Defining Concepts

Question 1

acculturation

Answer 1

The process of contacts between different cultures and also the outcome of such contacts. Acculturation occurs when members of one cultural group adopt the beliefs and behaviours of another group. It may involve direct social interaction or exposure to other cultures through mass media

Question 2

agent of socialisation

Answer 2

A person or institution that shapes an individual’s social development.

Question 3

authority

Answer 3

Linked to power and the right to make decisions and to determine, adjudicate or settle issues and disputes in society. Authority is best understood as the legitimate use of power. The use of authority is important in the process of decision-making and in initiating change and maintaining continuity.

Question 4

belief system

Answer 4

A system in which members of the group share a commitment to a set of beliefs and values that systematically defines a way of perceiving the social, cultural, physical and psychological world. Belief systems can be categorised as religious and non-religious. Both have rituals, symbols, stories, traditions and customs.

Question 5

beliefs

Answer 5

A set of opinions or convictions; ideas we believe in as the truth. Beliefs can come from one’s own experience and reflection, or from what one is told by others.

Question 6

change

Answer 6

In sociology, “change” refers to the social or cultural elements of a society changing over time. This can occur at any level – micro, meso, or macro – and is often brought about by new circumstances a society is responding to, whether internal or external in origin.

Question 7

conflict

Answer 7

A perceived incompatibility of goals or actions. Conflict can occur at all levels in society and its resolution can involve modification to what was previously in place.

Question 8

content analysis

Answer 8

Used to investigate and interpret the content of the mass media and historical documents in order to discover how particular issues are (or were) presented. At its most basic, content analysis is a statistical exercise that involves counting, categorising and interpreting words and images from documents, film, art, music and other cultural products and media in relation to an aspect or quality of social life. When used as a qualitative method, content analysis helps the researcher to understand social life through analysis and interpretation of words and images from documents, film, art, music and other cultural artefacts and media.

Question 9

continuity

Answer 9

The persistence or consistent existence of cultural elements in a society across time. Continuity can also be referred to as the maintenance of the traditions and social structures that bring stability to a society.

Question 10

cooperation

Answer 10

The ability of individual members of a group to work together to achieve a common goal that is in the group’s interests and that contributes to the continued existence of the group.

Question 11

culture

Answer 11

Refers to the values, arts, technology, laws and beliefs that bind a society together.

Question 12

environment

Answer 12

Refers to the physical setting of a society, but also the social and psychological environment.

Question 13

ethnicity (ethnic identity)

Answer 13

An individual’s identification with, or sense of belonging to, an ethnic group. This is based on perceived common origins that people share, such as a specific ancestry and culture, that mark them as different from others.

Question 14

focus group

Answer 14

A research method used to collect data from an in-depth planned discussion of a defined topic held by a small group of people brought together by a moderator. An interview schedule, time and place are organised. The recording of responses increases the success of this method. The techniques of conducting the focus group are similar to those of conducting an in-depth interview. However, the researcher needs to be able to manage the discussion.

Question 15

gender

Answer 15

The socially constructed differences between females and males. Social life – including family life, roles, work, behaviour and other activities – is organised around the dimensions of this difference. Gender also refers to the cultural ideals, identity and stereotypes of masculinity and femininity and the sexual division of labour in institutions and organisations. Gender reflects the values a society places on these social constructs, which are particular and unique to a society.

Question 16

globalisation

Answer 16

A process of integration and the sharing of goods, capital, services, knowledge, leisure, sport, ideas and culture between countries. It has been brought about by improved technologies. Globalisation is evidenced in the emergence of global patterns of consumption and consumerism; the growth of transnational corporations; the emergence of global sport; the spread of world tourism; and the growth of global military and economic systems. Globalisation has created a consciousness of the world as a single place.

Question 17

identity

Answer 17

The sense of self. This can be viewed from the personal, social and cultural levels. Identity is formed over a period of time and is the result of interactions at the micro, meso and macro levels of society. An identity has dimensions or layers that create a sense of inclusion in a group or culture. Contributing factors to one’s identity may include gender, sexuality, family, class, ethnicity, beliefs, social status, group membership and national pride.

Question 18

ideology

Answer 18

An idea, maybe one held with passion, which shapes a person’s worldview.

Question 19

interview

Answer 19

An interview may be tightly structured, semi-structured, unstructured, in depth or conversational. This method involves the researcher and the interviewee in a one-to-one situation and may be quite time consuming. The researcher may interview several people at different times using the same interview questions.

Question 20

macro-level

Answer 20

The ‘big picture’ – the wider social structure, social processes and their interrelationships. Macro-level society includes those social institutions – such as the media, the law, the workplace and the government – that help to shape the social and cultural world. The macro level examines how these collective groups relate to the wider society of which they are a part (as a whole).

