Midterm #1 SOCI 111 Flashcards
Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 together
A model of capital accumulation based on mass production, cheap standardized products, high wages, and mass consumption
Fordism
The role a social phenomenon performs in satisfying a social or biological need and ensuring the continuity of society
social function
A way to encourage conformity to cultural norms
social control
The transformation of social life into the raw material of data as a new stage of global colonization
data colonialism
Social solidarity or cohesion through a shared collective consciousness with harsh punishment for deviation from the norms
mechanical solidarity
Awareness of one’s class position and interests
class consciousness
Data collections from subjects who respond to a series of questions about behaviours and opinions, often in the form of a questionnaire
surveys
The philosophical tradition that seeks to discover the laws of the operation of the world through careful, methodical, and detailed observation
empiricism
A representative subset of a population selected without bias. Every person in a population has the same chance of being chosen for the study
random sample
Philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and the experiments performed in support of them
paradigms
Strong prohibitions based on deeply held sacred or moral beliefs
taboos
A system of social security whereby the government intervenes in the economy to redistribute resources and protect the health and well-being of its citizens
welfare state
Information from research collected in numerical form that can be counted
quantitative data
The idea that the characteristics of persons or groups are significantly influenced by biological factors or human nature, and are therefore largely similar in all human cultures and historical periods
essentialism
The tendency for people to define themselves in terms of the commodities they purchase
consumerism
The process through which objects, services, or goods are turned into commodities
commodification
The dispersion of a people from their original homeland
diaspora
The process of dismantling colonial power structures
decolonization
The study of society-wide social structures and processes
macro-level sociology
In an experiment, the subjects or comparison group who are not exposed to the independent variable
control group
Cultural experiences, practices and products that are widely circulated, produced by or well-liked by “the people.”
popular culture
Small, manageable number of subjects that represent the population
sample
An approach to teaching and learning based on fostering the agency of marginalized communities and empowering learners to emancipate themselves from oppressive social structures
critical pedagogy
The belief that physiological sex differences between males and females are related to differences in their character, behaviour, and ability
dominant gender ideology
The gap between those who are able to access and make effective use of information technology and those who cannot
digital divide
The idea that people understand the world based on their form of language
Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
A set of policies in which the state reduces its role in providing public services, regulating industry, redistributing wealth, and protecting the commons while advocating the use of free market mechanisms to regulate society
neoliberalism
The study of social structures and processes on the basis of a systematic description of the contents of subjective experience
phenomenology
Actions to which individuals attach subjective meanings
social action
The process by which a global dimension of social relations emerges and spreads
globalization
A linkage of autonomous companies, or segments of companies, often geographically disperse, organized temporarily for specific projects or tasks and characteristic of global information societies
network enterprise
A culture’s standard for discerning desirable states in society
values
A form of capitalism based on surveilling, extracting, and commodifying digital information about people
surveillance capitalism
An approach to understanding society that explains social change, human ideas, and social organization in terms of underlying changes in the economic (or material) structure of society
historical materialism
A set of guidelines established to foster ethical research and professionally responsible scholarship in sociology or other disciplines
code of ethics
Research approach that utilizes positivist, interpretive and reflexive methods to produce knowledge that maximizes the human potential for freedom and equality
critical research strategy
Max Weber’s metaphor for the modern condition of life circumscribed by the demand for maximum efficiency
iron cage
The way a human society acts upon its environment and its resources in order to process and distribute them to meet their needs
mode of production
The examination of how society is organized and coordinated from the perspective of a particular social location, group or perspective in society
standpoint theory
The structures of a social group of people who interact within a definable territory and who share a culture
society
Immersion by a researcher in a group or social setting in order to make observations from an “insider” perspective
participant observation
A quantitative approach to textual research that selects an item of textual content that can be reliably and consistently observed and coded, and surveys the prevalence of that item in a sample of textual output
