final exam prep Flashcards
sociology
the systematic study of society
sociological perspective
seeing the general in the particular / Ability to “see general patterns of society in the lives of particular people.”
society
people who interact in a defined territory and share a culture
social structure
any relative stable pattern of social behavior
social change
the transformation of culture and social institutions over time
theory
a statement on how and why specific facts are related
theoretical approach
a basic image of society that guides thinking and research
empirical evidence
information we can verify with our senses
research method
systematic plan for doing research. types: survey participant observation using existing sources experiments
experiment
a research method to investigating cause and effect under certain circumstances
reliability
consistency in measurement
correlation
relationship in which two variables change together
individualism
the conception that all values, rights, and duties originate in individuals
socialization
the lifelong social experience by which people develop their human potential and learn culture
personality
persons fairly consistent patterns of acting, thinking, and feeling.
the self
part of the personality composed of “self awareness” and “self image”
gender
the personal traits and social positions that members of society attach to being “female” or “male”
agents of socialization
family
school
peer-group
mass media
social interaction
the process by which people act and react
dramaturgical analysis
the study of social interactions in terms of theatrical performance
culture
the ways of thinking, acting, and the material objects that together forma a peoples way of life
subculture
cultural patterns that set apart some segment of a societies population
social construction of reality
the process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction
nature vs nurture
- biological scientific view (nature) - instinctual / born with
- social scientific view (nurture) - experience determine / learned
both, nature/nurture, part of HUMAN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
sex vs gender
- “Sex” refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women. “down there”
- “Gender” refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women. “Heart and brain”
sociological imagination
the capacity to shift from one perspective to another. the understanding that social outcomes are based on what we do. understanding that some things in society may lead to a certain outcome.
heterosexism
an ideology that casts non-heterosexuals as deviant
heteronormativity
the cultural assumption that everyone is heterosexual
homophobia
discomfort over close personal interaction with people thought to be gay, lesbian, or bisexual
deviance
the recognized violations of cultural norms
social control
attempts by society to regulate people’s thoughts and behavior
social stratification
a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy based on 4 principles:
a. is a trait of society, not a reflection of individual differences.
b. carries over from generation to generation
c. universal but variable
d. involves not just inequality, but beliefs.
income
earnings from work or investments.
social mobility
a change in position within the social hierarchy.
ideology
cultural beliefs that justify particular social arrangements, including patterns of social inequality.
meritocracy
a. social stratification based on merit.
b. the social institution through which society provides its members with important knowledge, including basic facts, job skills, and cultural norms and values.
caste system
a system whereby social stratification is based on ascription, or birth.
class system
social stratification based on both birth and achievement.
wealth
the total value of money and other assets, minus outstanding debt.
gender
the personal traits and social positions that members of society attach to being female or male.
gender stratification
the unequal distribution of wealth, power, and privilege between men and women.
power
the ability to achieve desired ends despite resistance from others.
agency
the capacity of individuals to act independently and to make their own free choices.
ethnicity
a shared cultural heritage.
race
a. a socially constructed category of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a society consider important.
b. a creation of culture that reflects social distinctions and power.
c. a symbolic category based on phenotype or ancestry constructed according to specific social and historical contexts, that is misrecognized as a natural category.
traditional racism
the belief that one racial category is innately superior or inferior to another.
ideology
cultural beliefs that justify particular social arrangements and patterns of inequality.
genocide
systematic killing of one category over another.
segregation
they physical and social separation of categories of people.
new racism
imbedded in society and inequality is “naturally” reproduced. more covert that traditional racism’s overtness.
social institutions
major spheres of social life or societal subsystems organized to meet human needs.
a. economy
b. education
c. politics
economy
the social institution that organizes a society’s production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
a. primary - agriculture
b. secondary - industry
c. ternary - service
deindustrialization
the decline of industrial production that occurred in the US after about 1950.
globalization
expansion of economic activity around the world with little regard to borders.
politics
the social institution that distributes power, sets societies goals, and makes decisions.
government
a formal organization that directs the political life of a society.
democracy
a political system that gives power to the people as a whole.
power elite
a small collection of individuals and their families that includes top military officials, heads of corporations, and top political leaders.
special interest groups
people organized to address some economic or social issue.
lobbyists
people employed by special interest groups to support their goals.
