Sociology Chapter 2: Theoretical Approaches Flashcards
(68 cards)
Theory that focuses on social groups competing for scarce resources
Macro Level
ex. Gov spending ($)
Conflict Theory
The variable in a cause-and-effect relationship that is affected by and comes after the independent variable in time sequence.
Dependent Variable
A theory that focuses on humans as fundamentally concerned with self-interests, making rational decisions based on weighing costs and rewards of the projected outcome
Micro level
Rational Choice (Exchange) Theory
The planned outcomes of interactions, social organizations, or institutions
Intended or obvious
Manifest Functions
Unplanned or unintended consequences of actions or of social structures
Side-effects
Latent Functions
Founded on information gained from evidence (facts), rather than intuition
Empirical Knowledge
Assumes that all parts of the social structure (including groups, organizations, and institutions), the culture (values and beliefs), and social processes (social change or child rearing) work together to make the whole society run smoothly and harmoniously
Organ systems in the body
dynamic equalibrium
Macro Level
Structural-Functional Theory
Hypothesis
An educated guess or prediction
A group of systematically chosen people who represent a much larger group
Sample
The expected behaviors, rights, obligations, responsibilities, and privileges assigned to a social status
Roles (Mead)
Statements or explanations regarding how and why two or more facts are related to each other and the connections between these facts
Theories
Sees humans as active agents who create shared meanings of symbols and events and then interact on the basis of those meanings.
Micro-Level
Mead
Symbolic Interaction Theory (Also Called Social Constructionism or Interpretative Theory
Critiques the hierarchical power structures that disadvantage women and other minorities
Micro or Macro
Feminist Theory
The variable in a cause-and-effect relationship that comes first in a time sequence and causes a change in another variable
Independent Variable
Actions that undermine the stability or equilibrium of society
Dysfunctions
Assumes that all parts of the social structure (including groups, organizations, and institutions), the culture (values and beliefs), and social processes (social change or child rearing) work together to make the whole society run smoothly and harmoniously
Structural-Functional Theory
What is Micro Level?
Bottom-up
Me (Fam), small groups, local Organizations and community
Smallest building blocks; one-on-one interactions
national institutions, complex organizations, ethnic groups
How do sociologists gather accurate data about families, educational institutions, or ethnic groups?
Meso
National and Global Community
Starts Top-Down (Bird View)
How does society impact individuals?
Macro
The study of society and the individual in relationship to society.
Sociology
The generalized attitude of a large social group
Individuals develop a social self, which he called the “me,” and a response to that social self which he called the I
Generalized other
The “me” develops through interactions with others and consists of our interpretations of how the generalized other” views us.
The I arises in response to the “me”. The “I” is one’s personal identity and individuality.
Identify the missing items.
What is the looking glass self?
The self is shaped by others and interaction with others and perceptions of others.
- We imagine how we must appear to others
- We imagine what others must think of us
- We develop our feelings about ourselevs based on our imagined judgement of others.
Founder of Modern Sociology
Functionalism
Anomie: Dysfunction/Mismatch
Expectations vs. Environment
Durkheim
