CHAPTER 4 -Sociological Theories and Social Institutions

Question 1

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What is Society

Answer 1

A group of people that share a culture and live/interact in a definable area

Question 2

What is Sociology

Answer 2

The study of how individuals interact

Question 3

What is the difference between macro and micro level theories

Answer 3

Macro level - answer fundamental questions on why societies form and change and why do they function in the way the do

Micro level - one on one and small group interactions

Question 4

Define functionalism

Answer 4

Society is a living organism, how structures and institutions work together to keep society functioning. Societies evolve (Herbert Spencer). Macro level

Emile Durkheim - expanded, modern societies are more complex and its complex parts must work together so the society achieves equilibrium and maintain it

Question 5

What are social facts

Answer 5

Elements that serve a function in the society such as law, religion, rituals

Question 6

Collective conscience

Answer 6

People of shared culture come to think the same way

Question 7

What are manifest functions

Answer 7

Are the official and anticipated consequences of the structure

Question 8

What are latent functions

Answer 8

Consequences that are not intended. Can be beneficial, neutral, or harmful

Question 9

Social dysfunctions

Answer 9

Undesirable consequences of the social structure

Question 10

Define conflict theory

Answer 10

Competition for limited resources which leads to inequality - Capitalism encourage competition and private ownership

Karl Marx - society is divided in bourgeoisie and proletariat.

Max weber - protestant/puritan work ethic leads to success of capitalism

Question 11

What is hegemony

Answer 11

A societal consensus from a coerced acceptance of values, and conditions imposed by the superstructure

Question 12

Symbolic interactionism

Answer 12

Individuals act based on the meaning they give to societal symbols, such meaning derived from social interactions. People interact using language and symbols. Small groups, one on one. Micro level

symbols- cultural derived objects that have shared meaning, maintained through social interaction and language, micro-level

George Herbert Mead - self- developed through language, play, and games

“I”- subject, autonomous self, spontaneous, individuality vs “me”- object, social self, conforming, internalized social expectations

social stigma- disapproval of a deviant attribute or behavior, labelling theory
looking-glass self- self is shaped by our perception of how other people perceive us, we internalize stigma

Question 13

Social constructionism

Answer 13

Reality is socially constructed, concepts differ by cultures. Macro and micro sociological perspective
Society evolve through changes is collective meaning making
Social constructs - mechanisms sustained by society, social attributes are constructs of society
socialization- individual internalizes values, beliefs, norms of society, how social constructs are maintained over time
agents of socialization- popular culture, family, schools
macro and micro-level
Stocks of knowledge and typificatin - repeated actions become routines which can be institutionalized and describe as real

Question 14

What is class consciousness?

Answer 14

Awareness of class oppression

Question 15

What is communism?

Answer 15

An extreme form of socialism where the workers own equally all means of production

Question 16

What is Rationalization of society?

Answer 16

People are more and more concerned about efficiency

Question 17

What is the Thomas theorem?

Answer 17

Interpretation of the situation affects the response to it

Question 18

What is the dramaturgical approach?

Answer 18

People are performers and life is the stage - image that they want to communicate

Question 19

Feminist theory

Answer 19

Macro and micro level effect of gender differences. Sees man and female equal. Micro level oppression men restrict women and macro level social structures represses women
Intersectionality - various aspects that can experience societal oppression are related

Question 20

Rational choice theory

Answer 20

Micro and macro sociological. Includes social exchange theory, game theory, rational actor theory. compare costs and benefits of courses of action, must anticipate outcomes
methodological individualism- all social realities are result of individual actions
Utilitarianism - assumes 1 human is rational and 2 individuals maximize their self interest always.

Question 21

social exchange theories

Answer 21

assign benefits and costs to interactions, prefer those with greatest personal benefit

Question 22

Social institutions

Answer 22

Family, education, religion, gov, health and medicine

Question 23

Family

Answer 23

Functions: reproduction, protection , socialization, affection and companionship, social status

Nuclear family is direct by blood ie mom/dad vs extended family other members

Monogamy v polygamy (polygyny - man to a lot of women and polyandry woman to many men)

Endogamy (within same group) vs exogamy (the norm)

Kinship - how we think as who we are related to i.e people that are not related by blood think themselves as family. Considered a cultural group. bilateral/matrilineal. Patrilineal
Patriarchy, ,matriarchy, egalitarian families

Question 24

Family violence examples

Answer 24

Child abuse - four types: physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect
Domestic abuse - dating abuse
Elder abuse - there us an expectation of trust from the older person

Question 25

Education

Answer 25

Great equalizer. Has manifest and latent functions; manifest pass down knowledge. Hidden curriculum - conflicts with the manifest curriculum, other lessons learned in school Educational segregation: widening disparity, wealthy neighborhoods have better schools Educational stratification - inequalities are perpetuated by education Teacher expectancy theory: teacher form expectations, as such act towards the student whom if accepts this expectation will act according to.

