Sociological Flashcards
applied sociology
using sociology to slove problems
basic sociology
research whose purpose is to make discoveries about life in human groups, not to make changes in those groups
conflict theory
society is composed of groups competing for scare resouces
empirical statement
describes what is in the social world without evaluating it; based on facts, not opinion
ethnomethodology
the study of how people use background assumptions to make sense out of life
functional analysis
society is viewed as composed of various parts
latent functions
unintended consequences
macro sociology
examination of large- scale patterns of society
manifest functions
intended and recognized consequences
micro sociology
examination of small-scale patterns of society
normative statements
expresses a value judgment about whether a situation is desirable or undesirable expresses a judgment about ought to be
phenomenology
social reality is constructed in the minds of social actors
positivism
the application of the scientific approach to the social world
social facts
Durkheim’s term for a group’s pattern of behavior
social institutions
the organized means each society develops to meet its basic needs
social integration
the degree to which people feel a part of social groups
social reality
theory for explaining how cultures construct and maintain their realities using signs and symbols; argues that people learn to behave in their social world through interaction with it
society
a group of people who share a culture and a territory
sociological perspective
the special point of view of sociology that sees general patterns of society in the lives of particular people
sociology
the scientific study of human behavior in groups
symbolic interactionism
a micro level theory in which shared meanings, orientations, and assumptions form the basic motivation behind people’s action
verstehen
understanding social behavior by putting yourself in the place of others
