Soc 1101 Test 1 Terms Flashcards
1
Q
sociology
A
the science of society
2
Q
social facts
A
products of human interaction with persuasive or coercive power that exist externally to any individual
3
Q
data
A
systematically collected sets of empirical questions
4
Q
sociological research questions
A
queries about the world that can be answered empirically
5
Q
qualitative research methods
A
scientific strategies for collecting empirical data about social facts (non-numerical)
6
Q
quantitative research methods
A
tools of sociological inquiry that involve examining numerical data with mathematics
7
Q
sociological sympathy
A
the skill of understanding others as they understand themselves
8
Q
research ethics
A
the set of moral principles that guide empirical inquiry
9
Q
sociological theory
A
empirically based explanations and predictions about relationships between social facts
10
Q
social patterns
A
explainable and foreseeable similarities and differences among people influenced by the social conditions in which they live
11
Q
standpoints
A
points of view grounded in lived reality
12
Q
public sociology
A
the work of using sociological theory to make societies better
13
Q
sociological imagination
A
the capacity to consider how peoples lives-including our own-are shaped by the social facts around us
14
Q
structural functionalism
A
societies are systems of necessary, synchronized parts that work together to create social stability
15
Q
conflict theory
A
societies are characterized by competing interests and defined by fights over control of valuable resources like wealth, power, and prestige
16
Q
symbolic interactionism
A
social interaction depends on the social construction of reality. we respond to symbolic meanings produced in the process of human interaction
17
Q
standpoint theory
A
our understanding of the world is shaped by our social position in society
18
Q
empirical inquiry
A
a form of investigation that involves looking to the world for evidence
19
Q
operationalization
A
a process in which researchers define their variables and decide how to measure them
20
Q
academic literature
A
the existing body of empirical and theoretical publications written by scholars
21
Q
research questions
A
queries about the world that can be answered empirically
22
Q
human subjects research
A
research involving data collected from people
23
Q
correlation
A
all observed relationships between variables
24
Q
peer review
A
a step in the publication process in which editors solicit feedback on a scholars work from other researchers with related expertise
25
causation
a statistical relationship in which a change in one variable produces a change in the other
26
informed consent
a clear understanding on behalf of a research subject of what their participation in the research study entails
27
spurious
a statistical relationship between two variables that appears because both correlate with a third variable
28
confidentiality
a guarantee that a research subject's participation in and contributions to a research study will be known only to the researchers
29
vulnerable populations
groups that are at high risk of being harmed if they are included as research subjects
29
generalizable
a term used to describe data that are applicable to the whole population from which the sample is drawn, not just to the sample itself
30
negative correlation
as one variable changes, the other changes in the other direction
31
institutional review board
panels of professionals at colleges that evaluate research proposals to ensure they comply with the moral principles outlined in codes of ethics
32
positive correlation
as one variable changes, the other changes in the other direction
33
the "I" and the "me"
the "I", is the subject of thought, the "me" is the object of thought
34
self fulfilling prophecy
a phenomenon in which what people believe is true becomes true, even if it wasn't originally true
35
correlational claims
assertions that changes in an independent variable correspond to changes in a dependent variable but not in a way that can be proven casual
36
theory of mind
the recognition that other minds exist, followed by the realization that we can try to imagine others' mental state
37
laboratory experiment
a research method that involves tests of a hypothesis under carefully controlled conditions
38
mirror neurons
cells in our brain that fire in identical ways whether we're observing or performing an action
39
self narrative
a story we tell about the origin and likely future of ourselves
40
variable
any measurable phenomenon that varies
41
independent variable
a variable that is hypothesized to influence the dependent variable
42
looking glass self
the self that emerges as a consequence of seeing ourselves as we think other people see us
43
experimental group
the group in a laboratory experiment that undergoes the experience that researchers believe might influence the dependent variable
44
dependent variable
a variable that is hypothesized to influence the independent variable
45
in-depth interview
a research method that involves an intimate conversation between the researcher and a research subject
46
control group
the group in a laboratory experiment that does not undergo the experience that researchers believe might influence the dependent variable
47
coding
a process in which segments of text are identified as belonging to relevant cateogories
48
causal claims
assertions that an independent variable is directly and specifically responsible for producing a change in the dependent variable
49
beliefs
ideas about what is true and false
50
biosocial research methods
investigate relationships between sociological variables and biological ones
51
cultural relativism
the practice of noting the differences between cultures without passing judgement
52
culturally competent
able to understand and navigate our cultures with ease
53
culture
differences in groups' shared ideas, as wells as the objects, practices, and bodies that reflect those ideas
54
cultural objects
Ex. a stop sign
55
cultural cognitions
Ex. idea that red means stop
56
cultural practices
Ex. the fact that most of us stop
57
cultural bodies
Ex. culturally influenced shapes and sizes
58
culture shock
the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture
59
culture-as-rationale thesis
the idea that we are socialized to know a set of culturally specific arguments with which we can justify why we feel something is right or wrong
60
culture-as-value thesis
the idea that we are socialized into culturally specific moralities that guide our feelings about right and wrong
