Introduction section Flashcards

1
Q

what is sociology

A

the systematic study of human society

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2
Q

do sociologists focus on individuals or general patterns

A

general patterns

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3
Q

who affects who: individuals and societies

A

they affect each other

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4
Q

Emile Durkheim found who was most likely to commit suicide?

A

Males, Protestants, the wealthy, the unmarried

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5
Q

Emile Durkheim found who was less likely to commit suicide?

A

females, Jews and Catholics, the poor, the married.

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6
Q

Why is it important to study sociology with a global perspective? (4)

A
  1. We are shaped by where we live
  2. societies are interconnected through tech/economy
  3. Problems in Canada can be more serious elsewhere
  4. good way to learn more about ourselves
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7
Q

Benefits of the sociological perspective (5)

A
  1. helps assess the truth of “common sense”
  2. Helps to see opportunities/constraints we face
  3. Empowers us to be active participants in society.
  4. Helps us live in a diverse world.
  5. Jobs: work as researchers for government agencies, private foundations and businesses.
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8
Q

What social changes sparked the start of sociology? (4)

A
  • Industrial tech
  • Growth of cities
  • New democratic ideas
  • Political awareness
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9
Q

What science promoted the start of sociology?

A
  • Comte’s stages: theoretical, metaphysical, scientific

- Positivism: a way of understanding based on science.

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10
Q

what are the three theoretical approaches of sociology?

A
  1. Structural-functional
  2. Social-conflict
  3. Symbolic-Interaction
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11
Q

which theoretical approach to soci views society as a complex system whose parts work together

A

structural-functional approach

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12
Q

what is a social structure

A

a relatively stable pattern of social behaviour in society

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13
Q

what is a social function

A

the consequences of a social pattern for the operation of society

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14
Q

What are the 3 types of social functions:

A
  1. Manifest function: intentional
  2. Latent function: unintentional
  3. Dysfunction: disruptive
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15
Q

Which theoretical approach to soci views society as an arena of inequality

A

social-conflict approach

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16
Q

what factors are often linked to social inequality

A
  • gender
  • ethnicity/race
  • sexuality
  • class
  • age
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17
Q

What theory studies society while focusing on inequality between men and women

A

gender-conflic theory

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18
Q

what theory studies society while focusing on inequality between people of different racial groups

A

race-conflict theory

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19
Q

Which theoretical approach sees society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals

A

social-interaction approach

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20
Q

which soci theoretical appreaches are macro and which are micro

A

macro: structural-functional, social-conflict
micro: social-interaction

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21
Q

what does structural-functional approach ignore

A

-inequality

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22
Q

what does social-conflict approach ignore

A

-shared values and mutual interdependence

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23
Q

what does symbolic-interaction approach ignore

A

larger social structures, effects of culture, large-scale inequalities.

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24
Q

What are the three ways to do sociology?

A
  • Positivist
  • Interpretive
  • Critical
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25
Q

What is positivist sociology

A

based on scientific observations of behaviour

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26
Q

what is interpretive sociology

A

based on meanings people attach to their social world

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27
Q

what is critical sociology

A

based on the need for change

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28
Q

what makes a statistic reliable

A

is it consistent

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29
Q

what makes a valid statistic

A

is it precisely measuring what it means to measure.

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30
Q

what is a spurious correlation

A

apparent but false relationship between multiple variables, caused by another variable

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31
Q

what is an independent variable

A

causes the change

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32
Q

what is a dependent variable

A

changes, depending on independent variable

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33
Q

Why does Max Weber say that it is difficult to be objective in research

A

people usually choose to research topics they naturally care about

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34
Q

androcentricity

A

approach topic from male-only perspective

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35
Q

gynocentricity

A

approach topic from a female-only perspective

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36
Q

overgeneralizing

A

using data from one sub-category of subjects and applying it to the whole category

37
Q

double standard

A

judging men and women with different standards

38
Q

what is gender interference in a study

A

the subject under study reacts to the gender of the researcher

39
Q

what are the points of research ethics (6)

A
  1. technically competent/fair
  2. disclose full findings
  3. protect safety, rights, privacy of subjects.
  4. Obtain informed consent
  5. disclose all sources of funding, avoid conflicts of interest
  6. cultural sensitivity.
40
Q

what are the 10 steps in sociological research

A
  1. select/define topic
  2. review the literature
  3. develop key questions
  4. assess requirements
  5. consider ethical issues
  6. select a research methodology
  7. collect the data
  8. interpret findings.
  9. state conclusions.
  10. publish the findings.
41
Q

what is a social group

A

2+ people who identify/interact with one another

42
Q

what is a category of people

A

those with a status in common (ethnicity, occupation, etc.)

