Exam II Review Flashcards
What is Human Society?
Human society is a system of social interaction that includes both culture and social organization.
What is Social Interaction?
Within society, social interaction is behavior between two or more people that is given meaning by them.
What did Emile Durkheim say about Society?
“Society as Sui Generis”- “Society is greater than the sum of its parts.”
What is the meaning of Durkheim’s phrase about society?
The sociological idea that “society is more than the sum of individuals,” means that society takes on a life of its own.
How do sociologists look at society?
Macro and Micro Perspective.
What is Macroanalysis?
A sociological approach that takes the broadest view, “the whole of society,” by studying large patterns of social interaction that are vast, complex, and highly differentiated.
What is Microanalysis?
Is the study of smaller, less complex, and less differentiated interactions.
What is Social Organization?
Sociologists use the term, “social organization” to describe the order established in social groups at any level. - brings regularity and predictability to human behavior.
What is a Social Institution?
A social institution is an established and organized system of social behavior with a recognized purpose.
How are social institutions examined?
From both a macro and micro level of analysis. “Marco perspective allows the examination of the functions of the organization/system for the society.”
What are the five functions of social institutions?
- Socialization of new members.
- Production and distribution of goods and services.
- Replacement of society’s members.
- Maintenance of stability and existence.
- Providing members a sense of purpose.
What are Social Structures?
Social structures are the organized patterns of social relationships and social institutions that together comprise society.
What does Structural Analysis look at?
looks at patterns in social life that reflect and produce social behavior.
What do Different Social Classes mean?
Different social classes, racial/ethnic groups and women have different access to opportunities.
What holds Society Together?
Emile Durkheim discussed two types of societies based on solidarity.
What are Durkheim’s two types of societies based on solidarity?
Mechanical Solidarity and Organic Solidarity.
What is Mechanical Solidarity?
Members play similar roles within the society, share same values, and hold the same things sacred.
What is Organic Solidarity?
People have many different roles and roles are highly differentiated.
What is Division of Labor in organic solidarity?
The relatedness of different tasks that develop within society.
What did Ferdinand Tonnies say?
“forms of solidarity.”
How did Ferdinand Tonnies characterize societies?
He characterized them into the “Gemeinschaft” or “Gesellschaft.”
What are Tonnies “Gemeinschaft”?
Communities that have, “we” feeling, strong, family relationships, and simple social institutions.
What are Tonnies “Gesellschaft”?
Societies with fewer personal ties. These societies have elaborated division of labor.
What are the three types of societies?
- Preindustrial societies.
- Industrial societies.
- Postindustrial societies.
What are the four types of preindustrial societies?
- Foraging Societies.
- Pastoral Societies.
- Horticultural Societies.
- Agricultural Societies.
What are characteristics of Foraging (hunting and gathering) societies?
- few modern examples.
- little technological advancement.
- Nomadic
- Egalitarian
What are the characteristics of Pastoral societies?
- Domestic animals (cow, sheep, goat, horse, camel)
- Arid climate
- Nomadic
What are the characteristics of Horticultural societies?
- small scale farming
- simple tools
- chiefdoms
What are the characteristics of Agricultural societies?
- Plow and Draft animal
- Large scale farming
- Cereal Grains
- Stratification
- Urbanism
What countries use mostly agriculture as GDP?
- Liberia 76%
- Somalia 60%
What are industrial societies?
Use machines and other advanced technologies to produce and distribute goods and services.
What are the three characteristics of Industrial societies?
- Rely on highly differentiated labor and intensive use of capital/technology.
- Have large formal organizations, such as bureaucracies, which hold society together.
- These bureaucracies take care of the economy, work, the government, and politics.
What two characteristics define Postindustrial societies?
- Dependent on production/distribution of services, information, and knowledge.
- Information-based, and technology plays key role in social organization.
What are the three characteristics that sociologists use to define a “group”?
- Interact and communicate with each other.
- Share goals and norms.
- Have a subjective awareness of themselves as a distinct social unit.
What is a “Status”?
Status is an established position in a social structure that carries a degree of social rank or value.
What are the four types of Status?
- Status set.
- Achieved Status.
- Ascribed Status.
- Master Status.
What is a status set?
Set of Statuses occupied by a person.
What is an achieved status?
The result of individual effort.
What is an ascribed status?
Given at birth.
What is a master status?
The person’s dominant status.
What is status inconsistency?
Mismatch of statuses.
What is a role?
Expected behavior associated with a particular status.
What is Role Modeling?
Is imitating or copying the way someone else in that role behaves.
What are Role Sets?
Are all the roles occupied by the person at a given time.
What is Role Conflict?
When two or more roles impose conflicting expectations.
What is Role Strain?
Is conflicting expectations within a single role.
True or False: The meaning assigned to any behavior, speech, or action varies from culture to culture.
TRUE
True or False: An action that is positive in one culture can be negative in another.
TRUE.
What is Verbal Communication?
Is not just what you say, but also how and to whom you say it.
How is language restricted?
Language is restricted by societal values and tradition.
How often is nonverbal communication used?
Used more often than verbal behavior.
What are examples of nonverbal communication?
Body position, head nods, eye contact, facial expressions, touching, and so on.
What is Romantic Love?
Romantic love is idealized in this society as something that “just happens.”
What does research show about, “Romantic love”?
Research shows that interpersonal attraction follows predictable patterns.
What are the four different theories that sociologists use to analyze human interactions and relationships?
- The social construction of reality.
- Ethnomethodology.
- Impression management & dramaturgy.
- Social exchange theory.
What are the four different theories that sociologists use to analyze human interactions and relationships?
- The social construction of reality.
- Ethnomethodology.
- Impression management & dramaturgy.
- Social exchange theory.
What is the Social Construction of Reality?
Our perception of what is real is determined by the subjective meaning we assign to the experience.
True or False: There is no objective “reality” in itself.
TRUE
True or False: Things do not have their own intrinsic meaning, we subjectively impose meaning on things: ex: Gender.
TRUE
What is Ethnomethodology?
Studying norms by violating them to reveal people’s standards.
What are the two concepts of ethnomethodology?
- See how people react to disruption and what they do to restore the normative order.
- The basic premise of this approach is that everyone expects the same things.
What is Impression Management?
How one watches and manipulates another’s behavior and adjusts his/her own to the other’s expectations.
What did Goffman call Impression Management?
- Goffman likened this to a con game.
- Called this “Dramaturgical Approach.”