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Foundation course:
Sociology
Markus Ketola
FP0006
2013
This guide was prepared for the University of London International Programmes by:
M. Ketola, The London School of Economics and Political Science
This is one of a series of subject guides published by the University. We regret that due to pressure
of work the author is unable to enter into any correspondence relating to, or arising from, the
guide. If you have any comments on this subject guide, favourable or unfavourable, please use
the online form found on the virtual learning environment.
SOCIOLOGY
Contents
Introduction to the course ................................................................................ 1
Introduction to sociological imagination ...................................................... 7
Unit 1: Sociological perspectives
Introduction to Unit 1 ............................................................................................................................15
Section 1.1: Positivism and functionalism ................................................................................20
Section 1.2: Conflict theory ................................................................................................................27
Section 1.3: Interpretivism ..................................................................................................................32
Section 1.4: Critical perspectives: gender and race............................................................37
Test your knowledge and understanding.................................................................................43
Concluding comments.........................................................................................................................45
Unit 2: Sociological themes
Introduction to Unit 2 ............................................................................................................................46
Section 2.1: Identity.................................................................................................................................49
Section 2.2: Political sociology .........................................................................................................55
Section 2.3: Globalisation ....................................................................................................................60
Section 2.4: Global inequality ...........................................................................................................66
Test your knowledge and understanding.................................................................................71
Concluding comments.........................................................................................................................73
Research methods
Introduction to research methods ................................................................................................74
Unit 3: Policy issues
Introduction to Unit 3 ............................................................................................................................81
Section 3.1: Family....................................................................................................................................85
Section 3.2: Education ...........................................................................................................................91
Section 3.3: Crime ....................................................................................................................................97
Section 3.4: Poverty .................................................................................................................................103
Test your knowledge and understanding.................................................................................109
Concluding comments.........................................................................................................................111
Contents
ii
What is sociology?
Syllabus
Examination advice
You will see that in each of the units, the reading is divided into sections, and for each section
you are given some questions to answer. The purpose of these questions is to guide you through
the reading. We also like to think that by involving you all the way through each unit and section,
you will be encouraged to study sociology more actively. You will also find many additional
resources in the virtual learning environment (VLE), including both extra activities as well as links
to useful online resources.
What is sociology?
The simplest way of defining sociology is to say that it is the study of society. This can sound
quite broad, and students who are just starting to learn about sociology are often not sure
what the subject is about. They might choose to study sociology because they are interested in
people. This is a good start. If we want to learn something about the society we live in (or other
societies), we need to ask questions about people. For example, why do people behave in a
certain way?; or how do people understand the world around them? So you can see why being
interested in people is a good start. Sociology is also interested in the study of social institutions.
Social institutions refer to the way in which society is organised. The family is a good example of
a social institution, and sociologists are very interested in understanding the role the family plays
in the way our society is organised.
The family sounds like an easy focus of study. After all, everyone already knows something about
the family. You could even say that this is just common sense. Actually, a sociological study of
the family questions even challenges common sense. The family is not always such a happy,
positive and neutral social institution as we might imagine. It creates and maintains inequality
between men and women, for example. Sociologists are able to notice these kinds of things
because they use sociological imagination. This means that they look at familiar routines in new
ways, and always expect to find that common sense can actually be less obvious than we think.
But its not just about looking at things differently. The way sociologists actually do this is by
conducting rigorous research and collecting evidence, which is then analysed in a systematic
manner. Sociologists collect this evidence by talking to people, conducting surveys, reading
documents (for example, government publications) or by using statistics.
Syllabus
The main body of the course is structured into four units, each of which is further divided into
four sections. It is not easy to divide the study of sociology into separate sections. For example,
the theoretical perspectives of Unit 1 link with issues covered in all of the other three units. So
while the course is divided into four units, it is really important to keep in mind that there are
actually lots of links between the units as well. The units are as follows:
Introduction
The first week introduces you to the study of sociology and to the application of sociological
imagination to the study of society.
Research methods
This short one-week unit introduces you to research methods where you learn about qualitative
and quantitative methods and consider the issue of research ethics in sociological research.
Conclusion
The final unit is formed of two sections that aim to wrap up the course. The first section takes
one topic migration and demonstrates how the topics covered on the course help us to
understand this topic. The second section offers a more detailed overview of all of the units
covered on the course.
