A Level Sociology Unit 1: Socialisation & Research Methods

Functionalism sees society as harmonious, with shared values and goals, lacking conflict.

Marxists argue functionalism is inaccurate, as societies experience conflict, like poverty and war.

Functionalism is considered unscientific because its claims about deviance are not testable.

Society is a struggle between those who control resources (bourgeoisie) and those who don't (proletariat).

A theory developed by Karl Marx, a sociologist, philosopher, and economist.

Functionalism has been criticized for ignoring women's roles and societal positions, often emphasizing traditional roles.

Functionalism is considered conservative because it supports the existing social order and system without critique.

Functionalism overlooks power imbalances and the societal imposition of certain values and goals. It does not offer solutions for societal change.

Capitalism, as an economic system, creates a divide between the bourgeoisie (owners) and the proletariat (workers), and according to Marx, this conflict is inherent to the system.

The resources (factories, land, etc.) used to create goods and services in an economic system.

Paying workers less than the value they produce, creating profit for the owners.

The idea that workers accept their exploitation because they don't recognize it as such.

The part of society (education, politics, etc.) that reinforces the ruling class's ideology.

A state of separation from the means of production, products of labor, and other workers, especially strong under capitalism.

Workers' awareness of exploitation and a shared identity as a class (the proletariat).

A stateless, classless society where the means of production are owned communally.

The process by which individuals learn and internalize the norms, values, and behaviors of their society.

The initial stage of socialization, primarily occurring in childhood, where children learn basic norms and values from their families.

Socialization occurring outside the family, such as in schools, workplaces, or through media.

Groups or institutions that transmit social norms and values (e.g., family, school, media, religion).

Groups or institutions that enforce social norms and values, often through rewards or punishments.

Accepted standards of behavior within a society.

Core beliefs and principles that guide behavior within a society.

Actions that go against accepted social norms.

The tendency of individuals to alter their behavior when they know they are being observed, leading to inaccurate responses in interviews.

Interviews with a set of predetermined questions.

Data collected by government agencies, such as birth rates, crime data, etc.

Official statistics may be incomplete, biased (only including what the government considers relevant), or misrepresent reality due to differing definitions.

Marxists distrust official statistics because they believe the government manipulates data to hide societal issues and maintain power.

Various methods utilized by sociologists to gather data, including structured interviews.

Research approaches emphasizing objective data and measurable phenomena.

Structured interviews can be time-consuming and potentially inaccurate due to the potential for social desirability bias (Hawthorne effect), leading to untruthful answers.

The idea that sociological research should be objective and neutral, free from the researcher's personal values.

The belief that sociological research is inevitably influenced by the researcher's values, beliefs, and experiences.

Observable and measurable aspects of social life that exist independently of individual actors.

The goal of remaining unbiased and impartial in collecting and interpreting data.

The researcher's personal values influence the topics they choose to study because they believe those topics are important to society.

A sociological perspective that emphasizes understanding and interpreting social phenomena from the perspectives of the people involved.

Preconceived ideas or beliefs that shape a researcher's choices about research methods, questions, and data types.

The values of organizations or individuals who fund research can influence the direction and findings of that research.

Structured methods like questionnaires and interviews are often used to gather data systematically. They involve pre-defined questions and formats.

Sometimes, research opportunities come unexpectedly, making structured methods like questionnaires impractical due to time constraints.

Participant observation involves immersing oneself in the group being studied, observing and participating in their activities.

A researcher's personal characteristics like age, gender, race, and class can affect data collection and interpretation.

Ethics in research involves examining what is morally right or wrong regarding data collection and participant treatment.

Researchers must avoid causing harm to participants physically, emotionally, or socially. Privacy and confidentiality must be maintained.

Informed consent means participants fully understand the research goals, risks, and benefits before agreeing to participate.

Different theoretical perspectives (like Positivist or Interpretivist) shape how researchers design and conduct their research.