...three major theoretical perspectives in sociology are the functionalist perspective, the conflict perspective and the interactionist perspective. The functionalist perspective focuses on society as a whole, and that each member of society contributes equally. Theorists involved with the functionalist perspective are Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, and Robert Merton. Durkheim was a major theorist involved in the observation of “anomie”, a state where norms are unclear, confused or not present. In the conflict perspective, society is viewed as a struggle. The theorists involved are Karl Marx, W.E.B Dubois and Ida Wells-Barnett. Karl Marx concluded that the power struggle between social classes was inevitable, in the Marxist View. Lastly, the interactionist perspective focuses on everyday social interactions and explains society as a whole. The theorists involved in the interactionist perspective are George Herbert Mead, Charles Horton Cooley and Erving Goffman. With all three of these sociological perspectives, there are both similarities and differences. The functionalist perspective and the conflict perspective are similar in that they both focus on the relationships and behaviors amongst themselves. They both explain how the effects that society has on people and how people affect the society. Both the functionalist perspective and conflict perspective have a macro level analysis, meaning that they focus on large-scale phenomenon or entire civilizations. The differences between...
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...http://anthropology.ua.edu/cultures/cultures.php?culture=Functionalism http://www3.niu.edu/acad/psych/Millis/History/2004/functionalism.htm INTRODUCTION Functionalism was a major paradigm shift in the history of American psychology. As an outgrowth of Darwin’s evolutionary theory, the functionalist approach focused on the examination of the function and purpose of mind and behavior. Rather than the structures of the mind, functionalism was interested in mental processes and their relation to behavior. Through his work at Harvard as a professor teaching psychology courses and his writings related to the philosophy of pragmatism and functionalism, William James became known as spokesman of this burgeoning approach to psychology. His influence was exponentially increased through the inspiration he gave to his students. G. Stanley Hall, Mary Calkins, and Edward Thorndike are among those who spread functionalist psychology to other universities. DARWIN AND FUNCTIONALISM Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection was tremendously influential on the establishment of functionalism. After his famous voyage on The HMS Beagle, Darwin labored many years to produce the book responsible for a dramatic paradigm shift: The Origin of Species. Darwin’s argued that the environment forces a natural selection upon its inhabitants and favors those inhabitants that have adaptive characteristics. The members within a species who have adaptive characteristics pass on this survival...
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...Wearing? A. why people wear different styles in different locales B. differences in fashion across cultures C. the people who make our clothing D. pirating in the fashion industry Answer: C Type: I 2. The scientific study of social behavior and human groups is known as A. psychology. B. political science. C. anthropology. D. sociology. Answer: D Type: D 3. Sociology A. is the scientific study of social behavior and human groups. B. focuses primarily on how social relationships influence people’s behavior. C. focuses on how societies develop and change. D. all of these Answer: D Type: D 4. The awareness that allows people to comprehend the link between their immediate, personal social settings and the remote, impersonal social world is called A. the sociological imagination. B. anthropology. C. a theory. D. verstehen. Answer: A Type: D 5. ____________ is most closely associated with the concept of the sociological imagination. A. Émile Durkheim B. Max Weber C. Karl Marx D. C. Wright Mills Answer: D Type: S 6. A key element in the sociological imagination is the ability to view one’s own society A. from the perspective of personal experience. B. from the perspective of cultural biases. C. as an outsider. D. as an insider. ...
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...We study it to be able to evaluate the effects of gender, ethnic background, social class, religion, and community on an individual or group. Another is that the sociological perspective is crucial for success in today’s multicultural and multinational work environments. Thus, a background in social science is valuable preparation for careers in almost any modern organizational setting. 2. What are the disciplines of Social Science? * Social science is actually the commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to the academic disciplines concerned with society and the relationships among individuals within a society. These disciplines include anthropology, economics, political science, psychology and sociology and many more. 3. What is Anthropology? Why do we study Anthropology? * Anthropology is the study of humans, past and present. Anthropologists look at cross-cultural differences in social institutions, cultural beliefs, and communication styles. They often seek to promote understanding between groups by "translating" each culture to the other, for instance by spelling out common, taken-for-granted assumptions. * We study it to be able to understand the full sweep and complexity of cultures across all of human history. An anthropology class can be useful for students in a variety of majors, such as education, business, medicine, and law. Knowledge about human diversity is helpful in many careers. It is often an advantage to have developed an approach...
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...One might ask, “What is an evolutionary theory?” as I have asked myself several times whilst conducting research for this essay. My conclusion is that it is, quite simply, a theory of evolution. The online Oxford Dictionary defines evolution as, “The gradual development of something.” (2012) The dictionary defines a theory as, “A supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something…” Therefore, by using these two definitions, it can be said that a social evolutionary theory is a system of ideas intended to explain the gradual development of society. This question is vital in interpreting the purpose of this essay. The task at hand in completing this essay is to compare and contrast the social evolutionary theories of Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer. Before we analyze these theorist’s works, it is critical that we first look at the setting under which these men lived and worked. According to Ritzer (2011), Comte and Spencer both lived most of their lives during the 19th century. Comte lived from 1798 to 1857 while Spencer lived from 1820 to 1903. Comte and Spencer were from France and Britain respectively. The 18th and 19th centuries in Europe was characterized by widespread social change due to the Enlightenment period and the French Revolution. I think that this time period was the reason why social evolutionary theories were needed because of the extensive amount of change taking place in such a short time. There was a need for and a fascination with explanations...
