Social Theory--Sociology 322 Fall, 2007 Professor Michele Adams Exam #2 will be on Thursday, December 6, and will focus on all course material (readings, lectures, and class discussions) from Exam #1 through and including Tuesday, December 4, but it may also include some general reference to what you learned in the first part of the course. For your use (in case you need a reminder about the earlier information), the Study Guide for Exam #1 is still posted on Blackboard. Exam #2 will be a composite of multiple choice questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, and questions involving short answers (generally four sentences or less), and will comprise 25% of your course grade (100 points). Study Guide for Exam #2 Max Weber ideal type verstehen objectivity and the social scientist value neutral/value neutrality value-free sociology value-relevance social action means-ends rationality value rationality affectual action traditional action stratification class status party domination authority rational traditional charismatic (charisma) characteristics of charismatic leader bureaucracy /characteristics of bureaucracy bureaucratization bureaucrat rationalization rationality means-end rationality value rationality types of rationality in Webers work: practical rationality theoretical rationality substantive rationality formal rationalitycharacteristics of formal rationality asceticism innerworldly asceticism otherworldly asceticism Calvinism Protestant ethic spirit of capitalism iron cage The Protestant Ethic & the Spirit of Capitalism Objectivity in Social Science & Social Policy The Nature of Charismatic Domination Class, Status, Party Bureaucracy Georg Simmel objective culture subjective culture interaction forms of interaction social types formal sociology More-life More-than-life the tragedy of culture hypertrophy of culture social geometry / significance of numbers dyad triad group size distance value views on money the "stranger" objectivity of the stranger "general" commonness vs. "specific" commonness the "poor" the "metropolis" metropolitan man freedom in the metropolis individuality in the metropolis blas attitude attitude of reserve money economy dialectics Metropolis and the Mental Life The Stranger Flirtation Fashion Conflict as the Basis of Group Formation W.E.B. DuBois double consciousness standpoint of the oppressed class and race as interlocking systems of oppression race as a social construction American Sociology influences on early American sociology influence of Herbert Spencer William Graham Sumner Lester F. Ward: applied sociology 1 Thorstein Veblen The Theory of the Leisure Class clash between "business" and "industry" conspicuous leisure conspicuous consumption Chicago School Chicago as social laboratory Albion Small and professionalization of soc W.I. Thomas definition of the situation Thomas Theorem Robert Park Charles Horton Cooley the looking glass self primary groups George Mead (see below) Symbolic Interactionism micro sociology George Mead and SI Herbert Blumer and symbolic interactionism Differences between Blumers SI and Meads SI functions of symbols and language Main ideas of SI Critiques of SI George Herbert Mead pragmatism nominal pragmatism philosophical realism behaviorism social behaviorism vs. radical behaviorism social psychology the act social act gesture nonsignificant gesture significant gesture / significant symbols conversation of gestures significant symbol / significant gestures meaning language mind self society reflexivity / reflexive take the role of the other play stage game stage generalized other I me imaginative rehearsal Mind, Self, and Society Erving Goffman interaction order dramaturgy impression management front stage front setting personal front appearance manner performance performance teams team loyalty performer audience back stage dramaturgical loyalty / discipline role distance / role embracement stigma discredited stigma discreditable stigma normals frames interaction order face saving face being in the wrong face or out of face face work civil inattention tactful blindness collaborative construction of self meaningful nonadherence ritual offenses remedial work accounts apologies requests demeanor total institutions self the "sacred" self drama morality of the interaction order line "structure of involvement" in a situation being "in play" ritual / interpersonal ritual / interaction ritual positive ritual negative ritual supportive interchange remedial interchange rituals of ratification critiques of Goffman Presentation of Self in Everyday Life 2 Feminist Theory Varieties of feminist theory Gender difference Gender inequality Gender oppression Structural oppression Four basic theoretical questions Propositions of a feminist sociological theory Feminist sociology of knowledge Macro-social order Micro-social order Subjectivity 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. Questions to Consider Max Weber How did Weber explain the rise of capitalist industrial civilization? What were the preconditions of its emergence? What role did he attribute to religion in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism? Would you call Weber an optimist or a pessimist? Why? What about in relation to Marx? Weber keeps talking about disenchantment of the world and iron cages. What does he mean? How did we end up in this iron cage? How do we get out of it? Does the Protestant ethic still control the spirit of capitalism today? Why or why not? Does Weber believe that social science (and social scientists) can be objective? Why or why not? What is the purview of the social scientist in advising someone on their actions? What does Weber believe about general laws? What good are general laws in his view? What does Weber mean by "legitimate authority"? What are the characteristics of charismatic authority? Who today (or in modern society) might be considered a charismatic leader? Why? How can charismatic authority be considered revolutionary and the basis for social upheaval? Explain Webers suggestion that charisma is the "characteristically ,,creative revolutionary force in history." On what does charismatic