Chapter 04: Society and Social Interaction Flashcards
achieved status
the status a person chooses, such as a level of education or income
agricultural societies
societies that rely on farming as a way of life
alienation
an individual’s isolation from his society, his work, and his sense of self
anomie
a situation in which society no longer has the support of a firm collective consciousness
ascribed status
the status outside of an individual’s control, such as sex or race
bourgeoisie
the owners of the means of production in a society
class consciousness
awareness of one’s rank in society
collective conscience
the communal beliefs, morals, and attitudes of a society
false consciousness
a person’s beliefs and ideology are in conflict with her best interests
feudal societies
societies that operate on a strict hierarchical system of power based around land
ownership and protection
habitualization
the idea that society is constructed by us and those before us, and it is followed
like a habit
horticultural societies
societies based around the cultivation of plants
hunter-gatherer societies
societies that depend on hunting wild animals and gathering uncultivated plants for survival
industrial societies
societies characterized by a reliance on mechanized labor to create material goods
information societies
societies based on the production of nonmaterial goods and services
institutionalization
the act of implanting a convention or norm into society
iron cage
a situation in which an individual is trapped by social institutions
looking-glass self
our reflection of how we think we appear to others
mechanical solidarity
a type of social order maintained by the collective consciousness of a culture
organic solidarity
a type of social order based around an acceptance of economic and social
differences
pastoral societies
societies based around the domestication of animals
proletariat
the laborers in a society
rationalization
a belief that modern society should be built around logic and efficiency rather than
morality or tradition
role conflict
when one or more of an individual’s roles clash
role performance
the expression of a role
role strain
stress that occurs when too much is required of a single role
role-set
an array of roles attached to a particular status
roles
patterns of behavior that are representative of a person’s social status
self-fulfilling prophecy
an idea that becomes true when acted upon
social integration
how strongly a person is connected to his or her social group
status
the responsibilities and benefits that a person occupies and experiences according to their rank and role in society
Thomas theorem
how a subjective reality can drive events to develop in accordance with that
reality, despite being originally unsupported by objective reality
