Sociology Ch. 1-5

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modernity

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era characterized by the growth of democracy and personal freedom, increased reliance on reason and science to explain the natural and social worlds, and a shift toward an urban industrial economy

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science

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use of logic and systematic collection of evidence to support knowledge claims

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industrialization

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the use of large scale machinery for the mass manufacture of consumer goods

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urbanization

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the growth of cities

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social solidarity

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the collective bonds that connect individuals

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division of labor

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people specializing in different tasks, each requiring specific skills

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collective consience

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shared values of a society

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anomie

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a state of normlessness, without moral guidance

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rationalization of society

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the long-term historical process by which rationality replaced tradition as the basis for organizing social and economic life

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social theory

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a set of principles and propositions that explains the relationships among social phenomena

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meso level of analysis

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a focus on small scale, usually face-toface-, social interactions

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structure

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the recurring patterns of behavior in social life

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power

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the ability to bring about an intended outcome, even when opposed by others

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postmodernity

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a historical period beginning in the mid-twentieth century characterized bu the rise of information-based economies and the fragmentation of political beliefs and ways of knowing

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basic research

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research that has as its primary goal to describe some aspect of society and advance our understanding of it

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applied research

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research that has as its primary goal to directly address some problem or need

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public sociology

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the effort to bring the findings of both basic and applied sociological research to a broader nonacademic audience

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empirical evidence

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evidence that can be observed or documented using thee human senses

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quantitative data

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evidence that can be summarized numerically

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correlation

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a relationship in which change in one variable is connected to change in another variable

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qualitative data

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any kind of evidence that is not numerical in nature, including evidence gathered from interviews, direct observation, and written or visual documents

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transparency

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the requirement that researchers explain how they collected and analyzed their evidence and how they reached their conclusions

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Hawthorne effect

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human beings will react differently because they know they are in a study

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survey

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a data collection technique that involves asking someone a series of questions

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generalize

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describe patterns of behavior of a larger population based on findings from a sample

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intensive interview

(qualitative interview or in-depth interview)

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data gathering technique that uses open-ended questions during somewhat lengthy face-to-face sessions

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field research

(ethnography or field work)

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data collection technique in which the researcher systematically observes some aspect of social life in its natural setting

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content analysis

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a variety of techniques that enable researchers to systematically summarize and analyze the content of various forms of communication

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operationalize

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specifically define the variables you are interested in studying

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value-neutrality

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removing any personal views from the research process

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peer-review process

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a way in which scholars evaluate research manuscripts before they are publishes in order to ensure their quality

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culture war

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an intense disagreement about the core balues and moral positions

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beliefs

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the specific convictions or opinions that a culture's people generally accept as being true

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culture shock

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the experience of being disoriented because of knowledge about an unfamiliar social sitation

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knowledge (cultural capital)

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the range of information, awareness, and understanding that helps us navigate out world

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dialect

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a variant of a language with its own accent, vocabulary, and in some cases grammatical characteristics

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behaviors

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actions associated with a group that help to reproduce a distinct way of life

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cultural objects (artifacts)

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the physical items that are created by and associated with people who share a culture

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dominant culture

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a culture that permeates the society and that represents the ideas and practices of those in positions of power

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high culture

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cultural forms associated with elites that are widely recognized as valuable and legitimate

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popular culture

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cultural forms that are widespread and commonly embraced within a society

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multiculturalism

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the recognition, valuing, and protection of the distinct cultures that make up a society

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xenophobia

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the unreasonable fear and hatred of foreigners or people from other cultures

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cultural relativism

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the practice of understanding a culture by its own standards

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capacity for action

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the ability to operate independent of social constraints

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social structure

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recurring patterns of behavior

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status

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a position in a social system that can be occupied by an individual

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role

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a set of expected behaviors associated with a particular status

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ascribed statuses

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statuses assigned to us from birth, regardless of our wishes or ablities

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achieved statuses

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statuses we attain voluntarily, to a considerable degree, as the result of our own efforts

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breaching experiments

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controlled social situations in which individuals intentionally break social rules, violating basic norms and patterns of behavior; meant to reveal micro-level social structures

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convention

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a practice or technique that is widely used in a particular social setting

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organizational structure

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the rules and routines, both forma and informal, that shape daily activities with organizations

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empowerment

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process by which one increases one's capacity to bring about an intended outcome

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power tactics

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the specific strategies people use to influence others in everyday life

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hegemony

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the imposition and wide acceptance of the perspectives and interests of those in power as universal and true and the marginalization of alternative viewpoints

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illegitimate power

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power that relies on force or coercion to generate obedience

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legitimate power

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power that is voluntarily accepted by those who are affected (Weber); sometimes translated as "authority"

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privelage

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a special advantage or benefit that not everyone enjoys

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standpoint theory

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method of analysis that questions taken-for-granted assumptions about society by looking at it from multiple viewpoints, especially those of people in subordinate positions

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inequality

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the unequal distribution of resources among groups of people

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life chances

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(Weber) the opportunities offered by a person's economic position

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social closure

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the process whereby a status group maximizes its own advantages by restricting access to rewards only to members of the group

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discrimination

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the treatment of others unequally based on their background or other personal characteristics

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intersectionality theory

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theory of analysis that highlights the connections and interactions between various forms of inequality, especially race, class, and gender

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matrix of domination

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(Collins) phrase describing the interlocking systems of oppression associated with race, class, and gender

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stratification system

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social system made up of social structures and cultural norms that create and maintain inequality by ranking people into a hierarchy of groups that receive unequal resources

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social mobility

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movement from one stratum of a stratification system to another

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caste system

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social system featuring stratification based on various ascribed characteristics determined at birth

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India's Caste System

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The varna system

-Brahmins: priests, scholars, teachers

-Kshatriyas: kings, warriors, political leaders

-Vaisyas: landowners, merchants, craftspeople

-Sudras: peasants, servants, laborers

Jatis: subcastes organized around an occupation

Outside the varna system: untouchables

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class system

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social system featuring stratification determined by economic position, which results from a combination of individual achievement and family of birth

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patriarchy

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male domination through social institutions and cultural practicces