Contemporary Sociological Theory Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What are the differences between everyday social thinkers and social theorists?

Social theorists theorize in a more disciplined manner, base theories on past knowledge, rely on data, and seek to publish their theories.

What is grand theory?

Large effort to explain the story of most, or all, of the world.

Define sociological theory.

Set of interrelated ideas that allow for systematization of knowledge, explanation, and predictions about the social world.

What does the sociological canon consist of?

Set of theorists, theories, ideas, and texts considered most important to sociology. Signup and view all the answers

What is multicultural social theory?

Focuses on perspectives that highlight experiences of people not in the mainstream. Signup and view all the answers

What are theories of everyday life?

Theories that focus on everyday, mundane activities. Signup and view all the answers

Define mechanical solidarity.

Idea that primitive society is held together by the fact that there is little division of labor. Signup and view all the answers

What is organic solidarity?

Idea that solidarity comes from differences due to division of labor in modern society. Signup and view all the answers

Explain dynamic density.

Number of people and their frequency of interaction; an increase leads to transformation from mechanical to organic solidarity. Signup and view all the answers

What is collective conscience?

Ideas shared by members of a collectivity. Signup and view all the answers

Define repressive law.

Characteristic of mechanical solidarity; offenders are severely punished for offenses against collective conscience. Signup and view all the answers

What is restitutive law?

Characteristic of organic solidarity; offenders are asked to obey law or repay those they harmed. Signup and view all the answers

What are social facts?

Subject matter of sociology that are treated as external and coercive over individuals. Signup and view all the answers

Differentiate between material and nonmaterial social facts.

Material social facts take a physical form, while nonmaterial social facts are external but do not have a material existence. Signup and view all the answers

What is anomie?

A sense of not knowing what one is expected to do, being adrift in society. Signup and view all the answers

Define anomic suicide.

Occurs when individuals do not know what is expected of them and act aimlessly. Signup and view all the answers

What is egoistic suicide?

Occurs when individuals are not integrated into collectivity and feel meaningless. Signup and view all the answers

Define altruistic suicide.

Occurs when individuals are too well integrated into a group and are led to take their own lives. Signup and view all the answers

What is fatalistic suicide?

Occurs when people are distressed by excessive regulation and lack freedom. Signup and view all the answers

Define human potential.

Ability to link consciousness into action. Signup and view all the answers

What does alienation entail?

Breakdown of natural interconnection between people and their productive activities. Signup and view all the answers

What is capitalism?

Economic system composed of capitalists and proletariats, where exploitation occurs. Signup and view all the answers

What are the means of production?

Things needed for production to take place, like tools and machinery. Signup and view all the answers

Define capitalists.

Those who own the means of production under capitalism. Signup and view all the answers

What does proletariat refer to?

Those who must sell their labor time to have access to means. Signup and view all the answers

Define subsistence wage.

Wage paid by capitalists to proletariats just enough to support themselves and their families. Signup and view all the answers

What is the labor theory of value?

The theory that all value comes from labor and is traceable to the proletariat. Signup and view all the answers

Define surplus value.

Difference between the value of a product sold and the value of elements consumed in production. Signup and view all the answers

What does exploitation refer to in a capitalist context?

Capitalists receive the lion's share of rewards while the proletariat are left to subsist. Signup and view all the answers

What is false consciousness?

An inaccurate sense of self and relationship to capitalism held by both capitalists and proletariats. Signup and view all the answers

Define class consciousness.

Ability of a class to overcome false consciousness and attain understanding of capitalism. Signup and view all the answers

What is praxis?

The idea that people must take concrete action to overcome capitalism. Signup and view all the answers

What is communism?

A social system that permits the expression of full human potential. Signup and view all the answers

What does behavior refer to in a sociological context?

Things that people do that require little or no thought. Signup and view all the answers

Define action according to Weber.

Things that people do that result from conscious processes. Signup and view all the answers

What is behaviorism?

Study of behavior, largely associated with psychology. Signup and view all the answers

Define affectual action.

Nonrational action that is a result of emotion. Signup and view all the answers

What is traditional action?

Action based on the way things have habitually been done. Signup and view all the answers

Define value-rational action.

Action that reflects the actor's values, regardless of objective rationality. Signup and view all the answers

What is means-end rational action?

Pursuit of ends chosen by the actor, influenced by their view of the environment. Signup and view all the answers

Define practical rationality.

The most expedient and practical way to achieve goals. Signup and view all the answers

What is theoretical rationality?

To attain rational understanding of the world. Signup and view all the answers

Define substantive rationality.

