module 1 Flashcards
(26 cards)
what is sociology? how can it be understood?
a systematic study of society - understanding and analysing social life
• In order to understand what sociology is, you must understand the sociological imagination
what are norms? normative?
societies expectations.
behaviors that correspond to societies norms
what did C. Wright mills argue?
- C. Wright Mills argued, the sociological imagination is the ability to understand the interconnections between individual experiences and larger sociocultural forces
- using our sociological imagination we can move beyond individual-based assumptions concerning social issues
what are the five major perspectives?
unctionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, feminism, and postmodernism
different lenses are needed for different analyses
what do theories do for us?
- Theories help us to see the social world differently (i.e., to see past commonsense assumptions).
- Theories summarize a large amount of information.
- Theories help to focus research (i.e., connect research to a larger whole).
- Theories help develop our abstract thinking skills.
- Theories help organize and give meaning to the social world
describe the functional perspective. macro or micro? thinker?
A macro-level, positivist, rosy lens perspective that view society as comprising a number of structures, each of which fulfills important functions that keep society operating smoothly. latent functions. Ex: Emile Durkheim
what do functionalists favor?
restoring/maintaining stability
describe the conflict perspective. macro or micro? thinkers?
A macro-level perspective that describes society as characterized by conflict and competition over resources that are distributed unequally. darker lens, critical approach emphasizing power and emancipation.Ex: Karl Marx, Max Weber
describe the feminist perspective. thinker?
A micro or macro level perspective that assumes society is structured on the basis of gender. Ex: Harriot Martineau
describe the interactionist perspective. micro or macro? thinkers?
NTERACTIONIST: A micro-level perspective that depicts society as consisting of individuals engaged in various forms of communication that come to have particular meanings. Ex: George Herbert Mead, Herbert Blumer
what was the problem with early philosophers? who is credited with the formalization of sociology?
Ø Many early social philosophers and religious authorities tended to make claims on how they thought society should be, as opposed to how it was
The formalization of the discipline of sociology is generally credited to the French
what term did auguste comte coin? words origin?
philosopherAuguste Comte(1798–1857) who coined the term “sociology” from the Latin socius (social) and the Greek logos (the study of)
who were the sociology enlightenment thinkers?
(including Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, and Émile Durkheim)
what was the enlightenment assumption of the natural world?
Ø Enlightenment (1650–1800), early sociological thinkers applied the newly emerging scientific ideas of the natural world to the study of society. The assumption was that if the natural world could be studied through the paradigm of positivism (an approach to theorizing that emphasizes explanation and prediction), these same ideas could be applied to study human behaviour.
who is the father of sociology? what did he experience?
the work of French sociologistÉmile Durkheim(1858–1917), known to many as the father of sociology. having experienced social, economic, and political change as the result of the Industrial Revolution (1760–1850), Durkheim was largely concerned with the processes in and through societies hold together. A great deal of his writings focused on shared morals, belief systems, and the effects of industrialization
when was the first department of sociology founded?
Ø In 1895, Emile Durkheim founded the first department of sociology at the University of Bordeaux in France.
when did karl marx emerge? what was his view?
emerged alongside the Industrial Revolution. Unlike Durkheim, Marx did not see society as inherently harmonious. He argued that the capitalist system created inherent power imbalances between the bourgeoisie (the owners of the means of production) and the proletariats (the workers of the means of production). Ø his work is actually best understood as a critique of capitalism and the effects of class conflict within society.
who is max weber? what did he do?
Ø Max Weber(1864–1920) – German social scientist who extended the work of Karl Marx. Weber (pronounced VAY-ber) was also interested in the effects of industrialization and economic change, but he expanded Marx’s singular focus on class to include religious and bureaucratic influences.
what did mead do?
§ George Hebert Mead(1863–1931) – American sociologist and philosopher affiliated with the Chicago School and the development of symbolic interactionism. Unlike Comte, Durkheim, Marx, and Weber, Mead contended that reality is actively created through the use of symbols, language, and meaning.
who is erving goffman?
§ Erving Goffman(1922–1982) – Canadian sociologist who was a major contributor to symbolic interactionism and micro sociology. His major research interests included the sociology of everyday life, social interaction, the social construction of self, the social organization of experience, and stigma.
who is michel foucault
§ Michel Foucault(1926–1984) – French philosopher and social theorist most commonly associated with postmodernism and poststructuralism. Moving away from seeing societies as singular—based on stability (Durkheim) or chaos (Marx), he analyzed historical structures of knowledge that led to the development of particular “truths” in society. While he was more a philosopher than a sociologist, he was centrally concerned with societal governing structures and social institutions such as medicine, government, and law.
who is dorothy smith?
Dorothy Smith(1929–) – Canadian sociologist and feminist interested in social equality and standpoint feminist theory.
who is stuart hall?
§ Stuart Hall(1932–2014) – Cultural theorist and sociologist who helped develop critical race theory and cultural studies. Hall was predominantly interested in how cultural meanings about race and gender come to be created through images and representations in media-saturated societies. Most commonly associated with postmodernism.
who is anthony giddens?
§ Anthony Giddens(1938–) – British sociologist interested in the relationships between capitalism and social life. A theorist of modern social structures, he worked against micro/macro division of social life, examining how power and agency shape social life.
