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146 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Herbert Spencer: What is the nature of society?
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Society functions like a biological organism. Individual components acquire a "mutual dependence" to function. Societies progress. Society does not have a distinct "external form", yet the surrounding conditions and environment have an effect on its evolution.
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Herbert Spencer: What is the relation between individuals and society?
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Men are mobile compared to the fixed parts of a living creature, but societal roles are FIXED. Men each hold feeling. No man can be sacrificed for the good of society, but some classes and people are superior.
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Herbert Spencer: What is human nature?
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Men have feeling. All humanity has some sort of central unity (psychic unity). Individuals are compelled by their social history and cultural schema.
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Psychic unity
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All human minds have the same potential, to some degree, for some complexity of thought.
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Social Darwinism
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Applying "survival of the fittest" to society and culture. Herbert Spencer's coin.
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Problems with Spencer
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Presence of dictators, ethnic identity.
These were not political issues at the time of Spencer's writing. He was only familiar with governments that had been around for a very long time. |
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Degenerist theory
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The competing idea in Spencer's time, that people were previously complex and then got more and more savage. Spencer was a progressive evolutionist.
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Herbert Spencer: What is the nature of change?
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Since societies evolve, change is a natural progression, getting more and more complex. The causes of growth in society are the principles of supply and demand which lead to economic profit, such as an organic being. Systems of communication and trade are like vascular and neural variation.
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Social organism
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Herbert Spencer's theory that society is like an organism, an interrelated system of connected parts.
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Herbert Spencer: What is the role of power and equality?
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Some people and classes are better than others. In the stages of societal evolution, class structure slowly grows from "governed" and "government" to a multi-tiered system.
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Herbert Spencer: What is the nature of society?
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Society functions like a biological organism. Individual components acquire a "mutual dependence" to function. Societies progress. Society does not have a distinct "external form", yet the surrounding conditions and environment have an effect on its evolution.
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Herbert Spencer: What is the relation between individuals and society?
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Men are mobile compared to the fixed parts of a living creature, but societal roles are FIXED. Men each hold feeling. No man can be sacrificed for the good of society, but some classes and people are superior.
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Herbert Spencer: What is human nature?
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Men have feeling. All humanity has some sort of central unity (psychic unity). Individuals are compelled by their social history and cultural schema.
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Psychic unity
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All human minds have the same potential, to some degree, for some complexity of thought.
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Social Darwinism
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Applying "survival of the fittest" to society and culture. Herbert Spencer's coin.
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Problems with Spencer
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Presence of dictators, ethnic identity.
These were not political issues at the time of Spencer's writing. He was only familiar with governments that had been around for a very long time. |
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Degenerist theory
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The competing idea in Spencer's time, that people were previously complex and then got more and more savage. Spencer was a progressive evolutionist.
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Herbert Spencer: What is the nature of change?
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Since societies evolve, change is a natural progression, getting more and more complex. The causes of growth in society are the principles of supply and demand which lead to economic profit, such as an organic being. Systems of communication and trade are like vascular and neural variation.
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Social organism
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Herbert Spencer's theory that society is like an organism, an interrelated system of connected parts.
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Herbert Spencer: What is the role of power and equality?
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Some people and classes are better than others. In the stages of societal evolution, class structure slowly grows from "governed" and "government" to a multi-tiered system.
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Sir Edward Tylor: What is culture?
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That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.
It contains universal trends from human nature and "stages of development or evolution". |
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Herbert Spencer's famous writing
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"The Social Organism"
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Sir Edward Tylor's famous writing
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"The Science of Culture"
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Sir Edward Tylor: What is human nature?
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It contains universal trends.
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Sir Edward Tylor: Can culture be studied scientifically?
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Yes. It is different from history. Primary tools are similar, industries interchangeable ,and beliefs homogenous around tribal groups..
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Sir Edward Tylor: How can culture be studied?
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Place everything into categories like weapons, textile arts, and myths. Trace an object's geographical distribution to understand its origin in place and society.
