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
Read MoreUnderstanding the Social Characteristics of Education
Education is a social phenomenon for the following reasons:
1. Education Takes Place in a Social Environment
Educators and students are always in a social context. Every society has a context that affects the education that occurs. Society is a system in which human relationships are verified to communicate cultural patterns of individuals. Education is the necessary means available to society to transmit and develop its own culture.
2. Education Works with Social Content
The content studied in school
Read MoreUnderstanding Globalization: Origins, Impact, and Drivers
Origins of Globalization
Until a few centuries ago, the countries of the earth lived almost isolated from each other. It is true that in some places there were great empires, but the linkages between the various regions of the world were tenuous or nonexistent. This situation changed in the late fourteenth century. The reasons which prompted this were commercial interests and conquest. As a result of this process, different regions of the earth were integrated into a single global market organized
Read MoreBelgian Government Formation: Party System, Judiciary, and Territorial Organization
The high fragmentation of the party system means no single party achieves an absolute majority. Many of the patterns that characterize the process of government formation are not formal rules, but practices that have evolved over time.
Formal Aspects: The Head of State plays an important role in the process of government formation. After the election, they appoint an informateur (if no clear majority in parliament) to find a combination of parties eligible to form a government. The informateur evaluates
Read MoreRealism and Neorealism: Schelling and Waltz’s Theories
Realism and Behaviorism: Schelling
Achieving political objectives through self-interest involves scientifically analyzing politicians’ decisions. This assumes key underlying bases are unexplained. Why this concern? In the context of nuclear conflict, who presses the button? The concern lies in the decision-making mechanisms. The principal national interest objective is to determine tactics.
In the 50s and 60s, mathematics was used to explain the social sciences. Game theory, applied to the prisoner’
Read MoreTechnology, Science, and Perception: Key Concepts & Examples
Political Dimensions of Technology
I. Introduction: Langdon Winner argues that technology has political dimensions, demonstrating how artifacts enforce or shape power structures. Thesis: Technological artifacts are not neutral; they embody and reinforce political structures, intentionally or unintentionally.
II. Body:
- Robert Moses’ Low Bridges: Designed to prevent buses (and therefore lower-income and minority communities) from accessing certain areas.
- Nuclear Power Plants: Require centralized authority