Sociology Quiz Flashcards
Functionalist School
The branch of sociology that studies society as a whole and analyzes how the parts of a society should work to achieve stability (parts of a body and if one part doesn’t work the entire body fails)
Conflict School
The branch of sociology that studies how humans compete for scarce resources (like power and command)
Neo-Marxist
Another name for conflict school
Symbolic interactionist school
Branch of sociology that focuses on the beliefs and actions of individuals and the meanings of these actions and beliefs
Social statics
Study of the forces that give a society stability (customs, laws, institutions)
Social dynamics
The study of the forces that result in a change in a society (revolutions, war, catastrophe)
Equilibrium
Belief that society has a natural tendency to find a balance between forces of change and forces of stability
Positivism
Belief that society can only be understood by rigidly applying the scientific method of analysis
Egoistic suicide
Suicide that is caused by an individual not sharing any of the major values or goals of a society
Altruistic society
Suicide that occurs when people knowingly enter an impossible situation and sacrifice their lives for another
Anomic suicide
Suicide caused by an individual being overwhelmed by a sudden change in society
Class conflict
Struggle between powerful and powerless groups in society
Bourgeoisie
The rich and powerful groups in society who own factories, land and machinery
Proletariat
The poor and powerless groups in a society who survive by selling their labor
Bureaucracies
Large, highly structure organizations that tend to function in a impersonal manner