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...tracking demographic changes over time, and identifying ideologies and social forces that influence and are influenced by family life. Some theories look at how individuals develop over the life span in the context of families; others define the forms and functions of families as a social unit in society. Some look at “the family” as a unit and focus in on the internal dynamics of relationships between family members, while others look at “the family” as a subsystem or institution in the larger scope of society. Some theories identify factors that predict family behaviors. Other theories are used to develop programs and interventions. The field of family studies is an interdisciplinary one, meaning that it has liberally borrowed from sociological and psychological theories as well as other disciplines, and has used variable analysis, anthropological, historical, philosophical, and interpretive...
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...Calculators, lemmings or frame-makers? The intermediary role of securities analysts Daniel Beunza and Raghu Garud Introduction As Wall Street specialists in valuation, sell-side securities analysts constitute a particularly important class of market actor.1 Analysts produce the reports, recommendations and price targets that professional investors utilize to inform their buy and sell decisions, which means that understanding analysts’ work can provide crucial insights on the determinants of value in the capital markets. Yet our knowledge of analysts is limited by insufficient attention to Knightian uncertainty. Analysts estimate the value of stocks by calculating their net present value or by folding the future back into the present. In so doing, they are faced with the fundamental challenge identified by Frank Knight, that is, with the difficulty of making decisions that entail a future that is unknown. These decisions, as Knight wrote, are characterized by ‘neither entire ignorance nor complete . . . information, but partial knowledge’ of the world (Knight, [1921] 1971: 199). The finance literature has not examined the Knightian challenge faced by analysts. Indeed, existing treatments circumvent the problem by adopting one of two extreme positions. In the first, put forward by orthodox economists, it is assumed that Knightian uncertainty is non-existent and that calculative decision-making is straightforward. Analysts are presented as mere calculators in a probabilistic world...
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...challenges of triangulation offering some relevant examples that guide in understanding the concept. 2.0 Background of Triangulation Originally triangulation was a method used to determine the location of a fixed point based on the laws of trigonometry. The laws state that if one side and two angles of a triangle are known, the other two sides and angle of that triangle can be calculated. Triangulation though not defined was used in the early civilizations of the ancient Egypt and Greece. Going back to the early centuries, triangulation was commonly associated with maritime navigation, where sailors used it to track their position and course. It has continued to play a great role in surveying and civil engineering. It is the major concept behind the GPS technology where theoretically, the signals from three satellites could be used to fix the location; however, four are...
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...erian novelJournal of Education and Practice ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol 2, No 4, 2011 www.iiste.org A Study on Gender Consciousness in Nigerian Autobiographical Narratives and Power of the Interview Ogunyemi, Christopher Babatunde Department of English, College of Humanities, Joseph Ayo Babalola University PMB 5006 Ilesa 233001 Osun State, Nigeria. bbcoguns2@yahoo.se Akindutire, Isaac Olusola Department of Physical and Health Education, Faculty of Education University of Ado Ekiti Ado Ekiti. Ekiti State, Nigeria ioakindutire@yahoo.com Adelakun, Ojo Johnson Department of Economics, Joseph Ayo Babalola University, PMB 5006 Ilesa 233001, Osun State, Nigeria joadelakun@yahoo.co.uk Abstract The study explores some self-created metaphors in male autobiographical writings in Nigeria. It visualizes the negation of female gender in art. The paper investigates the dichotomy of language, the use of irony and situational metaphors to displace conventional ones; it blends theories with critical evaluation of discourse. The research uses empirical methods in solving hypothetical questions with the use of extensive and relatively unstructured interviews. It examines the interviews of twenty five people independently, these people include: University lecturers, students, administrative and technical staff. The work analyzes concurrently their interview testimonies to search for congruence. Data analysis begins with a detailed microanalysis in which emergent concepts...
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...élites, democracia y cambio social y las teorías de la estructura de poder. En este artículo también se estudia hasta qué grado la introducción de una nueva metodología de investigación por parte de la teoría de la dominación de clase de Domhoff abrió una nueva perspectiva en los estudios sobre las élites. Finalmente, se presentan una estrategia de investigación para las élites y dos conclusiones principales. Palabras clave: Élites políticas - cambio social - estructura de poder - representación. Abstract Scholarly studies of elites and political elites have a vibrant recent history. My aim here is to provide a selective summary of that history, focusing on the importance of social distinction and the theories of power structure as a theoretical background for understanding the influence of political elites in social change. Since new insights and concerns have emerged in this field, the organization of this essay is not entirely chronological. Even though I may have ignored many relevant contributions,...
