Sociology 1

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What is the definition of a society?

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A society is an intricate and complicated structure composed of parts and processes.

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Sociology

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The scientific study of the relationship between social structure and human behavior.

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Sociological Imagination

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C. Wright Mills' famous term for the discipline's ability to show the relationship between social and personal patterns.

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Microstructure

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Social Networks ; lowest level

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Macrostructure

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Refers to organizations, institutions, and finally societies

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Megastructures

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Links different organizations in different societies.

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sociocracy

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Sociological royalty that would rule society according to scientific principles.

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Data

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the information gathered through a scientific study of a phenomenon.

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Empirical

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Based on the anaysis of real-world experience.

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Generalizations

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The statements typifying the behavior of large numbers of people in a social structure.

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Theory

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A proposistion about the relationship between two or more concepts.

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Concept

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An abstract category for classifying aspects of reality.

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Paradigm

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An intellectual model for selection crucial concepts and forms of evidence.

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Functionalism

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A major theoretical approach in sociology that focuses on how social parts contribute4 to society as a system.

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Dysfunction

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A negative consequence of a social part for the system of society.

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Positive Function

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The positive consequences of social parts for the system of society.

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social facts

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Emile Durkheim's term for the supra-individualo phenomena that are the subject matter of sociology.

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conscience collective

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Emile Durkheim's term for a common set of ideas and moral sentiments shared by individuals.

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social integration

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the forces binding society together.

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QUOTE

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Even viciously dysfunctional acts can serve positive functions wihin the social system.

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rate

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the number of occurrences of a phenomenon for a constant base of population.

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egotistic suicide

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caused by too little social integration.

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altruistic suicide

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caused by excessive social integration.

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Conflict Theory

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A major theoretical approach in sociology that focuses on the conflict among the social structures in a society.

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QUOTE

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The fundamental fact of socialo life is conflict.

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means of production

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Karl Marx's term for the economic structure of society.

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class

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A set of individuals sharing a common relationship to the means of production.

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ruling class

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the class that controls the means of production of a given society

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superstructure

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the various forms of social life built upon the means of production,

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ideology

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a set of ideas justifying the interests of a classs.

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symbolic interactionism

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a major theoretical approach in sociology that focuses on the meanings that arise from the interactions among individuals in a society.

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verstehen

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Max Weber's term for the description of a given social phenomenon in its conceptual purity in order to reveal its essential features.

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verstehen

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Max Weber'[s term for the attempt to understand the intentions of social actors on their own terms.

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ideal type

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Max Weber's term for the description of a given social phenonmenon in its conceptual purity in order to reveal its essential features.

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level of analysis

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the higer the level, the larger the social structure under study.

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structural differentiation

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Emile Durkheim's theory tracing the increasing complexity and specialization on social structures.

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mechanical solidarity

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the human attraction generated by common moral sentiments, typical of tribal societies.

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organic solidarity

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social integration based on functional dependence of specialists, typical of modern societies.

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anomic

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the weakening of moral regulation of the self associated with personal and social disorder.

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class consciousness

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an awareness among the mebers of a given class of their common interests in the class struggle.

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alienation

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people losing control of the social order created by their labor, resulting in personal dissatisfaction and social disorder.

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multi-factor theory

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an explanatory approach identifying multiple sources of social change.

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rationalism

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the systematic application of standardized means to predetermined ends.

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objective dimension

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the concrete, measurable human harm associated with a societal phenomenon.

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subjective dimension

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the general level of concern about that phenomenon registered in public opinion.

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objectivity

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the real qualities of a thing outside the mind of the reasearched observing it.

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value-free

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Weber's term for the 'ethically neutral' procedures of sociology that would, ideally, allow an objective view of social reality untainted by personal values.

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replication

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the duplication of a research prodecure to verify the results.

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experimentation

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a reseatch strategy that fcreate4s an artificial situation in ord to simplify reality and highlight variables of interest.

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causality

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a situation in which a change in on variable produces a change in another variable.

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randomization

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the method by which subjects are assigned to either the experimental or control group according to the rules of chance.

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reactivity

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artificial alterations in behavior created by an awareness of being studied.

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generalizability

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the degree to which conclusions can be extended to the population outside the study participants.

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participant observation

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the researcher participates in the group process in order to observe its natural functioning.

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respondent

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a participant in a survey.

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sample

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a set of people systematically selected from the larger population about which the researcher wishes to generalize.

