Ch 1 - Sociology in a Changing World Flashcards
collective conscience
the shared values of society
anomie
social normlessness;
without moral guidance or standards
conflict theories
social theories that focus on issues of contention, power, and inequality, highlighting the competition for scarce resource
culture
the collection of values, beliefs, knowledge, norms, language, behaviors, and material objects shared by a people and socially transmitted from generation to generation
division of labor
the way people specialize in different tasks, each requiring specific skills
dysfunctional
inhibiting or disrupting the working system as a whole
structural-functionalist theories
theories that focus on consensus and cooperative interaction in social life, emphasizing how different elements that make up a society’s structure contribute to its overall operation
industrialization
the use of large-scale machinery for the mass manufacture of consumer goods
latent function
the largely unintended and unrecognized consequences of social phenomena
macro level of analysis
a focus on large-scale social systems and processes such as the economy, politics, and population trends
manifest functions
the recognized and intended consequences of social phenomena
meso level of analysis
a focus somewhere between very large and very small social phenomena-on organizations or institutions, for example
micro level of analysis
a focus on small scale, usually face to face social interaction
modernity
a historical era beginning in the 1700s characterized by the growth of democracy and personal freedom, increased reliance on science and reason to explain the natural and social worlds, and a shift to industrialization
positivism
a belief that accurate knowledge must be based on the scientific method
postmodernity
a historical period beginning in the mid-twentieth century characterized by the rise of information-based economies and the fragmentation of political beliefs and ways of knowing
power
the ability to bring about an intended outcome, even when opposed by others
rationalization of society
the long-term historical process by which rationality replaced tradition as the basis for organizing social and economic life
science
the method of inquiry that uses logic and the systematic collection of evidence to support knowledge claims
social solidarity
the collective bonds that connect individuals
social theory
a set of principles and propositions that explains the relationships among social phenomena
sociological perspective
a view of the social world that focuses on discovering and understanding the connections between individuals and the broader social contexts in which they live
sociology
the systematic study of the relationship between individuals and society
structure
the recurring patterns of behavior in social life
symbolic interactionist theories
social theories that focus on how people use shared symbols and construct society as a result of their everyday actions
urbanization
the growth of cities