Question 21

meso-level

Answer 21

The middle ground where individuals interact within groups such as schools, communities, church groups and neighbourhoods. The meso level consists of larger groups that interact directly with the individual. It focuses on relationships between middle-level social structures and the individual. Meso-level society is also known as middle-level society.

Question 22

micro-level

Answer 22

Where individuals’ everyday actions and social interactions occur – for example, within families and small-scale social groups. The micro level focuses on patterns of social interaction at the individual level.

Question 23

non-participant observation

Answer 23

The researcher observes the action taking place without actively engaging in it or interacting with the participants. The researcher draws meaning from what is being observed, rather than simply counting specific actions as in a quantitative observational study. Non participant observation can be covert or overt. A criticism of overt non participant observation is that the very presence of the researcher alters the behaviours and interactions of those being observed (the Hawthorne effect). A criticism of covert research is that it raises ethical concerns.

Question 24

participant observation

Answer 24

The researcher is immersed in the action being observed and his or her role as researcher is not obvious. An example of participant observation occurs when the researcher joins a group in order to study it. Researchers using participant observation must be aware of the ethical implications of this method.

Question 25

persons

Answer 25

Refers to individuals who are shaped by their society and culture.

Question 26

personal reflection

Answer 26

The use and evaluation of personal experiences and values to demonstrate analysis and interpretation of data in the context of the research focus.

Question 27

power

Answer 27

The ability or capacity to influence or persuade others to a point of view or action to which they would not normally agree. Exercising power is important in initiating or preventing change.

Question 28

primary research

Answer 28

Original information or research data collected first-hand by the person doing the research. This new information is collected using the methods of social research.

Question 29

questionnaire

Answer 29

A set of questions that can be closed-ended and/or open-ended that allows for the collection of information from a large sample or number of people. It is an impersonal instrument for collecting information and must, therefore, contain clear questions that have been worded as simply as possible to avoid any confusion or ambiguity. The questionnaire should be designed to fulfil a specific research objective; it should be brief and the sequence of questions should be logical.

Question 30

revolution

Answer 30

A drastic, sudden, and therefore often violent alteration in the structure of a society. A revolution happens quickly, and causes massive amounts of change to the society in which it takes place.

Question 31

secondary research

Answer 31

The researcher collects and collates existing information or other people’s research on a topic to be investigated. This information is then synthesised as a whole by the researcher. Secondary research is a qualitative method because the researcher makes subjective judgements about what material is useful, and therefore used, for the purposes of the research

Question 32

social change

Answer 32

Significant alteration to aspects of societies and cultures over time, where social patterns, processes, interactions, or organisations are replaced. This change can be evolutionary, building up slowly over time, or transformative, happening quickly and drastically.

Question 33

social construct

Answer 33

A socially created aspect of social life. Social constructionists argue that society is actively and creatively produced by human beings rather than being merely given or taken for granted.

Question 34

socialisation

Answer 34

The process by which individuals learn to become functioning members of society by internalising the roles, norms and values of that society. Socialisation occurs as a result of the individual’s interaction with the agents of socialisation, through which he or she learns to perform social roles.

Question 35

socioeconomic status

Answer 35

A measure of an individual’s class standing, typically indicated by income, occupational prestige, educational attainment and wealth.

Question 36

society

Answer 36

Refers to the way people organise themselves through groups, networks, institutions and organisations.

Question 37

statistical analysis (data analysis)

Answer 37

Examining data to interpret meaning, make generalisations and extrapolate trends. Often the data is in graphical form. Because data is expressed in the language of mathematics, they should be evaluated and interpreted by means of appropriate mathematical or statistical procedures.

Question 38

subculture

Answer 38

A social or cultural group within a broader culture. Members of a subcultural group share beliefs, social and cultural interests, and patterns of behaviour that tend to unify them and distinguish them from the broader culture in which they live. Subcultural groups exist at the micro, meso and macro levels of society.

Question 39

technologies

Answer 39

The tools that we use to assist our interactions in society. Technologies can be referred to as innovation and can initiate change to micro, meso and macro operations in society. The value placed on technologies at any level of society influences the rate of change to society and culture. Technologies are constantly changing and adapting and their impacts vary over time.

Question 40

time

Answer 40

Time is a constant in all societies and cultures. We measure time in terms of past, present and future.

Question 41

worldview

Answer 41

A particular philosophy of life or conception of the world that is characterised by an organised and accepted set of ideas that attempts to explain the social, cultural, physical and psychological world.