Term
| Who coined the term "sociology" and gave sociology its positivistic orientation? Define positivism. |
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Definition
Auguste Comte
Positivism
A Way of understanding based on science Sociology became positivistic |
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Term
| What major changes spurred the development of sociology as a discipline? Where did sociology begin? Where did sociology in the United States begin? |
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Definition
Applied the scientific approach to the study of society Search for “social laws” Gave us the term sociology
1892University of Chicago Opens first sociology department in the U.S. |
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Term
| Which 3 famous sociologists are considered the founders of this discipline? |
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Definition
| Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, Max Weber |
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Term
| Whose famous study of suicide in Europe helped to show the power of social forces on individuals making decisions? |
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Definition
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Term
| Who wrote about the “sociological imagination” that every sociologist must learn? |
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Definition
| C.Wright Mills, is ability to look beyond the individual as the cause for success and failure and see how one;s society influences the outcome. |
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Term
| What are the major methods of sociological research? |
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Definition
| Surveys, Observation, Experiments, Existing Sources. |
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Term
| What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative research? |
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Definition
| Qualitative: Description with your own point of view: Description with numbers, exact. |
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Term
| What is culture? Know the definition given by your book as well as the definition by Swidler given in lecture. |
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Definition
The Learned customs, knowledge, material objects and behavior of a society.
The“toolkit” of “symbols, stories, rituals, and worldviews” which give us our meanings and help us construct “strategies
of action” in daily life. |
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Term
| What are the major elements of culture discussed in lecture? |
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Definition
| Language, norms, symbols, values |
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Term
| What is the difference between ethnocentrism and cultural relativism? |
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Definition
cultural relativism: a fact or event is meaningful only within its cultural context
ethnocentrism : everything outside one's cultural context also gets a sweeping qualification from MY cultural standards. |
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Term
| What are the three major theoretical perspectives or paradigms in sociology? What are the major assumptions and beliefs that each perspective holds about society? |
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Definition
(Structural) Functionalist Perspective
tend to assume that our institutions and system serve a purpose for our society as a whole.
Conflict Perspective
tend to assume that our institutions and systems help maintain privilege and power for some at the expense of others.
(symbolic) Interactionist Perspective
tend to assume that Our Institutions And systems are what we are creating at that specific moment in societal history |
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Term
| What does it mean when a variable is “spurious”? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is culture shock, and what is the main reason people experience culture shock? |
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Definition
| is the difficulty people have adjusting to a new culture that differs markedly from their own. Inability to "read" meaning unfamiliar surroundings. |
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Term
| 35. What is the difference between racism and nativism? What is institutional discrimination? |
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Definition
Intense opposition to an internal minority on the groups of it'd foreign
Is the division of people based on perceived physical differences
is discrimination bulit into the operation of society's institutions |
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Term
| 34. What is the difference between race and ethnicity? Why is race “socially-constructed”? Answer the same questions for gender and sex. |
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Definition
| ethnicity is what you are born into, and race is what sociality clams that you are. |
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Term
| 36. What are the major inequalities built into race and gender in the United States? What is the "wage gap" and what factors do sociologists explore to explain it? |
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Definition
| Money,jobs, opportunities, men earn more money |
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Term
| 12. How do Marx and Weber define stratification systems (note: Weber adds to Marx’s theory…what does he add?)? |
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Definition
| PROVERTY IS THE SOLE DETERMINANT OF SOCIAL CLASS |
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Term
| 11. Which social characteristics tended to make people vulnerable to being hit hard in Hurricane Katrina? What does Dominguez tell us is the major issue with the way that we reacted to the events that followed the hurricane? |
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Definition
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Term
| 10. What is stratification? What is inequality? What are the different types of stratification systems? Which one of those types describes the U.S. today? |
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Definition
Is the structured ranking of groups that perpetuates unequal economic reward the power in society.
the condition in which members of society have different amounts of wealth, power and prestige.
estate, slavery |
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Term
| 9. What are the major characteristics of bureaucracy? Why were Weber and Marx so critical of them? |
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Definition
Division of labor, Hierarchy of authority, Rules and regulations, Impersonality, Employment based on technical qualifications.
gained wealth and power |
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Term
| 8. What are the major things groups do for us? (Know the difference between status, master status, stigma and the other major concepts we went over in class.) |
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Definition
Status- is the socially defined position within a large group or a society
Master Status- type of ascribed status that affects one's potential to access achieve statuses higher in the social structure |
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Term
| 7. What is social capital? Why is your network so important? |
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Definition
| Sociology concept that refers to the individual and collective resources available to a person. |
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Term
| 6. Who argued that life is like acting on a stage? Why did he say that? Know the name for this theory as well. |
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Definition
Erving Goffman
The Dramaturgical Approach
Social Interaction |
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Term
| 5. What is the relationship between macro- and microsociology? What’s the difference? |
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Definition
Macrosociology- Organizations/Institutions
Microsociology- Communication ( Symbols,Language) |
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Term
| 38. What is an “intersection” and why do sociologists study intersections? |
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Definition
What is an “intersection” and why do sociologists study intersections?
race,class, and gender can result in multiple dimensions of disadvantage |
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Term
| 39. What were the two major changes to welfare policy during American welfare reform of the 1990s? |
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Definition
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Term
| 10 11. How do our social programs for poor people in the United States differ from the social programs of other developed nations? What effect does that have on social inequality in this country; i.e. the extent and type of poverty you’d find in America vs. in other developed nations? (Also discussed in Chapter 10 & 11 Lecture) |
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Definition
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Term
| 1. How would sociologists differ from other types of scientists (like biologists) in their answer to the “nature vs. nurture” question? Why would they take that stance? |
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Definition
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Term
| 18. What were the two major changes to welfare policy during American welfare reform of the 1990s? |
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Definition
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Term
| 17. What is an “intersection” and why do sociologists study intersections? |
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Definition
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Term
| 16. Why is gender construction and violence related? What are some of the big issues that result because of the way that we tie violence to our gender norms? |
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Definition
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Term
| 13. What is the difference between race and ethnicity? Why is race “socially-constructed”? Answer the same questions for gender and sex. |
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Definition
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Term
| 11. What explains the increasing inequality in the United States that has taken place over the past few decades? Be able to describe how the American quintiles (each 20% of the U.S. population in the exercise we'll do in class) fared in terms of their social mobility or lack thereof in the post-World War II period vs. since the 1970s |
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Definition
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Term
| 10. Who is most likely to live in poverty in the United States? Know the general trends for poverty in the U.S., but remember don’t spent all your time studying statistics |
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Definition
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Term
| 9. Why is Marx so critical of capitalism? Why does he say communism is “inevitable”? Who develops a theory which explains why Marx’s inevitable revolution never happened? What is that theory? |
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Definition
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Term
| 8. Why do both of them say ideology is important for understanding capitalist stratification systems? Know the theory of the "Protestant Ethic." Also know why Marx is critical of intellectuals' role in a capitalist society. |
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Definition
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Term
| 7. How do Marx and Weber define stratification systems (note: Weber adds to Marx’s theory…what does he add?)? |
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Definition
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Term
| 5. What is stratification? What is inequality? What are the different types of stratification systems? Which one of those types describes the U.S. today? |
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Definition
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Term
| 1. What is correlation and causation? What are the 3 conditions necessary to prove causation? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the three major theoretical perspectives or paradigms in sociology? What are the major assumptions and beliefs that each perspective holds about society |
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Definition
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