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105 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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sociological perspective
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looking for general patterns in particular people
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global perspective
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study of the larger world and our society's place in it
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high-income countries
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nations with the highest overall standards of living.
Ex: US, Canada, Argentina, Western Europe, Japan |
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middle-income countries
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standard of living about average for the world as a whole.
Ex: Eastern Europe, Latin America & Asia |
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low-income countries
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nations with a low standard of living in which most people are poor
Ex: Africa, some of Asia |
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Coined the term sociology, thought of sociology as a product of a three stage historical development, approach is positivism
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Auguste Comte
Stages: theological-begin to middle ages metaphysical-society is natural scientific-physical world impacts |
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positivism
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a way of understanding based on science, society operates according to its own laws (like the physical does under laws of gravity)
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theory
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statement of how and why specific facts are related
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theoretical approach
(3 types) |
a basic image of society that guides thinking and research
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1) structural-functional approach
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framework for building the theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts who work together to promote solidarity and stability
(social structure & functions) - Comte, Durkheim, Spencer, & Merton (macro-level) |
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manifest function
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recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern
Ex: college=provides skills for job after education |
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latent function
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the unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social pattern
Ex: college=limit unemployment |
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social dysfunction
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any social pattern that may disrupt the operation of society
-can interchange between different people, what is helpful to one is not to another |
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2) social-conflict approach
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framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict & change;
how unequal distributions are linked to factors such as race, sex, etc -Marx (macro-level) |
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gender-conflict approach
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point of view that focuses on inquality and conflict of men & women;
-Martineau (1st woman sociologist), Addams |
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race-conflict approach
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point of view on inequality conflict between people of different racial and ethnic categories
-Barnett, Du Bois |
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macro-level orientation
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broad focus on social structures that shape society as a whole; the big picture, the whole city
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micro-level orientation
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close-up focus on social interaction in specific situations; observing children in a park
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3) symbolic-interaction approach
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framework for building theory that sees society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals
-Weber, Mead (micro level) |
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science
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logical system that bases knowledge on direct, systematic observation; rests on Empirical Evidence (info from our senses)
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scientific sociology
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the study of society based on systematic observation of social behavior
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concept
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mental construct that represents part of the world in a simplified form
Ex: the term Society |
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variable
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concept whose value changes from case to case
Ex: upper class, middle class, lower class |
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measurement
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procedure for determining the value of a variable in a specific case
Ex: the experiment to test |
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operationalize a variable
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deciding what exactly you are going to measure
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reliability
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consistency in measurement;
can be repeated with the same result to be reliable |
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validity
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actually measuring exactly what you intended to measure
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spurious correlation
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an apparent but false relationship between two variables that is caused by some other variable
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objectivity
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personal neutrality in conducting research
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replication
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repetition of research by other investigators, in order to prove reliability and validity
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interpretive sociology
(Weber) |
the study of society that focuses on the meanings people attach in the social world;
qualitative data, everyday life |
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critical sociology
(Marx) |
study of society that focuses on the need for social change
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adrocentricity
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approaching an issue from a male's perspective
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The Hawthorne Effect
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a change in a subject's behavior caused simply by the awareness of being studied
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population & sample
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p: people who are the focus of the research
s: part of a population that represents the whole |
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participant observation
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research method in which investigators systematically observe people while joining them in their routine activities
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inductive logical thought
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reasoning that transforms specific observations into general theory
Going from ground level observations to a higher level theory |
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deductive logical thought
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reasoning that transforms general theory into specific hypothesis
states hypothesis and then selects a method to test it Ex: Zimbardo's Prison Experiment |
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culture
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the ways of thinking, the ways of acting, and the material objects that together form a people's way of life
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non-material culture
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ideas created by members of a society
Ex: art |
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material culture
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physical things created by members of a society
Ex: armchairs, sweaters |
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culture shock
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personal disorientation when experiencing unfamiliar way of life
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symbol
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anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share a culture
Ex: words, whistles, signs, etc |
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cultural transmission
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process by which one generation passes culture to the next
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Sapir-Whorf thesis
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people see and understand the world through the cultural lens of language
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values
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culturally defined standards that people use to decide what is desirable, good, and beautiful and that serve as broad guidelines for social living
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beliefs
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supported by values, specific thoughts or ideas that people hold to be true
-particular matters |
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norms
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rules and expectations by which a society guide s the behavior of its members
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prospective norm
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states what we should not do
Ex: do not have causal sex |
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prescriptive norm
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states what we should do
Ex:"safe sex" practices |
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mores
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norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance
Ex: adults do not engage in sexual relations with children -right & wrong |
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folkways
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norms for routine or casual interaction
