Midterm #1 Terms Flashcards
agents of socialization
people or groups that affect our self-concept, attitudes, or other orientations toward life
Anomie
An absence of shared norms and values, disconnectedness, people unsure of guiding rules
Bourgeoisie
Capitalists; those who own the means of production
Class conflict
The struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat
counterculture
a group whose values, beliefs, and related behaviours
place its members in opposition to the broader culture
cultural capital
the non-economic social assets an individual possesses, like knowledge, skills, behaviors, and tastes
cultural lag
William Ogburn’s term for human behaviour lagging behind
technological innovations
cultural diffusion
the spread of cultural characteristics from one group to another
cultural leveling
the process by which cultures become similar to one another, and especially by which Western industrial culture is imported and diffused into developing nations
cultural relativism
understanding a different culture on its own terms
culture
the language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviours, and even
material objects passed from one generation to the next
degradation ceremony
describe an attempt to remake the self by stripping away an individual’s self-identity and stamping a new one in its place
ethnocentrism
the use of one’s own culture for judging the ways of other individuals or societies, generally leading to a
negative evaluation of their values, norms, and behaviours
feminist theories
arxist, liberal, and radical—hold that women are oppressed by gender roles that are products of social, historical, and cultural factors
folkways
norms that are not strictly enforced
game stage
the final stage in Mead’s theory of self-development, where children learn to understand and follow rules, take on multiple social roles, and develop an awareness of the “generalized other” by participating in organized games with other players
gender roles
the behaviours and attitudes considered appropriate because
one is a female or a male
generalized other
the norms, values, attitudes, and expectations of “people in general”
language
a system of symbols that can be combined in an infinite
number of ways and can represent not only objects but also abstract thought
looking-glass self
the process by which our self develops through internalizing others’ reactions to us
macrosociology
focuses on the broad features of society
microsociology
emphasizes social interaction, what people do when they come together
Functions
The beneficial consequences of people’s actions that maintain equilibrium
Dysfunctions
have negative consequences. Don’t work out for the prolongation of society
Manifest functions
Things we intend
Latent functions
Things that may not be consciously intended
material culture
the material objects that distinguish a group of people. Physical products of society
mores
norms that are strictly enforced because they are thought to be
essential to core values
non-material culture
a group’s ways of thinking and doing (its common patterns of behaviour, including language and other forms of interaction)
norms
the expectations or rules of behaviour that develop out of values
play stage
a developmental phase in childhood, according to Mead’s theory, where children begin to learn about social roles by imitating and acting out the behaviors of significant others, like parents or teachers
primary groups
a group characterized by intimate, long-term, face-to-face association and co-operation
Proletariat
workers; must sell their labor power to survive
protestant ethic
Weber’s term to describe the self-denying, highly moral ideal life, accompanied by hard work and frugality
reference group
the groups we use as standards to evaluate ourselves
resocialization
the process of learning new norms, values, attitudes, and behaviours
sanctions
expressions of approval or disapproval given to people for
upholding or violating norms
sapir-whorf hypothesis
language creates ways of thinking and perceiving
significant other
an individual who significantly influences someone else’s life
self
the unique human capacity of being able to see ourselves “from the outside” - similar to looking glass-self
social location
the group memberships that people have because of their location in history and society
socialization
the process which societies culture is absorbed
society
group of people who
share a culture and a territory
sociological imagination
Way of looking at the world that links the apparently private troubles of the individual to important social issues
social integration
the degree to which people are tied to their social group
spirit of capitalism
Weber’s term for the desire to accumulate capital as a duty and to constantly reinvest it
subculture
the values and related behaviours of a group that distinguish its members from the larger culture
Symbolic Interaction
View symbols as the basis of social life and focuses on face-to-face interactions
symbols
something to which people attach meanings and then use to
communicate with others
taboo
a norm so strong that it brings revulsion (disgust) if violated
taking the role of the other
understanding how someone else feels and thinks and thus anticipating
how that person will act
Theory
General statement about how some parts of the world fit together and how they work
total institution
a place in which people are cut off from the rest of society and are almost totally controlled by the officials who run the
place
values
the standards by which people define what is desirable or undesirable
anticipatory socialization
learning part of a future role because one anticipates it
applied sociology
the use of sociology to solve problems—from the micro-level of family relationships to the macro-level of crime and pollution
authority
power that people accept as rightly exercised over them
biological determinism
the belief that the way we act reflects built-in biological traits
caste system
a form of social stratification in which one’s status is determined by birth and is lifelong
clan
an extended network of relatives
clique
a cluster of people within a larger group who choose to interact with one another
conflict theory
a theoretical framework in which society is viewed as composed of groups competing for scarce resources
Verstehen
Weber suggested that instead, we should focus on subjective meanings, the ways in which people interpret their own behaviour
social stratisfaction
The ranking of groups of people into a hierarchy according to their relative power, property, and prestige.
