Introductory Sociology Part 1

Front 1

_________ is the study of human social behavior--societies, social groups, and the relationships between people

Back 1

Sociology. This is known as sociology.

Front 2

Sociological _________ is the ability to see that social forces affect individual lives, and that individuals can alter the course of human history.

Back 2

Imagination. This is known as sociological imagination, and was defined by C. Wright Mills as something we need if we are to understand ourselves in relation to society.

Front 3

The three sociological perspectives, or paradigms are __________ interactionism, functionalism, and conflict theory

Back 3

Symbolic. Symbolic interactionism, functionalism, and conflict theory are basically philosophical or theoretical perspectives, a point of view from which the sociologist studies society.

Front 4

The sociological perspective which focuses on symbols and face-to-face interaction is _____ interactionism

Back 4

Symbolic. This is the symbolic interactionism perspective. It is focused on the process of social interaction and on the meanings that are constructed and reconstructed in that process

Front 5

The sociological perspective which focuses on the relationship between different parts of society, where each part contributes to the overall stability of the whole, is ___________.

Back 5

Functionalism. This is the functionalism perspective. It is based on the writings of Emile Durkheim and Herbert Spencer

Front 6

The _________ theory perspective sees society as characterized by conflict and inequality; it focuses on how the elite control the poor, and the competition for scarce resources.

Back 6

Conflict. This is known as the conflict theory perspective, and is based on the work of Coser, Dahrendorf, and Mills.

Front 7

__________ methods of research are primarily used in the natural sciences, but are also used by some sociologists. They make use of statistical and other math-based techniques to form conclusions from their observations.

Back 7

Quantitative. These are known as quantitative methods of research. Quantitative methods are designed to achieve precision, in contrast to qualitative methods, which rely on personal observation and description to form conclusions, and lack the same level of precision.

Front 8

__________ methods of research rely on personal observation and description to form conclusions on behavior.

Back 8

Qualitative. Qualitative methods of research are not exact science like quantitative methods, which are based on statistics and math.

Front 9

The most commonly used method of observation by sociologists is the ________ method, which involves asking the subjects of the study questions.

Back 9

Survey. This is the survey method, and involves either interviewing the subjects, or having them fill out a survey.

Front 10

Unless the number of subjects being studied is small, not everyone is approached in a survey--a ________ sample is selected.

Back 10

Representative. A representative sample, basically a portion of the subject population which represents the whole. It involves randomly choosing subjects so that everyone has an equal chance of being selected

Front 11

________ sampling uses differences which exist in a subject population, such as gender, as the basis for selecting, instead of doing a straight random selection.

Back 11

Stratified. This is known as stratified sampling. For example, if a population is divided into blue-collar and white-collar workers, the researcher might choose to select a certain number of each based on what proportion of the total population they make up, instead of choosing a completely random mix.

Front 12

The ________ effect is where subjects of a study change their behavior simply if they know they are being studied.

Back 12

Hawthorne. This is known as the Hawthorne effect--subjects in a study at the Hawthorne Plant of Western Electric Company who hadn't been subject to any changes improved their performance in the presence of researchers.

Front 13

In an experiment, the _______ group is kept under normal conditions, and the experimental group is subject to a particular condition

Back 13

Control. The control group is kept under normal conditions. The point is to see the effect of the condition on the experimental group, and compare it to the group which hasn't experienced the condition.

Front 14

Emile Durkheim adopted a ____________ approach to his study of religion, stating that it served the function of acting as a source of solidarity and identification for the individuals within a society.

Back 14

Functional. Durkheim adopted a functional approach to religion. The functionalist perspective sees each aspect of society as interdependent and serving some kind of function. This approach stresses practicality, purpose, and utility.

Front 15

Unless the number of subjects being studied is small, not everyone is approached in a survey--a ________ sample is selected.

Back 15

Representative. A representative sample, basically a portion of the subject population which represents the whole. It involves randomly choosing subjects so that everyone has an equal chance of being selected

Front 16

________ sampling uses differences which exist in a subject population, such as gender, as the basis for selecting, instead of doing a straight random selection.

Back 16

Stratified. This is known as stratified sampling. For example, if a population is divided into blue-collar and white-collar workers, the researcher might choose to select a certain number of each based on what proportion of the total population they make up, instead of choosing a completely random mix.

Front 17

The ________ effect is where subjects of a study change their behavior simply if they know they are being studied.

Back 17

Hawthorne. This is known as the Hawthorne effect--subjects in a study at the Hawthorne Plant of Western Electric Company who hadn't been subject to any changes improved their performance in the presence of researchers.