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... Copyright © The Open University of Hong Kong, 2001, 2011. Reprinted 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the President, The Open University of Hong Kong. Sale of this material is prohibited. The Open University of Hong Kong Ho Man Tin, Kowloon Hong Kong This course material is printed on environmentally friendly paper. Contents Introduction 1 The focus of criminology 4 What is criminology? Why study crime? 4 6 Developing theory: the foundations of criminology 8 Theorizing about crime before criminology: the classical perspective Positivist criminology 8 10 Sociological criminology The Chicago School Strain and subcultural theories of crime Control theories The labelling perspective Critical criminology 14 15 17 21 23 27 Environmental criminology 30 Jane Jacobs and Oscar Newman Routine activity theory Rational choice theory 30 33 35 Summary 39 References 41 Feedback on activities 43 Readings Unit 2 Introduction The purpose of this unit is to introduce you to the different kinds of theorizing about crime that have constituted the discipline of criminology. Criminology as an academic discipline has existed for well over 100 years. During this time, a number of distinct approaches have emerged, and it is these different approaches that this unit seeks to capture,...
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...two contexts have extensively influenced the view of genocide. The major view of genocide is that it is a domestic occurrence of states. On a literal perspective, various authors have contributed to the subject of genocide. The assignment looks to extensively explore the foundations of genocide based on book reviews. The paper will provide an in-depth analysis and reviews of three books on genocide, What is Genocide by Martin Shaw, Centuries of Genocide by Totten and On the nature of genocidal intent by Campbell. Shaw, M. (2007). What is Genocide? Cambridge: Polity Press. ISBN: 0745631827. Martin Shaw’s takes up the subject of defining genocide in all contexts. Through the book, What is Genocide, Shaw seeks to address two major issues related to genocide definition. • Unchanging definition of genocide • Reasons and need for changing definition of genocide Modern comprehension of the genocide ideology arises from a historical and contemporary viewpoint. It is evident over the years that the definition of genocide has undergone minimal change. In the book, the author offers key reasons for the unchanging definition of genocide while at the same time offering major reasons for the need to make the necessary changes (Shaw, 2007). Different reasons contribute to the unchanging definition of genocide. In the past years, people paid minimal attention to the criminological and sociological aspects of the crime of genocide. For instance, the legal aspect working...
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...research which may be applied directly to social policy and welfare, while others focus primarily on refining the theoretical understanding of social processes. Subject matter ranges from the micro level of individual agency and interaction to the macro level of systems and the social structure.[3] The traditional focuses of sociology have included social stratification, social class, culture, social mobility, religion, secularisation, law, and deviance. As all spheres of human activity are affected by the interplay between social structure and individual agency, sociology has gradually expanded its focus to further subjects, such as health, medical, military and penal institutions, the Internet, and the role of social activity in the development of scientific knowledge. The range of social scientific methods has also expanded. Social researchers draw upon a variety of qualitative and quantitative techniques. The linguistic and cultural turns of the mid-twentieth century led to increasingly interpretative, hermeneutic, and philosophic approaches to the analysis of society. Conversely, recent decades have seen the rise of new analytically, mathematically and computationally rigorous techniques, such as agent-based modelling and social network analysis.[4][5] Sociology should not be confused with various general social studies courses which bear little relation to sociological theory or social science research methodology. Careers in Sociology If you are at all interested in making...
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...American Psychological Association, Inc. 0021-9010/03/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.852 An Investigation of Race and Sex Similarity Effects in Interviews: A Multilevel Approach to Relational Demography Joshua M. Sacco Aon Consulting Christine R. Scheu, Ann Marie Ryan, and Neal Schmitt Michigan State University This research studied the effects of race and sex similarity on ratings in one-on-one highly structured college recruiting interviews (N 708 interviewers and 12,203 applicants for 7 different job families). A series of hierarchical linear models provided no evidence for similarity effects, although the commonly used D-score and analysis-of-variance– based interaction approaches conducted at the individual level of analysis yielded different results. The disparate results demonstrate the importance of attending to nested data structures and levels of analysis issues more broadly. Practically, the results suggest that organizations using carefully administered highly structured interviews may not need to be concerned about bias due to the mismatch between interviewer and applicant race or sex. There is a large body of literature supporting the notion that demographic similarity affects important outcomes at work (see Riordan, 2000; Williams & O’Reilly, 1998, for a review). For instance, researchers have reported that demographic similarity is positively related to communication, the probability of remaining on the job, and job satisfaction (Tsui & O’Reilly, 1989;...
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...Glossary of Sociological Terms |11-Plus Exam |Examination introduced with the 1944 Education Act, sat by all pupils in the state sector| | |at the age of 11. If they passed they went to the selective Grammar School, or if they | | |failed to the Secondary Modern School. This exam still exists in some counties such as | | |Kent and also in Northern Ireland. | |12-Plus Exam |Exam made available only to a minority of 'high-flyers' in Secondary Modern schools, | | |offering a late chance to go to Grammar School at the age of 12. | |'30-30-40 society' |A term associated with Will Hutton to describe an increasingly insecure and polarised | | |society. The bottom 30 per cent is socially excluded by poverty from the rest of society.| | |The next 30 per cent live in fear and insecurity of falling into poverty. Only the top 40| | |per cent feel secure and confident. ...
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