Study Guide Chapters 1-4

Sociology Study Guide - Chapters 1 - 4
Chapter 1

1. What is the sociological perspective?
The Sociological perspective is the view that our social backgrounds influence our attitudes, behavior, and life chances.

2. What is a generalization? A generalization is a general statement regarding a trend between various dimensions of our lives - Gender & suicide rate, race & voting choice, etc.

3. How important of a role does our personal experience play in understanding social reality? Our personal experiences are very important, but not everyone has the same experiences. It only offers a limited understanding of social reality other than our own.

4. What is the debunking motif? The debunking motif is the thought of sociology helping us see through conventional understandings of how society works. Sociology often challenges conventional understanding about social reality and social institutions. (Sociological knowledge aims to look beyond the surface understandings of social reality).

5. What is social structure? Horizontal and Vertical social structure? Social Structure is the social patterns through which a society is organized. Horizontal Structure is the social relationship and the social and physical characteristics of communities to which individuals belong. Vertical Structure is ways in which a society or group ranks people in a hierarchy, with some more "equal" than others.

6. What is C. Write Mills’ sociological imagination? Sociological imagination is the use of our minds to understand that many personal troubles are the cause of public issues. The ability to appreciate the structural basis for individual problems.

7. What is Public sociology? Public sociology is the use of sociological insights and findings to address social issues and achieve social change.

8. What do Macro sociologists focus on? Macrosociologists focus on the big picture, social structure, social institutions, and social, public, and economic change. They look at social forces that change the course of human society and their lives as an individual. 9. What is a major assumption of the functionalism theory? Why does it stress stability? A major assumption of the functionalism is social stability. It is necessary to have a strong society, adequate socialization, and social integrations are necessary to achieve social stability. It stresses stability because without a strong society and effective socialization, social order breaks down, and violence and other signs of social disorder result.

10. What is anomie and its effects? Anomie is when a norm lessens. When anomie sets in, people become more unclear about how to deal with problems in their life. With this, peoples frustrations rise and leads to committing suicide.

11. Why is a revolution inevitable in a capitalist society according to Marx and Engels? Revolution is inevitable because of structural contradictions arising from the very nature of capitalism.

12. What is the main goal of capitalism? Profit is the main goal of capitalism, the bourgeoisie's interest lies in maximizing profit.

13. What is symbolic interactionist theory? Symbolic interactionism is a micro approach that focuses on the interaction of individuals and on how they interpret their interaction.

14. What is the conflict theory? The conflict theory emphasizes social inequality and suggests that far-reaching social change is needed to achieve a just society.

15. In research methods, what is an experiment? Field research/participant observation? Survey? What are their advantages and disadvantages? Experiments are the primary form of research in the natural and physical sciences. Field Research is observational research, a staple of society, going in public to observe people and social settings. Participant Observation is the researcher is part of the group that they're studying. Survey is the most common method by which sociologists gather data. Experiment Advantages - If random assignment is used, experiments provide fairly convincing data on cause and effect. Experiment Disadvantages - Since experiments don't involve random samples of the population and most often involve college students, their results cannot readily be generalized to the population. Field Research Advantages - Observational studies may provide rich, detailed information about the people who are observed. Field Research Disadvantages - Because observational studies do not involve random samples of the population, their results cannot be readily be generalized to the population. Participant Observation Advantages - Provides a richer account of people's lives. Remains an important method of sociological research. Participant Observation Disadvantages - Observational studies cannot automatically be generalized to other settings or members of the population. Survey Advantages - Many people can be included if given to a random sample of the population, a survey's results can be generalized to the population. Survey Disadvantages - Large surveys are costly and time consuming. Although much info is gathered, this information is relatively superficial.

Chapter 2

1. What is non-material culture? Material culture? Nonmaterial Culture is the symbols, language, norms, and values that constitute a major part of society's culture. Material Culture is an element of culture consisting of society's material objects, or artifacts (tools, technology, clothing, utensils, and means of transportation).

