Theory & Methods

• Consensus Theory

  individuals in a given society agree on basic values and on what is inherently right and wrong
• Conflict theory

  Views society divided between groups with different amounts of power
• Norms

  rules which guide the behavior of the members of a society
• Values

  the widely accepted ideas, beliefs, and attitudes about what is important, which guide the way we live
• Social action theories

  See individuals as having free will and choice, and the power to shape society through their actions and interactions
• Primary socialisation

  Norms and values taught to a child within the family
• Secondary socialisation

  the process of learning norms and values that is provided by school, peers, work, media etc.
• Emile Durkheim

  Considered the father of sociology and a major proponent of functionalism
• Agencies of socialisation

  institutions through which individuals learn the norms and values of a society
• Parsons


  a functionalist thinker who emphasised the importance of socialisation for understanding our behaviour and creating value consensus
• Organic Analogy


  The belief that society is like a human body with interdependent parts that work together to maintain its survival
• Value consensus


  Agreement amongst members of a society on what values are important, a shared culture.
• Social solidarity


  the social ties that bind a group of people together such as kinship, shared location, and religion
• Determinism


  The idea that people's behavior is shaped by factors outside of their control and not as a result of free will
• Manifest Functions

  The recognized and intended consequences of any social institution
• Latent Functions

  The unrecognized and unintended consequences of a social institution
• Means of Production

  Factories, machines, tools etc - things that allow for the creation of goods and wealth
• Capitalism

  an economic system based on the private ownership of capital/the means of production
• Bourgeoisie

  Those who are able to gain control of the means of production
• Proletariat

  Marx's term for the exploited class - the workers who do not own the means of production
• Class inequality

  the unequal distribution of wealth, power, and opportunities for advancement
• Alienation

  the process whereby a worker is made to feel foreign to the products of his/her own labor.
• Nature vs. Nurture


  The debate surrounding whether innate characteristics or environmental factors contribute more to a person's actions
• False class consciousness

  Marx's term to refer to workers identifying with the interests of capitalists as they do not realise the extent of their exploitation
• Ideological State Apparatus


  Institutions of the state which spread ruling class ideology ideology and justify power of the bourgeoise
• Althusser


  Marxist thinker associated with the ideological state apparatus which uses social institutions to oppress the working class by spreading ruling-class ideology.
• Economic determinism


  the belief that human behavior and relationships are ultimately caused by differences in economic factors and disparities in wealth
• Concentration of ownership

  occurs when a few wealthy individuals have a monopoly of an industry (e.g. controlling many media outlets)
• Dominant ideology

  a set of cultural beliefs and practices that helps to maintain the social, economic, and political interests of the ruling-classes
• Class consciousness


  gaining the awareness of one's rank in society
• Communism


  an economic system in which all means of production - are owned by the people, private property does not exist, and all goods and services are shared equally
• Patriarchy


  a society in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it
• First Wave Feminism

  started in the mid-1800s when women demanded the right to vote
• Second Wave Feminism

  Women's rights movement that revived in the 1960s demanded equal rights for women in employment, education, controlling their own bodies, etc.
• Third Wave Feminism

  evolved into the 1990s as an extension of the shortcomings of the second wave
• Fourth Wave Feminism

  Feminist movement that began in the 21st century - often uses technology to empower women and celebrate their achievements
• Hashtag activism

  using social media, especially Twitter as a form of political engagement to raise awareness of an issue (e.g. #MeToo)
• Gender

  the socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female
• Sex

  the biological differences that distinguish males from females
• Liberal Feminism

  Believes gender inequality is produced by unequal access to civil rights and seeks solutions through changes in legislation