8.1 Flashcards
society
Culture + locality
group of people who share a culture, and live interact with each other within a definable area
functionalism
sociology - society as LIVING organism with different parts and organs
Durkheim -> dynamic equilibrium
Manifest versus latest function
intended versus unintended/less recognizable consequences of a structure
conflict theory
inequality in resources, people compete for social, political, and material resources (money, land, power, leisure)
Marx
fails to explain…
- non-forceful ways in which groups reach agreement
- focuses too much on people who lack power
- explains conflict only through economic factors
symbolic interactionism
MICRO
individuals society
COMMUNICATION, exchange of information through language/symbols
ex. dress codes, bike lanes
individuals actively change society, rather than acted upon
subjective meanings of objects, events, and behaviors
human interpretation constructs society
- MEANING is ascribed to things
- LANGUAGE allows humans to generate meaning through social interaction
- meanings are modified through THOUGHT processes
dramaturgical approach
people in society choose what kind of image they want to communicate verbally and nonverbally to others
social constructionism
reality is shaped by social interactions
construction means NOT reality, NOT inherent
ex. marriage, money
social institutions
roles, norms, values organized into a stable form that contributes to social order by governing the behavior of people - provides predictability, organization for people -> mediates social behavior
ex. education, family, religions, government, health care systems
social institutions
family, education, organized religion, government, economy, medicine
culture
shared way of life: beliefs and practices
symbolic culture
symbols that convey meaning and recognized by people of the same culture
material culture
physical objects particular to a culture
demography
study of human population dynamics (size, structure, distribution of populations) - birth, death, and migration
residential segregation
separation of groups into different neighborhoods (race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status)
environmental injustice
poor people suffer from negative environmental impacts to health and well-being
social stratification
categorization by race, education, wealth, and income
meritocracy
is never perfect (merit, personal effort, establishes social standing)
social reproduction
structures and activities in place in a society that serve to transmit and reinforce social inequality
cultural capity
non-financial social assets that promote social mobility and social capital, social networks allow for upward social mobility