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sociology > module one key terms > Flashcards

module one key terms Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

life chances

A

opportunities each individual has to improve the quality of life

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2
Q

power

A

the ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others

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3
Q

social control

A

the many ways in which our behaviour, thoughts and appearance are regulated by the rules, norms and laws of society

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4
Q

globalisation

A

the process through which the world is becoming increasingly interconnected as a result of increased trade and cultural exchange

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5
Q

culture

A

the way of life of a particular group or society

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6
Q

social change

A

the transition from one form of social arrangement, or type of society, to another

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7
Q

development

A

improvement in the social and economic conditions of life of a society or people

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8
Q

inequality

A

the uneven distribution of resources so that some people have more benefits and opportunities than others in a society

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9
Q

resistance

A

individual or group opposition to social control

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10
Q

traditional society

A

type of society based on an agricultural economy where behaviour is regulated by largely unchanging customs or beliefs

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11
Q

modernity

A

period in history or type of society that is characterised by the use of advanced technology, belief in science, innovation and economic progress

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12
Q

socialisation

A

processes through which people learn about the norms, rules and laws of society

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13
Q

social identity

A

persons sense of who they are based on their group membership

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14
Q

social structure

A

system of social institutions and patterned relations between large social groups

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15
Q

human agency

A

power people have to think for themselves and act in ways that shape their experiences and way of life

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16
Q

social integration

A

fitting into society

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17
Q

collective consciousness

A

a shared set of cultural beliefs, values, norms and morality which function to unite society

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18
Q

social solidarity

A

a feeling of community or social belonging which results in feeling a bond with others

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19
Q

biological analogy

A

the human body resembles society in that, as an effective totality, it is the sum of all its parts working together to ensure good health

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20
Q

over- deterministic

A

believing that everything that happens could not happen in any other way

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21
Q

capitalism

A

an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit

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22
Q

infrastructure

A

the economic system

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23
Q

superstructure

A

all the cultural and social institutions that function to transmit capitalist ideology, especially the idea that the existence of wealth and poverty are justified

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24
Q

bourgeiosie

A

the socio-economic group that owns the means of production and is responsible for the organisation of capitalism

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25
Q

means of production

A

the resources required to manufacture a product; for example, capital for investment, raw materials, machinery and so on

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26
Q

labour power

A

the effort, skill and hours which the worker puts into the manufacture of the product

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27
Q

proletariat

A

the labouring or working class

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28
Q

social relations of production

A

the relationship between employers and workers

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29
Q

surplus value

A

the excess of value produced by the labour of workers over the wages they are paid

30
Q

social class inequality

A

inequalities in income and wealth, political power, life chances, levels of education, health and so on between the richest and poorest groups in capitalist society

31
Q

appropriation

A

dishonest and unethical seizure of value or profit by the capitalist class of something produced by the labouring class

32
Q

bourgeois ideology

A

a set of ideas that originates with the capitalist class which attempts to convince members of society that inequality is natural or normal outcome and that those who succeed or fail in capitalist system deserve to do so

33
Q

false class consciousness

A

being unaware that socio-economic position is caused by the organisation of the capitalist system

34
Q

cultural zombies

A

workers who have been convinced by bourgeois ideology that they are responsible or their own fate and that they should uncritically accept their social position

35
Q

status

A

social standing or the prestige attached to particular social roles

36
Q

charismatic personality

A

somebody with a compelling personality who has the ability to influence the behaviour of others

37
Q

gender inequality

A

refers to inequalities in wealth, pay, political power, access to certain types of jobs, and in the distribution of domestic tasks such as childcare and housework

38
Q

patriarchy

A

male domination of society and the social institutions that comprise it

39
Q

ethnocentrism

A

a tendency to see the experience of others in terms of one’s own culture. It often involves making unconscious negative judgements, because people assume that their cultural experience is ‘normal’ and all other experiences are ‘abnormal’

40
Q

intersectionality

A

the acknowledgement that middle class white women are not as exploited or as unequal as women from working class and ethnic minority backgrounds, who may be held back by poverty, racism and religion

