All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is the definition of the looking-glass self (Cooley)?
Answer: Self-concept shaped by imagining how others perceive and judge us. We see ourselves through others' eyes like a mirror reflection.
Flashcard 2: What is class consciousness in Marxist theory?
Answer: Awareness of shared class position and common economic interests. Recognition that leads to collective action against exploitation.
Flashcard 3: What is the means of production in Marxist theory?
Answer: Resources and tools used to produce goods (factories, land, capital). Marx saw control of these as the basis of class division.
Flashcard 4: What is the defining feature of a bureaucracy in Weber’s analysis?
Answer: Formal rules, hierarchy, specialization, and impersonal relationships. Weber emphasized these characteristics create efficient but rigid organizations.
Flashcard 5: What are the three types of authority in Weber’s typology?
Answer: Traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal authority. Based on custom, personal qualities, or legal-rational systems respectively.
Flashcard 6: What is the proletariat in Marxist class theory?
Answer: Wage laborers who sell labor and do not own the means of production. Marx's term for the working class exploited under capitalism.
Flashcard 7: What is the bourgeoisie in Marxist class theory?
Answer: The capitalist class that owns the means of production. Marx's term for those who profit from others' labor.
Flashcard 8: What is the core claim of conflict theory about the basis of social order?
Answer: Social order reflects competition over scarce resources and power inequalities. Sees society as shaped by struggle between groups with unequal resources.
Flashcard 9: What is anomie in Durkheim’s theory?
Answer: Normlessness due to weakened social regulation and unclear expectations. Occurs when rapid social change disrupts traditional norms and values.
Flashcard 10: What is social solidarity in Durkheimian functionalism?
Answer: Social cohesion arising from shared norms and interdependence. The bonds that unite members through common values and mutual dependence.
Flashcard 11: What term describes a social pattern that disrupts society in functionalist theory?
Answer: Dysfunction. Elements that harm social stability rather than contributing to it.
Flashcard 12: What is the difference between manifest and latent functions in functionalism?
Answer: Manifest: intended effects; latent: unintended effects. Manifest are planned outcomes; latent are unexpected consequences.
Flashcard 13: What is the core focus of symbolic interactionism in sociological analysis?
Answer: How individuals create meaning through symbols and social interaction. Examines micro-level processes of communication and interpretation.
Flashcard 14: What is the core claim of structural functionalism about how society works?
Answer: Society is a set of interdependent parts that maintain stability and order. Views society as an organism where each part contributes to overall functioning.
Flashcard 15: What is the concept of power in Weber’s sociology?
Answer: The ability to impose one’s will despite resistance. Weber defined it as overcoming opposition to achieve desired outcomes.
Flashcard 16: What is false consciousness in Marxist theory?
Answer: Misunderstanding of one’s class interests due to dominant ideology. When workers accept capitalism despite it harming their interests.
Flashcard 17: What is the looking-glass self in Cooley’s symbolic interactionism?
Answer: Self-concept formed by imagining how others perceive and judge us. We see ourselves reflected in others' reactions to us.
Flashcard 18: What is role-taking in Mead’s theory of the self?
Answer: Adopting another person’s perspective to guide one’s behavior. Understanding social expectations by imagining others' viewpoints.
Flashcard 19: Which sociological perspective best fits: society is held together by shared norms?
Answer: Structural functionalism. This perspective emphasizes consensus and social integration.
Flashcard 20: Which sociological perspective best fits: inequality persists because it benefits elites?
Answer: Conflict theory. This perspective focuses on power struggles and resource competition.
Flashcard 21: What is the definition of the power elite in C. Wright Mills’s theory?
Answer: A small group controlling major political, military, and economic institutions. Elite coordination across society's key sectors.
Flashcard 22: What is Weber’s main contribution to stratification theory beyond class?
Answer: Stratification also reflects status (prestige) and party (power). Added social honor and political influence to class analysis.
Flashcard 23: Identify the theoretical perspective: social order is produced by micro-level meaning-making.
Answer: Symbolic interactionism. Focuses on face-to-face interactions and meanings.
Flashcard 24: Identify the theoretical perspective: society is held together by shared values and institutions.
Answer: Functionalism. Emphasizes consensus and institutional stability.
Flashcard 25: What is the definition of the Thomas theorem in symbolic interactionism?
Answer: If situations are defined as real, they are real in their consequences. Perceptions shape actual outcomes and behaviors.
Flashcard 26: What is the core assumption of functionalism about how society operates?
Answer: Society is a system of interdependent parts that maintain stability. Each part serves a function to maintain equilibrium.
Flashcard 27: What is the core assumption of conflict theory about social structure?
Answer: Society is shaped by competition over scarce resources and power. Groups with power maintain dominance over those without.
Flashcard 28: What is the core assumption of symbolic interactionism about social reality?
Answer: Social reality is constructed through shared meanings in interaction. People create meaning through symbols and interactions.
Flashcard 29: What is a manifest function of a social institution?
Answer: An intended and recognized consequence of an institution. Explicitly stated purposes that institutions fulfill.
Flashcard 30: What is a latent function of a social institution?
Answer: An unintended or unrecognized consequence of an institution. Hidden effects that emerge beyond stated goals.