Chapters 1-2 The Social Perspective & Culture Vocabulary

Front 1

Sociological Perspective

(Sociological Imagination)

Back 1

Understanding human behavior by placing it within its boarder social context.

Front 2

Society

Back 2

People who share a culture and territory.

Front 3

Social Location

Back 3

The group memberships that people have because of their location in history and society.

Front 4

Science

Back 4

The application of systematic methods to obtain knowledge and the knowledge obtained by those methods.

Front 5

Scientific Method

Back 5

The use of objective, systematic observations to test theories.

Front 6

Sociology

Back 6

The scientific study of society and human behavior.

Front 7

Social Integration

Back 7

The degree to which members of a group or society are united by shared values and bonds. AKA Social Cohesion .

Front 8

Applied Sociology

Back 8

The use of sociology to solve problems- from the micro level of classroom interaction and family relationships to the macro level of crime and pollution.

Front 9

Theory

Back 9

A general statement about how some parts of the world fit together and how they work. An explantation of how two or more facts relate to one another.

Front 10

Symbolic Interactionism

Back 10

A theoretical perspective in which society is view as composed of symbols that people use to establish meaning, develop their views of the world, and communicate with each other.

Front 11

Structural Functionalism

(Functional Analysis)

Back 11

A theoretical framework in which society is viewed as composed of various parts, each with a function that, when fulfilled, contributes to societies equilibrium.

Front 12

Manifest Function

Back 12

The intended beneficial consequences of people’s actions.

Front 13

Latent Function

Back 13

The unintended beneficial consequences of people’s actions.

Front 14

Dysfunction

(Latent Dysfunction)

Back 14

The unanticipated disruptions to the existing social order.

Front 15

Conflict Theory

Back 15

A theoretical frame work in which society is viewed as composed as groups competing for scarce resources.

Front 16

Macro-Sociology

Back 16

The analysis of society focuses on the broad features of society, such as social class and the relationships of groups to one another; usually used by functionalists and conflict theorists.

Front 17

Micro-Sociology

Back 17

The analysis of society focuses on social interaction; typically used by symbolic interactionists.

Front 18

Hypothesis

Back 18

A statement of how variables are expected to be related to one another, often according to predictions of a theory.

Front 19

Variable

Back 19

A factor thought to be significant for human behavior, which can change from one case to another.

Front 20

Rational Choice Proposition

Back 20

People tend to chose the option that they feel will yield them the maximum benefit.

Front 21

Exchange Theory

Back 21

Claims that people will seek to maximize their benefits by exchanging rewards with one another.

Front 22

Material Culture

Back 22

The material objects that distinguish a group of people such as their art, buildings, weapons, utensils, machines, hairstyles, clothing, and/or jewelry.

Front 23

Symbolic Culture

(Nonmaterial Culture)

Back 23

A groups way of thinking, including its beliefs, values and other assumptions about the world, and doing, including common patterns of behavior such as language and other social interactions.

Front 24

Culture Shock

Back 24

The disorientation people experience when they come into contact with a fundamentally different culture and can no longer depend on their taken-for-granted assumptions of life.

Front 25

Ethnocentrism

Back 25

The use of one’s own culture as a yard stick for judging the ways of other individuals or societies, generally leading to a negative evaluation of their values, norms, and behaviors.

Front 26

Cultural Relativism

Back 26

Trying to understand a culture on said culture’s terms.

Front 27

Symbol

Back 27

Something to which people attach meaning and then use to communicate with one another.

Front 28

Gestures

Back 28

The ways in which people use their bodies to communicate with one another.

Front 29

Language

Back 29

A system of symbols that can be combined in an infinite number of ways and can represent not only objects, but abstract thoughts.

Front 30

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

Back 30

Language creates ways of thinking and perceiving.

Front 31

Values

Back 31

The standards by which people determine what is desirable: what is good vs. bad, what is beautiful vs. ugly, etc.

Front 32

Norms

Back 32

Rules that guide behavior, that state what human beings should or should not say or go under certain circumstance.

Front 33

Positive Sanctions

Back 33

An expression of approval for following a norm such as a smile, good grade, or prize.

Front 34

Negative Sanctions

Back 34

An expression of disapproval for breaking a norm such as a frown, or punishment.

Front 35

Folkways

Back 35

Customary and habitual ways a group acts; norms with little moral significance.

Front 36

More

Back 36

Norms in a society which must be obeyed; norms that govern ethical and moral behaviors.

Front 37

Taboo

Back 37

A norm so strong it brings extreme sanctions, even revulsion, if violated.

Front 38

Subculture

Back 38

The values and related behaviors of a group that distinguishes its members from a larger culture. A world within a world.

Front 39

Counterculture

Back 39

A group whose values, beliefs, norms, and related behaviors place its members in opposition of the broader culture.

Front 40

Value Cluster

Back 40

Values that, together, form a larger whole.

Front 41

Value Contradiction

Back 41

Values that contradict each other. To follow one means to come into conflict with another.

Front 42

Ideal vs. Real Culture

Back 42

What people want to follow vs. what they do follow.

Front 43

Technology

Back 43

Narrow sense: tools.

Broader sense: skills.

Front 44

Cultural Lag

Back 44

Human behavior lagging behind technological innovations.

Front 45

Cultural Diffusion

Back 45

The spread of culture from one group to another whether or not physical.

Front 46

Cultural Leveling

Back 46

The process by which cultures become similar to one another. especially in the case of western culture.