SSCI 1300U Study Guide - Winter 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Canada, Norm Social, Mental Disorder
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
SSCI 1300U
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
January 9 2018
Social Problems
Lecture one
What are social problems?
• A social condition or pattern of behavior that is believed to warrant public concern and
collective action
Objective elements of social problems
• what is objectivity?
o Not opinion based, fact based
• How do you have objective elements of social problems?
• Positivism
o Truth is only found in things we can see and prove
Subjective elements of social problems
• What is subjectivity?
• What are subjective elements of social problems?
• Constructivism
How do we view reality?
Sociological imagination
• Making links eteen ones personal life and the soial orld in hih one lies
o Actual parts of a complex series of systems and external factors
Micro-level analysis
• Focusses on the individual or small group
o Local or personal level
o Anecdotal, not necessarily based on evidence
Macro-level analysis
• Focusses on larger groups or societal level
o Social trend
▪ Economy
▪ Government
Social construction
• Social reality is constantly changing and in flux
• Social reality can change from person to person
• Four Key Assumptions:
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• World does not present itself objectively to the observer – Known through human
experience and subjective reality
• Historical and Cultural Importance – Context of a particular phenomenon is vital
• Knowledge is sustained by social process – Our knowledge at a given point in time is
based on that which is occurring at that time
• Knowledge and social action go together – Each does not work in a vacuum
Social functionalism
• Durkheim
• Key social institutions contribute to the survival of society
o Families
o Economy
o Government
o Education
• Manifest Functions – Visible, or intended goals of social institutions
• Latent Functions – Hidden, or unintended goals of social institutions
• Both functions are of key importance to how society operates, whether or not they
were intended or not.
• Equilibrium, achieve it
Conflict theory
• Eer present attle eteen the haes and hae-nots
• There is always a struggle between social classes over a limited supply of assets
• Karl Marx
o Proletariate versus Bourgeoisie
▪ Bourgeoisie own the means of production
▪ Proletariate are the working class
• Lower classes have less power and authority. Struggles over power and authority lead
to social inequalities
Symbolic interactionism
• Small group interactions
• Micro versus macro level perspectives
• Society consists of shared meanings, definitions and interpretations held by interacting
people.
Feminist theory
• Everything is gendered in some way
• Patriarchal structures show advantages towards men and disadvantages towards
women
• Conflict theory, but more for gender instead of class
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
