Questions and Answers
What is the main goal of the functionalist perspective in sociology?
According to functionalists, what happens when the parts of society do not function well?
What is a criticism of the functionalist perspective?
What do functionalists believe holds society together?
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What is a key difference between functionalism and symbolic interactionalism?
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What is a consequence of the functionalist perspective, according to critics?
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How does the functionalist perspective view the relationship between the family and the state?
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What is a key characteristic of functionalist theory?
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What is the main goal of the bourgeoisie, according to Marx?
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What is the term used by Marx to describe the wealthy bosses, owners, and managers?
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What is the name of the economic theory proposed by Karl Marx?
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What is the term used by Marx to describe the working-class laborers?
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What is the predicted outcome of the class struggle, according to Marx?
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What is the main cause of class tensions, according to Marx?
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What is the title of the book written by Marx and Friedrich Engels that outlines the features of Marxist ideology?
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What is the term used to describe the relationship between the economy and the people working within the economic system, according to Marx?
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What is the predicted outcome of the capitalist system, according to Marx?
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What is the main criticism of the capitalist system, according to Marx?
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What is the primary motivation for capitalists, according to Marx?
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What is the predicted outcome of the continued exploitation of workers in a capitalist system?
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What is the role of private property in a communist society?
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According to Marx, what is the primary source of profit for capitalists?
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What is the predicted outcome of the struggle between social classes, according to Marxists?
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What is the goal of communism, according to Marx and Engels?
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What is the result of the proletariat revolution, according to Marx and Engels?
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What is the role of machinery in the labor process, according to Marx and Engels?
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What is the primary characteristic of a capitalist system, according to Marx?
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What is the relationship between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, according to Marx?
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What is a key feature of a communist society according to Marxism?
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What is the primary focus of Karl Marx's conflict theory?
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What is the term used by Marx to describe the lack of power, control, and fulfillment experienced by workers in capitalist societies?
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According to Marx, what is the result of the division of labor in capitalist societies?
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What is the primary goal of the proletariat, according to Marx?
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What is the term used to describe the theory that power struggles and dynamics drive societal change?
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What is the outcome of alienated labor, according to Marx?
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What is the name of the book in which Marx and Engels outline the key features of communism?
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What is the term used to describe Marx's theory of historical development?
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What is the primary consequence of the bourgeoisie's control over the means of production, according to Marx?
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What is a key contribution of Marx's ideas to the field of sociology?
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What is a criticism of Marxism in terms of social classes?
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What is a limitation of Marxism in terms of social inequality?
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What is a key aspect of Marxism that can be built upon to challenge and transform it?
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What is a key argument against Marxism?
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What is a key way that Marxism can help sociologists understand society?
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What is a key feature of Marxist theory?
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What is a key legacy of Marxism?
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What is the primary characteristic of primitive communism according to Marx?
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What was the primary feature of the antiquity stage of societal development according to Marx?
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What was the primary criticism of capitalism by Marx and Engels?
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What was the primary goal of Marx's predicted advanced communist society?
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What was the primary cause of the shift from feudalism to capitalism according to Marx?
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What was the primary role of the nobles in the feudal system according to Marx?
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What was the primary inspiration for Marx and Engels' work on The Communist Manifesto?
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What was the outcome of the USSR's transition from a communist to a capitalist system?
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What was the primary feature of the feudal system of land ownership according to Marx?
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What was the primary difference between the antiquity and feudalism stages of societal development according to Marx?
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Study Notes
Macro Sociological Perspectives
-
Functionalism:
- Focuses on how society is held together by social consensus
- Believes that each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to society's stability and functioning as a whole
- Criticized for neglecting the negative functions of an event and justifying the status quo
Marxist Perspective
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Karl Marx:
- German philosopher who proposed Marxism in the 19th century
- Focused on the relationship between the economy and the people working within the economic system
- Believed that society is characterized by the struggle between the workers and those in charge
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Class Struggle:
- Two social classes: the working-class laborers (proletariat) and the wealthy bourgeoisie
- Proletariat wants to end exploitation, while the bourgeoisie wants to maximize profits
- Class struggle leads to increased exploitation and eventually a proletarian revolution
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Theory of Capitalism:
- Economic system in which private individuals own the means of production
- Capitalists exploit the labor of workers and pay them minimal wages
- Capitalism is an unstable system that will eventually result in a series of crises
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Communism:
- Proposed by Marx and Engels as a classless society in which private property is abolished
- Means of production would be collectively owned, and society would be free from exploitation
- Key features of a communist society include no private property, steeply graduated income tax, and free public education
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Conflict Theory:
- Developed by Karl Marx, it states that society is in a perpetual state of conflict due to competing interests
- Power struggles drive societal change, and the bourgeoisie hold power over the proletariat
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Alienation:
- Lack of power, control, and fulfillment experienced by workers in capitalist societies
- Workers become alienated from their labor as they lose individual character and become dependent on their labor for survival
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Historical Materialism:
- Theory that societies pass through stages: primitive communism, slave society, feudalism, capitalism, and advanced communism
- Each stage is characterized by a different mode of production and exploitation
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Stages of Societal Development:
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- Primitive Communism: no social class division, people worked for subsistence
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- Antiquity: first stage of exploitation, aristocrats and slaves
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- Feudalism: exploitation of land occupiers by landowners
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- Capitalist Society: exploitation of the poor by the rich
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- Advanced Communism: a utopian society with shared resources and equality
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Strengths of Marxism:
- Provides useful insights into society, particularly on conflict theory
- Helps understand how society functions and why we have certain ideas about labor
-
Criticisms of Marxism:
- Overly simplistic view of society being split into two social classes
- Ignores other factors that contribute to social inequality, such as race, religion, and gender
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Description
Understand the functionalist perspective in sociology, where each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to society's stability and functioning as a whole.