Theoretical Perspectives Flashcards

Question

What sub-systems have Functionalists created?

Answer 1

Economic Class Education Political Kinship Legal Religious Family

Answer 2

More of a political philosophy and is mainly associated with a Conservative governemnt. However it can be seen as an extension of Functionalist thinking and has been influential in many areas of society.

Answer 3

The need to reduce power of the state to a minimum, reducing control of the individual by unnecessary state interference. Self-interest is given priority over the needs and welfare of others eg. benefits not a priority.

Answer 4

By making individuals more self-reliant. An example is cutting welfare benefits and encouraging people into work to make them 'stand on their own two feet' and not expecting them to be dependent on the state if they are physically and mentally capable of supporting themselves. Lower taxes are seen as a means of increasing incentives for individuals and businesses to succeed.

Answer 5

Means free competition between individuals, businesses is encouraged to give individuals maximum choice between competing products. Privatisation is the process of selling originally state owned industries to private companies. It's assumed that these private companies would compete with each other for profit , which would lead to lower prices and better quality services/products.

Answer 6

Such as traditional family life (nuclear family) and a traditional education and a condemnation of anything that challenges these values. For example, lone parent families have been attacked and blamed for a whole range of social problems such as crime.

Answer 7

Argue education should be ran like a business and parents should choose where to send children, optimistic it offers opportunity for all but cconcerns over failings, aspire to make state schools more like private viewing private as a better model of education (privatisation.)

Answer 8

Nuclear family and traditions are important, men and women should take conventional family roles, if a nuclear family breaks down then children won't be adequetly socialised, strongly critised by feminists as it warns against single parent families and benefits.

Answer 9

It's clearly isolated and commands little support except from its enthusiastic advocates. It's generally criticised for being ideologically blinkered ('tunnel vision') and over focused on looking for scapegoats. This is seen as a simplistic and short sighted, ignoring the complexities of modern society and reinforcing a world view that lacks evidence.

Answer 10

Comes from Karl Marx who lived in the 19th century. Marx took a macro approach and agrees with Functionalists that society is made up of a variety of interrelated parts.

Answer 11

Whereas Functionalists stress equality and consensus between the various systems, Marxists emphasise inequality between these structures and argue society is based on a fundamental conflict.

Answer 12

It was the driving force in society and it was this that determined the nature of socila institutions, and people's values and beliefs. Marxism sees the structure of society divided into two main parts- the economic base and the superstructure.

Answer 13

This infrastructure underpins society and determines everything. It consists of the means of production which is the land, factories, raw materials tech and labour required to produce society's goods and the relations of productions which is the relations such as shared ownership or private co-ownership between those involved in production; those who control production and the relationship between owners and non-owners.

Answer 14

This includes society's social institutions, such as the family, education, the media, religion and the political system and the beliefs and values (ideology) which Marx saw as primarily determined by the economic system.

Answer 15

In a capitalist society the means of production are privately owned and most people depend on owners for employment. Marx argued that workers produce more than is needed and this 'extra' is what Marx called surplus value and provides profit. However this often means workers don't get paid for the full value of their work and they are therefore being exploited.

Answer 16

Marx argued there were 2 basic social classes in the capitalist industrial society: a small wealthy and powerful class who own the means of production (bourgeoises) and a much larger, poorer class of non-owners (proletariat.) The proletariats only option is to sell their labout to the bourgeoise, the capitalists expolited the working class by keeping wages low and instead of giving the workers the full payment fot the goods they'd produced.

Answer 17

Marx asserted that this exploitation created major differences in interest between the two classes and thus created conflict. For example the workers want higher wages and owners want higher profits which is achieved by low wages or more work. Marx believed class conflcit would affect all areas of life.

Answer 18

Marx believed the dominant ideas in any society is the dominant ideology and those of the ruling class and the major institutions reflected these. Marxists argue ideologies can distort reality and prevent workers seeing their true class identity (exploited and alienated.) This diverts people's attentions away from revolutionary thought eg. religion distracts us saying we should accept our position. The bourgoises ownership of media means only their ideas are put forward and workers are almost brainwashed. Marx called this lack of awareness of the working class by their own interests 'false consciousness.'

Answer 19

Marx believed one day workers would become aware of their exploitation and develop class consciousness and act against the bourgeoise and revolt, overthroing the bourgeoise. The means of production would then be given to the state and run in the interests of everyone. Marx called this communism- which is an equal society in which means of production is the common property of all and without exploitation.