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Sir Edward Tylor: What is the relation between individuals and society?
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The individual's motives and actions form cultural practice.
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Survivals
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Traditions held over from the past that are no longer necessary in society, but remain as signposts of older "condition of culture". Sir Edward Tylor's thing.
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Sir Edward Tylor: Definition of civilization
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A complex network of "progress, degradation, survival, revival, and modification." Most of culture is a continuation of the past.
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Sir Edward Tylor: What is the nature of change?
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The unique practices of modern man are "transmissions" and "modifications" of previous peoples. All of society progresses in distinct stages. Civilization cannot be divorced from past events.
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Sir Edward Tylor: What is culture?
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That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.
It contains universal trends from human nature and "stages of development or evolution". |
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Herbert Spencer's famous writing
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"The Social Organism"
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Sir Edward Tylor's famous writing
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"The Science of Culture"
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Sir Edward Tylor: What is human nature?
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It contains universal trends.
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Sir Edward Tylor: Can culture be studied scientifically?
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Yes. It is different from history. Primary tools are similar, industries interchangeable ,and beliefs homogenous around tribal groups..
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Sir Edward Tylor: How can culture be studied?
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Place everything into categories like weapons, textile arts, and myths. Trace an object's geographical distribution to understand its origin in place and society.
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Sir Edward Tylor: What is the relation between individuals and society?
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The individual's motives and actions form cultural practice.
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Survivals
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Traditions held over from the past that are no longer necessary in society, but remain as signposts of older "condition of culture". Sir Edward Tylor's thing.
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Sir Edward Tylor: Definition of civilization
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A complex network of "progress, degradation, survival, revival, and modification." Most of culture is a continuation of the past.
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Sir Edward Tylor: What is the nature of change?
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The unique practices of modern man are "transmissions" and "modifications" of previous peoples. All of society progresses in distinct stages. Civilization cannot be divorced from past events.
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Sir Edward Tylor: What is culture?
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That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.
It contains universal trends from human nature and "stages of development or evolution". |
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Herbert Spencer's famous writing
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"The Social Organism"
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Sir Edward Tylor's famous writing
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"The Science of Culture"
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Sir Edward Tylor: What is human nature?
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It contains universal trends.
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Sir Edward Tylor: Can culture be studied scientifically?
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Yes. It is different from history. Primary tools are similar, industries interchangeable ,and beliefs homogenous around tribal groups..
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Sir Edward Tylor: How can culture be studied?
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Place everything into categories like weapons, textile arts, and myths. Trace an object's geographical distribution to understand its origin in place and society.
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Sir Edward Tylor: What is the relation between individuals and society?
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The individual's motives and actions form cultural practice.
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Survivals
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Traditions held over from the past that are no longer necessary in society, but remain as signposts of older "condition of culture". Sir Edward Tylor's thing.
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Sir Edward Tylor: Definition of civilization
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A complex network of "progress, degradation, survival, revival, and modification." Most of culture is a continuation of the past.
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Sir Edward Tylor: What is the nature of change?
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The unique practices of modern man are "transmissions" and "modifications" of previous peoples. All of society progresses in distinct stages. Civilization cannot be divorced from past events.
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Purpose of many of Sir Edward Tylor's writings
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Justifying colonialism to a British audience.
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Monogenesis
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The theory that all men descended from one people, versus multiple evolutions.
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Sir Edward Tylor: Do people have free will?
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Human agents act according to the laws of nature We don't have free will. Tylor thinks you can be objective about the study of cultures.
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Lewis Henry Morgan's main work
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"Ethnical Periods"
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Lewis Henry Morgan: What is human nature?
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Man has acquired civility from his savage natural state through "accumulation of experimental knowledge."
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Lewis Henry Morgan: What is the nature of society?
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There are three states of social existence: the savage, the barbarian, and civilization. They are connected in a sequence of progress.
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Lewis Henry Morgan: How does he study culture?
