sociology theories

Question 1

what is functionalism as a theory

Answer 1

structural and consensus

Question 2

what are the main views of a functionalist about society

Answer 2

see society as a system that is made up of interconnected parts that together form a whole
society has basic needs that must be met if it is to continue to exist- functional prerequisites- particular institutions will function to meet these needs
function refers to the contribution of the part to the whole- all parts of society have a function which is to maintain the system and contribute to the survival of society

Question 3

what did Durkheim (functionalist) say about society

Answer 3

emphasised the importance of social order and social solidarity and the most important functional prerequisites is social order
he said social order could be achieved through consensus or a collective consciousness consisting of the common beliefs, without the consensus social order would be impossible
referred to anomie- norms and values are unclear and people feel unsure about the rules that should guide their behaviour

Question 4

what did parsons (functionalist) say about society

Answer 4

he argued only a commitment to common norms and values provides the basis the basis of order in society- known as value consensus which is the glue that holds society together
organic analogy- just like organs, everything has a function
when values are institutionalised and behaviour is structured- stable system and social equilibrium which is maintained through socialisation and social control

Question 5

what did parsons (functionalist) say were the prerequisites

Answer 5

adaptation- in order to survive society must have some degree of control over the environment (economy)
goal attainment- all societies must develop ways of making decision and must set goals which society activity is directed (political and legal systems)
latency- maintenance of basic patterns of values in society usually taught through socialisation (family, religion, work etc)
integration- the ways of limiting conflict in society- main one is law

Question 6

what did parsons (functionalist) say about social change

Answer 6

process of social evolution from simple to more complex forms of society- changes in adaption as main driving force

Question 7

what are the criticisms of functionalism about society

Answer 7

Merton- rejected argument that all parts work together and they do not benefit all members of society, challenged all aspects of social system have a positive function (identified dysfunctions)
society is in perfect harmony without conflict when it isnt, ignores unequal distribution of power, cant explain social change, fails to explain institutions cause in the first place, unscientific discipline because it cant be disproved

Question 8

what is the marxist critique of functionalism about society

Answer 8

neglected importance of material interests, far from accurate there is no shared value consensus

Question 9

what is the feminist critique of functionalism about society

Answer 9

ignores position of women and aligns them with traditional roles, supportive of the status quo ignores the power of some to impose their values and goals

Question 10

what is the interactionist critique of functionalism about society

Answer 10

over deterministic view making people seem like puppets, Walsh- portray social system as active agent but only humans can act

Question 11

what is the postmodernist critique of functionalism about society

Answer 11

irrelevant meta narrative there is a diversity of views

Question 12

what is main views of marxism about society

Answer 12

conflict of ruling and subject class which forms basic dialect of social change
ruling class owns the means of production giving them power and dominance
subject class- own their own labour they sell to the ruling class which makes them powerless
exploitation of the subject class- one class gains at the expense of the other

Question 13

what did marxists say about economic factors

Answer 13

they are the primary influence on change
ruling class have ownership which means that they are able to control and benefit from the work of the subject class
the result is the conflict of interest between the ruling class and the subject class

Question 14

what did marxists say about class consciousness

Answer 14

to bring about social change workers had to rise up and overthrow ruling class but can only do this if they are aware of the contradictions
ruling class ideas dominant in society- assume their interests are those of society as a whole subject class accept this view and see it as part of the natural order- false class consciousness

Question 15

what is the marxist superstructure of society

Answer 15

social structure of society including education, political systems etc which pass on the ideas of the ruling class to the workers who accept them ruling class dominance is confirmed in these institutions

Question 16

what is alienation

Answer 16

workers are completely separate from and have no control over the forces of production
the worker is reduced to an unskilled labourer mindlessly repeating a meaningless task

Question 17

what did marxists say about revolution and communism

Answer 17

subject class will eventually become conscious and will become a class for itself aware of the common enemy and will revolt and overthrow the ruling class
communism- communal ownership of the means of production, products of labour will no longer be taken by the expense of others, humans will produce for themselves and others not just the ruling class, there will be no classes and no conflict

Question 18

what did gramsci (marxist) say about society

Answer 18

most working classes hadnt risen up and overthrown the ruling class
hegemony- revolutions hadnt taken place due to consent given by the masses to the type of society imposed on them by the dominant groups in society
capitalist rule does not depend solely on force involved the active consent of the pop
the struggle is not just economic system but also cultural and ideological struggles
class struggle is voluntaristic- humans have free will and can create their own history but workers able to challenge this by counter hegemony

Question 19

what do critical theory argue (marxist)

Answer 19

capitalism has destroyed critical thought needed to challenge the system- repressive tolerance
economic affluence stripped the working class of its identity- one dimensional culture

