SOCI 1000 Notes - Chapter 1 PDF

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First lesson notes, Kate Anderson...

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SOCI 1000 Notes September 18, 2021 Chapter 1 Sociology - the systematic study of human behaviour in social context Social Solidarity - the degree to which group members share beliefs and values - The intensity and frequency of their interaction Macrostructures

Mesostructures

Microstructures

Overarching patterns of social relations that lie outside and above our circle of intimates and acquaintances

Patterns of social relations formed in organizations whose members are often not intimately acquainted and do not face interact face to face

Patterns of relatively intimate social relations formed during face to face interaction

E.g. classe + power systems (the patriarchy)

Colleges, bureaucracy and political parties

Families, friendship, circles and work associations

Theory - a tentative explanation of some aspect of social life - States how and why certain facts are related Research - the process of systematically observing social reality to assess the validity of a theory Value - ideas about what is right and wrong, good and bad Functionalist Theory: 1. Stress that human behaviour is governed by relatively stable patterns of social relations or social structures 2. Underlines how social structures maintain or undermine social stability 3. Emphasise that social structures are based mainly on shared values or preferences 4. Suggests that reestablishing the equilibrium can best solve most social stability problems

Conflict Theory: 1. Generally focuses on large, macro-level structures, such as the relationship between or among classes 2. Shows how major patterns of inequality in society produce social stability in some circumstances and social change in others 3. Stresses how members of privileged groups try to maintain their advantages while subordinate groups struggle to increase theirs 4. Typically leads to the suggestion that decreasing privilege will lower the level of conflict and increase the sum total of human welfare

Symbolic Interactionism: 1. Focuses on face-to-face communication or interaction in micro-level social settings 2. Emphasises that an adequate explanation of social behaviour requires understanding the subjective meanings people attach to their social circumstances 3. Stresses that people help to create their social circumstances and do not merely react to them 4. Validates unpopular and nonofficial viewpoints by underscoring the subjective meaning that people create in small social settings, increasing our understanding and

Feminist Theory: 1. Focuses on various aspects of patriarchy, the system of male domination in society 2. Holds that male domination and female subordination are determined not by biological necessity but by structures of power and social convention 3. Examines the operation of patriarchy in both micro and macro settings 4. Contends that existing patterns of gender inequality can and should be changes for the benefit of all members of society

tolerance of people who may be different than us Social Constructionism: A variant of symbolic interactionism that has become very popular in recent years. - Argues that when people interact, they typically assume things are naturally or innately what they seem to be, but in reality, apparently natural or innate features of life are sustained by social processes that vary historically and culturally Queer Theory: - When we label such as “male”, “gay”, “lesibain”, “female” we are adopting conventional labels that fail to capture the instability of sexual identities and performances that characterizes the lives of many people

The Main Theoretical Traditions in Sociology Paradigm

Main level Analysis

Main Focus

Main Question

Image of Ideal Society

Functionalism

Maco

Values

How do the institutions of society contribute to value consensus and thus, to social stability?

A state of equilibrium

Conflict Theory

Macro

Class inequality

How do privileged groups seek to maintain their advantages and subordinate groups to seek to increase theirs, often causing social change in the process?

The reduction of privilege, especially class privilege

Symbolic Interactionism

Micro

Meaning

How do individuals communicate so as to make their social settings meaningful?

Respect for the validity of minority views

Feminism

Macro & Micro

Patriarchy

Which social structures and interaction processes maintain male dominance and female subordination?

The reduction of gender inequality...