61
cultured capacities
culturally influenced specific skills
62
cultured physiques
bodies formed by what we do to and with them
63
embodied
physically present detectable in the body itself
64
ethnocentrism
the practice of assuming that one's own culture is superior to the culture of others
65
homophily
our tendency to connect with others who are similar to us
66
interpersonal socialization
active efforts by others to help us become culturally competent members of our cultures
67
mass media
mediated communication intended to reach not just one or a handful of people but many
68
media socialization
the process of learning how to be culturally competent through our exposure to media
69
norms
shared expectations for behavior
70
self-socialization
active efforts we make to ensure we're culturally competent members of our culture
71
social construct
an influential and shared interpretation of reality that will vary across time and space
72
social construction
the process by which we layer objects with ideas, fold concepts into one another, and build connections between them
73
social media
social networks mediated by the internet
74
social network analysis
webs of ties that links us to each other and, through other people's ties, to people to whom we're not directly linked
75
social ties
the connections between us and other people
76
socialization
the lifelong learning process by which we become members of our cultures
77
subcultures
subgroups within societies that have distinct cultural ideas, objects, practices, and bodies
78
symbolic structure
a constellation of social constructs connected and opposed to one another in overlapping networks of meaning
79
values
notions as to what's right and what's wrong
80
blood quantum rule
a law limiting legal recognition of American Indians to those who have at least a certain level of documented indigenous ancestry
81
cisgender
people who are assigned male at birth who identify as men as well as people assigned female at birth who identify as women
82
computational sociology
uses computers to collect, extract, and analyse data
83
conspicuous consumption
spending elaborate on items and services with the sole purpose of displaying ones wealth
84
consumption
the use of wages to purchase goods and services
85
content analysis
involves counting and describing patterns and themes in media
86
controlling images
persuasive negative stereotypes that serve to justify or uphold inequality
87
distinction
active efforts to affirm identity categories and place ourselves and others into their subcategories
88
doing identity
the active performance of social identities
89
ethnicity
an identity based on collective memories of a shared history and distinctive culture
90
gender binary
the idea that people come in two and only two types, males who are masculine and females who are feminine
91
gender
the ideas, traits, interests, and skills that we associate with being biologically male or female
92
in-group bias
preferential treatment of members of our own group and mistreatment of others
93
intersex
people with physical characteristics typical of both people assigned male and people assigned female at birth
94
minimal group paradigm
the tendency of people to form groups and actively distinguish themselves from others for the most trivial of reasons
95
nonbinary
people who identify as both man and woman or neither man nor woman
96
one-drop rule
the idea that anyone with an trace of Black ancestry should be considered Black
97
positive distinction
the claim that members of our own group are superior to members of other groups
98
prejudice
attitudinal bias against individuals based on their membership in a social group
99
psychological wage
a non economic good given to one group as a measure of superiority over other groups
100
race
a socially meaningful set of artificial distinctions falsely based on superficial and imagines biological differences
101
sex
a reference to physical traits related to sexual reproduction
102
sexual minorities
people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or otherwise non-heterosexual
103
social identities
the socially constructed categories and subcategories of people in which we place ourselves or are placed by others
104
social identity theory
people are inclined to form social groups, incorporate group membership into their identity, take steps to enforce group boundaries, and maximize personal esteem and in-group sucess
105
status
high or low esteem
106
status beliefs
collectively shared ideas about which social groups are more or less deserving of esteem
107
status elite
people who carry many positively regarded social identities
108
stigma
a personal attribute that is widely devalued by members of one's society
109
stereotype
clusters of ideas attached by social convention to people with specific social identities
110
transgender
people assigned male at birth who don't identify as men as well as people assigned female at birth who don't identify as women
111
account
an excuse that explains our rule breaking but also affirms that the rule is good and right
112
back stage
private or semi private spaces in which we can relax or rehearse
113
breaching
purposefully breaking a social rule in order to test how others respond
114
dramaturgy
the proactive of looking at social life as a series of performances in which we're actors on metaphorical stages
115
ethnomethodology
research aimed at revealing the underlying shared logic that is the foundation of social interactions
116
face
a version of ourselves that we want to project in a specific setting
117
field experiment
a type of experiment that involves a test of a hypothesis outside the laboratory
118
folkways
loosely enforced norms
119
front stage
a public space in which we are aware of having an audience
120
impression management
efforts to control how we're perceived by others
121
interpersonal discrimination
prejudicial behavior displayed by individuals
122
laws
rules that are made and enforced by cities, states, or federal governments
123
mores
tightly enforced norms that carry moral significance
124
policies
rules that are made and enforced by organizations
125
social interaction
moments we share with other people
126
social rules
culturally specific norms, policies, and laws that guide our behavior
127
social sanctions
reactions by others aimed at promoting conformity
128
symbolic interactionism
the theory that social interaction depends on the social construction of reality
129
taboos
social prohibitions so strong that the thought of violating them can be sickening
