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216 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Anthropology
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comparative study of various aspects of past and present cultures
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Dysfunctional
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negative consequence an element has for the stability of the social system
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Economics
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study of the choices people make in an effort to satisfy their wants and needs
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Function
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positive consequence an element of society has for the maintenance of the social system
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History
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study of past events
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Ideal type
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description of the essential characteristics of some aspect of society
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Latent function
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unintended and unrecognized consequence of some element of society
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Manifest function
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intended and recognized consequence of some element of society
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Political science
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study of the organization and operation of governments
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Psychology
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science that deals with the behavior and thinking of organisms
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Social Darwinism
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perspective that holds that societies evolve toward stability and perfection
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Social interaction
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how people relate to one another and influence each other behavior
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Social phenomena
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an observable fact or event that involves that human society
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Social sciences
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related disciplines that study various aspects of human social behavior
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Sociological imagination
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ability to see the connection between the larger world and our personal lives
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Sociological perspective
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a viewing of the behavior of groups in a systematic way
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Sociology
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social science that studies human society and social behavior
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Symbol
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anything that stands for something else and has a shared meaning attached to it
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Symbolic interaction
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interaction between people that takes place through the use of symbols
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Theory
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systematic explanation of the relationship among phenomena
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Verstehen
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empathetic understanding of the meanings others attach to their actions
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Counterculture
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group that rejects the values, norms, and practices of the larger society and replaces them with a new set of cultural patterns
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Cultural relativism
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belief that cultures should be judged by their own standards
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Cultural universals
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common features that are found in all human cultures
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Culture
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shared products of human groups, it includes both physical objects and beliefs, values, and behaviors
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Culture complexes
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clusters of interrelated culture traits
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Culture patterns
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combination of a number of culture complexes into an interrelated whole
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Culture trait
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individual tool, act or belief that is related to a particular situation or need
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Ethnocentrism
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tendency to view one's own culture and group as superior to all other cultures and groups
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Folkways
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norms that do not have great moral significance attached to them - the common customs of everyday life
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Language
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organization of written and spoken symbols into a standardized system
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Laws
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written rules of conduct that are enacted and enforced by the government, the violation of these norms is considered a criminal act
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Material culture
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physical objects created by human groups
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Mores
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norms that have great moral significance attached to them
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Nonmaterial culture
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abstract human creations, such as language, ideas, rules, etc
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Norms
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shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations
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Society
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group of mutually interdependent people who have organized in such a way as to share a common culture and have a feeling of unity
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Subculture
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group with its own unique values, norms and behaviors, that exist within a larger culture
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Technology
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knowledge and tools people use for practical purposes
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Values
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shared beliefs about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable
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Cultural lag
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situation in which some aspect of the culture change less rapidly
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Diffusion
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spread of culture traits - ideas, acts, beliefs - from one society to another
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Formal sanction
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reward or punishment that is given by some formal organization or regulatory body, such as gov't, the police, a corporation, or school
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Ideology
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system of beliefs or ideas that justifies some social, moral, religious, political, or economic interests held by a social group or by society
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Informal sanction
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spontaneous expression of approval or disapproval given by an individual or individuals
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Internalization
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process by which a norm becomes part of an individuals personality
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Narcissism
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extreme self centeredness
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Negative sanction
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sanction in the form of a punishment or the threat of punishment
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Positive sanction
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sanction in the form of a reward
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Reformulation
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the process of adapting borrowed cultural traits
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Sanctions
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rewards or punishments used to enforce conformity to norms
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Self-fulfillment
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commitment to develop of one's personality, talents or potential
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Social control
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enforcing of norms through either internalization or sanctions
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Social movement
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long term conscious effort to promote or prevent social change
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Technology
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knowledge and tools people use for practical purposes
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Accommodation
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state of balance between cooperation and conflict
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Achieved status
