Ch. 4 Sociological Theories and Social Institutions Flashcards
beliefs
The convictions or principles that people within a culture hold
bilateral descent
A system of lineage in which the relatives on the mother’s side and father’s side are considered equally important
capitalism
An economic system in which resources and production are mainly privately owned and goods/services are produced for a profit.
charismatic authority
A form of leadership where devotion is reliant upon an individual with exceptional charisma.
church
A type of well-integrated religious organization that attempts to provide an all-encompassing worldview for followers.
conflict theory
A theory that views society as being in competition for limited resources.
cult
A religious organization that is far outside society’s norms.
Emile Durkheim
Considered the founder of sociology and a major proponent of functionalism.
dynamic equilibrium
Occurs when complex societies contain many different but interdependent parts working together to maintain stability.
ecclesia
A dominant religious organization that includes most members of a society, and is recognized as the exclusive national religion.
egalitarian family
A family system where spouses are equals involved in negotiation when making decisions.
endogamy
The practice of marrying within a particular group.
environmental injustice
When people in poorer communities are more likely to be subjected to negative environmental impacts to their health and well-being.
exogamy
A requirement to marry outside a particular group, to prohibit sexual relationships between certain relatives.
food desert
An area, typically in a highly populated lower-income urban environment, where healthy, fresh food is difficult to find.
functionalism
A theory that conceptualizes society as a living organism with many different parts and organs, each of which has a distinct purpose.
fundamentalists
People who observe strict adherence to religious beliefs.
Ludwig Gumplowicz
Expanded upon conflict theory by proposing that society is shaped by war and conquest.
kinship
Familial relationships including blood ties, family ties, and common ancestry.
latent functions
The unintended or less recognizable consequences or a social structure.
manifest functions
The intended and obvious consequences of a social structure.
Karl Marx
Founder of Conflict Theory who argued that societies progress through class struggle between those who control production and those who provide the labor for production.
matriarchy
A social system where females are the primary authority figures.
matrilineal descent
A system of lineage in which the relatives on the mother’s side are considered most important.
monogomy
A form of marriage in which two individuals are married only to each other.
patriarchy
A social system where males are the primary authority figures.
patrilineal descent
A system of lineage in which the relatives on the father’s side are considered most important
rational-legal authority
A form of leadership that is organized around rational legal rules.
religiosity
The extent that religion influences a person’s life.
sect
A religious organization that is distinct from the parent religion from which it was formed.
social construct
A social mechanism or practice that is created and sustained by society.
social constructionalism
A sociological theory that argues that reality is constructed, not inherent.
social dysfunction
A process that has undesirable consequences, and may actually reduce the stability of society.
social facts
The elements that serve some function in society, such as the laws, morals, values, religions, customs, rituals, and rules that make up a society.
social institution
A complex of roles, norms, and values organized into a a relatively stable form that contributes to social order by governing the behavior of people.
socialism
An economic system where resources and production are collectively owned.
society
The study of how individuals interact with, shape, and are subsequently shaped by society.
state capitalism
A system in which companies are privately run, but work closely with the government in forming laws and regulations.
symbolic interactionism
A micro-level theory in sociology, which examines the relationship between individuals and society by focusing on communication, the exchange of information through language and symbols.
traditional authority
A form of leadership where power is due to custom, tradition, or accepted practice.
Max Weber
Conflict theorist who modified and tempered many of Marx’s ideas on society.
welfare capitalism
A system in which most of the economy is private with the exception of extensive social welfare programs to serve certain needs within society.
hegemony
A coerced acceptance of the values, expectations, and conditions as determined by the capitalist class.
class consciousness
Marx defined as exploited workers’ awareness of the reasons for their oppression.
Protestant/Puritan work ethic
A widely held religious belief that lauded the morality of hard work for the sake of Godliness, was a critical factor in the success of the capitalist system in replacing the feudalist system that preceded it in Western Europe.
rationalization of society
Weber defined as our increasing concern with efficiency.
