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64 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Sociology |
The systematic study of human behaviour in social context. |
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Microstructures |
Patterns of intimate social relations, formed during face to face interactions |
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Macrostructures |
Patterns of social relations that lie outside and above your circle of friends/intimates and acquaintances. |
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Functionlist Theory |
1.Stress that human behaviour is governed by relatively stable patterns of social relations or social structures. 2.Underlies how social structures maintain or undermine social stability 3.Emphasizes that social structures are based mainly on shared values 4.Suggests that re-establishing equilibrium can best solve most social problems |
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Conflict Theory |
1.Generally focuses on large, macro level structures, such as relations between or among classes. 2.Show how major patterns of inequality in society produce social stability in some circumstances and social change in others 3.Stresses how members of privileged groups try to maintain their advantages while subordinate groups struggle to increase theirs. 4.leads to the suggestions that decreasing privilege will lower the level of conflict and increase the sum total of human welfare. |
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Symbolic Interactionism |
1.Focuses on face to face communication or interaction in micro level social settings 2.Emphasizes that an adequate explanation of social behaviour requires understanding the subjective meanings people attach to their social circumstances 3.Stresses that people help to create their social circumstances and do no merely react to them. 4.By underscoring the subjective meanings people create in small social settings, symbolic interactionists validate unpopular and unofficial view points, thus increasing our understanding and tolerance of people who may be different from us. |
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Feminist theory |
1.Focuses on various aspects of patriarchy, the system of male domination in society 2.Holds that male domination and female subordination are determined not by biological necessity but by structures of power and social convention. 3.Examines patriarchy in both macro and micro settings. 4.Contends that existing patterns of gender inequality can and should be changed for the benefit of all society |
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Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) |
He believed society is primarily a moral phenomenon, ie it holds people together in different ways.He also believed in social solidarity: a shared collection of beliefs and values. |
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Altruistic Suicide |
Over integration eg dying for a cause- social ties are very strong- Duty. |
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Egoistic Suicide |
The more integrated an individual is into a society/group the less likelihood of suicide - Egoistic suicide means social ties (solidarity) are weaker. |
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Anomic Suicide |
Not about integration but regulation - loosely regulated social norms of behaviour. |
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Fatalistic Suicide |
Over regulated to the point of no freedom. |
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Social Stratification |
Persistent patterns of social inequality within society |
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Ascribed Status |
Can be a function of race, gender, age and other factors that are not chosen or earned and cannot be changed |
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Achieved status |
A position in a hierarchy that has been achieved by virtue of how well someone performs in some role |
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Social Mobility |
Being able to move up or down the social hierarchy |
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Functionalist theory of stratification |
1.Stratification exists because of vital functions it presumably preform in maintaining social equilibrium 2.Society economically rewards those jobs that require larger training, are more important. The status of these occupations reflects their social importance |
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Intergenerational Occupational Mobility |
Refers to an individuals occupational mobility, up or down, in relation to their parents occupational status |
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Intragenerational Occupational Mobility |
Refers to an individuals occupational mobility, up or down, within their own lifetime. |
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Low-Income Cutoff (LICO) |
Also known as the poverty line. If income is under the line you are living in poverty |
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Occupational Status Attainment |
Process in which an individual attains their status and the factors in which influence that. |
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Closed Systems |
Little or no movement between 'layers' |
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Open Systems |
Based on achievement- movement up and down layers |
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Critical/Conflict Approach |
-Karl Marx (1819-1883) -How the capitalist made of production operates -Humans need to produce our means of subsistence. |
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Max Weber (1864-1920) |
-Impossible to reduce to one single dimensions ie ownership or non-ownership of the means of production -Classes, Status groups and parties are phenomena of the distribution of power within a community -Social Stratification (and the distribution of power) has multiple and overlapping dimensions and groups |
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3 Aspects/Elements of class |
1.Similar/shared life chances 2.Economic interest 3.Markets |
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At Point of Conception |
-Newly formed zygote has 46 chromosones -If last chromosone has XX pattern = female -If XY = Male -However 1 in 400 children are born with unusual pattern resulting in various gender conflictions and confusions
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Sex |
Being born with distinct male or female genitalia and hormones that stimulate the development of ones reproductive system |
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Gender |
Comprises the feelings, attitudes and behaviours associated with being male or female. |
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Compulsory Hetersexuality |
The belief/assumption individuals should desire only the opposite sex |
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Gender Identity |
Sense of belonging to a particiular sex |
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Transgender |
when ones gender identity does not match their sex given at birth |
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Transexual |
Identify with opposite sex from that given at birth, therefore a sex change is often seeked. |
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Sex Stats |
By the age of 15 half of males and one third of female Canadians say they have had sex at least once. By 19 years old that increases to 80% |
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Sociobiology |
Human beings instinctually want to ensure that their genes get passed onto future genderations |
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Esstialists |
Observe male/female differences in sexual scripts |
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Arguments against essentialism |
1.If gender is biological then how do we explain cultural/historical variations in gender? 2.Gender traits change across time 3.Neurological and Socio-biological explanations are contradicting 4.What about the role of social power in explaining gender? |
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Race |
As discrete biological entities, races do not exist: no biological sub categories for homo sapiens. Therefore race is not biologically significant. Race is the product of socio-historical, non scientific, processes.