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Through material culture. He organizes cultures by material culture, kinship terms, family, and socio-political organization, but he mostly focuses on material culture.
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Lewis Henry Morgan: What is the nature of change?
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He's an evolutionist too.
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Karl Marx major writings
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The Communist Manifesto, and tooooooons of other stuff.
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Karl Marx: What is the nature of society?
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Motivated by production, and who has the means of production. The way that production is distributed in society rules the social order.
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Karl Marx: What is culture?
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Cultural perceptions are fabricated by material concerns. You do not have thoughts beyond material concerns. Marx is a MATERIALIST.
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Karl Marx: What is the nature of change?
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Driven by CONFLICT between classes. Change is progressive. You go through certain stages which are prompted by conflict. This view is created through history.
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Dialectical materialism
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Marx. concept of reality in which material things are in the constant process of change brought about by the tension between conflicting or interacting forces, elements, or ideas
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Karl Marx: What is the role of power and equality?
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Relationship between producers and factory owners. Equality is the utopian ideal. Power structures only change through working classes rising up against factory owners and themselves becoming the masters.
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Karl Marx: What is the relation of individuals and society?
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Individuals don't have free will. We are inherently selfish, we want to be the master and not the slave. All of the power that we think that we have is upper classes fooling us into thinking we have control so we won't rise up against them.
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Karl Marx: What is human nature?
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Individuals don't have free will. We are inherently selfish, we want to be the master and not the slave. Humans are motivated by material concerns.
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Mechanical solidarity
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Émile Durkheim's term. Primitive societies with no internal differentiation, where kinship creates main bond. Collective conscious overtakes individual conscience. Groups can leave without disrupting society.
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Organic solidarity
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Émile Durkheim's term. Complex, industrialized societies with internal differentiation and specialization. Main bond formed by economic and labor interdependence. Individual conscience has some freedom from collective conscience.
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Social fact
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Ways of acting and behaving that are general throughout a given society. The social norms that you feel when you break them. Émile Durkheim.
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Émile Durkheim
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has a ridiculous mustache.
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Émile Durkheim: What is the nature of society?
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It is bound together my social facts.
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Émile Durkheim: What is culture? What do you study when you study culture?
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You study social facts. These are ideas! Durkheim is an idealist.
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Émile Durkheim: What is human nature?
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People are a part of society with limited free will. Constrained by social facts. We tend to see things in dualisms.
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Émile Durkheim: Can cultures/societies change? What is the nature of change?
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They CAN change, like rural to urban moves. Collective will changes, and people establish new social facts.
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Enculturation
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Émile Durkheim. Passing along of social facts.
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Émile Durkheim: What is the nature of conflict in society?
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Doesn't see it as constructive or progressive. Leads to a breaking down. Happens when people violate and challenge social facts. "incomplete cohesion"
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Émile Durkheim: Dualism
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Part of human nature. Is this the "original religion"? Linked with totemism.
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Émile Durkheim: How does he feel about "primitive" culture?
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Difference between mechanical and organic solidarity. Primitives are good ways of studying universal social processes.
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Émile Durkheim: How can you study social facts?
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Statistics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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L'ame collective
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The collective conscience. This holds society together. participation in a shared system of beliefs and values. Durkheim.
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Marcel Mauss's famous work
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The Gift
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Marcel Mauss: What is the nature of power?
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Power is in objects of exchange. Gifts given during a potlatch are considered sacred and in some cases animate. You display power by GIVING and DESTROYING gifts.
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Marcel Mauss's teacher?
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Émile Durkheim.
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Marcel Mauss: What is the nature of society?
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Bound by social facts. Gifts are social facts.
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Marcel Mauss's big thing
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There is no such thing as a pure gift, because gifts establish social connections, and some form of reciprocity is expected. (Or, alternately, the reciprocity is not given by the person to whom you give the gift, but is something that you gain from society in the act of giving.
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Potlatch
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A gift exchange/ritual ceremony held by some Native American tribes in the northwest, during which the host gives gifts and food to the tribesmen. Cements social ties and establishes power.
