Learning Objective 1: How does sociological theory help us to understand and explain our world?

A theory is a statement that describes or explains why social phenomena are related to each other. Theories help us to understand patterns in social behavior. Theories help us predict what might happen. Potentially, a theory supported with evidence might help us act to create effective change.

Learning Objective 2: Who are sociologists, particularly scholars and scientists who are traditionally ignored?

Sociologists are scholars and scientists who study the social world, from the micro level of interactions between two people to the macro level of institutions, generations, and the planet. While classical sociology is often focused on the experiences of wealthy White men, modern sociologists use gender, race, sexual orientation and other theoretical perspectives to explain the persistence of inequality in our society. The social location of the scientist matters.

Learning Objective 3: How does the social location of sociologists influence what they see?

The social location of the scholars and scientists matters because it influences what questions they ask, how they gather their data and how they interpret their results. According to Du Bois and Collins, scientists who belong to groups that experience oppression are more likely to be able to describe and explain the systems that contribute to structural inequality.

Conflict Theory: a sociological approach that views society as characterized by pervasive inequality based on social class, race, gender, and other factors

Critical Race Theory: the theory that systemic racism is embedded in US institutions, not just the behavior of individuals.

cultural appropriation: the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture

feminist theory: a theoretical perspective stating women are uniquely and systematically oppressed and that challenges ideas of gender and sex roles.

macro-level theory: a theory which examines larger social systems and structures, such as the capitalist economy, bureaucracies, and religion.

Matrix of Domination: a concept which says that society has multiple interlocking levels of domination that stem from the societal configuration of race, class and gender.

micro-level theory: a theory which examines the social world in finer detail by discussing social interactions and the understandings individuals make of the social world.

Queer Theory: an interdisciplinary approach to sexuality and gender studies that identifies Western society’s rigid splitting of gender into male and female roles and questions the manner in which we have been taught to think about sexual orientation and gender.

social structure: the complex and stable framework of society that influences all individuals or groups through the relationship between institutions (e.g., economy, politics, religion) and social practices (e.g., behaviors, norms, and values).

society: a group of people who live in a defined geographic area, who interact with one another, and who share a common culture

sociology: the systematic study of society and social interactions to understand individuals, groups, and institutions through data collection and analysis.

standpoint theory: a theory which argues that where you stand, or your point of view, influences what you notice.

stigma: the social process whereby individuals that are taken to be different in some way are rejected by the greater society in with they live based on that difference

Structural Functional Theory: a sociological approach which maintains that social stability is necessary for a strong society, and adequate socialization and social integration are necessary for social stability. Society’s social institutions (such as the family or the economy) perform important functions to help ensure social stability.

structural racism: the totality of ways in which societies foster racial discrimination through mutually reinforcing systems of housing, education, employment, earnings, benefits, credit, media, health care and criminal justice.

Symbolic Interactionist Theory: a sociological approach that focuses on the study of one-on-one social interactions and the meanings that emerge from them.

theory: a statement that describes and explains why social phenomena are related to each other.

1. Theory in practice: Find a news article or video that describes a current social problem. Focus on how the author describes WHY the social problem exists. Do you see any of the theories in this chapter being applied to explain the social problem?
2. Black Women Theorists: Why do you think that Black women propose sociological theories of interlocking systems of oppression or intersectionality?
3. Follow the money: Conflict theory, based on the theories of Karl Marx, traces social problems to economics. He follows the money. What is one social problem that has an economic cause? What evidence can you find that supports that?
4. Double Consciousness and Racism: When I Realized I Was Black [Streaming Video]. Watch the W.E.B Du Bois video and at least one of the other stories. What did you learn about Black identity, Black double consciousness, and racism?
5. Critical Race Theory: Some people think that Critical Race Theory encourages division. Others say that CRT is essential to understand existing injustice. What do you think?