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status acquired by an individual on the basis of some skill, knowledge, or ability
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Aggregate
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group of people gathered in the same place at the same time who lack organization or lasting patterns of interaction
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Ascribed status
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status assigned according to standards that are beyond a persons control. Age, sex, family heritage, and race are examples
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Barter
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practice of exchanging one good for another
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Bureaucracy
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ranked authority structure that operates according to specific rules and procedures
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Competition
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interaction that occurs when two or more persons or groups oppose each other to achieve a goal that only one can attain
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Conflict
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deliberate attempt to oppose, harm, control by force, or resist the will of another person or persons
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Cooperation
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interaction that occurs when two or more persons or groups work together to achieve a goal that will benefit many people
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Division of labor
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specialization by individuals or groups in the performance of specific economic activities
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Dyad
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group with two members
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e-community
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a community of people who interact through the Internet or other electronic communication
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Exchange
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individual, group, or societal interaction undertaken in an effort to receive a reward in return for actions
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Exchange theory
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theory that holds that people are motivated by self-interests in their interactions with other people
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Formal group
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a group in which the structure, goals, and activities of the group are clearly defined
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Formal organization
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large complex secondary group that has been established to achieve specific goals
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Group
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set of two or more people who interact on the basis of shared expectations and who possess some degree of common identity
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Informal group
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a group in which there is no official structure or established rules of conduct
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In group
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group that an individual belongs to and identifies with
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Iron law of oligarchy
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tendency of organizations to become increasingly dominated by small group
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Leaders
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people who influence the attitudes and opinions of others
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Master status
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status that plays the greatest role in shaping a person's life and determining his or her social identity
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Mechanical solidarity
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close knit social relationships common in preindustrial societies that result when a small group of people share the same values and perform the same tasks
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Primary group
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small group of people who interact over a relatively long period of time on a direct and personal basis
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Rationality
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the process of subjecting every feature of human behavior to calculation, measurement, and control
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Reciprocal roles
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corresponding roles that define the patters of interaction between related statuses
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Reciprocity
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idea that if you do something for someone, they owe you something in return
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Reference group
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any group with whom individuals identify and whose attitudes and values they often adopt
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Role
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behavior, or the rights and obligations, expected of someone occupying a particular status
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Role conflict
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situation that occurs when fulfilling the expectations of one role makes it difficult to fulfill the expectations of another role
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Role expectations
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socially determined behaviors expected of a person performing a role
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Role performance
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actual behavior of a person performing a role
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Role set
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different roles attached to a single status
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Role strain
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situation that occurs when a person has difficulty meeting the expectations of a single role
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Secondary group
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group in which interaction is impersonal and temporary in nature
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Small group
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group with few enough numbers that everyone is able to interact on a face-to-face basis
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Social category
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group of people who share a common trait or status
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Social institution
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system of statuses, roles, values, and norms that is organized to satisfy one or more of the basis needs of society
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Social network
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web of relationships that is formed by the sum total of an individual's interactions with other people
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Social structure
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network of interrelated statuses and roles that guides human interaction
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Status
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socially defined positioning a group or in a society
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Triad
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a three person group
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Urbanization
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concentration of the population in cities
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Voluntary association
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nonprofit association formed to pursue some common interest
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Agents of socialization
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specific individuals, groups, and institutions that provide the situation in which a socialization can occur
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Aptitude
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capacity to learn a particular skill or acquire a particular body of knowledge
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Feral children
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wild or untamed children
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Generalized others
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internalized attitudes, expectations, and viewpoints of society that we use to guide our behavior and reinforce our sense of self
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Heredity
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transmission of genetic characteristics from parents to children
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I
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unsocialized, spontaneous, self interested component of the personality and self indentity
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Instinct
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unchanging, biologically inherited behavior pattern
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Looking glass self
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interactive process by which we develop an image of ourselves based on how we imagine we appear to others
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Mass media
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newspapers, magazines, books, television, radio, etc. that reach large audiences without personal contact between the individuals sending the information and those receiving it
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Me
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part of the identity that is aware of the expectations and attitudes of society
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Peer group
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primary group composed of individuals of roughly equal age and social characteristics
