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Summary Theory and Methods Revision grid for AQA A level sociology.
In this theories and methods summary grid, find all of the necessary key thinkers and key terms to pass with flying colours.
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Topic Thinker Key PointsFunctionalism/ Durkheim Social order maintained through social cohesion
Consensus Organic analogy – social institutions (school, family etc) maintain society
Structuralism
Functionalism/ Parsons GAIL model (Goal attainment, Adaptation, Integration, Latent functions) 4 functional prerequisites
Consensus met by a separate sub-system of institutions.
Structuralism G- society needs to set goals and allocate resources to achieve them (political sub-system)
A- adaptation of the environment to meet peoples material needs (economic sub system)
I- different parts of the system must be integrated together to pursue shared goals (religion, media
etc)
L- Processes that maintain society over time. Family provides pattern maintenance and tension
management, ensuring, individuals and motivated to keep performing their roles.
Structural Differentiation – societies evolve and new needs arise, institutions become more
specialised and funtions they once performed are lost to new institutions (explanation of social
evolution)
Functionalism/ Merton Criticises universal concept of Functionalism = society can be dysfunctional
Consensus Functional autonomy – sections of society are independent of eachother
Structuralism Manifest functions of an institution- recognised and intended outcome
Latent functions of an institution- unrecognised and unintended
Marxism/ Marx Economy determined the nature of social institutions as well as peoples values and beliefs
Conflict Structure of society divided into infrastructure ( means and relations of production) and
Structuralism superstructure ( social institutions, reflects ideas of dominant ideology)
Surplus value- production of more than what is needed ( provides profit for employers)
Neo-marxism Gramsci Hegemony – dominance of one group over another supported by legitimating norms and ideas.
(Humanistic) Thought Marx was mistaken giving such importance to the economy, he saw ideology and people’s
ideas as having relative autonomy from the economic base.
By hegemony, Gramsci was referring to the dominance in society of the ruling class’s set of ideas
over others and the acceptance of them by the rest of society.
, Neo-marxism Althusser Argued the structure of society does not just consist of the economic base and the superstructure
(Structuralist) but of three levels. (Economic – economic and production of material goods, Political – gov &
organisations involved in control of society RSA, Ideological- ISA)
Feminism Walby Sees patriarchy as embedded in 6 structures (Household, Paid work, The state, Sexuality, Male
violence, Cultural institutions)
Feminism Liberal feminists Inequality arises from factors like sexist stereotyping and gender role socialisation.
Legal, economic and social inequality will come through gradual reform.
Feminism Radical feminists Men dominate women in all spheres.
Power struggles- all personal relationships with men involve sexual politics
Propose complete destruction of the patriarchy and call for political lesbianism and separationism
Firestone and Ortner link women’s subordination to women’s biology which makes them dependent
and vunerable.
Feminism Marxist feminism Gender inequality arises primarily from the nature of Capitalist society
Women are used as a reserve army of labour or as free labour in the form of domestic labour and
childcare which reproduces labour at no cost.
Women’s expressive role is to absorb men’s anger at their exploitation at work. (Ansley; takers of
shit)
Barrett and Mcintosh argue that the ideology of the idealised cereal packet family is patriarchal and
harmful to interests of all women (mainly working class)
Feminism Intersectional Emerged out of concern that early feminists ignored different experiences of patriarchal
Feminism subordination of black peoples and other ethnic minorities.
Emphasise that whilst all women suffer many of the same problem, not all women are in the same
position.
Emphasise that different forms of discrimination can become intensified when they combine,
overlap or intersect.
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