CHAPTER 1
6 social sciences, 3 sociological perspectives, and important people
6 Social Sciences
Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, History
3 Sociological Perspectives
Symbolic interactionism, Functional Analysis, Conflict theory
Symbolic interactionism
examines how people use symbols to develop and share their views of the world; focus on the micro level.
Functional Analysis
focused on the macro level; stresses that a social system is made up of interrelated parts, each part contributes to stability of the whole
Conflict Theory
focused on the macro level; stress that society is composed of competing groups that struggle for scarce resources
Auguste Comte
Positivism- applied the scientific method to the social world
Herbert Spencer
Social Darwinism- as generations pass, most capable and intelligent members of a society survive, less capable die out
Karl Marx
Class Conflict- Bourgeoisie (capitalists) are locked in conflict with Proletariat (workers), and struggle will only end when working class unites in revolution; founder of the conflict theory
Emile Durkheim
Social Integration- the degree to which people are tied to their social group
Max Weber
Protestant Ethic- claimed religion was the key factor in the rise of capitalism
Jane Addams
Social Reform- Founded "Hull-House" for people in need, won the Nobel Prize for Peace
W. E. B. Du Bois
Race Relations- found National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), battled racism
Talcott Parsons and C. Wright Mills
Theory versus Reform- 1940's: emphasis shifted from social reform to social theory, Mills urged people to get back to social reform
Robert Merton
Functionalism- functions can be manifest or latent (intended or unintended)
CHAPTER 2
Core U.S. values, important people
Robin Williams
identified underlying core values shared by many groups that make up U.S. society
15 Values identified by Robin Williams
achievement and success, individualism, activity and work, efficiency and practicality, science and technology, progress, material comfort, humanitarianism, freedom, democracy, equality, racism and group superiority, education, religiosity, romantic love
Emerging Values (5)
leisure, self-fulfillment, physical fitness, youthfulness, concern for the environment
Sapir and Whorf
created Sapir-Whorf hypothesis; states that language creates ways of thinking and perceiving
CHAPTER 3
Looking glass-self theory, taking role of other theory, development of reasoning theory, development of morality theory, global emotions theory, psychoanalytic theory of personality development, agents of socialization, and important people
Looking Glass-Self Theory
Charles Cooley- refers to process by which our self develops through internalizing others' reactions to us
Three Elements of Looking Glass-Self theory
1. We imagine how we appear to those around us
2. We interpret others' reactions
3. We develop a self concept
Taking the Role of the Other Theory
George Mead- putting oneself in someone else's shoes; understanding how they feel and think, anticipating how they will act
Three Stages of Taking the Role of the Other theory
1. Imitation- under age 3
2. Play- ages 3-6
3. Games- Early school years
Development of Reasoning Theory
Piaget- concluded children go through four stages as they develop ability to reason
Four Stages of Development of Reasoning
1. Sensorimotor Stage- (birth-2) direct contact with environment, no understanding
2. Preoperational Stage- (2-7) ability to use symbols, don't understand common concepts or what symbols mean
3. Concrete Operational Stage- (7-12) can understand numbers an
Development of Morality Theory
Kohlberg concluded that we go through stages as we develop morality
Three Stages of Development of Morality
(Children begin at amoral stage)
1. Age 7-10 preconventional stage - learn rules. Stay out of trouble
2. Age 10, conventional stage, follow norms and values learned
3. Postconventional stage- most don't reach. Reflect on abstract principles of right and w
Global Emotions Theory
Paul Ekman concluded 6 basic emotions: anger,disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise
Psychoanalytic Theory of Personality of Personality Development
Freud said personality contains 3 elements:
-Id: Freud's term for our inborn basic drives
-Ego: Freud's term for a balancing force between the id and the demands of society
-Superego: Freud's term for the conscience, the internalized norms and values of o
Psychoanalysis
technique for treating emotional problems through long term, intensive exploration of the subconscious mind
Id
Freud's term for our inborn basic drives
Ego
Freud's term for a balancing force between the id and the demands of society
Superego
Freud's term for the conscience, the internalized norms and values of our groups
Agents of Socialization
people or groups that affect our self concept, attitudes, behaviors, or other orientations toward life
Most important agent of socialization
family
Other agents of socialization
neighbors, religion, school, peers, sports, work
CHAPTER 4
5 parts of social structure, dramaturgy, ethnomethodology, important people
Social Structure
the framework that surrounds us, consisting of the relationships of people and groups to one another, which gives direction to and sets limits on behavior
Components of Social Structure (6)
Culture, social class, social status, roles, groups, social institutions
1. Culture
A group's language, beliefs values, behaviors and gestures. Also, material objects that a group uses.
