Midterm Flashcards
Why is the social world important? (3)
1) Shared expectations help to create social orders
2) Individuals and social mutually influence each other
3) People are fundamentally social beings
Define sociology
Study of social life, change, and social causes and consequences on society
Diad
Smallest group, 2 people
Small group
3- teens (family)
Large group
Latinos/Ethnic group in the US
Gender
Nation
US, a country
Global society
World
How are groups defined?
By recurrent social patters, ordered behavior, shared experience among members, and common understandings
Underline assumptions made to understand sociology (5)
1) People are social, need to understand to get through life.
2) People spend most of their lives in groups
3) Interactions b/w people and groups are reciprocal
4) Conflict and changer are inevitable
5) All groups have certain organizing characteristics
Difference in sociology and common sense
Bias
Sociological Imagination Theory
Person, Definition
Charles Wright Mills
In order to think sociologically, make the relationships b/w individuals micro experiences and larger social and political forces
What kind of questions do sociologists make?
Objective and scientific
Levels of analysis are based on..
Size of groups
Micro- small
Macro- large
Social Structures are
All inter-connected
Social unit
Inter-connected parts of the social world
Social structure
People in groups that bring order to our lives and hold social units together (activism)
Social institutions
Provides the rules, roles, and relationships to control social behavior (Govt, school, police)
Social processes
Actions taken by people in social units
Process of socialization
How we learn social expectations for society
Environment
Setting surrounding each social unit
What does a theory do?
Explain
Theoretical perspective
Help to view social phenomena to a very specific point of view
Name the four theories
1) Structural Functionalism
2) Symbolic Interactionism
3) Conflict Theory
4) Feminism
Define Structuralism
Social world is made up of inter connected parts whose purpose is to make society run smoothly
Define social dysfunction
Something that no longer works for society (ex slavery)
Define symbolic interactionism
Symbols that are given meanings and how we construct our social reality from those symbols and meanings
Define Conflict theory
Social inequality; in a constant struggle for valued but limited resources; rich will abuse their power to keep those resources open
Define Feminsm
Patriarchy is a cause for a lack of causes or resources over minority groups (male privilege)
Define rational choice theory
Whenever we go to make decisions as individuals or a social collective we weigh a cost benefit ratio.
Change variables you change thought process
Social stratification
4 of them
Hierarchical of people based on sociodemographic factors
1) Race/Ethnicity
2) Socio-economic Status
3) Sex/Gender Identity
4) Sexual Orientation
Define Intersectionality
Some demographic factors work together to give different social experiences
Latent/Manifest Functioning
Manifest- Intended consequence of social thing
Latent- Unintended
Society represents the _________
and the culture represents the _________
Hardware
Software
Define culture
Script of human life
Different in all places
Make societies unique
A way of life shared by a group of people
Characteristics of cultures
Knowledge Symbols Languages Customs Belief Rules/laws Values
Define structures of society
Positions we hold
Groups we belong to
Institutions we participate in
Define mechanic society
Pre-simple modern society is held together by human beliefs, common values, and emotional ties and positions divided by male and female roles
Define Organic Society
Large society is held together by a specialization of tasks; division of labor is by specialization of tasks and forms bureaucracies; loose tie friends
4 things about culture
1) Everyone shares cultures
2) Evolves and adapts over time
3) Creature of culture is creeping and cumulative
4) Transmission of culture speedsters us from other animals
Real vs. Ideal Culture
We teach new members of society the ideal culture to give aspirations
Define ethnocentrism
Tendency to view ones own group and it’s culture expectations as right, proper, and superior to others
Define Cultural Relativism
Setting aside ones own personal beliefs and prejudices to understand a culture by its own standards
Define Micro culture
Organizations that influence only a small segment of an individuals life or small period of time
Define Subculture
Social unit that is smaller than a nation but large enough to sustain a person throughout lifespan. Have elements that make them unique. Influence life is pervasive ways. Share expectations of dominant cultures and conventions.
NOT NEGATIVE. Lgbtqa
Define Counterculture
Group with expectations that counter contrast sharply with the dominant values of a particular society. Practices can go against laws. Some aspects are accepted
KKK
Define globalization
Process of making the globe one single social culture
Define Global culture
Behavioral standards, symbols, material objects, and values that have become common across the globe
Nike, Starbucks, Apple
Define material culture
All of the objects we see/touch; all of the artifacts of a group of people
Define non-material culture
Intangible parts of a culture
Beliefs, values, rules
Define socialization
The lifelong process of learning to become a member of society, learning the values and beliefs of our culture
Building block of socialization?
Interaction, especially in childhood.
Nature/nurture works equally to shape humans
Define Social self
Perceptions of who we are
Self derives from perceptions of how others respond to us
What did George Herbert do? Lol
We view ourselves through our interactions with others, once we can symbolically recognize objects we see ourselves as objects.
Parts of self??? 2
Eye- Spontaneous impulsive parts of ourselves without thinking of social consequences
Me- Reflex self formed through roll taking that knows the rules of society and attempts to control the eye into acceptable behavior
Stages of development in children (3)
1) Child observes and imitates others
2) Play at taking on the role of significant others and do not understand complex relationships
3) Children take on the roles of others and generalized others
Stages of socialization (6)
1) Infancy
2) Childhood
3) Adolescence
4) Adulthood
5) Middle adulthood
6) Retire
Resocialization
Process of abandoning one or more social positions in favor of others that are more suitable for a newly acquired status
Can be involuntary
Agents of socialization
People, organizations, and institutions that enable us to learn the beliefs, values, and behaviors of our social culture
Examples of agents of socialization
Family
Media
Formal
Informal- isn’t stated but still happens
How do families use socialization?
Use positive/negative sanctions to help us teach children right and wrong
Socialization differs by… (3)
1) Culture
2) Subculture
3) # of children
Define deviance
Violation of social norms
Social function is best describe by
Structural function of deviances
6 examples of social functions from deviance
1) Sets examples for acceptable behavior
2) Provides behavior that is necessary to maintain social order
3) Bonds people through their common rejection of deviant behavior
4) Provides jobs for those who deal with behavior
5) Can signal problems that need to be addressed or changed
6) Opens society to new and creative ways of thinking
Misconceptions of Deviance (3)
1) Those who deviate are socially recognizable
2) Deviants purposely and knowingly break the law
3) Deviance occurs because their is an honest selfish element of human beings
Define crime
When the cj system gets involved and formal penalties are imposed by society
Stigma is the disapproval attached to disobeying the expected behavior
True af
People are bonded to society in these four ways
Attachment
Commitment
Environment
Belief
Two factors that have a tendency to conform
Internal controls- inside voice
External- Society’s informal and formal control
