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