content analysis
A social condition or normlessness in which a lack of clear norms fails to give direction and purpose to individual actions
anomie
Groups of people bound together in communities of feeling who gather at particular times and places for specific reasons and then disband
neo-tribes
The testing of a hypothesis under controlled conditions
experiment
A detailed, systematic method for conducting research and obtaining data
research design
General patterns of social behaviour and social coordination that persist through time and become habitual or routinized at micro-levels of interaction or institutionalized at macro or global levels of interaction
social structure
When a change in one variable coincides with a change in another variable, but does not necessarily indicate causation
correlation
The philosophical tradition that seeks to determine the underlying laws that govern the truth of reason and ideas
rationalism
Methodologies that derive a general statement from a series of empirical observations
inductive approach
A one-on-one conversation between a researcher and a subject
interview
A perspective in which male concerns, male attitudes, and male practices are presented as “normal” or define what is significant and valued in a culture
androcentrism
A group that shares a specific identity apart from a parent culture, even as the members hold features in common with the parent culture
subculture
A way of doing things that expresses the customs and know-how of a particular culture
cultural practice
When a person’s beliefs and ideology are in conflict with their best interests
false consciousness
The geological epoch defined by the impact of human activities on the global ecosystem
anthropocene
Institutions of male power in society
patriarchy
The wage labourers in capitalist society
proletariat
A social process in which an individual’s social identity is established through the imposition of a definition by authorities
labelling
The study of structures and processes that extend beyond the boundaries of states or specific societies
global-level sociology
A type of analysis that proposes that social contradiction, opposition, and struggle in society drive processes of social change and transformation
dialectics
The unrecognized or unintended consequences of a social process
latent functions
A set of instructions used to solve a problem or perform a task
algorithm
Evidence corroborated by direct sense experience and/or observation
empirical evidence
A form of biological determinism that suggests the qualities of human life are caused by genes
geneticism
The study of deep unconscious rules or codes that govern cultural activities and constrain possibilities in different domains of social life
structuralism
A theoretical perspective that focuses on the socially created nature of social life
social constructivism
Knowledge that draws general conclusions from limited observations
overgeneralization
Rules of behaviour that are generally and widely followed but not codified in law or institutional policy
informal norms
The three stages of evolution that societies develop through: theological, metaphysical, and positive
law of three stages
A theoretical perspective that focuses on inequality and power relations in society in order to achieve social justice and emancipation through their transformation
critical sociology
Variable that causes change in a dependent variable
independent variable
An approach to social change that advocates slow, incremental improvements in social institutions rather than rapid, revolutionary change of society as a whole
social reform
The external laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, customs, fashions, rituals, and cultural rules that govern social life
social facts
Knowledge based on the accepted authority of the source
authoritative knowledge
A theoretical approach that sees society as a structure with interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of individuals that make up that society
structural functionalism
Variable changed by the impact of another variable
dependent variable
A situation of uncertain norms and regulations in which society no longer has the support of a firm collective consciousness
anomie
A society whose social structure is made up of networks organized through digital information and communications technologies
network society
The replacement of magical thinking by technological rationality and calculation
disenchantment of the world
The shared meanings, symbols, concepts, categories and images of a social collectivity
collective representations
A practice of remaining impartial, without bias or judgment, during the course of a study and in publishing results
value neutrality
The external laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, customs, fashions, rituals, and cultural rules that govern social life
social facts
An experience of personal disorientation when confronted with an unfamiliar way of life
culture shock
The culture of constant change and transformation associated with the rise of capitalism
modernity
The practice of assessing beliefs or practices within a culture by its own standards
cultural relativism
The spread of material and nonmaterial culture from one culture to another
diffusion
The specific reasons or drives that motivate individuals to interact
content
Sought consequences of a social process
manifest functions
Referring to abstract concepts, complex processes, or mutable social relationships as “things.”