2. What is the relationship between symbols and culture? Every culture is filled with symbols.

3. What about non-verbal symbols/gestures? All societies have nonverbal symbols we call gestures, movements of the hand, arm, or other parts of the body that are meant to convey certain ideas or emotions. The same gesture can mean one thing in one society, and something different in another.

4. Formal/informal norms? Formal norms (mores/laws) are norms that are very important and are usually written down (traffic laws, behavior/cheating in college). Informal norms are relatively unimportant norms, often unwritten, that still affect people's behaviors (table manners, riding in an elevator, interacting with a cashier).

5. What is the function of rituals? Rituals are established procedures and ceremonies that often mark transitions in the life course. Rituals both reflect and transmit a culture's norms and other elements from one generation to the next.

6. What does the book say about Japanese values? The Japanese have very traditional values. In Japan, a central value is group harmony. The Japanese place great emphasis on harmonious social relationships and dislike interpersonal conflict. When interpersonal disputes do arise, they do their best to minimize conflict by trying to resolve the disputes amicably.
7. What did Maybury-Lewis say about how people are treated in modern societies? Individualism and the rights of the individual are celebrated and any one person's obligations to the large community are weakened. Individual achievement becomes more important than values such as kindness, compassion, and generosity.

8. What is cultural relativism? Ethnocentrism? Cultural relativism is the belief that no culture's norms, values, or practices are superior or inferior to those of any other culture. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge another culture by the standards of our own, and the belief that our own culture is superior to another culture.

9. Subculture/counterculture? Subculture is a smaller culture within a larger culture with distinctive ways of thinking, feeling, and acting. Counterculture is a subculture whose norms and values directly oppose those of the larger culture.

10. What is Gemeinschaft/Gesellschaft? Gemeinschaft means human community. Gesellschaft is the weakening of social ties.

11. How is anomie related to industrialization? An anomie is related to industrialization in the sense of the development of machines and factories replacing their regular equipment that people were used to using for agriculture. It was a huge change for the world.

12. What characterizes the hunting/gathering, agricultural, industrial and post-industrial societies? Hunting & Gathering - Small, simple societies in which people hung and gather food. Because all people in these societies have few possessions, these societies are fairly egalitarian, and the degree of inequality is very low. Agricultural - These societies grow great numbers of crops, thanks to the use of plows, oxen, and other devices. Wealthier and have a higher degree of conflict and inequality than horticultural and pastoral societies. Industrial - Industrial societies feature factories and machines. They are wealthier than agricultural societies and have a greater sense of individualism and a lower degree of inequality. Post-Industrial - These societies feature information technology and service jobs. Higher education is especially important in these societies for economic success.
Chapter 3

1. What is socialization? Socialization is the process whereby individuals learn the culture of their society.

2. What do we see as the effects of an absence of socialization on human beings? We see that it affects a person's behavior, attitude, their well-being, how they act around others, if they talk or not, if they even act as a person.

3. What is the looking-glass self theory that Cooley proposed? One aspect of the process whereby we gain an understanding of our self-image and self- identity.

4. What does Mead mean by “taking the role of the other”? What was the main theme of his theory? Children pretend to be other people in their play and in doing so learning what these other people expect from them. The main theme of his theory being when children play.

5. What did Freud’s “id” mean? Freud's ID is the selfish part of the personality and consists of biological instincts that all babies have, including the need for food, and more generally, the demand for immediate gratification.

6. What are the two most important factors that determine how our parents socialize us? Our parents' social class and our own biological sex.

7. What is Resocialization? A dramatic change in a person's beliefs, values, and behavior, often occurring in total institutions.

8. What is the dramaturgical approach? Erving Goffman's metaphor for understand social interaction.

9. What is the difference between a role and a status? Role is behavior that is expected of an individual in a particular status, while status is the position a person occupies in society, such as a party, sibling, or teacher.

10. What is ascribed/achieved status? Ascribed Status is a status that a person is born with and has no control over, such as biological sex or race. Achieved status is a status that a person gains voluntarily, such as a job title.
11. What is a master status? Master status is a status such as race, gender, or disability that overrides a person's other statuses.