41
Q

symbolic interaction

A

a social action theory that claims that identity is developed through interaction with others. A key feature of such interaction is the process of interpreting the symbolic behaviour of others, for example, their facial expressions and body language

42
Q

symbol

A

a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract. For example, language in the form of writing is symbolic of spoken sounds. The word ‘cat’ is symbolic of a general group of domesticated pet, whereas the word ‘Siamese’ is symbolic of a particular breed of cat

43
Q

semiology (semiotics)

A

the sociological study of sign and symbols. Sociologists have used it to study the content of media, for example, some feminists argue that the frequent use by journalists of the word ‘girls’ instead of ‘women’ symbolises patriarchal subordination

44
Q

social meanings

A

when we interpret the actions of others, we apply meaning to that action and respond accordingly

44
Q

social actors

A

term used by social action theorists to describe people or individuals who freely enter into interaction with others

44
Q

labelling theory

A

the idea that people come to identify and behave in ways that reflect how more powerful others label or stereotype them

44
Q

dramaturgical approach

A

the idea that people’s day to day lives can be understood as resembling performers in action on a theatre stage.

45
Q

impression management

A

the conscious or subconscious process in which people attempt to influence the perceptions of other people about a person, object or event

46
Q

social capital

A

the collective value of all social networks (the value of knowing influential people) and the obligations that arise from these networks to do things for each other (for example, to return a favour)

47
Q

cultural capital

A

the social, intellectual and cultural aspects of a person that contribute to their educational success or social mobility, for example, knowing how to ‘dress for success’

48
Q

post-industrial

A

a stage in society’s development when the service sector of the economy generates more wealth than the industrial or manufacturing sector of the economy

49
Q

consumerism

A

the preoccupation of society with the acquisition of consumer goods

50
Q

conspicuous consumption

A

expenditure on, and consumption of, luxuries on a lavish scale in an attempt to enhance one’s prestige

51
Q

nation-states

A

a sovereign state of which most of the citizens or subjects are united by factors which define a nation, such as language, possession of a territory with borders and/or common descent

52
Q

meta-narratives

A

grand theories which aim to explain society and human behaviour

53
Q

relativism

A

the view that there is no such thing as absolute truth and that all opinions and experiences have validity

54
Q

post-truth

A

a situation in which expert opinion and facts are less influential in shaping public attitudes than emotion, faith and personal belief

55
Q

individualism

A

being free from external pressures such as tradition and duty and being able to pursue one’s own interests (sometimes at the expense of others)

56
Q

new age religion

A

a type of religion which aims to help people find spiritual fulfilment through practices such as meditation, healing and self-discovery

57
Q

self-religions

A

new age religions which claim to improve self

58
Q

new social movements

A

political movements, which are often radical, global in reach and disproportionately supported by young people and coordinated online

59
Q

high modernity

A

the later stages of modern societies identified by Beck, associated with the manufactured risks to the ecology of the planet and high levels of individualization

60
Q

manufactured risks

A

the risks produced by consumer demand for more consumer goods and the inability of capitalists to manufacture goods without risking the environment

61
Q

individualisation

A

a social feature of late or postmodernity which encourages members of society to put the interests of themselves before the interests of the wider social group. It encourages selfishness rather than selflessness

62
Q

risk society

A

Beck’s idea that technology used by capitalist societies has many negative consequences for humankind in term of pollution, new diseases and environmental destruction

63
Q

liquid modernity

A

a term used by Bauman to describe the later stages of modernity, which he sees as characterised by uncertainty

64
Q

reflexivity

A

the state of being able to examine one’s own feelings, reactions and motives for acting and being able to adjust one’s behaviour or identity accordingly

65
Q

late capitalism

A

a term used by Marxists to describe the later stages of modern capitalist society, especially capitalism’s ability to exploit new global markets and to create new forms of labour in order to generate profit

66
Q

monopoly

A

the exclusive possession or control of the supply of, or trade in, a commodity or service

67
Q

oligopoly

A

a state of limited competition, in which a market is shared by a very small number of producers or sellers

sociology (5 decks)

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