Intro To Sociology Exam 1

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sociology

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the systematic or scientific study of human society and social behaviors

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society

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a group of people who share their lives in aggregated and patterned ways that distinguish their group from other groups

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social sciences

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disciplines that use the scientific mehtod to examine the social world in contrast to the natural sciences, which examines the physical world

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microsociology

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the level of analysis that studies face-to-face and SMALL GROUP interactions in order to undertand how these interactions affect the larger patterns of society

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macrosociology

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the level of analysis that studies LARGE SCALE social structures in order to determine how they affectthe lives of groups and individuals

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quantitive research

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research that translates the social world into numbers that can be treated mathematically, this type of research often tries to find cause and effect relationships

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qualitive research

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research that works with nonnumerical data such as texts, field notes, interview transcripts, photos and tape recordings, this type of research more often tires to understand how people make sense of their world

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sociological perspective

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a quality of the mind that allows us to understand the relationship between one particular situation in life and what is happening at a social level

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sociological perspective/imagination

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a quality of the mind that allows us to understand the relationship between one particular situation in life and what is happening at the social level

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culture shock

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a sense of disorientation that occurs when you enter a radically new social or cultural environment

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beginner's mind

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approaching the world without preconceptions in order to see things in a new way

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everyday actor

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one who has the practical knowledge needed to get through daily life, but not necessarily the scientific

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positivism

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August Comte's theory that sense perceptions are the only valid source of knowledge

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anomie

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"normalnness" term used to describe the alienation + loss of purpose that result from weaker social bondsan an increased pace of change

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structural functionalism

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society is a unified whole that functions because of the contributions of its separate parts

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structure

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a social institution that is relatively stable over time and that meets the needs of society by performing functions necessary to mantain social order and stability

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dysfunction

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a disturbance to or undersirable consequence of some aspect to the social system ex. families not discipling their kids so school has to

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conflict theory

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social conflict is the basis of society and social change, groups are always in conflict with each other for power and resources

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false consciousness

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a denial of the truth on the part of the oppressed when they fail to recognize the interests of ruling class in their ideology, the working class are oblivious to what the ruling class do ex. religion promises them work will pay off in the afterlife

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ethnography

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a naturalistic method based on studying people in their own environment in order to understand the meanings they atribute to their activities, aslo the written work that results from study

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ethnocentrism

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using our own culture as a meeasure against all other socities/individuals

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culture relativism

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understanding cultures on their own terms, think of them as different not weird

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ideal culture

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what SHOULD be observed

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real culture

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how things are

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symbolic culture

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reflect the ideas and beliefs of a group of people (rules, customs, social systems) ex. traffic signs,

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Sapir-whorf hypothesis

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the idea that language structures thought, and the way of looking at the world is embedded in language

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norms

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a rule or guideline regarding what kinds of behavior are acceptable and appropriate within a culture

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sanctions

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positive or negative reactions to the ways people follow or don't follow norms. means of enforcing like rewards or punishments

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folkways

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not strictly enforced, loosely followed norm like not wearing a suit with flip flops, if don't follow thought of as weird but no big deal

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mores

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a norm that carries a greater moral significance, like theft