Final Exam (c.16) Flashcards
social change
transformation of a culture over time
collective behavior
behavior that follows from the formation of a group or crowd of people who take action together toward a shared goal
contagion theory
term coined by Gustave Le Bon; suggests that when people come together, they get swept up in a crowd, which develops a “mob mentality”
emergent norm theory
(Turner and Killian 1987), argues that collective behavior is not as uniform as suggested by Le Bon.
theory of collective behavior that assumes individual members of a crowd make their own decisions about behavior and that norms are created through others’ acceptance or rejection of these behaviors
mass behavior
occurs when large groups of people not necessarily in the same geographical location engage in similar behavior
fads
interests that are followed with great enthusiasm
social dilemma
behavior that is rational for an individual can lead to collective disaster
- two classes of social dilemmas: tragedy of the commons and public good dilemma
tragedy of the commons
type of social dilemma in which many individuals’ overexploitation of a public resource depletes or degrades that common resource
(benefit to the individual bu the cost is shared by all
public goods dilemma
type of social dilemma in which individuals incur the cost to contribute to a collective resource, though they may never benefit from that resource
(ex. blood banks)
social movement
any social group with leadership, organization, and an ideological commitment to promote or resist social change
activism
any activity intended to bring about social change
regressive movements
attempts to resist social changes, maintain the status quo, or go back to an earlier form of social order
progressive movements
promotes forward-thinking social change
relative deprivation theory:
theory explaining social movements, which focuses on oppressed groups pursuing rights or opportunities already being enjoyed by others
resource mobilization theory
theory explaining social movements, which focuses on practical constraints that help or hurt the actions of a social movement
Armand Mauss
identified the four stages that social movements tend to go through
4 stages in a social movement
- the public takes notice of a problem
- people organize
- the movement becomes institutionalized
- the movement begins to decline
Everyday life: Structural functionalism
Sometimes social change is necessary to maintain equilibrium and order in society.
Everyday life: Conflict theory
Social change is the inevitable result of social inequality and conflict between groups over power and resources.
Everyday life: symbolic interactionism
Social change involves changes in the meaning of things as well as changes in laws, culture, and social behavior.
cultural diffusion
spread of material culture and symbolic culture from one group to another
technological determinism
idea that technology plays a defining role in shaping society
cultural lag
the time between changes in material culture or technology and the resulting changes in the broader culture’s relevant norms, values, meanings, and laws
cultural imperialism
occupying a culture by adopting another culture’s ideas rather than by military force.
