SOC 103 Chapter Notes - Chapter 16: Identity Politics, Signify, Natural Disaster

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 103
• Professor: Teppermann

Document Summary

As this textbook has demonstrated, sociologists focus on the significance of group membership and its impact on the individual. These groups provide benefits to both the individual members and to society as a whole. The chapter also demonstrates that despite that fact that individuals are free to join and leave voluntary associations, these groups contribute to social order. Group members are regulated by group norms, and these norms are enforced in a variety of ways, such as guilt, shame, gossip, rumour, and threatened rejection. In cases when voluntary associations adopt larger, societal goals, they become social movements. Sociological studies of the reasons why people join social movements vary according to theoretical perspective. The breakdown approach, relative deprivation theory, and systemic theory are associated with the functionalist perspective; accordingly, these theories emphasize disintegration, discontent, and frustration and how these threaten societal equilibrium.