Social Structures

Question 1

A theoretical approach in understanding structures and institutions based on their functions

Answer 1

Functionalism

Question 2

Intended functions of an institution

Answer 2

Manifest functions

Question 3

Unintended functions of an institution

Answer 3

Latent functions

Question 4

Example of manifest and latent function

4 year college

Answer 4

Manifest: providing a liberal arts education to students
Latent: being a credential for obtaining a job, connecting students with it alumni network, provide a space to experiment with living independently before having a full-time job, reinforces patterns of social inequality (an example of latent dysfunction)

Question 5

Latent function that is negative

Answer 5

Latent dysfunction

Question 6

A sociological theory that focuses on competition for resources between structures or groups
*Leads to conflicts and power differentials

Answer 6

Conflict Theory

Question 7

Conflict theory example

4 year colleges

Answer 7

Conflict theorists will focus on how education control various economic opportunities in society or how SES and pre-existing resources shape access to 4 year college education

SES & resources —> College education —> Economic opportunities

Question 8

Conflict theory trickery

Answer 8

Sibling argument because of annoying friends or bad attitude is not conflict theory
Sibling argument because of attention struggle from parents or resources can be conflict theory

Question 9

T or F. Functionalism and Conflict Theory are mainly involved in macrosociology .

Answer 9

True

Question 10

Symbolic Interactionism

Answer 10

1. Requires an interaction
2. Symbols- has a shared sense of meaning in society (hand-shaking as greeting), includes rituals and other social practices

Question 11

The meaning of social structures/ concepts emerges from how we think and communicate about them

Answer 11

Social constructionism

Ex. Holidays, scientific method, gender roles, love, patriotism, respect, etc.

Question 12

Symbolic interactionism vs Social constructionism

Answer 12

SI- focus on people interacting with each other in symbolic activities, tends to be microsociological
SC- focus on how we construct symbols, tends to be macro

Question 13

Choose actions to maximize the likelihood of accomplishing certain goals
(It is not about what they value, but how they choose to act in pursuit of their goals)

Answer 13

Rational Choice Theory

Question 14

Views social interactions as interchanges with costs and rewards

Answer 14

Social Exchange Theory

Ex. Friendship

Question 15

The goal of understanding and remedying gender injustices through a focus on lived experiences and objective data

Answer 15

feminist theory

Question 16

Education topic in MCAT

Answer 16

Unintended consequences of education

1. Hidden curriculum- does not have to be negative
2. Inequalities in education (segregation- race, poverty, stratification- SES: people with higher status have more options for education system)
3. Teacher expectations

Question 17

Kinship of descent vs kinship do affinity

Answer 17

Descent- based on shared ancestry

Affinity- based on marriage and adoption

Question 18

Functions as institutions that replicate themselves over time and structure people’s lives by providing rituals, community, ethical frameworks, and important life events

Answer 18

Religion

Question 19

Max Weber’s Sociology of Religion (spectrum of religious organizations)

Answer 19

Churches- stable, organized, and bureaucratic
Denominations- different interpretations, traditions, same religious context
Sects- smaller, dissident, and split-off

Question 20

The cumulative impact of technological advances from the last century

Answer 20

Modernization

Question 21

Impact of modernization on religion

Answer 21

1. Secularization- decreased religiosity

2. Fundamentalism- literal, uncompromising approach to religion (superiority over other faith communities)

Question 22

Government: power and authority

Answer 22

Power- the ability to get things done and compel certain behaviors
Authority- the legitimacy and right of the government to structure citizens’ lives

Question 23

A type of government in which rulership, or sovereignty, is passed down in a defined succession usually through family networks.

Answer 23

Monarchy
Ex. United Kingdom- constitutional monarchy: a constitution puts restriction in place on a monarch’s power

Absolute monarchies: the king or queen is the sole person in charge

Question 24

Type of government in which citizens have no input into the government, and are expected to obey whatever the government decides. In this system, the government minimizes its intrusions into citizens; private lives, while repressing outwards forms of dissent that could destabilize the system

Answer 24

Authoritarianism

*there are some soft authoritarian systems in which some elections may occur but with minted Chaucer of candidates

Question 25

This type of government is like authoritarianism but the government regulates every aspect of life, including citizens’ communications, and any form of dissent whatsoever can be brutally punished

Answer 25

Totalitarianism

Ex. Nazi Germany and Stalinist period in the Soviet Union

Question 26

Type of government where people vote

Answer 26

Democracy

Question 27

Type of democracy in which people vote for laws themselves

Answer 27

Direct democracy

Question 28

Type of democracy where people vote for representative who then make laws.

Answer 28

Indirect democracy or democratic republics
Ex. The federal government of US

*this is not exclusive. Indirect and direct can both be present

Question 29

This type of economic framework is characterized by private ownership, both of property and of companies that produce goods and provide services

Answer 29

Capitalism

Question 30

This type of economic framework emphasizes social ownership and workers; self-management, whether collectively or through the gov’t, but still maintaining many of the structures characteristic of a capitalist state

Answer 30

Socialism

Question 31

This type of economic framework is formally defined as a utopian society, the end-goal of a transformation that proceeds through capitalism and socialism, in which society becomes class-less, state-less, and free of hierarchy

Answer 31

Communism

*have never been achieved

Question 32

Anarcho-communism

Answer 32

System of communism that wouldn’t have centralized state at all

Question 33

Capitalism is also sometimes associated with ___________, which refers to a movement tried to completely minimize the role of government.

Answer 33

Libertarianism

Question 34

This allows everyone to be really good at something, and then we can work together to do lots of different things, rather than everyone producing and maintaining every single thing they own

Answer 34

Division of labor

Question 35

There is no often self-evident objective boundary between things that are medical conditions and things that aren’t, and we negotiate and construct these boundaries as a culture. Social constructionism applied to medicine

Answer 35

Medicalization

Question 36

Reflects a social consensus that it’s not someone;s fault that he or she becomes sick, and that sickness can make a person exempt from normal social responsibilities as a result, but with expectation to behave in certain ways- try to get better and listen to medical professionals

Answer 36

Sick role

* a key feature of the sick role is the balance of rights and responsibilities

Question 37

The sick role works better for acute or chronic illnesses?

Answer 37

Acute such as flu.

Chronic illnesses that an be managed are usually exempt from the rights of the sick role

Question 38

T or F. The sick role is consistent across relationships and cultures

Answer 38

False.

Question 39

In the past, physicians often made decisions on patients’ behalf, without giving them much input or even information about their conditions. This is known as?

Answer 39

Paternalism

Question 40

This paradigm is formulated in the US in an attempt to avoid paternalism and other potentially unjust or harmful patterns

Answer 40

Medical ethics

Question 41

The medical ethics focus on these 4 principles

Answer 41

Beneficence, nonmaleficence, respect for Patrice to autonomy, and justice

Question 42

What does nonmaleficence mean?

Answer 42

“Do no harm”

Question 43

This field deals with who gets various illnesses, and how those patterns are affected by factors like age, se, where people live, behavioral patterns, SES, etc.

Answer 43

Epidemiology

*epidemiology can be applied to all diseases, not just infectious diseases

Question 44

focuses on how social factors contribute to illness and health

Answer 44

Social epidemiology