Choice of action guided by larger values rather than daily experiences. Signup and view all the answers

What is formal rationality?

Choice of expedient action based on rules, regulations, and laws. Signup and view all the answers

Define Protestant ethic.

Belief of a Calvinist sect that emphasized hard work and asceticism. Signup and view all the answers

What does verstehen refer to?

Methodological technique focused on understanding actor's thought processes and motives. Signup and view all the answers

Define spirit of capitalism.

Motivation for economic success based on rationality, frugality, and fairness. Signup and view all the answers

What is traditional authority?

Belief that certain individuals have authority based on family or lineage. Signup and view all the answers

Define charismatic authority.

Authority legitimated by belief in a charismatic leader's qualities. Signup and view all the answers

What does charisma mean?

Definition by others that a person has extraordinary qualities. Signup and view all the answers

What is routinization of charisma?

Efforts to recast the qualities of a charismatic leader. Signup and view all the answers

Define ideal type.

One-sided, exaggerated concept used to analyze social phenomena. Signup and view all the answers

What is bureaucracy?

Hierarchical system ruled by regulations, where job roles are specific to individuals. Signup and view all the answers

Define rational-legal authority.

Leaders whose authority arises from established rules and regulations. Signup and view all the answers

What does association refer to in sociology?

Relationships among people, or interaction. Signup and view all the answers

What are forms in sociological terms?

Patterns imposed on events, actions, and interactions by social actors. Signup and view all the answers

Define types in sociology.

Patterns imposed on actors to categorize them into limited categories. Signup and view all the answers

What is secrecy?

Condition in which one person intends to hide something while another seeks to reveal it. Signup and view all the answers

Define lie in a sociological context.

Form of interaction where a person intentionally hides the truth. Signup and view all the answers

What does reify mean?

To endow social structures with a separate and real existence. Signup and view all the answers

What is a dyad?

Two-person group. Signup and view all the answers

Define triad.

Three-person group. Signup and view all the answers

What is a stranger in sociological terms?

One who is neither too close nor too far. Signup and view all the answers

Define objective culture.

Objects produced by people that become part of culture. Signup and view all the answers

What is individual culture?

Capacity of individual to produce and absorb elements of objective culture. Signup and view all the answers

What is the tragedy of culture?

Over time, objective culture grows while individual culture grows only marginally. Signup and view all the answers

What does act refer to in Mead's theory?

Involves impulse, perception of stimuli, taking action involving the perceived object. Signup and view all the answers

Define impulse in Mead's terms.

First stage of act, where the actor reacts to an external stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is perception in the context of Mead's act?

Second stage where the actor seeks stimuli related to the impulse. Signup and view all the answers

Define manipulation as per Mead.

Third stage of act involving manipulating the perceived object. Signup and view all the answers

What is consummation?

Final stage of act where action satisfies the original impulse. Signup and view all the answers

What are gestures?

Movements that serve as stimuli to another party. Signup and view all the answers

Define conversation of gestures.

Gestures that elicit responding gestures from another party. Signup and view all the answers

What are significant gestures?

Gestures that require thought before a response is made. Signup and view all the answers

Define significant symbols.

Symbols that elicit the same response in the person expressing them as in their audience. Signup and view all the answers

What does mind refer to in Mead's theory?

Conversations that individuals have with themselves using language. Signup and view all the answers

Define self in the context of Mead's work.

Ability to take oneself as an object. Signup and view all the answers

What is reflexivity?

Ability to put ourselves in others' places and think as they think. Signup and view all the answers

Define play stage in Mead's framework.

First stage in the development of the self, involving child playing as someone else. Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of the situation?

Idea that if people define situations as real, those definitions have real consequences. Signup and view all the answers

What is the game stage in Mead's theory?

Second stage in the development of the self, where the child takes roles of everyone involved in a game. Signup and view all the answers

Define generalized other.

Attitude of the entire community or a collectivity that influences the actor. Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'I' in Mead's theory?

Immediate response of the self to others; unpredictable and creative aspect. Signup and view all the answers

Define 'me' in the context of Mead's work.

Individual's adoption and perception of the generalized other. Signup and view all the answers

What is structural functionalism?

Sociological theory focusing on the structures of society and their functional significance. Signup and view all the answers

Define structures in sociology.

Patterned social interactions and persistent social relationships. Signup and view all the answers

What are functions in structural functionalism?

Observable consequences that help a social system adapt or adjust. Signup and view all the answers

What is societal functionalism?

Focuses on large-scale social structures and their interrelationships. Signup and view all the answers

Define social stratification.