Answer 20

The exploitation of one large class by a small wealthy group of owners, creating social classes with opposing interests and inequalities. Marxists see society based on conflict between rival social classes with socila institutions serving to maintain the interests of a ruling class. They see the behaviour of individuals still largely determined/moulded by social institutions.

Answer 21

Socialising children so they're unlikely to challenge the system, education supports a capitalist society by ensuring working class are prepared for mundane repetitive behaviour, middle class possesses a cultural capital which results in material rewards in later life.

Answer 22

Simply a way to maintain and reinforce ideas which maintain a capitalist society, Marx suggests that in capitalist families women are commodities owned by men, family ensured ruling class remain powerful and it would be passed down from son to son (primogeniture.)

Answer 23

Means of production remain relatively privately owned eg. in Britain 10% of population own 53% of wealth Much evidence of major social class inequalities in life chances eg. health Unemployment is an ongoing problem affects most severely working class Owners of means of production still have much power and influence The law still favours the bourgeoise such as those who weaken trade unions and make it harder to strike Much evidence of opposing class interests and class conflict such as strikes.

Answer 24

Working class has not got poorer which Marx suggested andliving standards have improved Compulsory education has given working class more chance of upward social mobility and introduction of minimum wage Unemployed benefits help to reduce severe hardships Concentration of ownership has not occurred Marx ignores women and fails to analyse their positions in society Voting rights and trade unions give working class more power Marx put too much stress of economic determinism Unable to explain the degree of stability in society by other resources such as power Seperation of people into proletariat and capitalists hasn't occurred Laws are passed democratically by an elected government Marx suggested only two opposing classes would emerge but there is also the middle class who don't have interest in overthrowing the bourgeoise.

Answer 25

Views society as in conflict between men and women. Feminists have critised much sociological research as 'malestream', ignoring the concerns of women and their unequal position, and marginalising the importance of women's roles.

Answer 26

Result of systematic biases and inadequacies of theories developed by and about men.

Answer 27

It's a structural theory in the sense that it's centered on how the patriarchy shapes the experiences on women. However it's also interpretive since it seeks to make sense of womens experiences by portraying the meanings of being a woman in a patriarchal society.

Answer 28

All feminists agree women are oppressed and we should be striving to achieve equality-however the different branches disagree about the nature and extent of oppression, progress we have made and solutions to the patriarchy.

Answer 29

These feminists focus on the economic dependence women have on men as creted by capitalism. This dependence serves two functions: provide cheap female workers who can be exploited and to ensure houshold chores are done cheaply. When women do enter the workforce they traditionally work in low paid, low status and mainly part time jobs.

Answer 30

Abolition of capitalism. This would eradicate the double oppression of the patriarchy in the home and economic exploitation in the workplace.

Answer 31

Views gender inequality as stemming from the ignorance of men through socialisation and sex-role conditioning.

Answer 32

The education and reform of men and anti-discrimination legislation. They want to ensure women have equal opportunities with men within the present system, through steps such as changes to the law to stop sex discrimination, establishing equal pay, removing obstacles to women's full participation in society and better childcare measures so that women can play their full part in employment.

Answer 33

Glossing over the true oppression and exploitation that women experience. Other feminists also claim that men are not simply ignorant, but have a vested interest in maintaing the patriarchal ways of living.

Answer 34

Most extreme, they focus their attention on the power imbalance between men and women, known as sexual politics. They argue that all women are oppressed by men in particular the home and need to break this imbalance of power through a collective identification of their interests through a sense of 'sisterhood.'

Answer 35

Shared class identity. They argue women share the same sex-class position because they are controlled and sometimes abused by men.

Answer 36

Actively challenging and eradicating the prevailing systems of patriarchy. They believe in seperatism-finding ways of living where they are not subject to male oppression.

Answer 37

Evolved because black women felt that white feminists failed to recognised that some women were oppressed not only by patriarchy but but racism aswell. They criticise the ethnocentricity of most feminists being blinkered and focused on just white women's experiences.

Answer 38

The system of racism must be challenged alongside patriarchy and capitalism.

Answer 39

Embrace the essential argument of postmodernism, that we are now living in an increasingly fragmented and pluralistic society centered on individuality and multiple identites. While they recognise that gender is clearly a very important determinant of life chances, the experinces of individual women differ.

Answer 40

Social class, age, ethnicity,physical appearance and even locality all shape and individualise women's experiences. This is sometimes referred to as inter-sectional feminism as the different groups that women belong to often overlap/intersect.

Answer 41

As some women are more oppressed than others, so a more individualistic approach is necessary, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Answer 42

Still unequal pay within certain jobs eg.sportspeople Not equal opportunities Domestic violence Majority accept liberal and black feminists point of view.

