Lecture 1-4

Question 1

Social Relations

Answer 1

sociologists study patterns of social relations
little attention on individual thoughts and actions

Question 2

3 Scientific assumptions

Answer 2

1. we live in an external, objective world
2. we can gather accurate information
3. There is order and regularity in the world, everything is not random, there are causes that explain what happens

Question 3

Problems with social science

Answer 3

limited use of controlled experiments
no social laws because of great complexity

Question 4

Postmodern perspective

Answer 4

some sociologists take post modern perspective and argue that sociology cannot be science
Argument:
our perspective of the modern world are biased in ways that prevent gathering accurate information

Question 5

Emergence of sociology

Answer 5

mid 19th century
formation linked to two main factors:
1. Scientific revolution
(promoted attempts to increase knowledge about everything)
2. Rapid social change
(industrialization, development)

Question 6

Political sociology

Answer 6

collective decision making
enforcement/implementation of decisions
distribution of valuable goods

Question 7

Nordlinger: The Emdedded View

Answer 7

Interrelationship b/w social structures and formal politics
Effects of social structures on politics:
economy shapes democracy
democracy affects revolutions
effects of politics on social structures:
states shape development
democracy affects ethnic violence

Question 8

Glasberg and Shannon: The Power Perspective

Answer 8

analyzes the bases of power in society and its effect on the allocation of major resources
power pervades all types of social relations, not just formal politics
power perspective focus on the bases of power and how power is exercised to shape he distribution of resources

Question 9

Marx

Answer 9

believed that we should analyze social relations to gain an understanding of how it works
extreme positivist:
believed we could discover social laws that govern all social relations

Question 10

Marxism (theory)

Answer 10

Based on two main components:
Dialectic
Materialism

Question 11

Dialectic

Answer 11

belief that any force creates an opposing and opposite force, both interact to create a new force

Question 12

Conflict view of change

Answer 12

1. Thesis
2. Antithesis
3. Synthesis

Question 13

Marxism Materialism

Answer 13

economic production is the material basis of society

Question 14

Key Marxist (materialism) concept

Answer 14

Mode of production:
material technologies used to exploit the environment to make possible societies
Relations of production:
relations that govern the mode of production, involve the control of property and humans

Question 15

Dialectical Materialism in Action

Answer 15

together is called the theory of Marxism
claims that the economy produces dialectical conflict that drives the evolution of human societies

Question 16

Critique of Marxist Theory

Answer 16

extreme positivism: believe that there are such things as social laws that are universally true
Materialism: believe that Marx paid too much attention to the economy and not enough attention to other social institutions and ideas

Question 17

Ideology

Answer 17

many argue ideology merged with theory and causes biased/inaccurate understanding

Question 18

Materialism and Power

Answer 18

1) Materialism: the economy is stupid
2) Power: Marx was interested in the causes and forms of power and realized it took different forms:
resources
coercion
control of ideas: false consciousness

Question 19

Marxist theory simple

Answer 19

marxist theory suggests economic recourses make possible both coercion and control of ideas

Question 20

3) Critical sociology

Answer 20

Marx wanted to use knowledge to change capitalist society

Question 21

4) States

Answer 21

Instrumental or relative autonomy
Marx was interested in the state as an organization of power that was used by capitalists to dominate society

Question 22

Instrumental

Answer 22

simple the instrument of the capitalists

Question 23

Relatively autonomous

Answer 23

able to act contrary to capitalists at times but must support capitalists in the long run

Question 24

5) Revolutions: class revolt

Answer 24

believed revolutions would inevitably overthrow capitalists and crate a theory of their determinants
focused on how economic hardship causes grievances and how growing class consciousness allows mobilization based on these grievances