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30 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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anomie
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A concept first brought into wide usage in sociology by Durkheim, referring to a situation in which social norms lose their hold over individual behavior.
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bureaucracy
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A type of organization marked by a clear hierarchy of authority and the existence of written rules of procedure and staffed by full-time, salaried officials.
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capitalism
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An economic system based on the private ownership of wealth, which is invested and reinvested in order to produce profit.
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division of labor
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The specialization of work tasks, by means of which different occupations are combined within a production system. All societies have at least some rudimentary form of division of labor, especially between the tasks allocated to men and those performed by women. With the development of industrialism, the division of labor became vastly more complex than in any prior type of production system. In the modern world, the division of labor is international in scope.
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feminist theory
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A sociological perspective that emphasizes the centrality of gender in analyzing the social world and particularly the uniqueness of the experience of women. There are many strands of feminist theory, but they all share the desire to explain gender inequalities in society and to work to overcome them.
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functionalism
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A theoretical perspective based on the notion that social events can best be explained in terms of the functions they perform-that is, the contributions they make to the continuity of a society.
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globalization
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The development of social and economic relationships stretching worldwide. In current times, we are all influenced by organizations and social networks located thousands of miles away. A key part of the study of globalization is the emergence of a world system-for some purposes, we need to regard the world as forming a single social order.
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ideology
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Shared ideas or beliefs that serve to justify the interests of dominant groups. Ideologies are found in all societies in which there are systematic and ingrained inequalities between groups. The concept of ideology connects closely with that of power, since ideological systems serve to legitimize the power that groups hold.
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latent functions
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Functional consequences that are not intended or recognized by the members of a social system in which they occur.
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macrosociology
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The study of large-scale groups, organizations, or social systems.
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manifest functions
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The functions of a type of social activity that are known to and intended by the individuals involved in the activity.
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Marxism
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A body of thought deriving its main elements from Marx's ideas.
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materialist conception of history
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The view developed by Marx, according to which material, or economic, factors have a prime role in determining historical change.
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microsociology
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The study of human behavior in contexts of face-to-face interaction.
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organic solidarity
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According to Emile Durkheim, the social cohesion that results from the various parts of a society functioning as an integrated whole.
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postmodernism
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The belief that society is no longer governed by history or progress. Postmodern society is highly pluralistic and diverse, with no "grand narrative" guiding its development.
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power
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The ability of individuals or the members of a group to achieve aims or further the interests they hold. Power is a pervasive element in all human relationships. Many conflicts in society are struggles over power, because how much power an individual or group is able to achieve governs how far they are able to put their wishes into practice.
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rational choice approach
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More broadly, the theory that an individual's behavior is purposive. Within the field of criminology, rational choice analysis argues that deviant behavior is a rational response to a specific social situation.
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rationalization
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A concept used by Max Weber to refer to the process by which modes of precise calculation and organization, involving abstract rules and procedures, increasingly come to dominate the social world.
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science
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In the sense of physical science, the systematic study of the physical world. Science involves the disciplined marshaling of empirical data, combined with theoretical approaches and theories that illuminate or explain those data. Scientific activity combines the creation of boldly new modes of thought with the careful testing of hypotheses and ideas. One major feature that helps distinguish science from other idea systems (such as religion) is the assumption that all scientific ideas are open to criticism and revision.
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social constraint
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The conditioning influence on our behavior of the groups and societies of which we are members. Social constraint was regarded by Emile Durkheim as one of the distinctive properties of social facts.
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social facts
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According to Emile Durkheim, the aspects of social life that shape our actions as individuals. Durkheim believed that social facts could be studied scientifically.
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social structure
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The underlying regularities or patterns in how people behave and in their relationships with one another.
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sociological imagination
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The application of imaginative thought to the asking and answering of sociological questions. Someone using the sociological imagination "thinks himself away" from the familiar routines of daily life.
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sociology
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The study of human groups and societies, giving particular emphasis to analysis of the industrialized world. Sociology is one of a group of social sciences, which include anthropology, economics, political science, and human geography. The divisions between the various social sciences are not clear-cut, and all share a certain range of common interests, concepts, and methods.
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structuration
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The two-way process by which we shape our social world through our individual actions and by which we are reshaped by society.
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symbol
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One item used to stand for or represent another-as in the case of a flag, which symbolizes a nation.
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symbolic interactionism
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A theoretical approach in sociology developed by George Herbert Mead, which emphasizes the role of symbols and language as core elements of all human interaction.
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theoretical approach
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A perspective on social life derived from a particular theoretical tradition. Some of the major theoretical traditions in sociology include functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and Marxism. Theoretical approaches supply overall perspectives within which sociologists work and influence the areas of their research as well as the modes in which research problems are identified and tackled.
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theory
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An attempt to identify general properties that explain regularly observed events. Theories form an essential element of all sociological works. While theories tend to be linked to broader theoretical approaches, they are also strongly influenced by the research results they help generate.
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