43
Q

what is a crowd of people

A

non-interacting group, such as an audience

44
Q

what is a primary group of people

A

a small group whose members share personal and lasting relationships

45
Q

what is a secondary group of people

A

large and impersonal group whose members pursue a goal/activity

46
Q

what are the two types of group leadership roles

A
  • instrumental

- expressive

47
Q

what is an instrumental leader

A

focused on task completion

48
Q

what is an expressive leader

A

focused on group well-being

49
Q

3 decision-making styles

A
  • Authoritarian
  • Democratic
  • Laissez-faire
50
Q

Authoritarian decision-making

A
  • instrumental

- leader makes decisions, members obey

51
Q

democratic decision-making

A
  • expressive

- inclusive member involvement

52
Q

laissez-faire decision-making

A

leader lets group function on its own.

53
Q

what was Asch’s line experiment and what did it prove

A
  • subject was asked which line was bigger after hearing others say the wrong answer
  • proved willingness to compromise own judgement to avoid being different.
54
Q

what was the Milgram shock experiment and what did it prove

A
  • participants were told to shock people who gave wrong answers
  • showed people follow orders to the point of harming others.
55
Q

what is Janis’s concept of “groupthink”

A

tendency for group members to conform to one value or decision.

56
Q

what is a social reference group

A

social group that serves as a point of reference in making decisions (Stouffer)

57
Q

What is an in-group

A

social group toward which a member feels respect and loyalty

58
Q

what is an out-group

A

social group toward which a person feels a sense of competition or opposition.

59
Q

dyad

A
  • social group with two members

- intimate but unstable

60
Q

triad

A
  • social group with three members

- more stable, more types of interaction.

61
Q

what happens when a large group turns inward

A
  • members have realtionships among themselves

- promotes separatism

62
Q

what happens when a heterogreneous group turns outward

A
  • diversity

- interaction with outsiders

63
Q

why do physical boundaries create social boundaries

A

-if segregation of groups take place, the chances for contact are limited.

64
Q

what is a network of people

A

web of weak social ties

65
Q

what are some characteristics of a network

A
  • weak social ties
  • occasional contact
  • no sense of boundary/belonging
66
Q

what is a formal organization

A

large secondary groups, organized to achieve efficiency

67
Q

utilitarian organization

A
  • Jobs

- Pays people for effort

68
Q

normative organization

A
  • Join to pursue a goal

- Volunteering

69
Q

coercive organization

A
  • join as a form of punishment

- prison

70
Q

what is a bureaucracy (Max Weber)

A

organizational model rationally designed to perform tasks efficiently

71
Q

what are the key elements of a bureaucracy (Max Weber) (6)

A
  • Specialization
  • Heirarchy
  • Rules
  • Technical competence
  • Impersonality
  • Formal, written communications
72
Q

What outside factors affect an organization? (5)

A
  • Technology
  • Economic/political trends
  • Population patterns
  • Current events
  • Other organizations
73
Q

What are the informal traits of bureaucracy (3)

A
  • leaders seek personal benefit through abuse of power
  • grapevines spread info
  • flattened communication, people on bottom communicate with those on top
74
Q

What are the problems with. bureaucracy

A
  • alienation/dehumanize individuals
  • inefficiency/ritualism (focus on regulations over goals)
  • inertia: organizations perpetuate themselves
  • oligarchy: rule of the many by the few
75
Q

what are the building blocks of a social structure

A

status and role

76
Q

what is status

A

social position a person holds

77
Q

what is a status set

A

all the statuses someone holds at a given time

78
Q

What are the 3 types of status

A
  • ascribed
  • achieved
  • master
79
Q

ascribed status

A

received at birth/involuntarily

80
Q

achieved status

A

voluntary/reflects ability and effort

81
Q

master status

A

specially important for social identity, shapes life

82
Q

what is a role

A

behaviour expected of someone who holds a status

83
Q

what is a role set

A

a number of roles attached to a single status

Ex: a professor is a teacher, researcher, administrator

84
Q

role conflict

A

a conflict between statuses of a person

ex: worker and partner

85
Q

role strain

A

tention between roles connected to a single status

ex: forman being your supervisor and friend

86
Q

role exit

A

disengaging from a role, voluntarily or not

87
Q

what is the Thomas Theorem

A

Situations that are definedas real become real in their consequences

88
Q

what is ethnomethodology

A

study of the way people make sense of their everyday surroundings

89
Q

what is reality building

A

social background affects our perceptions

ex: scientist and lovers respond to the night sky