Structure involving hierarchy of positions necessary for society's functioning. Signup and view all the answers

What are middle-range theories?

Theories that seek a balance between explaining the entire social world and minute portions. Signup and view all the answers

Define dysfunctions in a sociological context.

Observable consequences with adverse effects on a system's ability to adapt. Signup and view all the answers

What do nonfunctions refer to?

Consequences that are irrelevant to the system under consideration. Signup and view all the answers

Define net balance as per Merton.

Relative weight of functions and dysfunctions. Signup and view all the answers

What are manifest functions?

Positive consequences brought about consciously and purposely. Signup and view all the answers

Define latent functions.

Unintended positive consequences. Signup and view all the answers

What are unanticipated consequences?

Unexpected positive, negative, and irrelevant social consequences. Signup and view all the answers

What does anomie (Merton) refer to?

Serious disconnection between social structure and culture. Signup and view all the answers

Define debunking.

Looking beyond stated intentions to real effects. Signup and view all the answers

What are imperatively coordinated associations?

Associations of people controlled by a hierarchy of authority positions. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Sociological Theory and Its Foundations

Everyday social thinkers lack the disciplined approach of social theorists, who rely on empirical data and published theories.
Grand theories aim to explain large-scale phenomena encompassing most of the world.
Sociological theory comprises interrelated ideas that systematize knowledge, explain social phenomena, and predict outcomes.
The sociological canon includes key theorists, their theories, and significant texts vital to the field of sociology.

Types of Sociological Perspectives

Multicultural social theory highlights the experiences of marginalized groups.
Theories of everyday life examine mundane activities within social contexts.

Solidarity Concepts (Durkheim)

Mechanical solidarity exists in primitive societies with minimal division of labor, where members share similarities.
Organic solidarity arises in modern societies with complex division of labor, requiring interdependence among individuals.
Dynamic density refers to population size and interaction frequency, prompting shifts from mechanical to organic solidarity.
Collective conscience signifies shared beliefs within a community.

Legal Frameworks (Durkheim)

Repressive law is prevalent in mechanically solid societies, with harsh penalties for breaches against collective morals.
Restitutive law is more common in organically solid societies, focusing on obligation and reparations rather than punishment.

Social facts are both external and coercive factors that shape individual behavior, studied through empirical means.
Material social facts manifest visibly (e.g., buildings), whereas nonmaterial social facts involve norms and values.

Concepts of Anomie and Suicide (Durkheim)

Anomie reflects a state of normlessness that leaves individuals disoriented in society.
Different types of suicide are categorized based on social integration: anomic, egoistic, altruistic, and fatalistic suicide.

Marxist Theory Foundations

Capitalism consists of capitalists exploiting the proletariat, leading to alienation and disparity in labor value.
Means of production are essential for creating goods, while surplus value indicates profit beyond worker compensation.
False consciousness misrepresents class relations, while class consciousness arises when workers recognize their exploitation.

Weber's Rationalization and Action Types

Weber differentiates between behavior (automatic actions) and action (intentional behavior).
Different forms of actions include affectual (emotion-driven), traditional (habitual), value-rational (value-driven), and means-end rational actions (goal-focused).
Bureaucracy is characterized by hierarchical structures and formal rules guiding authority.

Authority and Leadership (Weber)

Traditional authority arises from historical legitimacy, while charismatic authority springs from a leader's extraordinary qualities.
Rational-legal authority is based on established rules and regulations.

Simmel's Interaction Dynamics

Simmel explores social interactions through concepts like dyads and triads, emphasizing the significance of relationships and forms of society.
Secrecy and lies represent forms of intentional concealment within social exchanges.

Mead's Symbolic Interactionism

Social acts involve a sequence of impulse, perception, manipulation, and consummation aimed at satisfying needs.
Gestures can be significant or mindless, facilitating complex human interactions.
The self emerges through stages including play and game, developing the ability to observe and reflect on oneself and others.

Structural Functionalism (Merton)

Structural functionalism examines social structures and their roles within society, considering both positive and negative consequences.
Key concepts include manifest functions (intended consequences) and latent functions (unintended positive effects), highlighting the net balance of social phenomena.

Merton's concept of anomie denotes disconnection between social structures and culture, leading to societal dysfunctions.
Debunking refers to analyzing real outcomes versus stated intentions.

Imperatively coordinated associations are organizations structured hierarchically, governed by authority relations.

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Description

Explore the key concepts of contemporary sociological theory and its classical roots through comprehensive flashcards. This quiz covers essential definitions and distinctions in sociological thought, helping you deepen your understanding of the subject.