social mobility
permits movement up or down the class ladder based on achievement (restricted by differential inheritance)
intergenerational mobility
adult children ending up on a different rung of the social class ladder than their parents
structural mobility
changes in society that cause large numbers of people to move up or down
exchange mobility
when large numbers of people move up or down the social class ladder but the proportions stay the same
class, status, and party (broad definition)
may all be sources of power. Occupants of key positions in bureaucracies can realize their will whether or not they are wealthy
classes
economic groups (Marx’s term)
status
distribution of social honour or prestige deriving not just from wealth but from lifestyle
party
the organizational means to exercise power (make laws)
merchant capitalism
bringing items to places that don’t have these items so they can control prices
industrial capitalism
liberal economics explains relationships of productions
monopoly capitalism
create giant companies with thousand’s of employee’s that changed power in society
global capitalism
concept of a global economy dominated by globalizing corporations and those who own and control them
class/false consciousness
refer to workers identifying with the interests of capitalists
contradictory class location
a position in the class structure that generates contradictory interests
cultural universal
a value, norm, or other cultural trait that is found in every group
culture of poverty
assumption that the values and behaviours of the poor make them fundamentally different from other people,
that these factors are largely responsible for their poverty,
and their parents pass their “poor” traits down generations
dependency theory
a sociological theory that stresses how the least industrialized nations became dependent on the most industrialized nations
endogamy
the practice of marrying within one’s own group
export processing zones
tax-free “factory cities” where young Asian women are often lured by the promise of good jobs manufacturing
products for export
front stage
where performances are given
back stage
where people rest from their performances,
discuss their presentations,
and plan future performances
functional analysis
a theoretical framework in which society is viewed as composed of various parts, each with a function that, when fulfilled, contributes to society’s equilibrium
globalization
the extensive movement of capital and ideas between nations due to the expansion of capitalism
habitus
embracing a set of skills and way of looking at the world that reflects hierarchical social structures
human agency
the ability to individually or collectively resist social pressures and provide for social change
ideology
beliefs about the way things need to be that justify social arrangements
imperialism
when countries take over other countries so they can expand their markets and gain access to cheap raw materials
in-group
groups toward which one feels loyalty
out-group
groups toward which one feels antagonism
wealth
property and income
indentured service
people whose passage to another country was paid for in exchange for labour
intersectionality
the interrelationships among various inequalities
mass media
forms of communication, such as radio, newspapers, and television, directed to mass audiences
means of production
the tools, factories, land, and investment capital used to produce wealth
meritocracy
a form of social stratification in which all positions are awarded on the basis of merit
middle range theories
explanations of human behaviour that go beyond a particular observation or research but avoid sweeping generalizations that attempt to account for everything
neocolonialism
the shift after World War II where the most industrialized nations turned to international markets as a way of controlling the least industrialized nations
neoliberalism
a version of the capitalist economic system based on the realization of a 24-hour global economy,
made possible by the rapid expansion of global information and telecommunications technologies
peer group
a group of individuals roughly the same age linked by common interests
power
the ability to carry out one’s will, even over the resistance of others
power elite
those who rule a country: the top
people in the leading corporations, the most powerful generals and admirals of the armed forces, and certain elite politicians, who make the nation’s major decisions
prestige
respect or regard
pure or basic sociology
sociological research whose only purpose is to make discoveries about life in human groups, not to make changes in those groups
scientific method
the use of objective, systematic observations to test theories
slavery
a system of social stratification whose essential characteristic is
ownership of some people by others
social class
a large number of people with similar amounts of income and education who work at jobs roughly comparable in prestige
Max Weber definition of social class
large group of people who rank closely to one another in wealth, power, and prestige
Karl Marx definition of social class
one of two groups, capitalists who own the means of production or workers who sell their labour
sociological perspective
an approach to understanding human behaviour that by placing it within its broader social context
sociology
the scientific study of society and human behaviour
status consistency
ranking high or low on all three dimensions of social class
status inconsistency
ranking high on some dimensions of social class and low on others
subjective meanings
the meanings that people give their own behaviour
value-free
an ideal condition in which a sociologist’s personal values or
biases do not influence social research
absolute monarchs
system of government where a single ruler has total power over a state and its people
beliefs
convictions that people hold to be true about the world, society, and life
capitalist world economy
global economic system where the production and distribution of goods are driven by private ownership of the means of production
centre/core
the dominant group or area that controls resources, power, and influence
semi-periphery
countries that are neither core nor peripheral. Have characteristics of both
periphery
a less developed region that is dependent on a more developed core region
class in itself
a social group whose members share the same relationship to the means of production
class for itself
members have full awareness of the true situation, by a realization of the nature of exploitation
class structure
the hierarchical arrangement of individuals in a society based on wealth, income, occupation, education, and social status
colonization
practice of one group of people/nation dominating another group over a sustained period of time
keynesian economics
theory of total spending in the economy has its effects on output, employment, and inflation
debt crisis
situation when a government, organization, or individual is unable to pay their debts
divine right of kings
monarch’s authority to rule comes directly from God, meaning they are not accountable to their people but only God
immigration
people moving to a new country to settle permanently or take up work
income
amount of money a person or household earns over a period of time
International Monetary Fund
organization that’s influenced by the ideas and interests of the environment it operates in
maquiladoras
factories in Mexico that assemble imported parts into products for export
modernization theory
explains how nations transition from traditional to modern societies
multinational corporations
a large company that operates and conducts business activities in multiple countries
origins of sociology
sociology emerged in the 19th century in response to social and political upheaval
secondary groups
large group of people who share a purpose and work toward a common interest or goal
structural adjustment
process in the developing world that involves economic and political changes imposed by international organization to address issues of poverty and governance
United Nations
intergovernmental organization that works to promote international cooperation and peace, and address global challenges
security council
concept of social control to maintain order
world bank
international financial institution that affects global stratification, wealth, and poverty
world system theory
approach to world history and social change that suggests there is a world economic system in which some countries benefit while others are exploited
World Trade Organization
international organization that establishes and enforces rules for trade between countries
