Psychology and Sociology: Chapter 11

Question 1

Sociology

Answer 1

the study of society; how we create society, how we interact within and change society, and how we define what is normal and abnormal in society

Question 2

Micro level of sociology

Answer 2

consists of family groups and local communities

Question 3

Meso level of sociology

Answer 3

consists of organizations, institutions and ethnic subcultures

Question 4

Macro level of sociology

Answer 4

consists of national and international systems

Question 5

Symbol

Answer 5

any object, image, sound, or action that carries meaning

Question 6

Symbolic interactionism

Answer 6

is an approach to sociology pioneered by influential sociologist Georgy Herbert Mead that attempts to understand human action and interaction by studying the symbols we use to communicate

Question 7

3 assumptions symbolic interactionism makes about human behavior

Answer 7

-Humans act toward symbols based on the meanings that these symbols carry
-The meanings symbols carry come from social interaction
-Humans interpret the meaning of symbols, and this interpretation influences action

Question 8

Social construct

Answer 8

any idea that has been created and accepted by the people in a society

Question 9

Social constructionism

Answer 9

the attempt to understand a society through the study of the society’s social constructs

Question 10

Rational choice theory

Answer 10

-focuses on individual decision making; humans will make rational choices to further their own self-interests
-people weigh the costs and benefits when making choices, ranking their options based on maximizing perceived benefit
- social exchange theory or exchange theory: whether there is reciprocity and balance in social relationships
-People stay in relationships because they get something from the exchange

Question 11

Conflict theory

Answer 11

attempts to understand society by examining the inevitable conflicts between groups in society

Question 12

Capitalism

Answer 12

an economic system which individuals and corporations, rather than governments, own and control what Marx called the means of production meaning property, machinery, factories, or any other means of creating a saleable good or service

Question 13

Capitalist (bourgeoisie) class

Answer 13

small, wealthy class who control the means of production

Question 14

Worker (proletariat) class

Answer 14

lower class that performs manual labor

Question 15

Interest groups

Answer 15

individuals that organize into a group to use tools such as protesting or voting to enact change and equalize power

Question 16

Structural functionalism

Answer 16

Interested in how large societies survive over long time periods, and is therefore concerned with social cohesion and stability
-inverse of conflict theory

Question 17

Teacher expectancy

Answer 17

refers to the idea that teachers tend to get what they expect from students

Question 18

Religiosity

Answer 18

refers to how religious one considers him- or herself to be, and includes strength of religious beliefs, engagement in religious practices, and attitudes about religion itself

Question 19

Denominations/sects

Answer 19

members of a religion that group because they share certain beliefs or practices but no the others

Question 20

Cult

Answer 20

a religious sect may take on extreme or deviant philosophies

Question 21

Fundamentalism

Answer 21

maintenance of strict adherence to religious code

Question 22

Democracy

Answer 22

allows every citizen a political voice, usually through electing representatives of office

Question 23

Monarchies

Answer 23

include a royal ruler (a king or queen), although the ruler’s powers may be significantly limited by the presence of a constitution, a parliamentary system, or some other legislative body

Question 24

Dictatorship

Answer 24

system where a single person holds power, and usually includes a mechanism to quell threats to his power

Question 25

Theocracy

Answer 25

a system where power is held by religious leaders

Question 26

Capitalist economies

Answer 26

focus on free market trade and laissez-faire policies, where success or failure in business is primarily driven by consumerism with as little intervention from central governing bodies as possible

Question 27

Socialist economies

Answer 27

treats large industries as collective, shared businesses, and compensation is provided based on the work contribution of each individual into the system; profit is then distribute equally to the workforce

Question 28

Sick role

Answer 28

an ill patient is not responsible for their illness and is exempt from normal social roles

Question 29

4 Key tenets of medical ethics

Answer 29

-Beneficence: the physician has a responsibility to act in the patient’s best interest
-Nonmaleficence: do not harm; the physician has a responsibility to avoid treatments or interventions in which the potential for harm outweighs the potential for benefit
-Respect for patient autonomy: the physician has a responsibility to respect patients’ decisions and choices about their own healthcare. While there are exceptions to this rule, patients do have the right to refuse life-saving therapies
-Justice: the physician has a responsibility to treat similar patients with similar care, and to distribute healthcare resources fairly

Question 30

Material culture

Answer 30

includes the physical items one associates with a given group, such as artwork, emblems, clothing, jewelry, foods, buildings, and tools

Question 31

Symbolic culture

Answer 31

-Focuses on the ideas that represent a group of people
-May be encoded in motts, songs, or catchphrases, or may simple by themes that are pervasive in the culture

Question 32

Cultural lag

Answer 32

symbolic culture is usually slower to change than material culture

Question 33

Values

Answer 33

what a person deems important in life, which dictates one’s ethical principles and standards of behaviors

Question 34

Belief

Answer 34

something that in individual accepts to be truth

Question 35

Cultural barriers

Answer 35

a cultural difference impedes interaction with others

Question 36

Norms

Answer 36

societal rules that define the boundaries of acceptable behavior

Question 37

Ritual

Answer 37

a formalized ceremony that usually involves specific material objects, symbolism, and additional mandates on acceptable behavior

Question 38

Common demographic categories

Answer 38

age, gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and immigration status

Question 39

Population density

Answer 39

counts the number of people per square kilometer of land area

Question 40

Population pyramids

Answer 40

provide a histogram of the population size of various age cohorts

Question 41

Fertility rate

Answer 41

children per woman per lifetime

Question 42

Birth rate

Answer 42

children per 1000 people per year

Question 43

Mortality rate

Answer 43

deaths per 1000 people per year

Question 44

Migration rate

Answer 44

immigration rate minus emigration rate

Question 45

Demographic transition

Answer 45

a specific example of a demographic shift that occurs as a country develops from a preindustrial to an industrial economic system

Question 46

Demographic transition theory

Answer 46

-Stage 1: preindustrial society; birth and death rates are both high, resulting in stable population
-Stage 2: economic progress leads to improvements to healthcare, nutrition, sanitation, and wages, causing a decrease in death rates. Thus, total population increases
-Stage 3: improvements in contraception, women’s rights, and a shift from an agricultural to an industrial economy cause birth rates to drop
-Stage 4: an industrialized society; birth and death rates are both low, resulting in a relative constant total population

Question 47

Malthusian theory

Answer 47

focuses on how the exponential growth of a population can outpace growth of food supply and lead to social degradation and disorder

Question 48

Relative deprivation

Answer 48

a decrease in resources, representation, or agency relative to the whole of society, or relative to what the group is accustomed to from the past

Question 49

Proactive social movements

Answer 49

promote social change

Question 50

Reactive social movements

Answer 50

resist social change

Question 51

Globalization

Answer 51

The process of merging of the separate nations of the world into a single sociocultural entity, and is a relatively recent phenomenon spurred on by improvements in global communication technology and economic interdependence

Question 52

Urbanization

Answer 52

Refers to dense areas of population creating a pull of migration; cities are formed as individuals move into and establish residency in these new urban centers

Question 53

Ghettos

Answer 53

areas where specific racial, ethnic, or religious minorities are concentrated, usually do to social or economic inequalities

Question 54

Slum

Answer 54

extremely densely populated area of a city with low-quality, often informal housing and poor sanitation