Sociology
study of human behavior in social contexts. challenges assumptions and broadening horizons
August Comte
coined the term sociology
social structures
stable patterns of social relations
micro structures
face to face interaction with people who are close knit to you
symbolic interactions
how people view what things mean to them on a microstructural level. ability to see the connection between personal troubles and social issues.
subjective meaning
microstructures
conflict theory
has to do with inequality that produce social change
macrostructures
structural functionalism
human behavior is governed by social structures
macrostructures
feminist theory
focuses on various aspects of patriarchy or the system of male domination in society
micro and macro structures
sociological imagination
analyzing personal problems and being able to compare them to social issues
experiment
artificial situation that allows researchers to isolate causes and measure effects
field research
based on the observation of people in their natural settings
culture
ideas, practices, and material objects that people create to deal with real-life problems
high culture
opera, ballet
popular culture
culture consumed by all masses
material culture
composition of tools and objects that enable people to get tasks accomplished
non-material culture
symbols, norms, non-tangible elements
symbolic interactionism
emphasizes that people do not merely react to their social circumstances. researches MUST understand the subjective meanings people attach to their situations.
people's subjective opinions towards yourself and how you interpret them!!!!
multiculturalism
learning about other cultures and becoming worldly
cultural relativism
belief that all cultures have equal value
subculture
distinctive norms, values, and practices within larger culture
counterculture
oppose dominant values and seek to replace them. example: protestors
socialization
the process by which people learn their culture
role
behavior expected of a person occupying a particular position in society
id
part of self that demands immediate gratification
superego
repository of cultural standards or personal conscience
ego
balances the id and superego
primary socialization
family members who influence at an early age
secondary
school/education, influences that come later in life
George Herbet Meade: Role Taking
FOUR STAGES
1. language imitating others
2. pretending to be other people
3. take role of several others
4. employing cultural standard of society
total institutions
people are isolated from society and controlled by supervisors in a mental institution
dramaturgical analysis
approach that views social interaction as a sort of play in which people play and negotiate roles (Goffman)
front stage
in public settings, playing who we think people want us to be
back stage
our true self
what shapes social interaction?
emotions are not as unique, involuntary, and uncontrollable as we are often led to believe
social structure
influence how we think about things (example: social structure influences what we find funny)
deviance
action that departs from a norm
it is relative because norms vary widely
crime
special type of deviance because laws define certain deviant acts as criminal.
sanctions
actions indicating disapproval of deviance
informal sanction
a look, shaking head, or indicator of disapproval
formal sanction
serving time. judicial system is involved
stigmatization
negative evaluation of a group of people because of a marker that distinguishes them from the others
moral panic
when people believe some form of deviance or crime poses a threat to society
white-collar crimes
business related, fraud, embezzlement
street crimes
arson, burglary, robbery
fraud
costs society more than robbery but is far less punishable
criminal profiles
1. bias
2. more african americans in lower economic class strata
3. racial discrimination in criminal justice system
social stratification
refers to the way society is organized into layers or strata
wealth
what you own. you cannot earn wealth
income
what you earn
conflict theory
class and class consciousness
conflict theory: Marx
social stratification and class conflict are NOT inevitable and capitalist growth will eventually produce a society without class conflict
class
determined by one's relationship to the means of production
functionalist theory of stratification (Davis-Moore Thesis)
society needs to create incentives to motivate the most talented people to train for the most important jobs. functionalism.
some jobs are more important that others.
limits to functional theory of stratification
ignores the pool of talent lying undiscovered because of the inequality.
fails to examine how advantages are passed from generation to generation.
ALL jobs are importnat.
Gamers, Hackers, and Facebook
lack of face to face interaction
Barbie Girls V. Sea Monsters
gender roles are innate and learned
Medicalization of Deviance
medical definitions of deviant behavior are becoming more prevalent
Presentation of Self in every day life
how one presents themselves
Impact of the internet communications on social interactions
leaves less room for face to face interaction, allows people to present themselves as something they are not