Answer 43

Women have the vote Divorce laws More accessible childcare laws More laws which protect and support women Postmodernism is most up to date as we live in an increasingly pluralistic society.

Answer 44

Concerned with understanding the meanings and motives people give to behaviour and/or actions. Also study the processes by which interactions between individuals or small groups take place, how we interpret the behaviour of others and how this may influence the formation of our identities.

Answer 45

First sociologist to place emphasis on social action and he is usually referred to as the founding father of interpretivism.

Answer 46

Society and social structures are seen as the creation of individuals. An emphasis is placed on freewil in how people do things, act and form their identities. An emphasis is placed on the individual and everyday behaviour. Eg. more liekly to study a juvenile gang and on how they came to see the world (micro approach.) People's behaviour is viewed as being driven by the meanings they give to situations.

Answer 47

Individuals are constantly giving meaning to symbols and situations and organising their actions in the light of these meanings. They see behaviour as created via rational decisions that people make. This is known as the 'bottom up approach.'

Answer 48

Looks at how individuals mould society. It stresses the importance of the actor's ability to interpret the social world, arguing there is no objective reality; instead the world is real inside the head of an individual.

Answer 49

As individuals are very concious of the people around us and how they think about us and our behaviour.

Answer 50

How we imagine we appear to others How we imagine their judgement of that appearance Our response to those perceived judgements, such as pride, anger, humilation.

Answer 51

Goffman (1959) He recognised the tension between what people expect us to do and what we spontaneously want to do.

Answer 52

The self is a social product which develops through mixing with others. Its through interaction with others that people build up an awareness of themselves. Hence people use others as a looking glass to obtain information about themselves.

Answer 53

The concepts of power relations and labelling theory were introduced by Becker (1963). He noted how powerful groups can impose labels on the less powerful, these often stick and can become self-fulfilling. They may have a shared meaning then are eventually internalised.

Answer 54

Not caused by society but as the outcome of lables people apply to others in their interactions. Mary Cameron's (1964) study of shoplifting in Chicago found stores didn't automatically prosecute everyone they suspected of shoplifting. Store detectives made assumptions about the typical shoplifter eg. adolescents and black people.

Answer 55

Attempts to provide a middleway between structural and action perspectives. In real life society is probably best understood using a mixture of both structural and action approaches. Constraits from social institutions limit and control the behaviour of individuals and have important influences. However individuals within limits can make choices within those structures and act accordingly.

Answer 56

Critise it for neglecting social structures which they argue directly impact people's lives and shape life chances and opportunities. Marxists argue the structure of social class is particulary important whether or not people are aware of it.

Answer 57

We are shaped by the organisations within society We act as puppets-manipulated by societies norms and expected behaviour Described as macro (large-scale) approach because it focuses on how wider society influences us.

Answer 58

We have free will and choice, it emphasises the power of individuals to create society through their actions and interactions Described as micro (small-scale) approach, based onface-to-face interactions between individuals.

Answer 59

The shift from rural society where people lived in villages to an urban society where people live in towns and cities. It's paralleled by industrialisation in which the workforce increasingly moved out of agriculture into factory production. These changes had a significant impact on social life.

Answer 60

Traditional society- a rural-agricultural society where there was little social change, strong sense of community and religion dominated people's view of the world. Modern society- n urban-industrial society with social and technological change and a belief in progress and science.

Answer 61

Postmodernism stresses that society is changing so rapidly and constantly that it is marked by chaos and uncertainty. It argues social structures are being replaced by a whole range of different and constantly changing social relationships eg. families. People now live in such a wide-range of everchanging personal relationships. Any notion of a typical family is now absurd.

Answer 62

They cease to exist and have been replaced by a mass of individuals making individual choices about their lifestyle, identities, free from traditional constraints. Society is fragmenting into a mass of individuals and groups with such a wide diversity of interests and lifestyles. Societes can no longer be understood through theories. For postmodernists there is no single true theory and different theories are just a variety of different points of view of equal value.

Answer 63

There are few social constarints on people which structuralists approaches identify. In post modern societies the emphasis is on individuals making their own choices. People can form thei own identities and be whatever they want to be. It involves a media in which indivuals are free to pick and mix identities and lifestyles across a limitless range available across the globe.

Answer 64

Exaggerate the change and we are still living in a modern rather than postmodern era. Marxists argue that society is still capitalist and class inequality remains its key feature.

Theoretical Perspectives Flashcards

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