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Personality
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sum total of behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and values that are characteristics of an individual
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Resocialization
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break with past experiences and the learning of new values and norms
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Role taking
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taking or pretending to take the role of others
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Self
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conscious awareness of possessing a distinct identity that separates us from other members of society
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Significant others
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specific people such as parents, brother, sisters, other relatives, and friends, who have a direct influence on our socialization
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Socialization
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interactive process through which individuals learn the basic skills, values, beliefs, and behavior patterns of society
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Total institution
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setting in which people are isolated from the rest of society for a set period of time and subject to the control of officials of varied ranks
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Adolescence
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period between the normal onset of puberty and the beginning of adulthood
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Anticipatory socialization
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learning the rights, obligations, and expectations of a role in preparation for assuming that role at a future date
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Courting buggy
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horse drawn carriage received by Amish men during their teen years
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Courtship
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social interaction similar to dating but with the sole purpose of eventual marriage
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Dating
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a social behavior that allows individuals to choose their own marriage partner
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Drug
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any substance that changes mood, behavior, or consciousness
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Heterogamy
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tendency of an individual to marry people who have social characteristics different from their own
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Homogamy
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tendency of individuals to marry people who have social characteristics similar to their own
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Puberty
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physical maturing that makes an individual capable of sexual reproduction
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Social integration
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degree of attachment people have to social groups or to society
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Alzheimer's disease
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organic condition that results in the progressive destruction of brain cells
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Dependency
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shift from being an independent adult to being dependent on other for physical or financial assistance
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Early adulthood
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first era of adulthood, spanning ages 17 through 39
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Gerontology
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scientific study of the processes and phenomena of aging
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Labor force
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all individuals 16 and older who are employed in paid positions or who are seeking paid employment
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Late adulthood
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third and last era of adulthood, spanning ages 65 and older
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Life structure
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combination of statuses, roles, activities, goals, values, beliefs, and life circumstances that characterize an individual
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Mentor
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someone who fosters and individual's development by believing in the person, sharing the person's dreams, and helping the person achieve those dreams
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Middle adulthood
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second era of adulthood spanning the ages of 40 through 59
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Middle old
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people aged 75 to 84
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Novice phase
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term proposed by Daniel Levinson and his colleagues for the first three stages of the early adulthood era
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Old old
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people aged 85 and older
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Profession
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high status occupation that requires specialized skills obtained through formal education
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Social gerontology
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subfield of gerontology that studies the nonphysical aspects of aging
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Unemployment
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situation that occurs when people do not have jobs but are actively seeking employment
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Unemployment rate
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percentage of the civilian labor force that is unemployed but actively seeking employment
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Young old
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people aged 65 to 74
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Anomie
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situation that arise when the norms of society are unclear or are no longer applicable
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Control theory
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theory of deviant behavior in which deviance is seen as a natural occurrence and conformity is seen as the result of social control
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Corrections
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sanctions - such as imprisonment, parole, and probation - used to punish criminals
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Crime
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any act that is labeled as such by those in authority, is prohibited by law, and is punishable by the government
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Crime syndicate
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large scale organization of professional criminals that controls some vice or business through violence or the threat of violence
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Criminal justice system
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the system of police, courts and corrections
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Criminologists
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social scientists who study criminal behavior
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Cultural transmission theory
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theory that views deviance as a learned behavior transmitted through interaction with others
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Degradation ceremony
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the process of labeling an individual as deviant
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Deviance
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behavior that violates significant social norms
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Differential association
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proportion of associations a person has with deviant versus non-deviant individuals
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Labeling theory
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theory that focuses on how individuals come to be labeled as deviant
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Plea bargaining
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process of legal negotiation that allows an accused person to plead guilty to lesser charge in return for a lighter
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Police discretion
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the power held by police officers to decide who is actually arrested
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Primary deviance
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nonconformity undetected by authority in which the individuals who commit deviant acts do not consider themselves to be deviant, and neither does society
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Racial profiling
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the practice of assuming nonwhite Americans are more likely to commit crimes than white Americans
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Recidivism
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repeated criminal behavior
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Secondary deviance
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nonconformity that results in the individuals who commit acts of secondary deviance being labeled as deviant and accepting that label as true
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Stigma
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mark of social disgrace that sets the deviant apart from the rest of society