leadership depend? Where does the charismatic leader get his/her) power? Why is the existence of charismatic authority inherently unstable? Where does traditional authority come from? Where does rational (legal) authority come from? Explain the difference between the revolutionary nature of rational authority and that of charismatic authority. How does Weber "complicate" Marx theory of classes? For Weber, what is a "class"? What are "status groups"? What does he mean by "party"? How does Weber define "power"? On what basis does power rest? What is rational-legal domination? How does bureaucracy exemplify rational-legal domination? What are the characteristics of the bureaucracy? of the bureaucrat? What are some of the benefits of bureaucracy for the bureaucrat? What makes bureaucracy so powerful? Why does it appear to be, as Weber suggests, "indestructible"? Why does Weber believe it will last "in perpetuity"? How is actual bureaucracy different from Webers ideal type? Why did this happen? Did Weber just get it wrong or did he predict that this would happen? Explain why Weber believes that ideal types "keep sociology young." Georg Simmel Which layer of the psyche predominates in the metropolis? What organ protects the "metropolitan man"? What is the relationship between the money economy and the dominance of the intellect? What are some of the characteristics of the money economy and life in the metropolis? What is the blas attitude? How does money relate to the blas attitude? What attitude do people in the metropolis have toward one another? What is the difference between personal freedom in the "small" circle versus that in the "enlarged" circle? What accounts for that difference? According to Simmel, where do people feel most lonely? What is the positive side of that experience? Why is being noticed more important in modern society than in traditional society? What does Simmel mean by the phrase "the hypertrophy of objective culture"? What are the characteristics of "the stranger"? How does the stranger exemplify Simmels dialectic? Explain the "objectivity" of the stranger. How does Simmels view of objectivity compare to Webers view of objectivity in sociology? How does "the stranger" provide a service to the group? How can Simmels biography be seen in "The Stranger"? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 3 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. What is the significance of numbers in Simmels work? How does moving from the "dyad" to the "triad" change the forms of interaction for the group? How is Simmels interest in numbers reflected in his essay "Metropolis and the Mental Life"? In what ways can conflict stimulate group formation? What is the dialectic tension in Simmels essay on flirtation? What are the dialectics at play in Simmels essay on fashion? What does Simmel mean by the "tragedy of culture"? What are some examples of the phenomena that he is talking about? How does Simmels "tragedy of culture" compare to Webers "iron cage"? How would you describe Simmels notions of "more-life" and "more-than-life"? How do they relate to each other? What is the relationship of Simmels notion of the "tragedy of culture" to his ideas on "more-life" and "morethan-life"? George H. Mead and Symbolic Interactionism Describe Meads concept of "imaginative rehearsal." How does this process make us distinctly human? What is the relationship of childrens "play" to their formation of a self? What is the relationship of childrens "games" to their formation of a self? What is the generalized other? How do we get one? Why is it important? What are the "stages" in full development of the self? What does Mead mean when he says: "Selves can only exist in definite relationship to other selves? What is the difference between the "I" and the "me"? Describe each. What makes it possible for anyone to be and to have a self? Why does Mead consider mind and self to be social processes? What does that mean? What does Mead say about "society" and "social institutions"? How does George Herbert Mead differ from Herbert Blumer in his take on Symbolic Interactionism? Describe symbolic interactionism. What are its main points? strengths? weaknesses? What is the place of the individual in symbolic interactionism? Mead says that once we have acquired a self, we no longer need to interact with others in order to be a social self. What does he mean? How is the idea of "social control" implicated in the social self? What are some critiques of Symbolic Interactionism? Erving Goffman What does Goffman mean by "impression management"? How does one manage impressions of oneself? How could Goffman be seen as portraying a cynical view of interaction? What is Goffmans notion of stigma? What are the two types of stigma and how are they different? Why can we all be seen as stigmatized at one time or another? How does Goffman use the term "frames"? What function(s) do frames serve? What does Goffman mean by the phrase "collective collaboration in creating selves"? Why is it to everyones advantage to cooperate in supporting one anothers "face"? According to Goffman, how do we go about worshipping each others sacred selves? What is the difference between positive and negative interpersonal rituals? Cahill claims that Goffman sees society, interaction, and self as inherently fragile. What does he mean? Feminist Theory What are the four questions that guide feminist theory? How do they produce the varieties of feminist theory? How can feminist theory be used to revise sociological theory? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 1. 2. Things to know for each theorist (Weber, Simmel, Mead, Goffman) 1. What is their subject matter? Be able to characterize their theoretical project. 2. What are their best known works? How do the works we read "fit into" each theorists theoretical project? 3. What are some influences on their work? 4. How is their biography reflected in their work? 5. Are they optimistic or pessimistic about the future? Be able to explain your opinion. General things to know for Symbolic Interactionism and Goffman's dramaturgy: 1. Basic premises 2. Strengths, weaknesses, critiques 4