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Max Weber's famous work
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The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
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Max Weber: Meaning
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Calvinist work ethic said that if you worked really hard, you could claim to be elected for salvation. Calvinist religion rendered work MEANINGFUL ad sacred.
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Max Weber: Ideal types
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Our imagined understandings of how things work. An anti-empiricist notion.
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Max Weber: What is the nature of conflict?
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Sometimes change is conflict driven. It can only exist when classes and groups are organized under quite specific conditions.
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Marcel Mauss's famous work
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The Gift
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Marcel Mauss: What is the nature of power?
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Power is in objects of exchange. Gifts given during a potlatch are considered sacred and in some cases animate. You display power by GIVING and DESTROYING gifts.
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Marcel Mauss's teacher?
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Émile Durkheim.
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Marcel Mauss: What is the nature of society?
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Bound by social facts. Gifts are social facts.
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Marcel Mauss's big thing
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There is no such thing as a pure gift, because gifts establish social connections, and some form of reciprocity is expected. (Or, alternately, the reciprocity is not given by the person to whom you give the gift, but is something that you gain from society in the act of giving.
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Potlatch
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A gift exchange/ritual ceremony held by some Native American tribes in the northwest, during which the host gives gifts and food to the tribesmen. Cements social ties and establishes power.
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Max Weber's famous work
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The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
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Max Weber: Meaning
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Calvinist work ethic said that if you worked really hard, you could claim to be elected for salvation. Calvinist religion rendered work MEANINGFUL ad sacred.
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Max Weber: Ideal types
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Our imagined understandings of how things work. An anti-empiricist notion.
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Max Weber: What is the nature of conflict?
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Sometimes change is conflict driven. It can only exist when classes and groups are organized under quite specific conditions.
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Marcel Mauss's famous work
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The Gift
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Marcel Mauss: What is the nature of power?
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Power is in objects of exchange. Gifts given during a potlatch are considered sacred and in some cases animate. You display power by GIVING and DESTROYING gifts.
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Marcel Mauss's teacher?
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Émile Durkheim.
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Marcel Mauss: What is the nature of society?
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Bound by social facts. Gifts are social facts.
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Marcel Mauss's big thing
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There is no such thing as a pure gift, because gifts establish social connections, and some form of reciprocity is expected. (Or, alternately, the reciprocity is not given by the person to whom you give the gift, but is something that you gain from society in the act of giving.
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Potlatch
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A gift exchange/ritual ceremony held by some Native American tribes in the northwest, during which the host gives gifts and food to the tribesmen. Cements social ties and establishes power.
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Max Weber's famous work
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The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
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Max Weber: Meaning
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Calvinist work ethic said that if you worked really hard, you could claim to be elected for salvation. Calvinist religion rendered work MEANINGFUL ad sacred.
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Max Weber: Ideal types
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Our imagined understandings of how things work. An anti-empiricist notion.
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Max Weber: What is the nature of conflict?
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Sometimes change is conflict driven. It can only exist when classes and groups are organized under quite specific conditions.
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Marcel Mauss's famous work
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The Gift
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Marcel Mauss: What is the nature of power?
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Power is in objects of exchange. Gifts given during a potlatch are considered sacred and in some cases animate. You display power by GIVING and DESTROYING gifts.
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Marcel Mauss's teacher?
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Émile Durkheim.
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Marcel Mauss: What is the nature of society?
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Bound by social facts. Gifts are social facts.
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Marcel Mauss's big thing
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There is no such thing as a pure gift, because gifts establish social connections, and some form of reciprocity is expected. (Or, alternately, the reciprocity is not given by the person to whom you give the gift, but is something that you gain from society in the act of giving.
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Potlatch
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A gift exchange/ritual ceremony held by some Native American tribes in the northwest, during which the host gives gifts and food to the tribesmen. Cements social ties and establishes power.
