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| Sociology Terms –BC
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| Biological determinism |
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Biological determinism is best represented in the philosophy of Aristotle. In the Aristotelian scheme of things a woman's place is defined purely by her essential function which is a biological, reproductive one. Her rational capacities are inferior in comparison to those of men. "She" is the body, "He" the soul. The difference between body and soul is like the difference between animals and men, one is lower, the other higher. Hence, one is by nature slave and the other by nature master. Therefore, Aristotle concludes that the male is by nature superior and the female inferior, one rules, while the other is ruled.
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| Bureaucracy |
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A bureaucracy is a large organization composed of appointed officials in which authority is divided among several managers. Bureaucracy is an obvious feature of all modern societies. Bureaucracy and democracy are often considered antithetical properties of political systems. There is a large scholarly and popular literature arguing that bureaucracies are major problems limiting the capacity of democratic political systems to effectively respond to their citizens
Merriam Webster’s Definition of Bureaucracy:
a body of nonelective government officials b : an administrative policy-making group
government characterized by specialization of functions, adherence to fixed rules, and a hierarchy of authority
a system of administration marked by officialism, red tape, and proliferation
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| Collectivism |
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Collectivism is a term used to describe any moral, political, or social outlook, that stresses human interdependence and the importance of a collective, rather than the importance of separate individuals.
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| Communication Theory |
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Luhmann's Systems theory was based on, what he called, the "evolution of communication": from oral communication, over writing systems towards electronic media and parallel with the evolution of society through functional differentiation. In his theory there are three strands
Systems theory as societal theory
Communication theory and
Evolution theory
We explore the hypothesis that the social system (society) is not composed of human beings, but by their interactions and communications. Social order can then be considered as the complex dynamics of the expectations exchanges among us.
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| Conflict Theory |
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A struggle for dominance among competing social groups (classes, genders, races, religions, etc.). When conflict theorists look at society, they see the social domination of subordinate groups through the power, authority, and coercion of dominant groups. In the conflict view, the most powerful members of dominant groups create the rules for success and opportunity in society, often denying subordinate groups such success and opportunities; this ensures that the powerful continue to monopolize power, privilege, and authority. You should note that most conflict theorists oppose this sort of coercion and favor a more equal social order. Some support a complete socioeconomic revolution to socialism (Marx), while others are more reformist, or perhaps do not see all social inequalities stemming from the capitalist system (they believe we could solve racial, gender, and class inequality without turning to socialism). However, many conflict theorists focus on capitalism as the source of social inequalities.
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| Corporatism |
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Corporatism is the idea of sorting society into different corporations under the control of the state; in general, it gives corporations immense power in society.
Corporatism was originally a 19th-century doctrine which arose in reaction to the competition and class conflict of capitalist society. In opposition to the trend towards both mass suffrage and independent trade unionism, it promoted a form of functional representation
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