Week Unit
1
Introduction
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
1: Sociological perspectives
2: Sociological themes
Research methods
3: Policy issues
4: Contemporary issues
Conclusion
Section
Introduction to the course
Introduction to sociological imagination
1.1: Positivism and functionalism
1.2: Conflict theory
1.3: Interpretivism
1.4: Critical perspectives: gender and race
2.1: Identity
2.2: Political sociology
2.3: Globalisation
2.4: Global inequality
Introduction to research methods
3.1: Family
3.2: Education
3.3: Crime
3.4: Poverty
4.1: Cities
4.2: The media
4.3: Work
4.4: The environment
Applying sociology migration
Looking back
the contribution of key authors and an understanding of the main perspectives and themes
in sociological research
consider ways in which theoretical and conceptual knowledge can be applied in real-life
contexts
develop analytical skills to develop critical thinking and the development of arguments.
view.
Essential reading
All of the Essential readings are taken from two textbooks:
Giddens, A. and P. W. Sutton Sociology. (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2013) seventh edition
[ISBN 9780745652931]. We recommend that you buy this book as it is used extensively
throughout the guide.
Browne, K. Sociology for AS AQA. (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2013) fourth edition
[ISBN 978074565512]. All the sections recommended in the Essential reading lists have been
copied and are available to you in the VLE.
The sections that are most important and relevant to each topic are listed at the start of each
section in the subject guide.
Further reading
In this course the Further readings are meant as an additional resource for you to gain a deeper
understanding of each of the topics. The subject guide will provide the essential information you
will need to know in order to pass the course, but in order to achieve a very good mark you will
have to read more than just the Essential readings. You will find recommended Further reading
listed at the start of each unit.
Examination advice
Important: the information and advice given in the following section are based on the
examination structure used at the time this subject guide was written. We strongly advise you to
check both the current Regulations for relevant information about the examination and the VLE
where you should be advised of any forthcoming changes. You should also carefully check the
rubric/instructions on the paper you actually sit and follow those instructions.
At the end of the course you will be examined by a two-hour unseen examination. This
examination is divided into three sections, which will test your knowledge and understanding
of sociology as well as your English comprehension. The questions in the first section are short
answer questions, requiring you to explain concepts covered in the course. The second section is
based on an excerpt such as a short piece of text, chart or photograph, followed by a maximum
of five questions. The third section contains five essay questions and you are asked to answer
one. Sections 1 and 2 are each worth 25 per cent of the total mark, and Section 3 is worth 50 per
cent. Throughout the examination you are also tested on your ability to discuss sociology in an
academic style
Introduction to sociological
imagination
Learning outcomes
Introduction
Essential reading
Further reading
References cited
Sociological imagination
10
Learning outcomes
By the end of this Introduction, and having completed the Essential reading and activities, you
should be able to:
identify five elements to the study of sociology (scientific study, human life, social groups,
Introduction
What is sociology? This is the central question for the whole course. Giddens and Sutton give a
definition of sociology that is a very good starting point for thinking about this question. They
define sociology as: the scientific study of human life, social groups, whole societies and the
human world as such.
There are five parts to this definition by Giddens and Sutton, and by examining each of these we
can build up a clear overall picture of what sociological study is about. Before we start, however,
it is good to remind ourselves that this is not a perfect definition. In fact, there are all kinds of
debates and tensions between these five parts of the definition; sociologists who focus on the
study of social groups might disagree with the view that sociology is also the study of whole
societies. For example, they might argue that whole societies are far too complex for sociologists
to be able to say anything meaningful about them. So it might be best to think about these five
elements as the building blocks of a definition of sociology. In other words, we dont need to use
each of them in equal measure.
First, sociology is often regarded as a scientific study. This means, among other things, that
sociological research is objective. You have to keep an open mind and look at all of the evidence
before reaching a conclusion. You also have to use sound research methods to collect the
evidence. This is the topic for Week 10. However, as you will see in Unit 1, there is a heated debate
about the degree to which sociology should be studied in the same way as the hard sciences.
Hard science versus soft science Hard sciences normally refer to the natural sciences,
such as physics and chemistry, where scientific research is often based on experiments
that can be controlled (for example, those done in a laboratory). Soft sciences generally
refer to social sciences where research is as rigorous but, because it deals with the social
world, the conclusions are open to debate. Unlike chemistry experiments where it is
possible to know exactly what causes a chemical reaction, in sociology it is more difficult
to be 100 per cent certain what causes a social event.
