25 Questions
What is the primary conflict in a Marxist society, according to conflict theory?
The primary conflict in a Marxist society is between social classes.
What does the term 'bourgeoisie' refer to in a Marxist context?
The owners of the means of production and the ruling class.
What is the concept of 'alienation' in Marxist theory?
The process whereby the worker is made to feel foreign to the products of their own labor.
What is the term for the way the proletariat is led to believe their oppression is normal and that they can become the bourgeoisie if they work hard?
False Class Consciousness.
What term is used to describe the workers who are exploited by the bourgeoisie in a Marxist context?
Proletariat.
What is meant by 'value consensus' in the context of structural theory?
A majority of society agreeing with the goals that society sets to show success.
What is the term for a feeling of normlessness in society, where an individual doesn't know what it means to be normal?
Anomie
What are social facts, according to Durkheim?
Things such as institutions, norms, and values that exist external to the individual and constrain the individual.
What is the main idea behind Durkheim's top-down theory of society?
Society shapes the individual.
What are the two means of maintaining value consensus and social order, according to structural theory?
Formal social control, such as the Criminal Justice System and the Police, and informal social control, such as family and peers.
What is the key distinction between a manifest function and a latent function in social institutions?
A manifest function is the intended function of a social institution, whereas a latent function is the unintended function of a social institution.
How do social institutions maintain value consensus, according to functionalism?
Through socialisation and the learning of norms and values.
What is an example of a latent function, as demonstrated by the Hopi Indians' rain dance?
The rain dance helps to maintain social solidarity.
What are some of the external criticisms of functionalism?
Functionalism is teleological, contradictory, unscientific, and unable to explain conflict and change in society. It is also a conservative ideology that legitimates the position of the powerful.
What is the consequence of a lack of socialisation and learning of norms and values, according to functionalism?
Anomie, or a state of normlessness, can result.
What is the main goal of specialist institutions in achieving social harmony, and how do they achieve it?
The main goal is to reduce conflict in society, and they achieve it by creating a sense of belonging, for example through education and media.
What is the key idea behind the Consensus Theory, and how does it relate to social institutions?
The Consensus Theory believes that institutions in society work together to maintain social cohesion and stability, promoting a sense of harmony.
What is the Organic Analogy, and which sociologist is associated with it?
The Organic Analogy is a concept that compares society to a human body, suggesting that social institutions interact like human organs, and it is associated with Talcott Parsons.
What are the four basic needs of society, according to Parsons, and how do they relate to social institutions?
The four basic needs are Goal Attainment, Adaptation, Integration, and Latency, and they relate to how social institutions work together to provide for the needs of society and maintain social cohesion.
What are the three main criticisms of Parsons' assumptions, and how do they relate to his functionalist theory?
The three main criticisms are Indispensability, Functional Unity, and others, and they challenge Parsons' assumptions about the role of social institutions in maintaining social cohesion.
What is the primary focus of structural conflict approaches in sociology?
The focus is on the conflict between different groups in society, such as the bourgeoisie and proletariat or men and women.
What is the main idea behind interactionist approaches in sociology?
The main idea is that individuals shape their own reality and culture through their interactions with others and social institutions.
What are the two stages of socialization, and where do they occur?
The two stages are primary socialization, which occurs in the family or through primary care givers, and secondary socialization, which reinforces primary socialization through social institutions such as education and the media.
Who is considered the father of modern sociology, and what contribution did he make to the field?
Auguste Comte is considered the father of modern sociology, and he gave the science of sociology its name and applied the methods of natural science to the study of society.
What is the key difference between macro and micro approaches in sociology?
Macro approaches look at society as a whole, while micro approaches focus on individual interactions and their impact on society.
Test your knowledge on conflict theory, Marxism, and the concept of alienation. Learn about the bourgeoisie and proletariat classes and their roles in societal conflict.
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