soci1101 final exam Flashcards
What is an interactionist perspective and what are their central arguments about the nature of reality?
emphasizes the fact that humans react to their perceived definition of their circumstances, as opposed to what you might call an objective evaluation
What is a conflict perspective and what are their central arguments about the nature of reality?
views social and economic institutions as tools in the struggle among groups or classes, used to maintain inequality and the dominance of the ruling class
What is a functionalist perspective and what are their central arguments about the nature of reality?
societies are thought to function like organisms, with various social institutions working together like organs to maintain and reproduce them
What is the sociological imagination?
an ability to see the context which shapes your individual decision making, as well as the decisions made by others
What is standpoint theory?
the concept that an individual’s perspectives are shaped by their social and political experiences
Theories of the mind - Cooley and Mead
individuals develop their concept of self by observing how they are perceived by others
What is culture?
values, beliefs, systems of language, communication, and practices that people share in common and that can be used to define them as a collective
Components of culture
The major elements of culture are symbols, language, norms, values, and artifacts.
Norms: folkways
the customs or conventions of everyday life. They are a type of social norm – expectations for how we act
Norms: mores
social norms that are widely observed within a particular society or culture. Mores determine what is considered morally acceptable or unacceptable within any given culture
Norms: taboos
actions performed by an individual that are not accepted by their larger society
Responses to culture - ethnocentrism
the belief that one’s own cultural rules are the best and often better than another culture’s rules
Responses to culture- culture shock
feelings of discomfort occurring when immersed in a new culture
How are social identities created and maintained? What is the process?
People build their own social identity and maintain it by engaging in comparisons that demonstrate a favorable bias toward their in-group
Be able to distinguish, sociologically, between: race & ethnicity
Race refers to a socially constructed category based on physical characteristics such as skin color, ethnicity, on the other hand, refers to shared cultural traits.
Be able to distinguish, sociologically, between: gender & sex
“sex” typically refers to the biological characteristics that define male and female bodies. “gender” refers to the social, cultural, and behaviors that are associated with being male or female in society.
complicating factors - intersex people
Intersex is an umbrella term used to describe individuals born with variations in sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female
complicating factors - one-drop laws
aka “blood quantum” laws, are racial classification regulations in the United States that historically defined a person as legally black if they had any African ancestry, no matter how small or remote
Prejudice & Stereotypes
an evaluation or emotion toward people merely based on their group membership
Conspicuous consumption
coined by Thorstein Veblen it refers to the consumption of goods and services for the purpose of displaying social status or wealth
dramaturgy
analogy of social interaction as a theatrical performance where individuals play roles.
Front stage
where individuals perform and present themselves to others
Back stage
where individuals relax and can be themselves away from the public eye
Impression management
techniques individuals use to control or manipulate the impression others have of them
