of these could have had a large influence on his approach to conflict and communism.
What does Conflict Theory focus on today?
Focuses on the power struggle and inequalities that exist in modern society
How is Jane Addams different than the rest of the founders of Sociology in her approach?
She combined her theories with activism and the pursuit of social change
What did Addams accomplish within her life that helped society?
Successful in lobbying the for the establishment of a juvenile court system
What two concepts did DuBois propose that are still used in modern Sociology?
‘Double consciousness’ and ‘the veil’
How did DuBois disprove false statements regarding race in the early 1900s?
He used his extensive research and data gathered on black communities
What is the concept of the iron cage and how does it relate to sociology?
Describes the increased rationalization inherent in social life
What is verstehen and why was it key to Weber’s work?
It translates to understanding, in order to characterize his approach to studying social relations and actions
