Ch 1 - Intro to Sociology Flashcards
1. Define sociology 2. Identify the social relations that surround you, permeate you, and influence your behaviour 3. Summarize the four main schools of sociological theory 4. Describe how sociological research seeks to improve people's lives and test ideas using scientific methods 5. Distinguish the four main methods of collecting sociological data 6. Explain how sociology can help us deal with major challenges that society faces today
sociology
the systematic study of human behaviour in social context
social structures
stable patterns of social relations
sociological imagination
the quality of mind that enables one to see the connection between personal troubles and social structures
microstructures
patterns of intimate social relations formed during face-to-face interaction (ex. families and friend cliques)
mesostructures
patterns of social relations in organizations that involve people who are often not intimately acquainted and who often do not interact face to face (ex. uni, govt bureaucracies)
macrostructures
overarching patterns of social relations that lie above and beyond mesostructures. (ex. patriarchy)
patriarchy
a system of power relations and customary practices that help to ensure male dominance in economic, political, and other spheres of life
global structures
the fourth level of society that surrounds and permeates us (ex. economic relations among countries, patterns of worldwide travel and communication)
Industrial Revolution
Beginning in Britain in the 1780s, a process of rapid economic transformation that involved the large scale application of science and technology to industrial processes, the creation factories, and the formation of a working class
Social solidarity
A property of social groups that increases with the degree to which a groups members share beliefs and values, and the frequency and intensity with which they interact
High social solidarity = secure relationships/sense of belonging w likeminded people
Low = lack thereof
Rate
The number of times an event happens in a given period per 100,000 members of the population
Egoistic suicide
The type of suicide that results from a lack of integration of the individual into society because of weak social ties to others
Anomic suicide
Occurs when norms governing behaviour are vaguely defined - low solidarity settings
Altruistic suicide
Intentional suicide that occurs to help/save others - high solidarity setting
functionalist theory
How human behaviour is dictated by social structures based on shared values, and how that contributes to social stability
Dysfunctions
Effects of social structures that create social instability
Manifest functions
Visible and intended effects of social structures
Latent function
Invisible and unintended effects of social structures
Social classes
Positions people occupy in a hierarchy that is shaped by the source/amount of their income/wealth
Class conflict
The struggle between classes to resist and overcome the opposition of other classes
Conflict theory
Highlights the tensions underlying existing social structures and the capacity of those tensions to burst into the open and cause social change
Class consciousness
Awareness of being a member of a social class
Cultural hegemony
Involves the control of a culture by dominant classes and other groups to the point where their values are universally accepted as common sense
poststructuralism
school of thought where the stability of social relations and culture is denied along with its capacity to shape how people think and act
protestant ethic
belief that religious doubts can be reduced if one works hard and is self disciplined; had unintended effects of increasing capitalist growth in the 16th and 17th century
symbolic interactionism
examination of how various aspects of social life convey meaning and thereby assist or impeded communication
gender
one’s sense of being masculine or feminine as conventionally defined
feminism
school of thought claiming that female/male domination not determined by biology but by structures of power and social convention
reactivity
awareness of an observer present, meaning people have a tendency to conceal things or act differently
detached observation
a type of field research that involves classifying and counting the behaviour of interest according to a pre-determined scheme (observing without passing judgment or affecting those observed)