2. Social Class according to Weber
a large group of people who rank close to one another in wealth, power, and prestige (respect)
2. Social Class according to Marx
One of two groups: capitalists who own means of production and workers who sell their labor
3. Social Status
The position that someone occupies in society or in a social group, could be ascribed (inherited/received) or achieved (earned) statuses.
4. Roles
the behaviors, obligations, and privileges attached to a status
Difference between Roles and Statuses
occupy a status, play a role
5. Groups
people who have something in common and who believe that what they have in common is significant; also called a social group
6. Social Institutions
the organized, usual, or standard ways by which society meets its basic needs
Dramaturgy
(Erving Goffman) An approach in which social life is analyzed in terms of drama or the stage, also called dramaturgical analysis
Front Stage
where performances are given
Back Stage
where people rest from their performances, discuss presentations, plan future performances
Role Performance
the ways in which someone performs a role within the limits that the role provides
Role Conflict
conflicts that someone feels between roles because the expectations attached to one role are incompatible with the expectations of another role
Role Strain
conflicts that someone feels within a role
Sign Vehicles
term used by Goffman to refer to how people use social setting appearance and manner to communicate info about self
Ethnomethodology
how people use background assumptions to make sense out of life
Background Assumptions
ideas about the way life is and how things ought to work
Founder of Ethnomethodology
Garfinkel (1967)
CHAPTER 5
8 steps of a research model, 6 research methods
Research Model
scientific research that follows eight basic steps
STEP 1
selecting a topic
STEP 2
defining the problem
STEP 3
reviewing the literature
STEP 4
formulating a hypothesis
(will need operational definitions- the way in which a researcher measures a variable)
STEP 5
choosing a research method
STEP 6
Collecting the data (and assure its validity)
STEP 7
analyzing the results
STEP 8
sharing the results
6 Research Methods
one of six procedures that sociologists use to collect data [surveys, participant observations, secondary analysis, documents, experiments, unobtrusive measures]
1. Surveys
the collection of data by having people answer a series of questions
2. Participant Observations
research in which the researcher participates in a research setting while observing what is happening in that setting
3. Secondary Analysis
researchers analyze data that has already been collected by others
4. Documents
recorded sources
5. Experiments
the use of control and experimental groups and dependent and independent variables to test causation
6. Unobtrusive Measures
observing the behavior of people who don't know they are being studied
Hawthorn Effect
when being observed, the person will not act naturally
CHAPTER 8
Social functions of deviance, control theory, labeling theory, techniques of neutralization, strain theory & reactions, differential association theory, important people
3 Social Functions of deviance
(Emile Durkheim)
1. Deviance clarifies moral boundaries and affirms norms
2. Deviance promotes social unity
3. Deviance promotes social change
Strain Theory
Robert Merton's term for the strain that exists when society socializes large numbers of people to desire certain cultural goals, but withholds from many the approved means of reaching that goal
Cultural Goals
the legitimate objectives held out to the members of society
Institutionalized Means
approved ways of reaching cultural goals
5 Reactions to the strain Theory
Conformists, Innovators, Ritualists, Retreatism, Rebellion
Conformists
Accept CG and IM
Innovators
Accept CG, not IM, use illegitimate ways of reaching the goals (cheat to reach goals)
Ritualists
No CG, yes IM, do what they love without reaching a goal (artists that never really get famous)
Retreatism
reject both CG and IM, drop-outs of society (alcoholics, drug addicts)
Rebellion
Think society is corrupt, reject both and try to change both CG and IM (communists?)