Question 20

what did althusser (marxist) say

Answer 20

human beings have no free will and range of structures control human society
capitalist society has three stages- economic, political and ideological levels

Question 21

what is the repressive state apparatus

Answer 21

armed bodies of men, army, police and prisons who coerce the workers into complying with the will of the ruling class

Question 22

what is the ideological state apparatus

Answer 22

the media, education system, family who manipulate the working class into accepting capitalism and legitimate

Question 23

what are the weaknesses of marxist about society

Answer 23

class structure of society is more complex than the ruling and subject class
revolutions havent happened
most communist societies dont work
it didnt predict the fail of communism and return to capitalism
underestimated the flexibility of capitalism
too much emphasis on economic factors
economic determinism
over emphasis on class conflict

Question 24

what is the feminist critique of marxist about society

Answer 24

downplays conflicts in domestic sphere- male stream theory

Question 25

what is the postmodernist critique of marxist about society

Answer 25

irrelevant consumption today overrides production

Question 26

what are the strengths of marxist about society

Answer 26

provides valuable critique of capitalist society much needed analysis of power relations that exist concern for the subject class has importance writings are more subtle than many of critics have suggested didnt view humans as passive continues to exert a huge influence of social political thoughts

Question 27

what are the liberal feminist views about society

Answer 27

can achieve equality through reform and have pushed for this in the public sphere- equal pay act 1970 and sex discrimination act 1975 argue that gender inequality is the result of sexual division in labour focus on gender roles in society which are reinforced by the socialisation process

Question 28

what did friedan (liberal feminist) say about society

Answer 28

feminine mystique- cultural myth that women seek security and fulfilment in domestic life which serves to discourage women from entering jobs, politics and public life in general

Question 29

what are the criticisms of liberal feminists about society

Answer 29

over optimistic that they can be gradually reformed ignore significance of deep rooted structures causing womens oppression reform-women become male identified because they have access to the male world focus on the public sphere rather than the private sphere

Question 30

what did radical feminists say about society

Answer 30

society is patriarchal (Millet described patriarchy as a system that runs through every society and systems, Firestone-patriarchy lies in their ability to bear and care for children) the personal is political (personal is domestic sphere) men are the enemy (Brownmiller-men dominate through physical and sexual abuse the ideology of rape men rape because they can biological capacity) revolutionary change

Question 31

what do radical feminists believe should happen

Answer 31

sexual revolution- women would devlop common consciousness and overthrow patriarchy establish a sisterhood and unite to condemn patriarchy should form matrilocal or all female households living apart from men and creating a culture of female independence heterosexual relationships is sleeping with the enemy so lesbianism is the only non opressive form of sexuality

Question 32

what are the criticisms are there of radical feminists about society

Answer 32

assumes all women are the same and ignores gender differences between social class and ethnicity assume all men are the same and all men are the enemy inadequate theory to how patriarchy should be abolished- unlikely and undesirable for many women liberals- point out positions in society has improved- gender equality is becoming a reality neglect the violence committed against men by females along with violence in lesbian relationships

Question 33

what do marxist feministis believe about society

Answer 33

womens disadvantaged position caused by capitalist economy- men need heirs to inherit that wealth capitalism accumulates, womens job to produce those heirs and future labour force- reproduction of labour power famillial ideology- women domestica labourers and dependent on men and stay in oppressive family types see it as normal and ideology keeps them subordinated female subordination supports capitalism ensuring cheap wages and domestic labour women are a form of reserve army of labour women absorb anger- Ansley- takers of shit explain domestic violence against women

Question 34

what are some criticisms of marxist feminists about society

Answer 34

fail to account for the exploitation and subordination of women who reside in non capitalist societies fail to explain why it is the women who carry out this role and not the men- can be considered to be -sex blind-

Question 35

what are the interactionist feminist views about society

Answer 35

reality of female subordination resemble to subordination felt by women who are white middle class heterosexual and from western societies aims to reflect the diversity of womens experiences and incorporate all women of culture, class and ethnicity

Question 36

what does butler (interactionist feminists) say about society

Answer 36

best way to explore experience of women in society is to look at the discourse- we can give power to those we define

Question 37

what does postmodernist feminists views about society

Answer 37

views on females cant be single shared entity as women do not share the same experience discourse shapes identity and with a variety of times and cultures and the identity of what it is to be a woman will differ between such things

Question 38

what are the criticisms of both interactionist and postmodernist feminists about society

Answer 38

fails to ackowledge the many similarities of women in society by saying all women are different can form sub groups of women which can weaken the approach and create conflicts between different groups of women

Question 39

what did weber (interactionist) views about society

Answer 39

both structural and action approaches are necessary for full understanding of human behaviour should aim to understand subjective meanings individuals attach to actions still acknowledged existence of social structure and aspects of that social structure social action- action individual attaches a meaning and takes into account the behaviour of others

