SNR Comp 2 Flashcards
Max Weber
Explored the relationship between society, economy, and culture, introducing concepts like bureaucracy.
Karl Marx
Focused on class struggle and the impact of capitalism on society.
Analyzed class struggles and the impact of capitalism on social structures and inequalities.
Talcott Parsons
Developed the structural functionalist perspective, emphasizing the role of institutions in maintaining social order.
George Herbert Mead
emphasizes the importance of everyday interactions in shaping social reality & the importance of social interaction in the development of self
Emile Durkheim
focused on social facts and collective consciousness, highlighting how societal norms and values shape individual behavior.
Sociological imagination
Anomie
Sociologist must remain objective
setting aside personal biases
3 major perspectives of sociology
functionalism, conflict theory, social interactionism
functionalism views society as
a complex system where each part contributes to overall stability and fucntionality
institutions that work together to maintain balance
families, businesses, governments
Key functionalists
Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer
Auguste Comte
emphasized the importance of social order and the need for a scientific approach to studying society.
Herbert Spencer
introduced the idea of society as an organism, where various parts work together for stability.
manifest functions
intended consequences
latent functions
unintended/unrecognized consequences
Critics highlight that functionalism does not adequately explain social phenomena like wars, rebellions, and revolutions.
adequately explain social phenomena like wars, rebellions, and revolutions, and may neglect the experiences of marginalized groups within society.
Conflict theory
emphasizes that conflict is a fundamental aspect of society and a primary driver of social change.
conflict theorists
Karl Marx argue that social order is often maintained through domination and coercion rather than cooperation. They assert that the powerful exploit the weak, leading to social inequalities and tensions.
Conflict theorists argue that social change is driven by
these conflicts, leading to shifts in power and resources. Conflict theorists analyze social structures by examining the power dynamics and conflicts within them.
The interactionist perspective focuses
on micro-level social interactions and the individual as a social being.
social interactionism was founded by
George Herbert Mead
Social interactionism is the study of
how individuals create and interpret their social worlds through communication and behavior.
Social Interactionism values subjective experiences and the meanings individuals
attach to their actions.