Ch 1 Flashcards
anomie
term for a condition in which social control becomes ineffective as a result of the loss of shared values and of a sense of purpose in society
- created Emile Durkeim
conflict perspectives
the sociological approach that views groups in society as engaged in a continuous power struggle for control of sarce resources
content analysis
the systematic examination of cultural artifacts or various forms of communication to extract thematic data and draw conclusions about social life
control group
not exposed to the independent variable
correlation
a relationship that exists when two variables are associated more frequently than could be expected by chance
dependent variable
variable assumed to be affected by the independent variable
ethnography
a detailed study of the life and activities of a group of people by researchers who may live with that group over a period of years
experiment
a carefully designed situation in which the researcher studies the impact of certain variables on subjects’ attitudes or behavior
experimental group
exposed to the independent variable
functionalist perspective
sociological approach that views society as a stable, orderly system
high-income countries
nations with highly industrialized economies; technologically advanced industrial, administrative and service occupations and relative high levels of national and personal income
hypothesis
a statement of the expected relationship between two or more varaibles
hypothesis
a statement of the expected relationship between two or more variables
industrialization
the process by which societies transformed by dependence on agriculture and handmade products to an emphasis on manufacturing and related industries
interview
a data-collected encounter in which an interviewer asks the respondent questions and records the answers
latent functions
unintended functions that are hidden and remain unacknowledged by participants
low-income countries
primarily agrarian nations with little industrialization and low levels of national and personal income
macrolevel analysis
an approach that examines whole societies, large-scale social structures and social systems instead of looking at important social dynamics in individual lives
manifest functions
functions that are intended and/or overtly recognized by the participants in a social unit
microlevel analysis
an approach that focuses on small groups rather than large-scale social structures
middle-income countries
nations with industrializing economies, particularly in urban areas and moderate levels of national and personal income
participant observation
research method in which researchers collect systematic observations while being a part of the activities of the group being studied
posivitism
a belief that the world can best be understood through scientific inquiry
postmodern perspectives
the sociological approach that attempts to explain social life in contemporary societies that are characterized by postindustrialization, consumerism, and global communication.
qualitative research
use interpretive descriptions (words) rather than statistics (numbers) to analyze underlying meanings and patterns of social relationships.
quantitative research
use numbers and numeric data
reliability
the extent to which a study or research instrument yields consistent results when applied to different individuals at one time or to the same individuals over time.
research methods
specific strategies or techniques for systematically conducting research.
secondary analysis
a research method in which researchers use existing material and analyze data that were originally collected by others.
social Darwinism
Herbert Spencer’s belief that those species of animals, including human beings, best adapted to their environment survive and prosper, whereas those poorly adapted die out.
social facts
Emile Durkheim’s term for patterned ways of acting, thinking, and feeling that exist outside any one individual but that exert social control over each person.
society
a large social grouping that shares the same geographical territory and is subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations.
sociological imagination
C. Wright Mills’s term for the ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and the larger society.
sociology
the systematic study of human society and social interaction.
survey
a poll in which the researcher gathers facts or attempts to determine the relationships among facts.
symbolic interactionist perspectives
the sociological approach that views society as the sum of the interactions of individuals and groups.
theory
a set of logically interrelated statements that attempts to describe, explain, and (occasionally) predict social events
urbanization
the process by which an increasing proportion of a population lives in cities rather than in rural areas.
validity
the extent to which a study or research instrument accurately measures what it is supposed to measure.
variable
any concept with measurable traits or characteristics that can change or vary from one person, time, situation, or society to another.
