SY101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Symbolic Interactionism, Golden Rule, Social Inequality

• School: WLU
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SY101
• Professor: Greg Bird

Document Summary

Test 1 = mainly chapter one (some are chapter 2 and 3); understand and apply theories. Four main theoretical traditions in sociology: functionalism, con ict theory, feminism, symbolic interactionism. Stable patterns of social relations or macrostructures govern human behavior. Functionalists look at social strati cation (social ranking; often in terms of economic class) Role of religion in society (maintaining social stability) Social structures based on shared values and norms. Values, customs, and traditions hold a society together. Anomie is a break\down of norms and values. Social problems solved by nding an equilibrium. Class con ict in society needs to be solved (durkheim) By having the system with employers and workers negotiating with the government. Macrostructures create division and con ict between dominate and subordinate groups. Con ict theorists argue that ruling groups try to secure their advantages and produce social stability through force and persuasion.