social control, conformity and resistance Flashcards
social structure
the social organisation of society
social construction
an interactionist concept that refers to behaviour that is thought to be natural but is actually the product of cultural expectations and processes
agency
free will or the ability to choose particular courses of action
structuralist theories
theories such as functionalism, Marxism and feminism which claim people’s actions are the product of the ways their societies are organised or structured
macro approaches
a top-down approach which is mainly interested in how society or aspects of it influence individual actions
positivist
a scientific approach which aims to document the impact of social forces on human behaviour by collecting large-scale data using sociological methods which are regarded as highly reliable and objective
consensus theory
a type of structuralist approach which sees society as characterised by agreement and order: eg functionalism
conflict theories
theories such as Marxism and feminism which see societies as characterised by conflict between social classes or between men and women
humanist approach
a micro or ‘bottom-up’ approach which is interested in how social reality is ‘interpreted’ by individuals during their everyday interaction with others
voluntarism
the idea that human action is voluntary rather than imposed externally by social forces beyond the individuals control. Voluntarists as represented by social action theories believe that social behaviour is the result of people having free will and the ability to choose how to act
free will
the power to make decisions or choices that are not shaped by social forces beyond the control of the individual
self
this is composed of two parts; the ‘I’ is how people see themselves, while the ‘me’ is how we present ourselves when interacting with others
social controls
regulations and rules which aim to reinforce ‘ideal’ behaviour and to ensure conformity. Failure to abide by social controls may result in public punishment.
negative sanctions
punishments aimed at deterring deviance
ideological
based on untrue information, propagated by a powerful group, aimed at justifying and legitimating some type of inequality
conformity
abiding by or complying with social norms, rules and laws
positive sanctions
rewards which encourage conformity
subculture
a distinct group that exists within a wider society. A subculture has a very distinct and separate identity, for example, in terms of the way they dress or behave-that stands out from mainstream culture
spectacular youth subculture
highly visible groups of young people who commit themselves to a certain ‘shocking’ look in terms of hairstyle, dress codes and so on, and whose behaviour is often interpreted by the older generation and the media as ‘threatening’ the moral order or stability of society
symbolisation
a process found in some news reporting of social groups in which journalists identify key features of particular groups, especially young people, so that they can be avoided by others or be easily identified and targeted by the police
demonisation
the social practice of treating some groups as if they were ‘social problems’ or a threat to those who belong to mainstream law-abiding society.
fat-shaming
the action or practice of humiliating someone judged to be fat or overweight by making mocking or critical comments about their size
social pressure
influence exerted on an individual or group by a more or equally powerful person or group. The influence might take the from of rational argument, persuasion or coercion (threats, violence and so on). For example, a peer group may exert social pressure on an adolescent to behave in an anti-social manner
sanctions
a negative sanction is a threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule. A positive sanction may take the form of approval or a reward