reification
The degree to which a sociological measure accurately reflects the topic of study
validity
The capacity of individuals to act and make decisions independently
agency
In an experiment, the subjects who are exposed to the independent variable
experimental group
An object, service, or good that has been produced for sale on the market
commodity
A defined group serving as the subject of a study
population
Social patterns that have undesirable consequences for the operation of society
dysfunctions
A sociological research method that studies the social world from the point of view of the bodies and bodily practices of the participants
carnal sociology
An economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership, production, and sale of goods in a competitive market
capitalism
The replacement of magical thinking by science, technological rationality, and calculation
disenchantment of the world
A group that rejects and opposes society’s widely accepted cultural patterns
counterculture
Shared beliefs, values, and practices in a whole way of life
culture
A stage of social evolution in which people explain events with respect to the will of God or gods
theological stage
A practice of self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-monitoring in which people distance themselves from traditions and institutional roles to construct their own identities
reflexive subjectivity
A city which has become a central node in a global economic network
global city
An explanation about why something occurs
theory
A way of life or a way of conducting oneself in life
ethos
Societies that depend on hunting wild animals and gathering uncultivated plants for survival
hunter-gatherer societies
A characteristic or measure of a social phenomenon that can take different values
variable
The conscious subversion of messages, signs, and symbols by altering them slightly
detournement
The process by which groups become isolated in ways that hinder their communication and cooperation with others
siloization
Anything that is used in economic production in a society to produce goods, satisfy needs and maintain existence (e.g., land, animals, crop production, technology, factories, etc.)
means of production
Knowledge based on received beliefs or the way things have always been done
traditional knowledge
Norms based on social requirements which are based on the moral views and principles of a group
mores
A perspective that explains human behaviour in terms of the meanings individuals attribute to it
interpretive sociology
Societies based on the production of nonmaterial goods and services
information societies
Societies characterized by a reliance on mechanized labour to create material goods
industrial societies
The deliberate imposition of one’s own cultural values on another culture
cultural imperialism
A theoretical perspective that focuses on the relationship of individuals within society by studying their communication (language, gestures and symbols)
symbolic interactionism
Societies based around the cultivation of plants
horticultural societies
Specific ways of rendering abstract concepts in terms of measurable and observable criteria
operational definitions
The experience of a fissure or division in consciousness when one crosses a line between the abstractions of institutional knowledge and the direct, lived experiences of everyday/every night life
dual consciousness
In-depth analysis of a single event, situation, or individual
case study
A group of people whose members interact, reside in a definable area, and share a culture
society
Knowledge based on observations without any systematic process for observing or assessing the accuracy of observations
casual observation
The scientific study of social patterns using the methodological principles of the natural sciences
positivist sociology
The degree to which a group of people cohere or are bound together through shared consciousness, qualities or social ties
social solidarity
The owners of the means of production in a society
bourgeoisie
Promotion of making new reproductive technologies and human genetic engineering available to consumers to enhance human characteristics and capacities
new eugenics movement
Tenets or convictions that people hold to be true
beliefs
The extended observation of the cultural practices, perspectives, beliefs and values of an entire social setting
ethnography
Data collected directly from firsthand experience
primary data
A group defined by a distinct relationship to the means of production
social class
Pre-established patterns of behaviour that people are expected to follow in specific social situations
social script
A collectivity based on shared emotional bonds, ambience, feeling, sensibility, or atmoshere
community of feeling
The study of specific, local relationships between individuals or small groups
micro-level sociology
Suicide which results from the absence of strong social bonds tying the individual to a community
egoistic suicide
The study of the way everyday life is coordinated through institutional, textually mediated practices
institutional ethnography
Insecure employment based on subcontracting, temporary contracts, outsourcing and involuntary part-time work
precarious employment
A scholarly research step that entails identifying and studying all existing studies on a topic to create a basis for new research
literature review
Gesture, object, or component of language that represents a meaning recognized by people who share a culture
symbol
The division of society into economic classes (the social roles allotted to individuals by virtue of their position in an economic system of production)
relations of production
A sociological approach which transforms aspects of social life into numerical variables, such as statistical methods and surveys with large numbers of participants
