Chpt. 1 Sect. 3 Flashcards
(30 cards)
What are macrosociologists?
Sociologists that focus on the big picture and look at large-scale social forces that change the course of human society and the lives of individuals
What are examples of macrosociologists?
- social structure
- social institutions
- social/political/economic change
What are microsociologists?
- Sociologists that study social interaction, action, and construction of meaning
- Look at how families, coworkers, and other small groups of people interact; why they interact the way they do; and how they interpret the meanings of their own interactions and of the social settings in which they find themselves
What are the 3 theoretical perspectives and how are they split up?
- Functionalism - macrosociology
- Conflict perspective - macrosociology
- Symbolic interactionism OR FEMINIST THEORY- microsociology
How did functionalism (functionalist perspective) arise?
- the French Revolution of 1789
- the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century
What does functionalism emphasize?
The importance of social institutions for producing a stable society and a conservative perspective
What are criticism with the functionalist theory?
- It tends to support the status quo
- it favors existing inequalities based on race, gender, and social class
- minimizes the ways in which social institutions contribute to social inequity
Who is Émile Durkheim (1858-1917)?
A French scholar largely responsible for the sociological perspective as we know it and founded Functionalism
What was Durkheim’s opinion on the need for a strong society?
He felt that human beings have desires that result in chaos unless society limits them
What is socialization?
It helps us learn society’s rules and the need to cooperate, as people end up generally agreeing on important norms and values
What is social integration?
Our ties to other people and to social institutions that helps socialize and integrate us into society and reinforce our respect for its rules
What did Durkheim believe is the moral authority of society?
Forces external to the individual
What do socialization and social integration help establish?
A strong set of social rules (strong collective conscience) that is needed for a stable society
What is the result of a “strong collective conscience” according to:
(Collins, 1994, p.181)
Society “creates a kind of cocoon around the individual, making him/her less individualistic, more a member of the group”
What weakens the “moral cocoon” and what does it lead to?
-weak rules
-social ties
Leading to social disorder
Describe anomie (normlessness)
- It results from situations (periods of rapid social change) when social norms/social ties are weak and unclear.
- when anomie sets in, people become more unclear about how to deal with problems in their life and their aspirations are no longer limited by society’s constraints and cannot be fulfilled
What does conflict theory emphasize?
- Different groups in society have different interests stemming from their different social positions
- the various parts of society contribute to ongoing inequality
What are criticisms with the conflict theory?
- it overlooks the large degree of consensus on many important issues
- it minimizes the ways in which social institutions are necessary for society’s stability c
What did Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels feel about eliminating capitalism and the poverty & misery they saw as its inevitable result?
They felt that revolutionary violence was needed
Marx, 1867/1906; Marx & Engels, 1848/1962
What two classes did Marx and Engels split every society into based on the ownership of the means of production (tools, factories)?
- Bourgeoisie
2. Proletariat
What is bourgeoisie?
Ruling class that owns the means of production
What is proletariat?
Working class that is oppressed and exploited by the bourgeoisie
What is class consciousness?
An awareness of the reasons for their oppression
Functionalist theory vs. conflict theory?
- Functionalist- ongoing stability of society
2. Conflict- reduce inequality