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Max Weber's famous work
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The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
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Max Weber: Meaning
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Calvinist work ethic said that if you worked really hard, you could claim to be elected for salvation. Calvinist religion rendered work MEANINGFUL ad sacred.
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Max Weber: Ideal types
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Our imagined understandings of how things work. An anti-empiricist notion.
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Max Weber: What is the nature of conflict?
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Sometimes change is conflict driven. It can only exist when classes and groups are organized under quite specific conditions.
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Max Weber: What is the nature of the individual?
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People have some but not total agency. Individuals and their relationship to social groups were of great importance.
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Max Weber: What is the nature of power?
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"parties" are formed to acquire political or social power. "Classes" can't perform collective actions. He argues that class itself doesn't constitute a community.
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Émile Durkheim: What is the relation of individuals and society? (Good one)
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People are dependent on each other. Especially in organic solidarity (instead of in developing countries, where each person is exchangeable for anyone else). People are the cogs in a wheel.
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Max Weber: What is culture?
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Culture is action-centered. Social action should be the central concern of sociology, but he also emphasized the nation of "spirit" within society.
His analysis of things was holistic. He showed how an activity is not only economic, but is part of a whole complex including things like religion. |
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Historical Particularism
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Cultures cannot be considered outside of their historic context. Boas.
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Franz Boas: What is culture?
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It is sui generis, or its own source. Inborn differences cannot account for range of cultural variation that anthropologists had documented.
Cultural relativism: No culture is better or worse than another. |
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Franz Boas: What is the relation of individuals and society?
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Individuals are IMPORTANT in society!
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A. L. Kroeber's major work
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Eighteen Professions
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A. L. Kroeber: What is the relation of the individual and society?
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Individuals do not hold a significant role in determining culture.
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A. L. Kroeber: What is culture?
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Civilization (here used like "culture" is its own entity and another order of life separate from man himself, though it is carried by men. Culture is SUPERORGANIC. Culture is GROUP activity. It is the doing that is important.
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A. L. Kroeber: Culture and environment
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Geography and physical environment do not dictate path of a culture. It makes use of the environment but is not determined by it
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Paul Radin's teacher
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Boas
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A. L. Kroeber's teacher
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Boas
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Paul Radin's approach to studying culture
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Believed that only through long-term intensive study and language mastery that an anthropologist can fully comprehend another culture
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Paul Radin: What is the nature of the individual?
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The individual is the epitome of how the society things. Ultimate reflection of cultural values.
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Paul Radin: What is culture?
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Radin is an idealist. Culture is ideas!
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Benjamin Whorf's teacher
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Edward Sapir
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Benjamin Whorf: His theory
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Language determines your thought.
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Benjamin Whorf: What is culture?
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People are able to conceptualize ideas through language. We experience largely as we do because of the language habits of our community, predispose certain choices of interpretation.
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Bronislaw Malinowski: What is culture?
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Culture is how people satisfy basic needs through cultural constraints.
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Psychological functionalism
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Malinowski. Culture is how human beings obtain basic needs with constraints. Actions among individuals, the constraints imposed by social institutions on individuals, and relations between the needs of individuals and the satisfaction of those needs through cultural and social frameworks.
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Bronislaw Malinowski: What is the role of the individual in society?
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Individuals cannot see the bigger complex picture. They can comment about their own individual roles, but can't see the big picture. Culture exists because of humans fulfilling basic needs (UNLIKE Durkheim)
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Bronislaw Malinowski: What is the role of conflict?
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Conflict is a temporary interruption in an otherwise fluid process of culture.
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Bronislaw Malinowski: What is the role of power and equality?
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In the Kula, power is demonstrated by men having more Kula partners. Power is demonstrated by giving important things away, NOT by obtaining resources for personal benefit!
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Bronislaw Malinowski: What is human nature?
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They strive to meet their basic needs
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Bronislaw Malinowski: What is the role of the ethnographer?
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To make sense of seemingly strange events in foreign cultures. Should discern laws that make society work. Should provide an outsider's perspective.
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