Exam 1 Review
Key Terms:
Individualism - In the sociological context, individualism seeks to describe social phenomena through
interactions between individuals and/or groups, in contrast to collectivism, which looks at society from a topdown, structural point of view
Egoism - a lack of integration into the social group
Social facts - conditions external to the individual which influence their lives/realities/actions/etc. There are two
types:
1. Material social facts (in modern terms, social structures) – our physical reality
2. Nonmaterial social facts (in modern terms, social institutions) – ideas, ideologies, norms, values, etc.
which govern our lives and shape our perceptions
Anomie - a state of normlessness; lack of moral regulation or weak obligation to the collective
Sacred and Profane - The sacred is the extraordinary, or that which is set apart from the normal world, whereas
the profane is the mundane, or that which is part of everyday life and the ordinary world.
Collective Conscience - the “totality of beliefs and sentiments common to average citizens of the
same society”; or the shared norms, values and beliefs amongst members of a given society
False consciousness - an inaccurate sense of self and one’s place in the economic and social system. It deludes
the proletariat into thinking that they belong where they are in society, and that the capitalist economic order is
fair.
Suicide types - 4 types of suicide according to Durkheim:
1. Anomic suicide – this is characterised by a lack of moral regulation or social obligation
2. Fatalistic suicide – this is a form of suicide characterised by overregulation, constraint or control.
3. Egoistic suicide – characterised by isolation from, or lack of integration into, the collective; a
pathological weakening of bonds between the individual and the group
4. Altruistic suicide – characterised by overintegration, when one is deindividuated and sees fit to sacrifice
their life for the preservation of the group or collective whole
Positivism - a school of thought which holds that society functions on a set of general or universal laws or
principles, which can be studied and investigated in the same way as the laws of physics, evolution by natural
selection, etc.
Proletariat - the labouring class which holds no capital, and therefore, whose primary (generally, only) means of
sustaining itself is to sell labour power in exchange for wages
Scientific method (e.g., Comte) - A system of systematic and reasoned investigation which involved the
analysis of social systems and their functions, and the use of comparative and historical methods in order to
draw out testable conclusions about them.
Alienation - the chronic, pathological estrangement from one’s humanity due to the division of labour and
social stratification
Class in itself - a class which shares specific interests or grievances due to their shared relationship to the means
of production
Class for itself - a class which has achieved class consciousness or awareness (ie. members of the class have
become aware of their common interests), and which engages in class struggle to achieve its class interests
Bureaucracy - An organisation based on impersonal, formalised rules, which treats people in a uniform manner,
operates according to standardised procedure, which is organised hierarchically and along specialised lines,
where people in different positions perform dedicated, specialised tasks
Verstehen - subjective meaning; interpretive understanding
Commodity fetishism - our distorted relationship to commodities under capitalism; we see the product of
production, but not the process or social relations which produce them. Since we aren’t able to see the process
of production, we ascribe a ‘magical’ power to the commodity over us, rather than understanding that we’re the
ones who create commodities.
Authority - the legitimate/legitimised use of power or domination of some over others
Ideal type - an analytic tool, wherein we create a construct against which real-life cases can be compared.
Weber used the ideal type as a “conceptual yardstick” to compare different examples and measure social
phenomena.
Iron cage - the sense that one’s society has become an ‘iron cage’ is a consequence of rationalisation and
disenchantment. This sort of society is ordered, with a specialised division of labour and uniform/impersonal
rules. Since it treats people as a ‘number’ rather than a ‘name’ (i.e. it doesn’t treat people as individuals), it
stifles individuality and creativity. Our authentic self-identity is suppressed, in favour of a materialistic pursuit
of property, profit, commodities, etc. This society is constraining, dehumanising and constrains the avenues for
free and creative self-expression/personality/individual self-actualisation, etc.
Sample Essay Questions
Students may be presented with a news article, image, etc. and asked to analyze in light of the concepts we’ve
covered.
Describe how Comte and Durkheim helped lay the foundation for functionalism?