12. Role strain/role conflict? Role strain is the problems arising when a person performing a role has to deal with competing demands on that role. Role conflict is the problems arising when a person has to deal with competing demands on two or more roles that the person is expected to play (say you are a student and also a parent. Your 3- year-old child gets sick. You now have a conflict between your role as a parent and your role as a student. To perform your role as a parent, you should stay home with your sick child. To perform your role as a student, you should go to your classes and take the big exam that had been scheduled weeks ago). Chapter 4

1. What is a social group? An aggregate? A category? A social group is two or more people who regularly interact on the basis of mutual expectations and share a common identity. An social aggregate is a collection of people who are in the same place at the same time but who otherwise don't necessarily interact, except in the most superficial of ways, or have anything else in common. A social category is a collection of individuals who have at least one attribute in common but otherwise don't necessarily interact.

2. What is a primary group, Secondary group? A reference group? A primary group is a group that is usually small, that is characterized by extensive interaction and strong emotional ties, and that lasts over time. A secondary group is a group that is larger and more impersonal than a primary group and that exists to achieve a specific purpose. A reference group is a group that sets a standard for guiding our own behavior and attitudes.

3. In groups/ out groups? In groups are a group to which members feel particularly loyal and take great pride in belonging. Out groups are a group with which an in-group feels it is competing for various kinds of rewards and compared to which the in-group feels superior.

4. What did Simmel say about dyads? A dyad is a two-person group, such as a married couple or two people engaged to be married, or at least dating steadily. In this smallest of groups, relationships can be very intense emotionally but also very unstable and short lived: if one person ends the relationship, the dyad ends as well.

5. What is an instrumental leader? An instrumental leader is a leader whose main focus is to achieve group goals and accomplish group tasks.

6. What is democratic leadership? Authoritarian leadership? A democratic leadership is leadership that involves extensive consultation with group members on decisions. Authoritarian leadership is leadership with a primary focus on achieving group goals and on rigorous compliance with group rules.

7. What did the Asch experiment conclude? The Milgram experiment? The Asch experiment concluded that members feel pressured from those around them, which leads to them affecting our judgments and our actions. The Milgram experiment concluded that people are quite willing to obey authority even if it means inflicting harm on other people.

8. What is Groupthink? Groupthink is the tendency of group members to remain silent and against their better judgments, to go along with the desires and views of other group members.

9. What did Ritzer say about McDonalds? Ritzer says that the food at all McDonald's are the same, the food is exactly the same size and weight, they are fast and efficient, and it's automated as much as possible. It's driven out small, locally owned businesses that are apt to offer more personal attention.

10. What are normative organizations? Normative organizations is a formal organization that people join to pursue their moral goals and commitment (also called voluntary organizations/associations).

11. What are coercive organizations? Coercive organizations are formal organizations that people enter involuntarily (prisons/state mental institutions).

12. What are bureaucracies? Bureaucracies are formal organizations with certain organizational features designed to achieve goals in the most efficient way possible.

13. What is specialization? Specialization is a division of labor in which specific people have certain tasks and only those tasks to do.

14. According to Weber, why do hierarchical structures maximize efficiency? It reduces decision-making time and puts the authority to make the most important decisions in the hands of the people at the top of the pyramid who presumably are the best qualified to make them.

15. What is "trained incapacity"? Trained incapacity is the inability of people in an organization to think creatively and to act independently.

16. What is the Peter Principle? Parkinson's law? The Peter Principle is that people will eventually be promoted to their level of incompetence (someone who does a good job will get promoted and then get promoted again if she/he continues doing a good job, eventually such people will be promoted to a job for which they are not well qualified, impending organizational efficiency and effectiveness). The Parkinson's law is that work expands to fill the time available for it (The more time you have to do something, the longer it takes).

17. What are the disadvantages to bureaucracies? The disadvantages to bureaucracies are the impersonality and alienation, red tape, trained incapacity, incompetence, and goal displacement and self-perpetuation.