Deck 2: D: Classical Social Theories

Question 1

Explain how Spencer's idea of "survival of the fittest" led to the concept and practice of social Darwinism in the US.How is this position inconsistent with the sociological imagination,and why do sociologists tend to be quite critical of these ideas?

Answer 1

Spencer came to believe that overpopulation would become a social problem over time and believed that,as a result,people would be forced to compete over increasingly scarce resources.This led him to coin the term survival of the fittest.Spencer argued that societies can be selected for in the same way as biological organisms.
This resulted in Spencer's concept of social Darwinism,which employs a functionalist approach by suggesting that societies evolve because there is a reason for the changes (i.e. ,they need to survive).Spencer's approach became very popular in the United States,as it helped to explain why some in society were doing well and others were not.Some were simply more evolved or better adapted than others.And since this was a natural process,many believed that nature should be allowed to take its course and that to interfere would only make matters worse.
This position is inconsistent with the sociological imagination since it denies an appreciation of inherited social disadvantage and outright discrimination.As such,sociologists view Spencer's ideas with a critical eye for a number of reasons.First,these ideas provided justification for colonial expansion by rich and powerful countries to poor and weak ones simply because these countries were capable of it.Second,how would Spencer explain the fact that some children of the rich maintain their advantage even though they do not possess any of their parents' positive attributes? Third,Spencer's argument equates evolution with progress and assumes that over time human society will inevitably improve,which has not been proven over time.

Question 2

Discuss four of the seven fundamental principles of symbolic interactionism.

Answer 2

Symbolic interactionism maintains seven fundamental principles:
1.Unlike other animals,human beings have the capacity for thought.
2.Human thinking is shaped by social interaction.
3.In social settings,people learn meanings and symbols that allow them to exercise their distinctively human capacity for thought.
4.Meanings and symbols enable people to carry on uniquely human actions and interactions.
5.People are able to change meanings and symbols that they use given their interpretation of various social situations.
6.People are able to make these modifications in part because they have the unique ability to interact with themselves.By doing so,they examine different courses of actions and select the one with the most advantages and the least disadvantages.
7.The culmination of patterns of action and interaction make up groups and societies.

Question 3

Discuss Parsons's four-step process to explain the motivations and goals of students in post-secondary.

Answer 3

Parsons viewed people as "actors" in that they played roles either as individuals or as collectives,and he outlined a four-step process to explain their motivations and goals.First,actors are motivated to achieve a goal or end as defined by the cultural system in which they live.For example,your decision to attend university or college and achieve good grades occurred because you are motivated to have a productive and satisfying career,which you believe requires a post-secondary education.Second,actors must find the means to achieve their goals.Students need to gather the financial resources necessary to cover the costs of going to school (e.g. ,tuition,books,living expenses).Third,actors need to face the challenging conditions that stand in the way of achieving their goals.Students may have to complete difficult required courses,take classes from teachers who are hard to understand,and write term papers on topics in which they are not interested.Finally,actors must work within the social system to achieve their goals.Students are required to pay all of their fees on time and comply with the rules of the institution.

Question 4

Choose three of the marginalized Western voices from social theory and discuss their contributions to sociology.

Question 5

Discuss Parson's four functional imperatives (AGIL)required for social equilibrium.

Question 6

Benjamin Franklin is quoted to have said,"Those who would sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither." How does this contrast with Hobbes's ideas of the role of the state?

Question 7

Discuss how Spencer's ideas of social Darwinism were used to justify the eugenics movement in the US and Canada during the early part of the twentieth century.

Question 8

Compare and contrast functionalism and conflict theory as discussed in the text.How would the two perspectives explain crime? Which perspective do you agree with on this issue and why?

Question 9

Develop an essay in which you discuss the relationship between Enlightenment thinking and the birth of sociology.

Question 10

Discuss how Marx and Engel's concept of class consciousness is related to Mills's concept of the quality of mind,using examples.