Front 18

In an experiment, the _______ group is kept under normal conditions, and the experimental group is subject to a particular condition

Back 18

Control. The control group is kept under normal conditions. The point is to see the effect of the condition on the experimental group, and compare it to the group which hasn't experienced the condition.

Front 19

Emile Durkheim adopted a ____________ approach to his study of religion, stating that it served the function of acting as a source of solidarity and identification for the individuals within a society.

Back 19

Functional. Durkheim adopted a functional approach to religion. The functionalist perspective sees each aspect of society as interdependent and serving some kind of function. This approach stresses practicality, purpose, and utility.

Front 20

_________ observation is where the subjects are observed from a distance--normally the subjects do not know they are being observed, and the researcher is not directly involved with them.

Back 20

Unobtrusive. This is known as unobtrusive observation, and is done from a distance. This is in contrast to participant observation, where the researcher joins the group of subjects, or participates in the activity being observed

Front 21

__________ analysis is where a researcher studies old records and documents in an attempt to discover something new, instead of going out and collecting his own data.

Back 21

Secondary. This is known as secondary analysis.

Front 22

____________ problems are concerns such as "could the results of this research be used in harmful ways," "is the privacy of the subjects being invaded," "should subjects know they are being studied?"

Back 22

Ethical. These are examples of ethical problems in sociological research

Front 23

Pure ___________ is an economic system characterized by limited involvement of the government in the economy, individual ownership of the factors of production, and individuals pursuing their own self interest with few constraints.

Back 23

Capitalism. Pure Capitalism is an economic system in which individuals own productive resources, and those individuals can use resources in whatever manner they choose, subject to common productive legal restrictions. This is different from Welfare Capitalism, which is the type of system in the United States. In Welfare Capitalism, the government plays a major part in allocating resources.

Front 24

_________ is the process whereby people become social beings or learn to take part in new social situations.

Back 24

Socialization. This is known as socialization. There are two types--primary and secondary forms.

Front 25

A practice or relationship which is of importance in the life of a community or society is known as an ____________, and includes marriage and the family

Back 25

Institution. This is one of the definitions of the institution, and two examples are marriage and the family. Another type of institution is an established organization dedicated to education, public service, or culture.

Front 26

_________ is the process of discarding behavioral practices and adopting new ones.

Back 26

Resocialization. This is known as resocialization. Resocialization happens for various reasons throughout life; for example, when one becomes a parent, he/she may have to significantly change some of their behavior.

Front 27

A _________ institution is a place of forced resocialization, where the people confined are cut off from the rest of society

Back 27

Total. This is known as a "total institution," and includes places such as prison, mental hospitals, and even the military.

Front 28

__________ developed the idea of psychoanalysis, and believed biological drives were the primary source of human activity

Back 28

Freud. Sigmund Freud believed that people are ruled by unconscious desires, and through socialization, learn to repress and channel these desires in socially acceptable ways.

Front 29

According to Sigmund Freud, the ____ is the reservoir of primitive desires and drives, unaffected by the real world. It is guided by the pleasure principle.

Back 29

Id. The id is the set of biological needs, and is governed by the "pleasure principle."

Front 30

According to Sigmund Freud, the _____ is guided by the "reality principle," and manages the id's impulses to conform to society's standards.

Back 30

Ego. The ego is the "executive" of the person--it manages the person's functioning.

Front 31

A ____________ society depends on service industries and high technology.

Back 31

Postindustrial. In a postindustrial society, the relative importance of manufacturing lessens and that of services, information, and research grows--most jobs are knowledge-based or service professions.

Front 32

According to Sigmund Freud, the ________ represents internalized parents--a conscience.

Back 32

Superego. The superego is last of three psychic apparatuses to develop. The three psychic apparatuses are the id, ego, and superego.

Front 33

Charles Horton Cooley believed the self-concept is reevaluated every time we enter a new social situation. He called this process of self-formation the ________ self.

Back 33

Looking-glass. He called this the looking-glass self, which has three stages--the end result being that our conception of ourself is based on the judgements of others--other people become our "looking glass" or mirror.

Front 34

Jean Piaget developed a theory of ________ development, which he broke down into four stages to describe the changes which occur over time in children's reasoning and understanding

Back 34

Cognitive. Jean Piaget came up with the theory of cognitive development, which broke the process into four stages--sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations stages.

