Chapter 1 Terms

Question 1

anomie

Answer 1

the loss of direction felt in a society when social control of indivdual behavior has become ineffective

Question 2

applied sociology

Answer 2

the use of the discipline of sociology with the specific intent of yielding practical applications for human behavior and organizations

Question 3

basic sociology

Answer 3

sociological inquiry conducted with the objective of gaining a more profound knowledge of the fundamental aspects of social phenomena AKA as pure sociology

Question 4

clinical sociology

Answer 4

the use of the discipline of sociology with the specific intent of altering social relationships and reconstructuring social institutions

Question 5

conflict perspective

Answer 5

a sociological approach that assumes that social behavior is the best understood in terms of tension between groups over power or the allocation of resources, including housing, money, access to services, and political presentation

Question 6

cultural capital

Answer 6

noneconomic goods, such as family background and education, which are reflected in a knowledge of language and the arts

Question 7

double consciousness

Answer 7

the division of an individuals identity into two or more social realities

Question 8

dramaturgical approach

Answer 8

the view of social interaction in which people are seen as theatrical performers

Question 9

dysfunction

Answer 9

an element of process of a society that may disrupt the social system or reduce its stability

Question 10

feminist view

Answer 10

sociological approach the views inequity in gender as central to all behavior and organization

Question 11

functionalist perspective

Answer 11

a sociological approach that emphasizes the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability

Question 12

globalization

Answer 12

the worldwide integration of government policies, cultures, social movements, and financial markets through trade and the exchange of ideas

Question 13

ideal type

Answer 13

a construct or model for evaluation specific cases

Question 14

interactionist perspective

Answer 14

a sociological approach the generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction in order to explain society as a whole

Question 15

latent function

Answer 15

an unconscious or unitended function that may reflect hidden purposes

Question 16

macrosociology

Answer 16

sociological investigation that concentrates on large scale phenomena or entire civilizations – such as – functionalists or conflict theorists

Question 17

manifest function

Answer 17

an open, stated, and conscious function

Question 18

microsociology

Answer 18

sociological investigation that stresses the study of small groups, often through experimental means – such as symbolic interaction

Question 19

natural science

Answer 19

the study of the physical features of nature and the ways in which they interact and change

Question 20

nonverbal communication

Answer 20

the sending of messages through the use of gestures, facial expressions, and postures

Question 21

science

Answer 21

the body of knowledge obtained by methods based on systematic observation

Question 22

social capital

Answer 22

the collective benefit of social networks, which are built on reciprocal trust

Question 23

social inequality

Answer 23

a condition in which members of a society have different amounts of wealth, prestige or power

Question 24

social science

Answer 24

the study of social features of humans and the ways in which they interact and change

Question 25

sociological imagination

Answer 25

an awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider society, both today and in the past – concept introduced by C. Wright Mills

Question 26

sociology

Answer 26

the scientific study of social behavior and human groups

Question 27

theory

Answer 27

in sociology, a set of statements that seek to explain problems, actions or behavior

Question 28

Verstehen

Answer 28

the german word for “understanding” or “insight”; used to stress the need for sociologists to take into account the subjective meanings people attach to their actions