Key Concepts in Sociology: A Comprehensive Collection
Key Concepts in Sociology
Sociological Approaches and Methods
The Sociological Approach
Systematic approach to studying society and social interactions.
Measuring Alienation
Amiko’s method: Operationalized measurement of alienation.
Capitalism and Exploitation
Marx’s argument: Capitalism operates by exploiting workers and reinvesting the surplus.
Suicide and Social Connection
Durkheim’s study: Suicide rates were higher for populations that were less socially connected.
Symbolic Interactionism
Weber’s verstehen led to the development of symbolic interactionism.
Analyzing Debates
Faisal’s method: Content analysis of debates.
Socialization and Culture
Resocialization
Bess’s experience: Resocialization.
Operant Conditioning
Example: A child is punished for breaking rules and rewarded for ‘good’ behavior.
Production of Culture
Marjorie’s study: Reflects the production of culture perspective.
Subcultures
Adam’s likely area of study: Subcultures.
Cultural Marxism and Hegemony
Domination by prevailing ideas is central to cultural Marxism’s understanding of hegemony.
Cultural Imperialism
Canadian cultural protection policy is a response to cultural imperialism.
Postmodernist Critique of Science
Ahmed’s potential criticism: Postmodernist perspective on science.
Social Structures and Inequality
Achieved Status
Jaspreet’s achieved status: Sergeant in the RCMP.
Bureaucracy and Work Roles
Weber’s theory of bureaucracy emphasizes the separation of person from work role.
Queer Theory
Queer theory destabilizes natural categories.
Deviance
Primary vs. secondary deviance: Initial act vs. further acts as part of a deviant identity.
Socio-Legal Perspective on Policing
Police use discretion to solve problems, according to the socio-legal perspective.
Transactional Character of Deviance
Luckenbill’s theory is relevant to analyzing murder cases.
Moral Panic
The Mods and Rockers conflict contributed to the concept of moral panic.
Social Control
Not a form of social control: A man is diagnosed with a contagious disease.
Gender Inequality and Unpaid Work
Consequence of women’s unpaid work: Men tend to earn higher wages than women.
The Quiet Revolution
Refers to changes in Quebec society.
Technology, Social Change, and Globalization
Technology and Social Context
Sociological emphasis: Technology does not exist without social context.
Piketty’s R > G
Meaning: Rate of return on investments is greater than the growth rate of the economy.
Gender as Social Construction
Varying ideas about masculinity support the view of gender as a social construction.
Patriarchy
Patriarchy reinforces male privilege.
Culturalism
Ernesto’s argument about immigrant incomes aligns with culturalism.
Interculturalism vs. Multiculturalism
Quebec’s interculturalism emphasizes French as the language of public life, distinct from multiculturalism.
Systemic Racism in Policing
Example: More officers in non-white neighborhoods.
Symbolic Interactionist Research
Example question: What is Canadian identity?
Religion and Belonging
“Believing without belonging” in Canada: Identifying with a religion at census time, but little church contact.
The Raelians
Finding: Emphasized individual choice.
Functional Definitions of Religion
Meredith McGuire focuses on what religion does for the social group and individual.
Social Reproduction
Unpaid labor supporting families is key to social reproduction.
Women’s Labor Activism
Challenge in the 1970s: Recognition from the union.
Temporary Foreign Workers
Consequence: More vulnerable to risks and exploitation.
Informal Economy
Venkatesh’s book highlights the importance of the informal economy for marginalized people.
The Sharing Economy
Early examples like Wikipedia featured collaborative work without being paid for it.
Frame Alignment
Agnes’s change in the animal rights group exemplifies frame alignment.
Inclusive Social Movements
Challenge: Difficult to hold together over the long term.
Studying Right-Wing Movements
Tetrault’s methods: Talking to participants and analyzing discourse.
Sovereign States
Weber’s definition: Monopoly over the legitimate use of force.
Canada in World Systems Theory
Unusual aspect: Economic dependence on exporting natural resources.
Institutional Isomorphism
Example: Developing countries restructuring laws.
Standardization of Time
Essential for modern world functioning.
World Society Perspective
Explains why state institutions take similar forms globally.
Vertically Integrated Companies
Own production, distribution, and exhibition enterprises.
Political Economy of Media
Amikha’s focus on Canadian media reflects the political economy perspective.
Streaming Platforms and Canadian Content
Controversy surrounding platforms like Netflix: Support for Canadian content.