Test info - Basic sociology terms Flashcards
(23 cards)
Sociology
Study of society and human behaviour.
Theories
General explanations of social patterns.
Consensus theories
Suggest there is agreement in society.
Conflict theories
Suggest society in unequal and based on some sort of conflict.
Evidence
Helps us decide which theories are more likely to be true.
Government may use sociologists’ findings to develop…
Social policies.
Human behaviour is … , but learned through …..
Not instinctive , Socialisation (feral children).
Culture
All things learned and shared by a group
knowledge, beliefs, norms and values
Values
Are general principles shared within a group .
Norms
Specific rules of behaviour in a group.
Subcultures
Some norms and values may differ from the larger.
Socalisation
Process of learning ones culture.
Primary socalisation
Mostly happens in families.
Secondary Socalisation
Mostly happens in education system.
Statuses
Ascribed - Gender, Class / Achieved - Teacher, Doctor.
Role
Set of norms that given how a person a in a certain role should act.
Structural view
Sees society shaping the individual.
Social Action theorists
More interested in the interactions between two people than how large institutions influence people.
Functionalists
Suggest society is based on value consensus (agreement of values/morals).
Marxists
See society based on class conflict. (bourgeoisie exploits proletariat).
Feminists
See society as patriarchal.
Postmodernists
Suggest we are more connected by what we consume, rather than by our class/religion etc.
Research methods
Such as surveys, participant observations and official statistics to gather evidence to test theories