Second, sociology is the study of human life. This means that sociologists are interested in the
life experiences of individual human beings. Individual experiences and the way individuals
behave in society can tell us about the nature of the social environment we live in. In particular,
sociologists are interested in understanding how individuals influence their social environment
and how individuals are influenced by their social environment.
Third, sociology can refer to the study of social groups. Every individual is also part of a social
group. When we share interests and characteristics with other individuals in society, we create
relationships with them. Examples of social groups are: a household (people who live in the same
home), a peer group (people of the same age, status and who often share the same interests), a
club (which people join as members) or a community (quite a large group of people who share
common characteristics, such as living in the same area). You can be a member of many different
social groups at the same time.
Fourth, for some, sociology is the study of whole societies. You can think of society as a very
large social group that is made up of many smaller social groups. Society is a very complex social
organisation, where individuals are connected through a shared culture and shared territory in
the same country where they live together. A society also shares many social institutions, such
as language, the legal system, schools and universities, hospitals and businesses. However, there
also exist debates about whether we should see nations as the boundaries of whole societies. In
todays global age it may not be appropriate to limit our thinking about societies within our own
national boundaries.
Fifth and finally, sociology in its very broadest sense is the study of the human world. This
means that sociology is interested in that part of the world that has to do with human beings.
This means that it is not interested in biology or geology, but in how humans interact with their
natural environment, and how the changing environment (for example, drought, floods) is
going to affect human interactions (more conflict, lack of food). It also means that sociology is
interested in the way in which humans interact across national boundaries. So sociology, in its
very broadest sense, is interested in global social processes.
These five elements of the definition of sociology tell us very quickly that the breadth and
scope of sociology is almost without limits. The choice of different topics ranges from microlevel sociology that is interested in finding out about individual experiences to macro-level
sociology that is interested in learning about how societies work and understanding global social
processes, for example. However, because the field of sociological study is so broad, this also
means that there are disagreements between sociologists about what the focus of our study
should be. For example, should we focus on individuals or on whole societies when we conduct
sociological research? These are important debates in sociology that you will cover in more
depth later in this course.
So there are many different areas of sociology and many different levels of society that can
be studied through sociology. But there are also some things that are the same for any kind of
sociological study. First of all, sociologists must study society in a way that goes beyond personal
experience. It is not enough to look at issues from your own personal perspective. You need to
take a step back and look at the issue you are studying from a broader perspective. Second
and this is very much related to the first point a sociologist should be prepared to challenge
existing assumptions. Assumptions are beliefs that have not been proven correct, but are still
believed (or assumed!) to be correct. A sociological approach does not take assumptions for
granted but challenges them, often by looking at ordinary, everyday events from a new point of
view.
Essential reading
Reading 1: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 1 What is sociology?, pp.58.
Further reading
Reading 1: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 1 What is sociology?, especially pp.2527.
References cited
Mills, C. Wright The sociological imagination. (New York: Oxford University Press, first published
1959).
Sociological imagination
Although sociology deals with issues of everyday life and with issues of common sense, it does
not mean that sociological explanations are based on feelings or personal opinions. One way
to ensure that this does not happen is to use what is called the sociological imagination. An
American sociologist C. Wright Mills, who wrote a book called The sociological imagination, was
the first person to use the term. It has since become a very important concept in the study of
sociology.
The sociological imagination helps us to take a step back from both individual experiences and
social structures. Only by doing this can we start to see the relationships between the two.
Sociological imagination This concept refers to the ability to think ourselves away from
the normal routines of everyday life and look at them from a new perspective. In order to
have sociological imagination we have to take a step back from the social situation we are
looking at so that we can see it from a new point of view.
ACTIVITY
Complete Reading 1 (pp.58) and once you have done so complete the following task:
1. Explain in your own words how coffee can be used as an example of sociological
imagination.
2. Apply sociological imagination to your own life by answering the questions found
on the last page (p.8) of the reading and reproduced in the table below. You can then
compare your answers in class.
Question
Why did you decide to
study sociology?
Your answer
10
There are important ways in which sociological imagination is being used on this course.
One aspect of this is ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism takes ones own society or culture as
the standard against which to judge other cultures. The purpose of sociological imagination
is to think ourselves away and break free from our own possible ethnocentrism. Therefore
throughout the course you will see examples and experiences from different parts of the world,
and your task is to compare these experiences with your own. The aim is not to judge whether
one way is better than the other, but to try to see what is different or similar and to understand
why this is the case.