Question 26

Religion

Answer 26

organizations: 1. ecclesia- dominant religion, integrated into government 2. church- large religion, integrated into society, by birth 3. sect- small religion, separate from society 4. cult/ new religious movement- different lifestyle, all religions started as cults Secularization: religion loses significance in modern society Fundamentalism: strong attachment to religious beliefs Religiosity - how religion influences a person’s life. through tradition, doctrine, practice, and spirituality

Question 27

religions

Answer 27

1. Christianity- large faith 2. Islam- religion and state connected 3. Hinduism- polytheistic, reincarnation 4. Buddhism- meditation, overcome material pleasures 5. Sikhism- monotheistic 6. Judaism- Israel connects religion and state

Question 28

Government and economy

Answer 28

rules of society, relations with other societies terms: 1. authority (rational-legal legal rules and regulations in a document ie constitution, traditional - custom, tradition or accepted practice, charismatic-persuasion) 2. Aristarchic government: controlled by small group of people (aristocracies (birth elite) or meritocracies (by merit)) 3. autocratic government (dictatorship - one person - or fascism - small group) 4. monarchic government (absolute or constitutional) 5. authoritarian government (control, totalitarianism) 6. democratic government (direct or representational) 7. oligarchic government (can elect, no voice, theocracies, people little influence and small group control ) 8. republican, federalist,parliamentary, presidential gov 9. Anarchy: lawlessness without public gov

Question 29

Economy terms

Answer 29

1. Command or planned economies based on the production include socialism and communism , market economies are based on the market, mixed economies on both 2. Socialism- collectively own and gov intervene given what need to survive and communism 3. Capitalism (profit), welfare capitalism - most private except welfare programs, state capitalism - private companies work closely with the gov 4. division of labor - complex societies need different occupations cause one person cannot do all and professions leads to class differences 5. Mechanical- common beliefs each person same experience and organic solidarity - integrates through division of labor so each person has a different experience

Question 30

Health and medicine

Answer 30

Western medicine- illness is imbalance, can be treated vs Other places- weak, punishment, spiritual Society defines weight the put to physical vs mental health Medical model of disease - physical/medical factors/biological factors are the cause of illness social model of disease- causes of illnesses include class, status, environment Medicalization - conditions are reconceptualized as diseases or medical conditions with a diagnosis and a treatment Ultimate cause of disease vs proximate cause of disease (something of life circumstances that put patient at risk)

Question 31

What are the levels of healthcare?

Answer 31

Primary care - preventive care, first point of management Secondary care - specialists, refererla from PCP Tertiary - in patient care and very specialized Quaternary - rare surgeries

Question 32

Social epidemiology?

Answer 32

study social determinants of health, social pressures = health/illness food dessert- hard to find healthy food

Question 33

illness experience?

Answer 33

patient experience is main concern --- types: 1. conditional- illness is temporary 2. unconditionally legitimate- illness is incurable 3. illegitimate- illness is stigmatized

Question 34

What is the sick role?

Answer 34

rights- exempt from social roles bc not your fault obligation- try to get well, seek treatment

Question 35

Social Status (3)

Answer 35

master status- role or position that best describes your general place in society ascribed status- assigned by society regardless of effort achieved status- one that is earned

Question 36

Role (3)

Answer 36

socially defined expectation about how you will behave based on status role conflict- two statuses are in conflict, being on call and misses child's birthday role strain- conflicting expectations for single role, study and social life role exit- transition from one role to another, premed to medical

Question 37

groups (10)

Answer 37

group- people who identify and interact aggregate- people who exist in same space but don't identify or interact category- people who identify but don't interact primary group- smaller, personal, long-term, expressive functions: goal is to maintain the relationship itself secondary group- larger, impersonal, short-term, instrumental functions: accomplish a specific goal in group- group that person belongs to, you prefer them out group- group that person does not identify with reference group- group that person compares self to smaller groups are less stable, more intimate (dyad = 2) larger groups are more stable, less intimate (triad = 3)

Question 38

organizations (3)

Answer 38

3 types: 1. utilitarian- motivated by incentive or reward 2. normative- motivated by common cause or belief 3. coercive- forced to join must be a group with identifiable membership engaging in concerted action to achieve common purpose, different from political change social network- web of social relationships

Question 39

bureaucracy and rationalization (4)

Answer 39

manage public services, rules and laws, simplify complex functioning of organizations rationalization- tasks are broken down to component parts to be more efficient McDonaldization- principles of fast-food industry dominate other aspects of society (in our personal lives too), chain mentality, efficiency and control Weber's ideal bureaucracy- hierarchical structure, division of labor, written rules, officials hired on expertise, neutrality iron law of oligarchy- all organizations will inevitably develop oligarchic tendencies, democracy is impossible