Soc 102: Tutorial 2: Exam Review

Josh Curtis

Department of Sociology

University of Toronto

Fall 2013

Goals of Today’s Class

1. Introduction Contact info

2. Discuss the exam Breakdown- where questions come from Types of multiple choice questions

3. Important themes/ Discussion Questions

4. Remaining time: small group discussion

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Contacting Me

Office Hours: Wednesday 10:00-12:00pm or by appointment

Office: Room 333, 725 Spadina Ave

Email: josh.curtis@mail.utoronto.ca

Homepage: http://joshcurtispolisoc.com

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Exam Breakdown

Chapters

Habits of Inequality: Intro, 1, 2, and 3.

Questioning Sociology: 2, 3, 13, 20, and 21.

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Where questions come from

Questioning Sociology (21 questions):Chapter 20: 7Chapter 3: 10Chapter 21: 4

Habits of Inequality (58 questions):Intro: 12Chapter 1: 18Chapter 2: 15Chapter 3: 13

Lecture (21 questions):#1: 4#2: 6#3: 7#4: 4

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Types of questions: HOI

sociological terms

sociological Figures

Facts/trends about society

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From H O I

Where do the questions come from?

1) Bolded terms“Sociology can be defined as_____”

2) Important Sociological Figures“According to C. Wright Mills, the sociological imagination is ________”

3) Major theoretical applications“Functionalist theory would interpret population growth as________”

4) Empirical findings, historical events, etc“Two revolutions that particularly influenced the rise of sociology were the __________ and the ___________.

From lectures

Key areas:

Sociological figures (marx, Weber, Durkheim).

Definitions associated with theories (i.e., alienation, exploitation, etc.)

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Questioning SOC: Chapter 20 / 1

Exploitation and the class structure

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Big picture: Re social class

Social classes have evolved, but still matter

Our goal is to understand how classes have changed, and how we should conceptualize them today in order to understand their continued influence.

Under what economic conditions might classes become more influential?

Traditional Class Structure: Marx (1)

Two class system: (1) Bourgeoisie; (2) Proletariat

Inherently exploitative:

“The general law of capitalist accumulation,” Marx argues, is “that in proportion as capital accumulates, the lot of the labourer, be his pay high or low, must grow worse… accumulation of wealth at one pole is, therefore, at the same time accumulation of misery, agony of toil, slavery, ignorance, brutality, mental degradation, at the opposite pole” (45).

Traditional Class Structure: Marx (2)

Capitalism increased class conflict as well as the conditions for class formation.

Three important conditions:

(1)Changes in the production process

- Homogenization and mechanical solidarity

- Changes in production would dissolve skill differences, all would be ‘semi skilled’

Traditional Class Structure: Marx (3)

(2) Power in numbers

- Class structure would polarize

(3) Organization

-Broad levels: local unions, then industrial levels, followed by national.

Politics is the democratic class struggle.

Traditional Class Structure: Weber (1)

Conflict occurs over status.

Classes are distinguished by differences in the possession of marketable, income producing skills and services.

There would be stratification among the w.c.

Traditional Class Structure: Weber (2)

An expanded middle class would mean mobility for the working classes

-the development of white collar, technical specialists, and professionals

Status groups cut across all classes.

- Diminishes homogeneity based on economics.

Modern Class Structure (1)

1. How has the class structure changed since the days of Marx and Weber? Growth of middle class Decline in size of traditional working class

2. How have the conditions of the working class changed since the days of Marx and Weber, and why? Much more affluent, increased health and life expectancy,

greater education Changes due to worker mobilization (unionization) and

increased economic development

Modern Class Structure (2)

3. Who is the “new” middle class?– Educated professionals and managers– Largely in the public sector

4. What is the impact of the growth of the middle class on politics? Postmaterialism—allegedly freed of material

concerns and thus can concentrate on other so-called post-materialist issues

Weakening of working class Weakening of left parties Anthony Downs: parties

converge on the median voter

Modern Class Structure (3)

In Canada today:Decline of the petty bourgeoisie -Self-employment declined from 25% in 1931 to about 15% today. Both were broadly correct about the decline of the petty bourgeoisie, but:-it’s decline has not been uniform across all industry-Long-term trends have been somewhat reversed in the last 25 years.Growth of the new middle-Increasing in numbers. Distinct.Sharp increase among high earners

Chapter 20: economic transitions

Important ideas:

Marx, economic production, and social class.

Feudal society?

Weber religion?

Jennifer Jarman: changing occupational structures?

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Discussion Questions

Is social class still important in our society today?

Has our society become so complex that class doesn’t matter?

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Questioning SOC: Chapter 3

Important ideas:

Differences between sex and gender

The Transsexual Empire ?

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Create some sample questions

Based on the topics on the previous slide, create multiple choice questions.

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Chapter 21

Foucault and governance?

Moral regulation?

What is the points system. Where do most immigrants come from today?

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Habits of Inequality: Intro

Weber’s concept of ‘life chances’

Lenski and Status inconsistency?

Which groups are most likely to be socially mobile?

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Chapter 1

Know Marx and Engels well:

How would society change?

How do the define social class

Class conflict and Class consciousness

Alienation

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Discussion question

How do marx and weber’s position on social class differ?

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Group discussion / office hours

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