1. Sociological Perspective Flashcards
sociology
the systematic study of human society
society
people who live in a defined territory and share a way of life
sociological perspective
sociology’s special point of view that sees general patterns of osciety in the lives of particular people
global perspective
the study of the larger world and our society’s place in it
high-income countries
nations with the highest overall standards of living
middle-income countries
nations with a standard of living about average for the world as a whole
low-income countries
nations with a low standard of living in which most people are poor
positivism
a scientific approach to knowledge based on “positive” facts as opposed to mere speculation
theory
a statement of how and why specific facts are related
theoretical approach
a basic image of society that guides thinking and research
structural-functional approach
a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability
social structure
any relatively stable pattern of social behavior
social functions
the consequences of any social pattern for the operation of society as a whole
manifest functions
the recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern
latent functions
the unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social pattern
social dysfunction
any social pattern that may disrupt the operation of society
social-conflict approach
a framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change
gender-conflict theory (feminist theory)
the study of society that focuses on inequality and conflict between women and men
feminism
support of social equality for women and men
race-conflict theory
the study of society that focuses on inequality and conflict between people of different racial and ethnic categories
macro-level orientation
a broad focus on social structures that shape society as a whole
micro-level orientation
a close-up focus on social interaction in specific situations
symbolic-interaction
approach a framework for building theory that sees society as the product of the everyday interactions of individuals
stereotype
a simplified description applied to every person in some category
