C1 Flashcards
Sociology
The systematic/scientific study of human society and social behavior, from large-scale institutions and mass culture to small groups and individual interactions
Society
A group of people who shape their lives in aggregated and patterned ways that distinguish their group from others
Social sciences
The disciplines that use the scientific method to examine the social world
Sociological Perspectives
A way of looking at the world through a sociological lens
Beginner’s mind
Approaching the world without preconceptions in order to see things a new way
Culture shock
A sense of disorientation that occurs when entering a radically new social or cultural environment
Social imagination
A quality of the mind that allows us to understand the relationship between our individual circumstances and larger social forces
Microsociology
The level of analysis that studies face to face and small group interactions in order to understand how they affect the larger patterns and structures of society
Macrosociology
The level of analysis that studies large-scale social structures to determine how they affect the lives of groups and individuals
Theories
Abstract propositions that explain the social world and make predictions about the future
Paradigm
A set of assumptions, theories, and perspectives that make up a way of understanding social reality
Positivism
The theory that sense perceptions are the only valid source of knowledge
Social Darwinism
The application of the theory of evolution and the notion of “survival of the fittest to the study of society”
Mechanical solidarity
The type of social bonds present in premodern, agrarian societies, in which shared traditions and beliefs created a sense of social cohesion
Structural functionalism
Paradigm based on the assumption that society is a unified whole that functions because of the contributions of its separate structures
Organic solidarity
The type of social bonds present in modern societies, based on difference, interdependence, and individual rights
Anomie
“Normlessness”, the alienation and loss of purpose that result from weaker social bonds and an increased pace of change
Empirical
Based on scientific experimentation or observation
Dysfunction
A disturbance to or undesirable consequence of some aspect of the social system
Manifest functions
The obvious, intended functions of a social structure for the social system
Structure
A social institution that is relatively stable over time and that meets the needs of a society by performing function necessary to maintain social order and stability
Social inequality
The unequal distribution of wealth, power, or prestige among members of a society
Latent functions
The less obvious, perhaps unintended functions of a social structure
Conflict Theory
A paradigm that sees social conflict as he basis of society and social change emphasizes a materialist view of society, a critical view of the status quo, and a dynamic model of historical change.