quantitative sociology
The condition in which an individual is isolated from their society, work, sense of self, and/or common humanity
alienation
The ability to understand how personal problems of milieu relate to public issues of social structure
sociological imagination
A type of analysis that proposes that social contradiction, opposition, and struggle in society drive processes of social change and transformation
dialectics
Gathering data from a natural environment without doing a lab experiment or a survey
field research
General patterns of social behaviour and organization that persist through time
social structure
The ensemble of policies, rules, patterns of conduct, organizational forms and institutions which stabilize capitalist accumulation
mode of regulation
A situation in which an individual is trapped by the rational and efficient processes of social institutions
iron cage
Societies based around the domestication of animals
pastoral societies
A set of paired terms, considered as mutually exclusive and logical opposites, which structure a whole set or system of associated meanings
binary opposition
The economic transition to sedentary, agriculture based societies beginning approximately 10,200 years
neolithic revolution
A thorough ethnographic description which describes observed behaviour and the layers of meaning that form the social context of the behaviour
thick description
The way in which the creation of culture is both constrained by limits given by the environment, and a means to go beyond these natural limits
dialectic of culture
A way to authorize or formally disapprove of certain behaviours
sanctions
How strongly a person is connected to their social group
social integration
The division of people into different occupations and specializations
division of labour
Using data collected by others but applying new interpretations
secondary data analysis
The general tendency in modern society for all institutions and most areas of life to be transformed by the application of rationality and efficiency
rationalization
A systematic research method that involves asking a question, researching existing sources, forming a hypothesis, designing and conducting a study, and drawing conclusions
scientific method
Patterns or traits that are common to all societies
cultural universals
A stable state in which all parts of a functioning society are working together properly
dynamic equilibrium
A symbolic system of communication
language
The systematic study of society and social interaction
sociology
Established, written rules
formal norms
A set of cultural conventions, instructions, or rules used to combine symbols to communicate or interpret meaning
code
A stage of social evolution in which people explain events in terms of abstract or speculative ideas
metaphysical stage
An approach to understanding society that explains social change, human ideas, and social organization in terms of underlying changes in the economic (or material) structure of society
historical materialism
A historical materialist model of society in which the economic structure forms the base of a society, which shapes its culture and other social institutions, or superstructure
base and superstructure
Agricultural societies that operate on a strict hierarchical system of power based around land ownership, protection, and mutual obligations
feudal societies
The critical analysis of the way gender differences in society structure social inequality
feminism
Information based on systematic interpretations of meaning
qualitative data
Knowledge based on observations that only confirm what the observer expects or wants to see
selective observation
When study subjects behave in a certain manner due to their awareness of being observed by a researcher
Hawthorne effect
A group’s whole way of life including shared practices, values, beliefs, norms and artifacts
culture
A consumption model based on small batch production of specialized goods tailored for specific market segments or “niches.”
niche market consumption
Forms of contemporary culture characterized by a playful mixture of forms, pluralism, and the breakdown of centralized, modern culture
postmodern culture
Evaluating another culture according to the standards of one’s own culture
ethnocentrism
The duty to work hard in one’s calling
Protestant work ethic
Rules of behaviour or conduct
norms
Norms without any particular moral underpinnings
folkways
An educated guess that predicts outcomes with respect to the relationship between two or more variables
hypothesis
The mutual understanding of the tasks or situation at hand shared among co-participants
definition of the situation
The generation of hypotheses and theories after the collecting and analysis of data
grounded theory
An experiment in which researchers purposely break a commonly accepted social norm or behave in a socially awkward manner to examine people’s reactions
breaching experiment
A form of society characterized by irreducible social heterogeneity, contingent social relationships, and ephemeral organizational structures
postmodern society
New forms of culture that arise from cross-cultural exchange and cultural blending
hybridity
The communal beliefs, morals, and attitudes of a society
collective conscience
The general tendency of modern institutions and most areas of life to be transformed by the application of instrumental reason
rationalization
The process of simultaneously analyzing the behaviour of an individual and the society that shapes that behaviour
figuration
Social solidarity or cohesion through a complex division of labour, mutual interdependence, and restitutive law
organic solidarity
Forms of cultural experience characterized by formal complexity, eternal values, or creative authenticity
high culture
