Midterm Flashcards
Significant Symbol
a gesture that is called out which can be reciprocated and understood by another individual
example: when we say cat everyone KNOWS what that means/is
Sociology
the scientific study of the interactions between individuals and society and the society and individuals
Society
a large group of people living in the same area and participating in a common culture
Agency
our actions and decisions in the world and our ability to act
Social Structure
things that exist outside of our control that exert a force on our lives
example: just like physical structures, for example a solid wall does not let us got through but our social structure allows us to recognize going through walls is not normal
Sociological Imagination
the capacity to think systematically about how many things we experience as personal problems are really social issues that are widely shared by others born in the same time/location as us
Institution
when a group is working towards a goal under rules and specific roles
example: institution of marriage, school, government, religion
Breaching Experiment
an experiment that examines peoples reactions to a disruption of a process
example: disrupt a process and watch how people react and try to repair the disruption
Two Revolutions (Breaching Experiment)
The French Revolution
The Industrial Revolution
Epistemology
what we think we know about the world
Empiricism
the branch of epistemology that holds knowledge which comes from observation
Rationalism
a branch of epistemology that holds knowledge which comes from cognition
What are the 2 elements of an empirical study?
- Theory: a statement about how and why specific facts are related
- Hypothesis: a prediction about what we are going to discover
What are the 3 theoretical perspectives of sociology?
- Functionalism
- Conflict Theory
- Symbolic Interactionism
Funtionalism
views society as a complex system whose parts work together to form solidarity and stability
example: like anatomy/human body, the blood pumps and the liver works and our brain thinks to make us live
Conflict Theory
views social structures as arising through conflict between opposing parties. focuses on the way groups dominate, control, or resist other groups.
Symbolic Interactionism
views society as a process shaped and constructed through interactions between individuals, groups, and institutions
-looks at the negotiation of society
What are examples of quantitive methods?
experiments and surveys (deal with numerical responses)
What are examples of qualitative methods?
in depth interviews and ethnography (writing down word responses)
Experimental Research
a research method for investigating cause and effect under highly controlled conditions
What are some limitations of experiments?
- WIERD (western educated industrialized rich democracy)
- tricky to experiment with people
What is survey research?
- you go in knowing exactly what you’re asking
- have to have prior knowledge
- must ask the SAME questions to each person you talk to
Ethnography
a research method where investigators observe people while joining them in their routine activities
-look at what people say and how they behave
What are the different stages of doing ethnogrpahy?
- jotting down observations
- expanding your ideas
- going way in depth with many details
Typification
a process of creating a standard. social construct gets based on social assumption.
-the mixing of labels and assumptions
Object
something which your attention is focused on
How do we interact with the physical world?
With our 5 senses
Social Construct of Reality
the interactive process by which knowledge is produced and codified making it specific to a certain group of society
example: we see a desk as a desk where other cultures may see a desk as a tool or a toy (same object with different meanings)
Social Construct
EVERYTHING IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT
an interpreted object that was invented by individuals and is shaped by the social forces present in the time and place of its creation
The Definition of The Situation
the process of sense-making required to determine how one should act and to predict how others may act
example: if two people are alone intensely staring at each other will they fight or kiss? we must define the situation/read the room
Impression Management
trying to shape how others see us
Expressions Given
expressions that one gives in order to intentionally convey information
Expressions Given Off
expressions that one gives off as a byproduct of behavior presumably exhibited for reasons other than conveying information
What are the three elements to self concept?
- the imagination of our appearance to another person
- the imagination of their judgment of that appearance
- some sort of self feeling like pride or mortification
The Internal Dialouge
the conversations we have had with ourselves in our minds, both verbal and non-verbal
Generalized Other
an organized and generalized perceived attitude of a social group
Diagram of the “Process of Self”
The agent self (“I”) goes to the generalized other and the generalized other goes to the objectified self (“Me”)
The Agent Self “I”
the acting subject whose attention is focused on taking action
The Objectified Self “Me”
the object of one’s own actions, with attention focused on one’s own real or imagined actions in the eyes of others
What are the three stages of self-development?
preparatory stage, play stage, and game stage
Preparatory Stage
- occurs around ages two or below
- children begin to imitate people around them
Play Stage
- occurs between ages two and six
- children begin to develop skills in communication through symbols
- taking their first steps into role taking
Game Stage
- occurs around 8 or 9
- consider several actual tasks and relationships simultaneously
Role Taking
the process of mentally assuming the perspective of another and responding from that imagined view
Significant Other
those persons who are of sufficient importance in an individual’s life to impact sense of self
Culture
the values, norms, and goos that characterize a given group
Culture Shock
the disorientation experienced when coming to contact with a fundamentally different culture
Material Culture
includes physical objects that members of a society create, use, and share and that influence the ways in which people live
examples: food, music, clothes
Non-Material Culture
made up of the shared set of meanings that people in a society use to interpret and understand the world
examples: rules, symbols, customs, values
Values
our ideas of what is worthy of seeking in life, what is good or bad, and what is beautiful and ugly
Norms
more specific rules and expectations that come from our values and tell us what we should, ought, and must do
What are the four types of norms?
- folkways
- mores
- taboos
- laws
Folkways
norms that are not strictly enforced and aren’t crucial for societies survival
example: walking with the flow of traffic rather than against
Mores
norms that are seen as essential to our core values which must be conformed to protect the moral order
examples: cheating on a test, cheating on a partner
Taboos
norms that are so strongly ingrained that even the thought of their violation makes us uneasy
example: insect and cannibalism
Laws
norms that are defined by a political authority that has the power to punish violators
example: we must pay our fine or we go to jail
Capital
any factor of production that is not wanted for itself but for its ability ot help in producing other goods
Economic Capital
economic resources such as money or property that can be exchanged or leveraged to obtain other goods
Symbolic Capital
the resources available to an individual on the basis of honor, prestige, or recognition (cool points)
Social Capital
opportunities or resources gained through networks to which one belongs
Cultural Capital
cultural signals such as education, ways of speaking, or taste in art that offers a person access to status or power
Doxa
the learned, fundamental, deep-founded, unconscious beliefs, and values, that are taken as self-evident universals within a society
such as…slavery, gay marriage, jobs
The Sphere of Opinion
the universe of things that may be openly contested and discussed
Orthodoxy
the position held by those who wish to return to the original doxa, in which belief, truth or way of life was taken for granted
Heterodoxy
the position held by those who want to move away from the old doxa towards a new belief or way of life
Nomos
an individuals fundamental assumptions about how the universe works, its purpose, and its order (gives us orientation and guidance in the world)
Anomie
the lack of nomos and lack of guidance in the world
What are the two categories of objects?
- sacred
- profane
Sacred
things that are worthy of awe and special treatment and are not mundane or everyday parts of life
Profane
everything that is NOT sacred
Altruistic Suicide
too much integration
Anomic Suicide
not enough regulation
Fatalistic Suicide
too much regulation
Egoistic Suicide
not enough integration