A social institution is an organised social arrangement, such as the family or the
education system. They help to create stability within a given society, by creating stable
patterns of human activity. For example, when a baby is born, the family creates a
standard pattern for his or her early childhood. The school system then takes over and,
possibly, the university or college after that. In early adult life the various institutions of
work, such as businesses, provide this stability. As a result, many individuals have a similar
and stable overall experience of growing up. It involves (first) being taken care of by your
family; (second) being educated by the school system; and (third) finding work.
A social structure is a network of social institutions that together create the framework
within which society exists. Social structures are the end result of many social institutions
working together. In a nutshell, the term refers to the idea that our lives are structured.
That is, we are not completely free to do anything we want, and our lives are not
completely unplanned and spontaneous. The patterns created by social institutions lead
to routine practices and habits. For example, when you meet someone you have never
met before, you know that there is a certain way for you to greet each other (maybe you
shake hands or exchange business cards). This is an example of there being structure in
our lives. We just know that in certain situations we should behave in a certain way. These
structures differ between cultures.
11
ACTIVITY
1. Come up with a possible example of sociological research that fits each of the five
the case of coffee. This required you to think about the social context in which coffee
exists. For example, what impact does it have on the actions of those who connected
with it (the producers and the consumers)? Now lets do the same with the images
shown below. For the following activity, your class will divide into three groups, and
each group will have one image to study:
a man in a suit on a train
a woman walking a dog in a park
a group of people demonstrating.
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13
14
15
Introduction to Unit 1
Overview of the unit
16
Aims
17
Learning outcomes
17
Essential reading
17
Further reading
18
References cited
18
16
Section
1.1: Positivism and functionalism
1.2: Conflict theory
1.3: Interpretivism
1.4: Critical perspectives: gender and race
You might wonder why we are learning about the ideas and theories of men who lived over a
hundred years ago. One reason is that the works and ideas of these thinkers still have an influence
on how sociology is studied today. In Units 2, 3 and 4 you will often see how the ideas discussed
in this unit are applied to more recent sociological problems. Durkheim, Weber and Marx are still
relevant to sociological study because their works contain important insights into the nature of
society. At the same time we must remember that these perspectives are not without their critics.
They cannot explain everything and, in fact, quite often they are criticised for having ignored
important issues, such as gender and race. However, they are a useful starting point.
A common way to think about theoretical perspectives is as an explanation of observed
regularities (Bryman, 2008, p.6). Lets say that you are conducting a study that is concerned with
wanting to find out more about wealth. As you conduct your study you begin to notice a pattern:
there seem to be a relatively small number of people who are very wealthy and a large number
of people who are very poor. In addition, the small wealthy group own all the factories and farms
and the large poor group own very little and work in the factories and on the farms. So you have
observed two regular patterns, and from these it is possible to develop a basic theory of two
social classes (see Section 1.2 on Marx for more detail). Thats what it means to describe theory as
an explanation of observed regularities. Many of you, especially at the beginning of your studies,
might be a little uneasy about studying theory and would prefer to study the practical aspects of
your subject. However, when we try to explain why something happens we need to take a step
back from the focus of our study and to think more broadly.
Aims
This unit aims to:
provide an introduction to two main theoretical approaches to sociology positivism and
interpretivism through the work of at least four key sociological thinkers (Comte, Durkheim,
Marx and Weber)
develop analytical skills by comparing and contrasting the contributions of the key
sociological thinkers
provide a critical perspective to the work of the key sociological thinkers through the
thinkers.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit, and having completed the Essential reading and activities, you should be
able to:
provide an introduction to three main theoretical approaches to sociology functionalism,
conflict theory and interpretivism through the work of at least four key sociological thinkers
(Comte, Durkheim, Marx and Weber)
define a set of at least five key sociological concepts social fact, division of labour, capitalism,
gender and ethnicity and link these concepts with relevant key thinkers and approaches in
sociology
compare positivism and interpretivism and discuss at least two examples of how these lead
Essential reading
Section 1.1
Reading 1: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 1 What is sociology, pp.910.
Reading 2: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 1 What is sociology, pp.1012.
Reading 3: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 1 What is sociology, pp.1215.
Reading 4: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 1 What is sociology, pp.1821.
