SOC 2070 Study Guide - Final Guide: White-Collar Crime, Anomie, Drug Culture

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2070
• Professor: Linda Hunter

Document Summary

A theory is an explanation of a phenomenon. In sociology there can be multiple existing theories that explain one phenomenon. Positivist theories-interested in why people act in certain ways. Seek cause and effect relationships, interested in planning a better society and seeking better social control. Functionalist theories-idea that society is comprised of structures that all have a function within society and if something no longer serves its function it is eliminated by society. Maintenance of the social order is consensual in that the rules exist because we believe they should exist. Manifest function-intended and recognized such as training for young adults for employment is a manifest function of university. Latent function-unintentional and unrecognized such as social networking in university. Teleological-the reason something exists within society is based on the function it serves. We thus cannot know if something in society exists without a function because it is not tested because something only exists because we know what its function is.