Midterm Revision Flashcards
(76 cards)
1
Q
Features of Marxism
A
Alienation and surplus value
2
Q
Weaknesses of Marxism
A
Overemphasises class and economically deterministic
2
Q
Strengths of Marxism
A
How society is organised under capitalism and two main classes are fundamentally opposed
3
Q
Features of feminism
A
Counter male stream Sociology and conflict
4
Q
Strengths of feminism
A
Forces female inclusion and legislation
5
Q
Weaknesses of feminism
A
Excludes other factors and no general consensus
6
Q
Features of Weberism
A
Class party status and verstehen
7
Q
Strengths of Weberism
A
Class, party, status and individual motives
8
Q
Weaknesses of Weberism
A
Underemphasises class and society shapes individual
9
Q
Features of functionalism
A
Organic analogy and value consensus
10
Q
Strengths of functionalism
A
Organic analogy and value consensus
11
Q
Weaknesses of functionalism
A
Ignores human agency and idealised society
12
Q
Features of symbolic interactionism
A
Role taking and free will
13
Q
Strengths of symbolic interactionism
A
Focuses on individuals and human agency
14
Q
Weaknesses of symbolic interactionism
A
Lack of testability and difficult to extrapolate
15
Q
Features of consensus theories
A
- To exist and flourish, society must have similar attitudes and beliefs and a broad agreement on values
- Societal beliefs are passed on through primary socialisation (in families) and secondary socialisation (for example education)
- Society is characterised by agreement and harmony, with different structures in society having a controlling but beneficial influence over the lives of individuals
16
Q
Strengths of consensus theories
A
- Recognises the role that socialisation plays in determining behaviour
- Identifies the importance of society as an integrated whole with independent parts
17
Q
Weaknesses of consensus theories
A
- We cannot explain violent and radical social change with a theory that emphasises consensus.
- By promoting social equilibrium, it is inherently conservative and against progress in society
18
Q
Features of conflict theories
A
- Believe that society is characterised by disagreement and oppression — there is one group in society that has power over others
- State that tensions and conflicts arise when resources, status and power are unevenly distributed between groups in society, and that these conflicts become the engine for social change
- Understand power as control of material resources and accumulated wealth, control of politics, and the institutions that make up society
19
Q
Strengths of conflict theories
A
- Explains the strife and disharmony that characterises much of society today. Shows how a power imbalance can cause tension
- Explains why so many people feel helpless and unable to change their lives by showing the influence that structures can have in shaping individuals into predetermined roles
19
Q
Weaknesses of conflict theories
A
- Can’t explain the persistence of modern Western societies as relatively stable societies
- Sometimes viewed as too negative. Some structures in society can be seen as working for the common good, and some individuals are able to break through barriers to success in their life
20
Q
Features of structure theories
A
-Starts with society as a whole and then analyses specific social institutions, social structures and social groups
-Interested in trends, structures and social forces so they are more likely to use research methods that tend to generate quantitative, statistical data
-Interested in social structures and can be considered ‘macro’ sociology
20
Q
Strengths of structure theories
A
- Explains trends in society by looking at the ‘big picture’ and examining statistics that show changes over time, allowing us to better understand society as a whole
- Shows the influence of structures on our lives by explaining the interactions that occur between these structures and the individual. This shows the limitations of individual human agency in changing society
21
Q
Weaknesses of structure theories
A
- Has difficulty in explaining why some individuals seem to be able to make a difference in society and are able to ‘escape’ the confines of the social forces acting on them
- Because it focuses on social structures, it has little to say about individual human interactions between people. This means that there is a lot of human social behaviour that seems to be ‘beneath’ the social perspective
22
Features of action theories
- Starts with individuals and groups as a whole and believes that communication, language and shared understanding are very important
- Interested in meaning, processes and interactions — more likely to use research methods that generate qualitative data
-Emphasises the role of human agency and is considered part of ‘micro’ sociology
23
Strengths of action theories
- Explains individual and small group interactions in society by looking at the way people communicate with each other
- Shows the influence of individuals on social structures and how they can make a difference.
- Proves that lives are not predetermined, as implied by the structural perspective
24
Weaknesses of action theories
- Can’t explain why the influence of structures is so difficult to escape
- Concentrates on small-scale interactions and ignores the ‘big picture’
25
Explain the theory stage in the research process
-Sociologists usually start their own research by looking at the existing ideas and explanations of other sociologists who have researched or are researching the same subject area.
-The researcher usually summarises this information in the form of a literature review, enabling them to formulate a specific hypothesis
26
Explain the hypothesis stage in the research process
- This is a particular idea that the sociologist wants to explore. It is set out as a statement or series of statements that they then test by carrying out research.
- The research will prove or disprove the hypothesis
26
Explain the operationalisation stage in the research process
There are 4 sub-stages to operationalisation:
- Choose a method of research
- Define any concepts used
- Decide if you will use any specific measurement
- Select a sample of subject’s to use for research
27
Explain the fieldwork stage in the research process
- This is when the researcher carries out their research in their chosen method, for example, by carrying out a questionnaire
28
Explain the presentation stage in the research process
When the researcher has completed their research, they must analyse the data gathered and present their findings.
- This analysis might involve statistical analysis, if using quantitative methods.
- The researcher might present their results in the form of a journal article, conference paper, online publication or book
29
Features of surveys and questionnaires
30
Strengths of surveys and questionnaires
31
Features of structured interviews
31
Weaknesses of surveys and questionnaires
32
Weaknesses of structured interviews
33
Strengths of structured interviews
34
Features of official statistics
35
Strengths of official statistics
35
Weaknesses of official statistics
36
Features of participant observation
37
Strengths of participant observation
38
Weaknesses of participant observation
39
Features of non-participant observation
40
Strengths of non participant observation
41
Weaknesses of non participant observation
42
Features of unstructured interviews
43
Weaknesses of unstructured interviews
43
Strengths of unstructured interviews
44
Features of focus groups
45
Strengths of focus groups
46
Weaknesses of focus groups
47
Features of case studies
48
Strengths of case studies
49
Weaknesses of case studies
50
Advantages of covert research
51
Advantages of overt research
52
Features of qualitative research methods
53
Features of quantitative research methods
54
Explain alienation
55
Explain surplus value
56
Explain shared norms/values (value consensus)
57
Explain organic analogy/ functional importance
57
Explain feminists claim of society built by conflict
58
Explain countering male-stream sociology
58
Explain how Marxism explains conflict in society
58
Explain how Marxism shows how proletariats are kept in their place
59
Explain shared norms and values as an advantage
60
Explain functional importance as an advantage
61
Explain how feminism forces female inclusion
61
Explain how feminism is beneficial through legislative change
62
Explain how Marxism is economically deterministic
63
Explain how Marxism overemphasises class
64
Explain how functionalism portrays and idealised society and dismisses structural inequalities
65
Explain how through functionalism being a consensus theories ignores struggles