Section 1.2
Reading 1: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 1 What is sociology, pp.1516.
Reading 2: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 3 Theories and perspectives, pp.7376.
17
Section 1.3
Reading 1: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 3 Theories and perspectives,
p.87.
Reading 2: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 1 What is sociology, pp.1618; Chapter 3
Theories and perspectives, pp.8284.
Reading 3: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 1 What is sociology, pp.2224.
Section 1.4
Reading 1: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 14 Gender and sexuality, pp.65153.
Reading 2: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 14 Gender and sexuality, pp.65354.
Reading 3: Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 15 Race, ethnicity and migration, pp.67578.
Further reading
Section 1.1
Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 1, especially pp.2127.
Browne (2013) Chapter 1, especially pp.38.
Section 1.2
Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 3, especially pp.9293.
Browne (2013) Chapter 1, especially pp.1417.
Section 1.3
Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 3, especially pp.7882.
Browne (2013) Chapter 2, especially pp.4752.
Section 1.4
Giddens and Sutton (2013) Chapter 3, especially pp.9496.
Browne (2013) Chapter 2, especially pp.6284.
References cited
Abbott, P., C. Wallace and M. Tyler Introduction to sociology: feminist perspectives. (London:
Routledge, 2005) third edition [ISBN 9780415312592].
Becker, H. Outsiders. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1963) [ISBN 9780684836355].
Bryman, A. Social research methods. (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2008) third edition
[ISBN 9780199588053].
Elster, J. An introduction to Karl Marx. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985)
[ISBN 9780521338318].
Giddens, A. and P. W. Sutton Sociology. (Cambridge: Polity, 2013) seventh edition.
Ksler, D. Max Weber: an introduction to his life and work. (Cambridge: Polity, 1988)
[ISBN 9780226425603].
Marsh, I. Sociology: making sense of society. (Harlow; New York: Pearson Longman, 2009) fourth
edition [ISBN 9780582823129].
18
Oakley, M. The sociology of housework. (Chichester: Wiley Blackwell, 1984; second revised edition)
[ISBN 9780631139249].
Taylor, S. Sociology: issues and debates. (Houndmills, Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1999)
[ISBN 9780333676202].
Weber, M. The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. (First published in 1905).
19
20
21
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Introduction
This first section of the unit on sociological perspectives will introduce you to two early pioneers
of sociology and the positivist approach to sociological study Auguste Comte and Emile
Durkheim. One aim of this section is to give you some historical perspective to the study of
sociology. Like any other discipline, sociology has slowly developed to become a very diverse
discipline with many competing theories and approaches, but these early key contributions
continue to have an important impact on the study of sociology today (indeed, well return to
this positivist approach again in the later units that look at present-day issues in sociology).
This section is divided into three parts. The first part is quite short and asks you to think about
the purpose of theoretical perspectives in sociology. Why do we need them? Why is it useful?
The second section introduces you to the first of our sociological thinkers, Auguste Comte. He is
often regarded as the positivist scholar and a key contributor to the development of sociology.
The third section introduces you to a second sociological thinker, Emile Durkheim. He was also a
functionalist thinker who took Comtes early ideas and developed them much further.
What is positivism? Put simply, it means that sociology must be based on facts that we can see
with our own eyes. Positivists believe that sociology should use the same methods of research as
those used in natural sciences (see the definition provided on p.8). According to this view, every
social institution has its specific purpose, or function. Functionalism is therefore a closely related
concept. It refers to the idea that every individual has a specific function to fulfil in society, and
every social institution has a specific role to play in the development of a stable and balanced
society. By the end of this section you should understand the meaning of these two terms.
ACTIVITY
Complete Reading 1 from this weeks Essential reading (pp.9 and 10). Giddens and Sutton
explain why theory is important to sociology. As you read, answer the following questions:
1. Why do sociologists need theory in addition to evidence-based factual research? In
21
ACTIVITY
Complete Reading 2 (pp.1012) and when you have done so, answer the following
questions:
1. How did social events that took place during Comtes lifetime influence his thinking?
2. What does positivism mean and how does this differ from the other ways (theological,
22
the structural-functionalist perspective. (If you are interested in reading more about this, see
Giddens and Sutton, 2013, pp.7273 for a further discussion.)
ACTIVITY
Complete Reading 3, the section on Emile Durkheim (pp.1215). When you have done so,
answer the following two questions:
1. Why did Durkheim think it was more important to study social facts rather than
individuals?
