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Questions and Answers
What is a paradigm in sociology?
What is a paradigm in sociology?
- A set of concepts and theories that are irrelevant to sociology
- A high-tech parachute used for sociological research
- A model for how one thinks about a certain topic, guiding thinking and research (correct)
- A type of currency used in sociological studies
How does the text describe the nature of society?
How does the text describe the nature of society?
- As a chaotic and unmanageable system
- As a collection of unrelated individuals
- As a single, homogenous entity
- As a well-oiled machine, a group of competing interests, and a bunch of people just interacting with each other (correct)
What are theoretical paradigms in sociology?
What are theoretical paradigms in sociology?
- Abstract ideas with no practical application in sociology
- Experimental methods used in sociological studies
- Fundamental assumptions that sociologists have about the social world, guiding their thinking and research (correct)
- Historical events that shaped sociology as a discipline
Why are the three models of society described in the text worth considering?
Why are the three models of society described in the text worth considering?
What is the purpose of theoretical paradigms in sociology?
What is the purpose of theoretical paradigms in sociology?
What is a key criticism of structural functionalism?
What is a key criticism of structural functionalism?
Which conflict theory imagines society as having different classes based on their relationships to the means of production?
Which conflict theory imagines society as having different classes based on their relationships to the means of production?
What does symbolic interactionism focus on?
What does symbolic interactionism focus on?
What did Weber believe sociology needed to focus on?
What did Weber believe sociology needed to focus on?
What is a key difference between structural functionalism and conflict theories?
What is a key difference between structural functionalism and conflict theories?
What are the main theoretical paradigms in sociology?
What are the main theoretical paradigms in sociology?
Which sociological paradigm views society as a complex system with parts that work together to promote stability and social order?
Which sociological paradigm views society as a complex system with parts that work together to promote stability and social order?
What does conflict theory focus on?
What does conflict theory focus on?
What do macro-level questions in sociology explore?
What do macro-level questions in sociology explore?
What do micro-level questions in sociology focus on?
What do micro-level questions in sociology focus on?
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Study Notes
Sociological Perspectives and Paradigms
- Sociological paradigms provide assumptions necessary for interpreting raw facts in the study of society
- Raw facts, like unemployment rate or protest activity, require interpretation to understand their social implications
- All scientific disciplines, including physics and math, make assumptions about the world and use different perspectives to answer questions
- Sociology examines society at all levels, from macro to micro, focusing on large-scale structures as well as interactions between individuals
- Macro-level questions in sociology explore broad focus, such as the transition from feudalism to capitalism or the impact of race on educational achievement
- Micro-level questions in sociology focus on interactions between individuals, like how doctors communicate with patients of different races or how group identity is formed
- The macro and micro orientations in sociology are interconnected, as understanding interactions between individuals can help understand larger social structures
- Sociology's main theoretical paradigms are structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism
- Structural functionalism, developed by Emile Durkheim, views society as a complex system with parts that work together to promote stability and social order
- Social structures in structural functionalism fulfill manifest and latent functions, and can also lead to social dysfunction
- Conflict theory focuses on how power and coercion shape social order, emphasizing social inequality and the struggle for resources
- Symbolic interactionism examines how individuals interact through symbols and shared meanings, emphasizing the importance of subjective interpretations in social interactions
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