Basics- Themes

Question 1

What is sociology?

Answer 1

The study of human society

Including development, functions and organisation

Question 2

Who are considered to be the 3 founding fathers of sociology?

Answer 2

Marx, Durkheim and Weber

Question 3

What did Marx believe?

Answer 3

Capitalism oppresses the working class and there needs to be a revolution to make all people equal

Question 4

What did Durkheim believe?

Answer 4

• Functionalist
• Society is made up of different institutions that each have their own function
• Institutions work in harmony to create a stable society

Question 5

What did Weber believe?

Answer 5

• Sociologists should study both structures and actions to understand society
• An individual’s behaviour is shaped by structural factors (eg, law) and subjective factors (eg. emotion)

Question 6

What are norms?

Answer 6

Behaviours and views that society sees as normal

Question 7

What are values?

Answer 7

Beliefs and ideas about what is right and wrong

Question 8

What is culture?

Answer 8

The way people live

Question 9

What does culture include?

Answer 9

Language, beliefs, norms, values, knowledge and skills

Question 10

Why is culture important?

Answer 10

It reinforces a sense of community in a society

Question 11

How does culture vary?

Answer 11

From place to place and with time

Question 12

What is socialisation?

Answer 12

The way in which culture is passed on from generation to generation

Question 13

What does socialisation do?

Answer 13

Teaches you how to behave and what to believe

Question 14

Where does primary socialisation happen?

Answer 14

In families

Question 15

Where does secondary socialisation happen?

Answer 15

School, friends, religion, media and work

Question 16

What is identity? (Basic)

Answer 16

Made up of simple facts such as name, age and appearence

Question 17

What is identity? (Deeper)

Answer 17

Way you see yourself and way you are viewed by others- influenced by class, ethnicity, gender, age, sexuality and roles in society

Question 18

What is social differentiation?

Answer 18

The way society can be divided up into different groups- can be based on biological features, cultural features or more personal characteristics

Question 19

What is stratification?

Answer 19

• Also splits society into different groups but groups are ordered in layers with a definite hierarchy
• Groups can be based on things like status, income, religion, ethnicity, gender and age but usually based on social class
• Top layer made up of the richest and most powerful people
• Bottom layer made up of poorest people who have the least power

Question 20

What can power be viewed as?

Answer 20

The ability to get someone to do something they wouldn’t normally do

Question 21

Why does a person have power?

Answer 21

Usually because of wealth, job or social class but can be because of gender or religion

Question 22

What research methods can sociologists use?

Answer 22

• Interviews
• Questionnaires
• Observations
• Documents
• Government statistics
• Experiments

Question 23

How do sociologists draw conclusions from collecting data?

Answer 23

Data is analysed and interpreted, and sociologists look for patterns and correlations