UCSP

• Theories that make up the sociological perspective

  • Structural Functional theory
  • Conflict theory
  • Symbolic interaction and meaning making theory
• Defining Society


  • A tool to understand social phenomena
  • An idea that represents social reality
• Defining society as Social Phenomena


  • Patterns of behavior, thought, action that occur within a society
  • Flexible, e.g. poverty, corruption
• Structural Functionalism and Social order


  • Parts with functions
  • Social order, parts interact and function well
  • >Merton: complex whole
  • >Parsons: structures, roles
  • >Spencer: human body
• Social Conflict Theory by Karl Marx


  • Struggle for power and resources
  • Role that powers; control over others
  • 2 groups: power and without power
  • Compete for limited resources
  • Conflict can be positive and advantageous, bring new relations
• Symbolic Interactionism and Meaning Making


  • Interpretation of human interaction
  • Humans generate meaning
  • Meaning is the basis of social interactions
  • Reaction to symbols
  • Interact + Interpret= Social bonds
• Socialization


  • Long process of learning and re-learning > starts at childhood
  • Internalizing symbols, rituals, expectations, and requirements (code of ethics, norms, practices)
  • Preparing one for roles (student,friend,child,etc) in society
  • End goal: developing personality and character
• Enculturation


  • Familiarization of own culture
  • Morals, values, attitudes
• Acculturation


  • Cultural interchange (exchange)
  • Merging new with initial culture
  • 2nd/3rd socialization with new culture
• Development of self by Herbert Mead " I and Me"

  • I: self, Me: others
  • Preparatory Stage: mimic role of significant others
  • Play Stage: pretend to take role of specific others
  • Game Stage: immersed within a larger community, slowly learns of the Generalized Other, gets to experience the roles
• Looking Glass Self by Charles Horton Cooley


  • 1st: how one appears to another person
  • 2nd: imagine judgements people make of us
  • 3rd: change how people perceive us
  • Came from oneself
• Dramaturgy by Erving Goffman


  • Script social expectations
  • Front Stage: wear mask according to role
  • Back Stage: acts different than when in front
• Agencies of Socialization


  • Where learning happens
  • Family
  • Peer Group
  • Church
  • School
  • Mass Media
  • Workplace
  • Total Institution
• Deviance


  • Cheating, stealing, vandalism, riot, etc
  • Transgress the rules, violate the laws, defy value
• Why people conform

  • To gain acceptance
  • Achieve goals through group
  • Enjoy being part of group activities
  • Ensure group's continuation
• Norms


  • Shared rules on certain situations
  • Instruction on how to do something
  • Folkways: not considered of moral significance, violations tolerated
  • Mores: have moral significance, violations not tolerated, deep consequences
  • Laws: formalized by Congress, violations are imprisonment and payment
• Deviance Theories

  • Sociobiological Theory
  • Psychological Theory
  • Differential Association Theory
  • Control Theory
  • Labeling theory
  • Strain theory
• Labeling Theory


  Society labels certain behavior as deviant, proper or improper, good or bad
• Strain Theory


  • Desire to achieve "Cultural Goals" the legal or accepted goals, but not everyone has equal access to society's institutional means (legal/approved ways)
  • Experience strain or frustration motivates to take deviant path
  • Institutional Means- Legal/ approved ways of reaching a goal
• Deviants are the product of society
• Control Theory


  Inner control- Internalized morality (conscience, religious principles)

  Outer control- People who influence not to deviate

  • Weak control= Deviate
  • Strong outer control= Strong inner control
• Differential Association Theory

  • Learns deviance
  • Influenced with whom associated with different groups (family, friends, neighbourhood)
• Psychological Theory

  • Suffering from personality deficiencies
  • Crime results abnormal, dysfuntional, inappropriate mental
• Sociobiological Theory by Lombroso

  • Physiological factors (hormone imbalance, vitamin deficiency, brain malfunctioning
  • Craniometry and phenology
  • Lombroso: Large/small nose, ears, jaws, twisted nose, long arms, excessive cheekbones, large lip
• Deviants


  Violation of norms
• Sanctions


  System of rewards and punishments in order to ensure norms are formed
• Defining society as a concept


  Pattern of behavior, thought, action that occurs within a society

  eg. Poverty, corruption
• Defining society as facticity


  Constituting a fairly large number of people living in the same territory

  People interacting and participating
• Defining society as a Diety


  Power of God

  Tripartite:

  Omnipotence: Social agents and control society

  Omniscience: Library possesses knowledge and memories

  Omniprsence: Scattered spied