Question 40

what is verstehen

Answer 40

to understand the way they look at the world and how this influences their actions

Question 41

what are the types of action (social action/interactionist)

Answer 41

instrumentally rational action- actor thinks about the best way to achieve a goal value rational action- involves taking action towards a goal that is desirable for its own sake traditional action- involve customs and routines affectual action- expression of emotion

Question 42

what do interactionists argue about society

Answer 42

societies are best understood by examining on a micro scale rather than a macro scale human action is meaningful meaning is generated through symbols social order is the result of micro level interaction created by social actions and not imposed onto people

Question 43

what did Mead (interactionist) say about society

Answer 43

our behaviour isnt shaped by fixed instincts- we respond to the world by giving meaning to things- we create and inhabit a world of meaning by attaching symbols before we respond to stimulus we have to interpret its meaning we can interpret meaning through taking the role of the person we are interacting with allowing us to generate a more appropriate response our ability to develop the role around us develops through social interaction we come to see ourselves as the view of the wider community we become conscious of the way of acting that others require of us through shared symbols

Question 44

what is the looking glass self

Answer 44

self fulfilling prophecy can occur as we become who others see us

Question 45

what did goffman (interactionist) say about society

Answer 45

we have autonomy and shape our own self by manipulating others impressions of us we are all actors and aim to carry out a convincing performance impression management- seek to present ourselves in a particular light to others we have freedom in how we want to play roles

Question 46

what is phenomenology

Answer 46

tries to explain our basic assumptions about the social world made up of shared common sense knowledge

Question 47

what did schutz (interactionist) say about society

Answer 47

communication and interaction is based on common sense knowledge through this everything becomes socially constructed social structure only exists because it has been given meaning by social actors

Question 48

what is ethnomethodology

Answer 48

aims to study the creation of social order in society through the rules and methods used to produce such meanings in the first place

Question 49

what did Garfinkel (interactionist) say about society

Answer 49

indexticality- not every action has a fixed meaning because it depends on the context reflexivity- use common sense knowledge to construct sense of meaning to prevent indexticality from happening create patterns and ideas around certain actions to create order and meaning generating a common sense knowledge

Question 50

what is the structuration theory

Answer 50

structure and action both have an influence over human behaviour

Question 51

what did Giddens (interactionist) say about society

Answer 51

structure has two key elements- rules (norms customs laws that govern action) and resources (economic and power over others) these can be reproduced or changed through human action our actions tend to reproduce rather than change them due to common sense knowledge change can happen due to reflection upon our actions and so we can choose a new course of action or our actions may have unintended consequences producing changes that were not part of our goal

Question 52

what are the strengths about interactionism

Answer 52

they avoid determinism of structural theories- recognise people create society through their own choices and meanings provided sociology with an alternative approach- allowed to move away from the rigid positivistic approach which has been very influential

Question 53

what are the criticisms about interactionism

Answer 53

can be accused of examining human interaction as a vacuum- focus on small scale interaction with little concern for its historical or social setting focuses on face to face interactions and ignores wider social structures fails to explain the origins of social interaction and labels

Question 54

what are the marxist critiques on interactionism

Answer 54

meaning that operate face to face interaction are largely the product of class relationships

Question 55

what are the feminists critiques on interactionism

Answer 55

ignore the impact of wider social structures such as patriarchy

Question 56

what are the functionalist critiques on interactionsm

Answer 56

cannot explain consistent patterns we observe in peoples behaviours- these patterns are the result of norms dictating behaviour

Question 57

what are the postmodernists main view on society

Answer 57

there is no such thing as the objective truth- competing ways of looking at the world presenting ideas as the objective truth results in power

Question 58

what did baudrillard (postmodernist) say about society

Answer 58

we live in an era saturated by the media and postmodern society is characterised by superficial culture dominated by the media hyperreality- people have very little experience on the real world- become confused between reality and fictions- reality is entirely the product of the media simulacra- people consume products because of the meaning behind the product implications- construct our own identity with a wide range of lifestyles on offer in the media- like in a pick n mix society so we have lost the power to improve society if we have no grasp over reality

Question 59

what are the strengths of postmodernism

Answer 59

revitalised sociology allowed for the reevaluation of older perspective who have become lazy with their ideas recognised the significant changes in the late 20th and early 21st century

Question 60

what are the weaknesses of postmodernism

Answer 60

accused of exaggerating the extent of recent social change as there hasnt been a complete break from modernity underestimates the importance of identities such as class, gender and ethnicity wrong to claim people cant distinguish between the media and relative encourages political apathy if they claim there is no objective truth why should we believe their theory

Question 61

what is the marxist and feminist critique of postmodernism

Answer 61

largely ignores power and inequality