Sociology Midterm Note Cards

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Sociological Percpective

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understanding human behavior by placing it within its broader social context

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Social location

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the group memberships that people have because of their location in history and society

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basic/ pure sociology

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for making discoveries about life in human groups, not changing them (KNOWLEDGE ONLY)

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applied sociology

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use of sociology to solve problems (SOCIAL REFORM)

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Public Sociology

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Applied sociology for public good. Ex: to guide politician and policy makers (RECOMMENDATIONS)

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Symbolic Interactionism

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Atheoretical perspective in which society is viewed as composed of symbols that people use to establish meaning,develop their views of the world, and communicate with one another

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Functional Analysis (Functionalism)

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society is a whole unit, made up interrelated parts that work together

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Function

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beneficial consequence of someones action

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dysfunction

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Negative consequence of someones action

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manifest function

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intended to help some part of the system (ex. congress offering $ to households that have children in order to increase birth rate)

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latent function

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unintended consequences to help the system adjust (Ex. sale of baby diapers and furniture increases)

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latent dysfunction

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human action that hurts the system (Ex. Gov does specify a stop time for bonuses and so people rely on them as families grow and poverty spreads)

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Macro Sociology

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Analyses large scale patterns of society

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Micro Sociology

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Social interaction or what people do in one another's presence

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Symbolic Interactionism

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One persons actions influencing someone else; usually refers to what people do when they are in one another's presence, but also includes communications at a distance (Micro level)

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nonverbal interaction

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communication without words through gestures, use of space, silence, and so on

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close ended question

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multiple choice

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open ended questions

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free response

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participation observation

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fieldwork

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second analysis

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the analysis of data that have been collected by other researchers

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unobtrusive measures

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means of observing people without them knowing (Immoral/ unethical)

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Sapir- whorf hypothesis

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A hypothesis by Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf that language creates ways of thinking and perceiving

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values

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the standards by which people define what is desirable or undesirable, good or bad, beautiful or ugly

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norms

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expressions of "right" behavior

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sanctions

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either expression of approval given to people for upholding norms or expressions of disapproval for violating them

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positive sanction

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a reward or positive reaction for following norms, ranging from a smile ti a material reward

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negative sanction

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an expression of disapproval for breaking a norm ranging from a mild, informal reaction, such as a frown to a formal reaction such as a prison sentence

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subculture

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the values and related behaviors of a group that distinguishes its member from the larger culture; a world within a world

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counterculture

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a group whose values, beliefs, norms, and related behaviors go against the broader culture

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pluralistic society

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a society made up of many different groups

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cultural diffusion

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the spread of cultural traits from one group to another, includes both material and non-material culture traits

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cultural leveling

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the process by which cultures become similar to one another (Ex. Western culture expanding to other nations)

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Nature v Nurture

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Nature: behavior ruled by drives and instinct

Nurture: behavior product of learning and socilization

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Social Enviornment

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the entire human environment that we are a part of; where we live and interact with one another

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socialization

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the process by which people learn the characteristics of their group

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peer group

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a group of individuals often roughly the same age that are linked by a common interest and orientations

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mass media

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forms of communication that are are directed to mass audiences

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agents of socialization

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people or groups that affect our self-concept, attitudes, behaviors, or other orientations towards life (family, neighborhood, religion, day care, school, peer groups, etc)

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anticipatory socialization

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the process of learning in advance an anticipated future role or status

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degradation ceremony

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a ritual whose goal is to remake someone's self by stripping away that individual's self-identity and stamping a new identity in its place