Comte and Durkheim laid the foundation for functionalism because their work sought to uncover the purpose
which various social structures and institutions served for the greater whole. Durkheim held an organicist view
of society; that is, much like the body, society is composed of different parts/organs, which each serve a specific
function, in order to maintain the health of the general body/collective whole. The concept of organic solidarity
dovetails with this – due to the modern division of labour and specialisation, our social cohesion is drawn from
interdependence. We rely on others, who perform different social roles than us, for the general health of the
collective. In the same way, later functionalists sought to understand social institutions in terms of the role they
play in maintaining social stability and order. His organic view of society meant he also held an evolutionary
point of view regarding social change, in contrast to Marx’s revolutionary view which emphasised social
change as emerging from the struggle between classes for economic power.
How does Durkheim explain suicide from a sociological perspective? What are the various types of suicide?
Durkheim explains suicide from a sociological, rather than psychological perspective, by looking at suicide
rates across space and time, in different societies and different moments of history. By taking a holistic
approach, which looked at trends instead of specific cases (ie. “history” rather than “biography”), he was able to
extrapolate correlations between suicide rates and specific features of a given society.
Summarise Marx’s critique of capitalism, including his concept of alienation.
Discuss how class consciousness and false consciousness are central in Marx’s theory of capitalism.
Describe Durkheim’s mechanical and organic solidarity. Why is this typology useful?
Mechanical solidarity
Discuss how Weber viewed the rationalisation of society. According to Weber, what were the disadvantages
and benefits accompanying rationalisation?
The rationalisation of society, according to Weber, is a process through which societies (institutions and
interactions, etc.) become governed through increasingly formalised, impersonal rules and methodical
procedures. Rationalisation was a byproduct of Protestantism and capitalism – the affinity between the spirits of
these two ideologies created the modern world, which promoted rational self-interest, pursuit of property and
material wealth, profit seeking, etc. as legitimate ends in themselves. As these motives became ubiquitous in
social institutions, they were reorganised accordingly. This meant that institutions became calculable,
standardised, efficient, that they were able to produce uniform goods and/or outcomes, etc. For example, the
courts of the Salem Witch trials were unpredictable, biassed for or against different accused parties, and had
uneven standards of evidence. By contrast, modern courts operate on formal rules and procedures, where known
actions produce predictable outcomes, and where all people are treated as ‘equal before the law.’
On exams, one may be expected to compare and contrast any theorists we’ve covered thus far.
Soc 300 Classical Theory
Exam 1 Study Sheet
Theorist
de Tocqueville
Individual & Society
Study democracy as
ideal type and impact
on individuals.
Division of Labor
Not a focus
Conflict & Cohesion
Individualism vs.
egoism
Modernization
Materialism
Stagnation
Equality
Centralization
Religion
Not a focus
More about Civil
associations
Comte
Progress and order;
evolution of society;
Individuals are selfish
so need larger
structures to keep
them in check and try
to ensure altruism.
Contributed to
solidarity by
creating a sense of
dependence on
others.
Emphasis on religion
in maintaining order
and cohesion.
Static (order) &
dynamic (social
change).
Very significant;
Positivism.
Marx
Humans social, but
economic system=
alienation,
exploitation.
Potential threatened.
Society and
individual interactive;
need both egoism and
morality; moral
education.
Meaning tied to
action, bureaucracy,
capitalism part of
rationalization.
Negative as
contributed to the
alienation of
workers.
Conflict necessary
for social change.
State as
oppressive.
Science to replace
religion.
Positive view;
necessary for
modernization;
interdependence.
Cohesion factor
explaining suicide;
key to work on
religion; conflict
necessary.
Status, class and
power key.
State as protector.
Religion retains
some functions that
can’t be met by
science.
Pros & cons, e.g.,
greater efficiency;
iron cage
Science to replace
religion; Religion
and capitalism.
Durkheim
Weber
Mixed view;
specialized division
as a feature of
bureaucracy