Ex: ideas about appropriate greets & proper dress -draw a line between right & rude |
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social control
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attempts by society to regulate people's thoughts and behavior
-produce feelings of shame or guilt, socially, if something is wrong |
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high culture
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cultural patterns that distinguish a society's elite
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popular culture
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cultural patterns that are widespread among a society's population
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subculture
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cultural patterns that set apart some segment of a society's population
-"Yankeees", Korean Americans, Ohio State football fans |
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multiculturism
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a pera perspective recognizing the cultural diversity of the United States and promoting equal standing for all cultural traditions
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eurocentrism
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dominance of European cultural patterns
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afrocentrism
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emphasizing and promoting African cultural patterns
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counterculture
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cultural patterns that strongly patterns that strongly oppose those widely accepted within a society
Ex: Hippies |
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cultural integration
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the close relationships among various elements of a cultural system
-one change sparks another Ex: women going to colleges > more money desired |
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cultural lag
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the fact that some cultural elements change more quickly than others, disrupting a cultural system
-Ogburn |
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society
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people who interact in a defined territory and share a culture
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sociocultural evolution
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changes that occur as a society gains new technology
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hunting and gathering
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making use of simple tools to hunt animals and gather vegetation for food; usually have a spiritual leader
-Aka & Pigamies of Africa |
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horticulture
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the use of hand tools to raise crops
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pastoralism
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the domestication of animals; producing surpluses leads to more specialization
-the Tuareg, South America |
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agriculture (agrarian)
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large-scale cultivated using plows harnessed to animals or more powerful energy sources
-Ancient Rome |
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indsutrialism
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production of goods using advanced sources of energy to drive large machinery
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post-industrialism
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the production of information using computer technology
-US today |
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social conflict
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the struggle between segments of society over valued resources; termed by Marx-class conflict
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capitalists
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people who own and operate factories and other businesses in pursuit of profits
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proletarians
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people who sell their labor for wages
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social institutions
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the major spheres of social life, or societal subsystems, organized to meet human needs
Ex: the economy, political system, family |
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false consciousness
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explanations of social problems as the comings of individuals rather than as the flaws of society
-Marx's idea of capitalism |
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class conflict
(or class struggle) |
conflict between entire classes over the distribution of a society''s wealth and power
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class consciousness
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worker's recognition of themselves as a class unified in opposition to capitalists and ultimately to capitalism itself
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alienation
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the experience of isolation and misery resulting from powerlessness
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ideal type
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an abstract statement of the essential characteristics of any social phenomenon
-Weber |
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tradition
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values and beliefs passed from generation to generation
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rationality
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a way of thinking that emphasizes deliberate, matter of fact calculation of the most efficient way to accomplish a particular task
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rationalization of society
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the historical change from tradition to rationality as the main type of human thought
-the willingness to adopt the latest technology, based on how you view your world |
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anomie
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a condition in which society provides little moral guidance to individuals
Ex: sudden fame, "destroyed by fame" |
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mechanical solidarity
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social bonds, based son on common sentiments and shared moral values, that are strong among members of postindustrial societies
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mechanical solidarity
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social bonds, based on common sentiments and shared moral values, that are strong among members of preindustrial societies
-tradition |
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organic solidarity
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social bonds, based on specialization and interdependence, that are strong among members of industrial societies
Ex:being specialized in one field makes you rely on others for help |
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division of labor
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specialized economic activity
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socialization
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lifelong social experience by which people develop their human potential and learn culture
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generalized other
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widespread cultural norms and values we use as reference in evaluating ourselves
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self
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part of an individual's personality composed of self-awareness and self-image.
-Mead |
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looking-glass self
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self-image based on how we think others see us
-Cooley |
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anticipatory socialization
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learning that helps a person achieve a desired position
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total institution
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setting in which people are isolated from the rest of society and manipulated by an administrative staff
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status set
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all the statuses a person holds at a given time
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ascribed status
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a social position a person receives at birth or takes on involuntarily later in life
-Being a teenager |
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achieved status
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social position a person takes on voluntarily that reflects personal ability and effort
-US students |
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master status
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a status that has special importance for social identity, often shaping a person's entire life
Ex: gender, physical disability |
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role
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behavior expected of someone who holds a particular status
Ex: student -> attend class and complete assignments |
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role conflict
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conflict among roles connected to two or more statuses
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role strain
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tension among the roles connected to a single status
Ex: supervisor must be nice enough but strict enough |
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social construction
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the process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction
Ex: flirting-being able to withdraw at any time without future obligation |
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Thomas theoroum
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situations that are defined as real in their consequences
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ethnomethodology
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study of the way people make sense of their everyday surroundings
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dramaturgical analysis
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study of social interaction in terms of theatrical performance
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presentation of self
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a person's efforts to create specific impressions in the minds of others
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