Sociology Flashcards
Sociology
The systematic study of human society and social interactions
Sociological imagination
The ability to see relationships between individual experiences and the larger society Ex: public issues
Society
a large social grouping that shares the same geographical territory, same political authority, dominant cultural expectations.
Functionalist perspective
Based on the assumption that society is stable orderly system.
Post modernist perspective
Argue that existing theories have been unsuccessful in explaining social life in contemporary societies that are characterized by post-industrialization and global communications
Symbolic interactionist perspective
argue that society is the sum of the interactions of individuals and groups
Conflict perspective
Argue that groups in society are engaged in a continuous power struggle for control over scarce resources.
Culture
the knowledge, language, vales, customs, and material objects that are passed from person to person.
Nature vs. Nurture
nature being the environment they were born into goes into nurture that is provided by guardian.
World view
a set of beliefs, values, and assumptions that shape a person’s or group outlook on life and how they interact with the world.
socialization
the lifelong process of social interaction through which individuals acquire a self-identity and the physical, mental, and social skills needed for survival in society.
social interaction
The process of how people influence each other during social encounters.
agents of socialization
The persons, groups, or institutions that teach us what we need to know in order to participate in society.
a generalized other
George Herbert Mead, the collective understanding of societal norms, values, and expectations that individuals internalize and use to guide their behavior and interpret social interactions within a community.
social influence
The process by which individuals change their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors as a result of interactions with other people or groups.
racial socialization
the aspect of socialization that contains specific messages and practices concerning that nature of one’s racial or ethnic status as it relates to our identity, relationships, and location.
Social structure
The complex frame work of societal institutions and the social practices that make up a society and that organize and establish limits on people’s behavior.
Studied nonobservance
a situation where individuals in a social setting deliberately choose not to acknowledge or respond to certain behaviors or social cues, essentially ignoring them, even if they are aware.
values
a culture’s beliefs about what us good and just.
Institutions
systems of rules, norms, and organizations that govern social life.
Status symbols
a material sign that informs others of a person’s specific status
Status
a socially defined position in a group or society characterized by certain expectations, rights, and duties
Roles
a set of behavioral expectations associated with a given status.
Groups
a collection of people who share similar characteristics, values, and goals.
organizations
a group of people who work together to achieve a common goal.
formal organizations
a social system with a clear structure, rules, and goals.
social group
a collection of two or more people who interact with each other, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity.
Primary group
small, close-knit group of people who share long-term, intimate relationships.
Secondary group
a relatively large, impersonal group of people who interact primarily to achieve a specific goal or task, with relationships often being temporary and focused on functional roles rather than emotional intimacy.
Group think
The process by which members of a cohesive group arrive at a decision that many individual members privately believe is unwise.
Goal Displacement
a process that occurs in organizations when the rules become an end in themselves rather than a means to an end, and organizational survival becomes more important than achievement of goals.
Stigma
a social attribute that is discrediting to an individual or group.
Conformity
The act of changing ones beliefs, actions, or attitudes to match those of the group.
Deviance
any behavior, belief, or condition that violates significant social norms in society or group it occurs.
Crime
Behavior that violates criminal law and is punishable with fines, jail terms, or other negative sanctions.
Rational choice theory
deviant behavior occurs when a person weighs the costs and benefits of criminal behavior and determines that the benefits will outweigh the risks involved.
Differential association theory
The proposition that people have a greater tendency to deviate from societal norms when they frequently associate with persons who are more favorable toward deviance than conformity.
Social bond theory
The proposition that the probability of deviant behavior increases when a person’s ties to society are weakened or broken.
Incapacitation
A criminal justice theory that aims to prevent crime by removing an offender from society.
Rehabilitation
the study f social processes and structures that help people reintegrate into society after a health impairment or disability.
Social stratification
the hierarchical arrangement of large social groups based on their control of basic resources.
Conflict perspective
A view of that society is characterized by conflict and inequality, and that power imbalances lead to social injustice.
Social class
A way to describe the divisions in society based on factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation.
social mobility
the movement of individuals or groups from one level in a stratification system to another
Social inequality
The unequal distribution of resources, power, and opportunities among individuals and groups within society.
Caste Systems
a system of social inequality in which people’s status is permanently determined at birth based on their parents’ ascribed characteristics.
