SOC 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Gerhard Lenski, Ascribed Status, Symbolic Culture

• School: University at Buffalo
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 101
• Professor: Blair Sampson

Document Summary

Sociology: the systematic and objective study of society and social behavior. Goffman: fascinated by patterns of social behavior. Civil inattention: notion that we want to recognize the presence of others w/o threat. Sociological theory- theory: statement of how and why specific facts are related. Theoretical approach- basic image of society that guides thinking and research structural- functional / social-conflict / symbolic-interaction. Structural-functional theory- herbert spencer social structure: any relatively stable patterns of social behavior found in social institutions. Social function- consequences for the operation of society as a whole 2 types manifest and latent. Manifest functions- recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern. Latent functions- unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social pattern. Social-conflict theory- rejects the idea that social structure promotes the operation of society as a whole, suggests society is structured in ways to benefit a few at the expense of the majority. Derived from work of carl marx rejects idea of social structure.