Front 35

In Jean Piaget's cognitive development theory, the ______ stage is the first stage--infants do not understand cause-and-effect, they only perceive things through the immediate experience of sucking, touching, looking, etc.

Back 35

Sensorimotor. This is the sensorimotor stage, and is the first of four stages. Different children progress through the stages at different rates; the sensorimotor stage is generally associated with the ages 0 to 2 years old.

Front 36

The __________ view of deviance as defined by Emile Durkheim sees deviance as necessary to establish group boundaries--it marks the extremities of acceptable behavior.

Back 36

Functionalist. Emile Durkheim was known for his functionalist view of deviance, seeing it not necessarily as harmful to society, but stated that a limited amount of crime is necessary and beneficial. His anomie theory proposed that the cause of deviance is a state of normlessness resulting from rapid social change.

Front 37

In Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the ________ stage is where a child begins to use language and symbols, and can differentiate fantasy from reality.

Back 37

Preoperational. This is known as the preoperational stage. Different children progress through the four stages at different rates, but the preoperational stage is associated with the ages 2 to 7 years.

Front 38

The ________ operational stage of Piaget's cognitive theory is where children maturely understand cause-and-effect, but they cannot conceive of ideas beyond the concrete situation or event.

Back 38

Concrete. This is known as the concrete operational stage and is the third stage. It is called the concrete operational stage because the child's thinking is still concrete--he is not yet capable of abstract thought.

Front 39

_________________ mobility occurs during a person's lifetime, and refers to a change in an individual's social standing. It is also called career mobility.

Back 39

Intragenerational. Intragenerational mobility is a person's change in social standing during his lifetime. This is in contrast to intergenerational mobility, which is a change in social standing across generations--an example is the son of high-school dropout blue collar workers graduating from business school.

Front 40

The ___________ operational stage of Piaget's cognitive development theory is where children are capable of highly abstract thought, to include logic, deductive reasoning, and classification.

Back 40

Formal. This is known as the formal operational stage, the last of the stages in Piaget's theory.

Front 41

_________ defined eight stages of psychosocial development.

Back 41

Erikson. Erik Erikson defined eight stages, and each stage involved a task, or crisis. For example, the first stage involves trust vs mistrust. Later in stage four, the child develops a conception, either one of being inferior, or one of being industrious

Front 42

__________ culture refers to objects which people attach meaning to and use.

Back 42

Material. This is known as material culture, and includes things such as books, furniture, clothes, and even burial sites--basically anything that is material, or physically exists, which people attach meaning to and use.

Front 43

The beliefs, behaviors, objects, and other characteristics common to the members of a particular group or society makes up their _________.

Back 43

Culture. This is known as culture. Culture can be split up into material and nonmaterial culture.

Front 44

_________ are agreed-upon expectations and rules by which people orient their behavior, and often vary from culture to culture.

Back 44

Norms. An example of a norm is how Americans typically maintain eye-contact during conversation while Asians often avert their eyes. Norms can be broken down into folkways, mores, taboos, and laws.

Front 45

_________ are conventions or customs; they are standards of behavior which members of a society or group expect each other to conform to.

Back 45

Folkways. Folkways are socially approved but not morally significant. Not conforming to folkways makes a person seem peculiar or eccentric, but typically does not result in punishment.

Front 46

________ are norms of moral and ethical significance, and violation of these would offend most people of a culture.

Back 46

Mores. Violation of a culture's mores would result in strong criticism, or even punishment.

Front 47

__________ are norms which are absolutely forbidden by the culture.

Back 47

Taboos. These are known as taboos. An example is incest, which is absolutely forbidden in the United States.

Front 48

________ is where a person judges other cultures against the standards of his own culture.

Back 48

Ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is where a person tends to see his culture's way of doing things as "normal," or even superior. Sociologists try not to be ethnocentric--they want to be objective when studying other cultures.

Front 49

Cultural ________ is where sociologists try not to let ethnocentrism affect their study of other cultures--they try to stay objective

Back 49

Relativism. Cultural relativism means the sociologist does not impose his own meaning on what is observed, or tries to focus only on the reason the observed element exists.

Front 50

A _______ is a unique culture or cultural organization within a large culture.

Back 50

Subculture. This is known as a subculture. An example is the Amish people, who make up their own subculture within the larger American culture.

Front 51

A _______ is a unique culture or cultural organization within a larger culture with values and ways of life which do not conform to the larger culture's norms.

Back 51

Counterculture. This is known as a counterculture. Countercultures, such as the Ku Klux Klan, often engage in unconventional behavior.