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Racialization |
process in which people are viewed and judged, as essentially different (intellect, genetics, morality, values, cultural heritage) |
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Carl Von Lines' classification of 4 kinds of human species |
White Europeans, Red Americans, Yellow Asians, Black Africans -These apparent racial differences then became the biological basis for corresponding moral/personality types. |
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Racial Classification |
Served 2 main purposes: -To explain the existence of human diversity European colonizers/merchants/military had encountered -To justify the colonial project, including domination of Indigenous peoples and the enslavement of Africans
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Natural Selection |
The complex process of adaption to change in the physical environment, which depends, on its most basic level: reproductions and variability |
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Survival of the Fittest |
Idea that human social progress results from more fit human societies |
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Social Darwinism |
-A form of social evolution, but so-called 'others' are not just technologically or materially inferior but mentally or biologically inferior as well. -Draws on the motion of survival of the fittest and had an important effect on ideas about race as inferior/superior and as naturally occurring types. |
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Racialized Medicine |
-Premised on an implicit and sometime explicit, understanding of race as a genetic construct -eg in USA African Americans have far higher rates of sickle cell anemia (almost non-existent in the white population) -In 2005, the FDA approved the 1st race-specific drug, BiDil. -In clinical trials - only self identified african americans (who counts as african american?)
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Racial Predjudice |
The prejudgement of others on the basis of their group membership |
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Racial Discrimination |
Includes acts by which individuals are treated differently - rewarded or punished- based on their group membership. |
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Racial Bigotry |
Open, concious expression of racist views by an individual |
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Ethnicity |
A collection of people distinguished by others or by themselves primarily on the basis of cultural or national characteristics |
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5 Characteristics of Ethnic Groups |
1.Unique Cultural traits 2.A Sense of community 3.A perception of ethnocentrism 4.Ascribed Membership 5.Territoriality |
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3 Areas of Media |
1.Ownership: Political economy of media - who owns what - concentration of media in Canada and US 2.Production: The products (Movies, tv shows, news, commercials) 3.Reception/consumption: How audiences receive media eg research on violent show and behaviour |
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Significance of media |
1.Media is a crucial source of info and knowledge of the world 2.Huge (re)producer of culture - cultural products - representation and portrayal 3.Media is and industry 4.Media and independent thinking - exposed to a variety of competing viewpoints, ideas, values, perspectives etc... 5.Entertainment - Media has become the primary source and medium of entertainment
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Hegemony |
-Developed by Antonia Gramsci - non coercive way for the powerful or ruling interests to maintain their power in society through cultural means - Manufacturing consent -Makes social Relations appear as natural or common sense so these ideas appear to us as innocent to power struggles going on in broader society. |
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Audience Consumption |
Audience as passive dupes? (easily tricked; absorb everything) |
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Rolling news channels |
-24 hour news channels: CNN, BBC, Sky etc... -News is condensed to highlights and dramatic pictures to make headlines.
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3 values of news |
1.Immediacy 2.Personalization 3.Extraordinariness |
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News shift |
We are seeing a shift away from news as reporting to news as a mixture of reporting and drama/entertainment. (Anchorman 2 is a good example) |
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Globalization as cultural imperalism |
In light of the economic and cultural power of the US etc... Its harder to have homegrown products and cultural identity in the light of this so - diversity is decreasing -National identity is a thing of the past |
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New Media |
New forms of community emerging and new forms of identity "global connections transcending space and time" |
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Characteristics of Old Media |
-Undirectional production and distribution -THe one to many model -A sharp distinction between producers of media and consumers of media -They produced and we consumed |
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Features of New Media |
High level of interactivity: -User generated content, filtering, organization, distribution and commentary. |
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Digital Access Index (DAI) |
Measure the overall ability of individuals in a country to access and use information and communication technologies |
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Categories Included in DAI |
1.Infrastructure 2.Affordability 3.Knowledge 4.Quality 5.Usuage |
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Culture |
One of the most complex words and concept in existence and very hard to define. |
