chapter 4 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 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