2. What is meant by mechanical and organic solidarity? How does industrialisation lead to
ACTIVITY
Complete Reading 4 (pp.1821) and then answer the following questions:
1. Why do functionalists think that consensus is important for a society to function well?
2. Give an example of a dysfunctional aspect of social behaviour that can be found in
23
Religion
Work
Politics
Family
Education
Health
Figure 4: The organic view of social institutions, from the point of view of the family.
Everyone has a role to fulfil, and by fulfilling that role they contribute to the stability of the overall
social system. This functionalist element is important to note because it means that social conflict
is not seen as an explanation of social change. As we see in the next section, others like Karl Marx
argue that social conflict is actually a very important cause of social change.
24
ACTIVITY
One of the aims of this section has been to introduce the idea of positivist theory. Using
what you have learned about positivism, how do you think the concepts below are related
to the positivist approach to sociological research?
Concept
Social fact
Organic solidarity
Functionalism
Consensus
In this section we have covered some key aspects of the early positivist approach to sociology.
We have also looked at how the positivist approach is connected to the functionalist perspective.
There are two important consequences from this that you need to remember when we move
onto the next section. First of all, the functionalist perspective focuses on social facts rather
than individuals. Functionalists think that individual experiences are not a very useful focus for
research, because these are subjective experiences and good research, according to positivists,
must be objective. Second, functionalism is an approach that sees each individual as playing a
role in the complex structure of society. It is focused on stability and cohesion, and understands
society to evolve gradually in a harmonious way. In the next section we will challenge these
two arguments and look at how other thinkers have argued that individual experiences and
conflict are both very important elements of sociological study.
25
VLE activity
The VLE activity for this week looks at the work of the Muslim sociologist Ibn Khaldun.
The purpose is to move away from a purely Western focus and to show that the origins
of sociology are not to be found only in the West. The activity will be accompanied by
questions that encourage you to compare and contrast Ibn Khalduns ideas with those of
Comte and Durkheim.
26
154
Section A
Answer all five questions [25 marks]
1. Explain what is meant by the concept of Verstehen and its significance in the context of Max
Webers sociology.
[3 marks]
2. Outline the positive and negative aspects of urbanisation.
[5 marks]
[3 marks]
4. Why do the $1-a-day measure and the Human Poverty Index identify different groups of
people as being in poverty?
[7 marks]
5. What is a conflict theory approach to the study of sociology and why does Marxs work
belong to this approach?
[7 marks]
Section B
Answer all four questions [25 marks]
Globalisation refers to a process where the importance of national boundaries is reduced.
Global trade, communications, transport, technology and investment are some of the way in
which the process of globalisation is carried forward. Most often the process of globalisation
is linked to the process of economic integration between nations, with transnational
corporations (TNCs) like Coca-Cola and McDonalds often playing an important role.
The consequences of economic globalisation are many. On the one hand, this process
provides new opportunities for developing countries to find new markets for the products
and gain financially from this. On the other hand, some point out that globalisation leads to
greater inequality, because it enables developed Western nations to extract resources from
developing countries and become richer at their expense.
Globalisation has also a cultural aspect. Some observers argue that global brands and
products as well as the media and entertainment have a negative impact on local culture.
These global trends have a strong influence on local cultures and lead to a gradual
homogenisation of cultures. Others disagree with this view and argue that rather than being
homogenised, local cultures are able to adapt such outside influences to fit the local context.
This process is sometimes called glocalisation.
155
Using the information above and information from other sources you have read, answer the
following questions:
6. Examine the arguments for and against seeing McDonalds as an example of cultural
homogenisation.
[5 marks]
7. Discuss the impact of globalisation on either migration or urbanisation.
[5 marks]
8. Explain what is meant by culture and what role socialisation plays in the development of
culture.
[10 marks]
9. Describe the relationship between globalisation and mass media. Illustrate your answer with
and example.
[5 marks]
Section C
Answer one question [50 marks]
10. Outline the key points of the feminist perspective and discuss how it helps to question the
assumptions made by either the functionalist or conflict theory perspective.
11. Discuss how sociology can contribute to our understanding and solving of environmental
problems.
12. Social movements are more democratic than most governments. Do you agree?
13. Assess the role of education in creating harmonious societies.
14. Identify the differences between paid and unpaid work and explain why the nature of work is
closely related to persons self-esteem.