Exam 1 Flashcards
Sociology
The study of human society and social behavior
Society
A group of people who shape their lives in aggregated and patterned ways that distinguish their group from the others
Social Sciences
the disciplines that use the scientific method to examine the social world
Sociological Perspective
a way of looking at the world through the sociological lens
Microsociology
The level of analysis that studies face-to-face and small-group interactions in order to understand how they affect the larger patterns and structures of society
Macrosociology
The level of analysis that studies large-scale social structures in order to determine how they affect the lives of groups and individuals
Theories
Abstract propositions that explain the social world and make predictions about the future
Paradigm
A set of assumptions, theories, and perspectives that makes up a way of understanding social reality
Structural Functionalism
A paradigm based on the assumption that society is a unified whole that functions because of the contributions of its separate structures
Solidarity
the degree of integration or unity within a particular society; the extent to which individuals feel connected to other members of their group
Mechanical Solidarity
The type of social bonds present in premodern, agrarian societies, in which shared traditions and beliefs created a sense of social cohesion
Organic solidarity
The type of social bonds present in modern societies, based on difference, interdependence, and individual rights
Anomie
“normlessness”; alienation and loss of purpose that result from weaker social bond and an increased paced of change
Structure
A social institution that is relatively stable over time and that meets the needs of a society before performing functions necessary to maintain social order and stability
Dysfunction
A disturbance to or undesirable consequence of some aspect of the social system
Manifest functions
the obvious, intended functions of a social structure for the social system
Latent functions
the less obvious, perhaps unintended functions of a social structure
Alienation
the sense of dissatisfaction the modern worker feels as a result of producing goods that are owned and controlled by someone else
False consciousnesss
A denial of the truth on the part of the oppressed when they fail to recognize that the interests of the ruling class are embedded in the dominant ideology
Class consciousness
the recognition of social inequality on the part of the oppressed, leading to revolutionary action
Critical Theory
a contemporary form of conflict theory that criticizes many different systems and ideologies of domination and oppression
Praxis
The Application of theory to practical action in an effort to improve aspects of society
Rationalization
The application of economic logic to human activity, use of formal rules and regulations in order to maximize efficiency without consideration of subjective or individual concerns
Iron Cage
Pessimistic description of modern life, in which we are caught in bureaucratic structures that control our lives through rigid rules and rationalization
Pragmatism
a perspective that assumes organisms make practical adaptations to their environments; humans do this through cognition, interpretation, and interaction
Postmodernism
a paradigm that suggests that social reality is diverse, pluralistic, and constantly in flux
Modernism
a paradigm that places trust in the power of science and technology to create progress, solve problems, and improve life
Midrange theory
an approach that integrates empiricism and grand theory
Replicability
the ability of research to be repeated and, later verified by others
Correlation
a relationship between variables in which they change together and may or may not be casual
Causation
a relationship between variables in which a change in one directly produces a change in the other
Intervening variable
a third variable, sometimes overlooked, that explains the relationship between two other variables
Spurious correlation
the appearance of causation produced by an intervening variable
Deductive Approach
an approach whereby the researcher formulates a hypothesis first and then gathers data to test that hypothesis
Indictive approach
first gathering data then formulating a theory to fit it
Etnography
studying people in their environment to understand the meanings they give their activities
Rapport
a positive relationship
Autoetnography
the feeling and actions of the researcher are the main point
Thick Description
presenting detailed data on interactions and meaning within a cultural context, from the perspective of its members
Reflexivity
how the identity and activities of the researcher influence what is going on in the field setting
Grounded theory
an inductive method of generating theory from data by creating categories in which to place data and then looking for relationships among categories
Representativeness
the degree to which a particular studied group is similar to, or represents, any part of the larger society.
Validity
the accuracy of a question or measurement tool