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Strain theory
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theory of deviant behavior that view deviance as the natural out growth of the values, norms, and structure of society
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Techniques of neutralization
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suspending moral beliefs to commit deviant acts
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Terrorism
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use of threatened or actual violence in the pursuit of political goals
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White collar crime
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crime that is committed by and individual or individuals of high social status in the course of their professional lives
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Bourgeoisie
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owners of the means of production in a capitalist society
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Caste system
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system in which scarce resources and rewards are distributed on the basis of ascribed status
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Class system
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system in which scarce resources and reward are determined on the basis of achieved statuses
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Endogamy
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marriage within one's own social category
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Exogamy
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marriage outside of one's own social category
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Horizontal mobility
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type of social mobility in which the individual moves from one position in a social class level to another position that same social class level
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Intergenerational mobility
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form of vertical mobility in which status differs between generations in the same family
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Life chances
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likelihood individuals have of sharing in the opportunities and benefits of society
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Life expectancy
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average number of years a person born in a particular year can be expected to live
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Objective method
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technique used to rank individuals according to social class in which sociologists define social class in terms of factors such as income, occupation, and education
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Poverty
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standard of living that is below the minimum level considered decent and reasonable by society
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Poverty level
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minimum annual income needed by a family to survive
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Power
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ability to control the behavior of others, with or without their consent
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Prestige
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respect, honor, or recognition an individual receives from other members of society
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Proletariat
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workers in a capitalist society who sell their labor in exchange for wages
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Reputational method
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technique used to rank individuals according to social class.
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Social class
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grouping of people with similar levels of wealth, power and prestige
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Social inequality
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unequal sharing of social reward and resources
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Social mobility
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movement between or within social classes or strata
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Social stratification
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ranking of individuals or categories of people on the basis of unequal access to scarce resources and social rewards
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Subjective method
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technique used to rank individuals according to social class in which the individuals themselves are asked to determine their own social rank
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Transfer payments
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principal way in which the government attempts to reduce social inequality by redistributing money among various segments of society
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Vertical mobility
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movement between social classes or strata in which the individual moves form one social class level to another
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Wealth
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most obvious dimension of social stratification because it is made up of the value of everything the person owns and money earned through salaries and wages
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Bilateral descent
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descent system in which kinship is traced through both parents
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Bilocality
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residential pattern in which a newly married couple is allowed to choose whether they will live with the husband's parents or the wife's parents
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Dual earner families
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families in which both husband and wife have jobs
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Extended family
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family form that consists of three or more generations of a family sharing the same residence
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Family
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group of people who are related by marriage, blood, or adoption and who live together and share economic resources
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Family of orientation
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nuclear family into which a person is born
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Family of procreation
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nuclear family consisting of an individual, his or her spouse, and their children
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Heterogamy
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tendency for individual to marry people who have social characteristics different from their own
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Homogamy
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tendency for individuals to marry people who have social characteristics similar to their own
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Kinship
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network of people who are related by marriage, birth, or adoption
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Marriage
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set of norms that specify the ways in which family structure should be organized
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Matriarchy
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a family in which the mother folds most of the authority
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Matrilineal descent
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descent system in which kinship is traced through the mother's family
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Matrilocality
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residential pattern in which a newly married couple are expected to live near or with the wife's parents
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Monogamy
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marriage of one man to one woman
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Neolocality
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residential patter in which a newly married couple is free to set up their residence apart from both sets of parents
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Nuclear family
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family form that consists of one or both parents and their children
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Patriarchy
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system in which men are dominant over women
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Patrilineal descent
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descent pattern in which kinship is traced through the father's family
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Patrilocality
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residential pattern in which a newly married couple is expected to live with or near the husband's parents
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Polyandry
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form of polygamy in which a woman is permitted to marry more than one man at a time
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Polygamy
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marriage with multiple partners
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Polygyny
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form of polygamy in which a man is permitted to marry more than one woman at a time
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Sandwich generation
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Americans caught between the needs of their children and their aging parents
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Voluntary childlessness
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conscious choice to remain childless
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