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probability sampling

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a procedure in which the chance of a unit's selection is known in advance, aqnd therefore the hance of sampling error can be estimated.

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sampling frame

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the list population units from which a sample is drawn.

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response rate

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the percentage of the sample actually responding to the survey.

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close-ended item

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a survey question in which available answer choices are provided to the respondent in precoded form.

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open-ended item

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a survey question that allows a respondent to phrase his or her own answers.

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validity

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the degree to which a measurement procedure measures what it is supposed to measure.

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reliability

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the degree to which a measurement procedure yields consistent results.

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variable

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a measured concept whoses values can vary.

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frequentcy distribution

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a display of the numbers and percentages of respondents for each value of a variable.

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bivariate relationship

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a statistical association between two variables.

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crosstabulation

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a table that 'crosses' the frequencies of different variables to look for statistical relationships.

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inferential statistics

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the formulars used to draw a generalization about population on the basis of sample values.

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positive relationship

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a statistical association in which a higer level of one variable is associated with a higher level of another variable.

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negative relationship

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a statistical association in which a higher level of one variable is associated with a lower leve of another variable.

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mlti-method approach

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the use of several research techniques in the same research project.

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secondary analysis

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the re-use of datasets already compiled by public or private organizations.

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focus group

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an open-ended discussion among several respondents guided by the interviewer.

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choice/constraint model

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people making social choices within the constraints imposed by larger social structures.

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social network

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the pattern of ties among the units of a social system.

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multiplex

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a social tie with more than on relationship type.

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density

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the degree of interconnection among network members.

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closeness

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the degree of emotional intimacy in a network tie.

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interaction frequency

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how often a network tie is activated by personal communication.

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duration

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the time span over which a network tie has endured.

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social support

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emotional and practical help provided by network members.

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status

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a structural position in a social system

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dramaturgical school

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those analyzing social life as a theatrical production.

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roloe

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a patter of behavior appropriate for a given status

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role expectations

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the specific behaviors a status occupant is supposed to exhibit.

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status set

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the multiple social positions occupied by an individual.

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role conflict

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the inconsistency of demands across the positions of an individual's status set.

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master status

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the individual's role that is given the greatest societal significance.

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role set

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a pattern of complementary roles linked to a single status.

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role strain

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inconsistent expectations within the role set.

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exchange theory

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an approach to social structure that views social relations as transactions within which resources are given and taken.

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reification

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the fallacy of treating an abstraction as real.

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ethnomenthodolgy

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the study of commonsense practical reasoning.

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reference group

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a group whose standards one applies to the self.

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anticipatory reference group

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a group whose standards are internalized in advance of personal membership.

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multiple reference groups

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an individual's membership in several reference groups at one time.

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primary group

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a group characterized by intimate, multiplex, expressive relations.

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secondary group

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a group characterized by impersonal, uniplex, instrumental relations.

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mesostructures

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social relations that link higher to lower lebels of social structure.

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bureaucracy

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according to Max Weber, the distinctively modern group form characterized by specialization, hierarchy, regulations, impersonality, and technical qualifications.

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bureaucratic ritualism

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bureaucratic regulations being treated as more important than bureaucratic goals.

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bounded rationality

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a simplified model of a decision-making problem based on selected sources of information.

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satisfice

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making a decision that is satisfactory and sufficient, rather than a perfect decision based on complete rationality.

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normal accidents

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breakdowns that are an inherent property of certain kinds of tightly coupled complex organizations.

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interlocking directorate

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members of the executive board of one organization also sitting on the board of other organizations.

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institutions

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large-scale social structures that address basic societal needs.

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isomorphism

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the structural similarity of organizations.

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organizational envireonment

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the larger social setting of an organization, including other organizations.

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compliance theory

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explanation of the mechanisms by which organizations gain the compliance of their members.

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multinational corperations

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large firms operating beyond the macrostructure of a single society.

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core

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the set of technologically advanced, developed countries with a dominant position within the world system.

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perophery

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the set of less-developed countries providing labor and raw materials to the core within the world system.

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semipheriphery

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the set of countries intermediate between the core and periphery within the world system.

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gemeinschaft

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a place of personalized relationships based on mutual acquaintanceship.

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gesellschaft

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a place of impersonality based on a lack of mutual acquaintanceship.

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culture

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the socially standardized ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that a person acquired as a member of as particular society.

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society

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a large number of people who live in the same territory and are relatively independent of others outside their area.

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symbols

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the mechanisms necessary for the storage and transmission of the large quantities of information that consititute culture.