SOCIOLOGY CH. 16 Flashcards
the transformation of a culture over time
social change
behavior that follows from the formation of a group or crowd of people who take action together toward a shared goal
collective behavior
one of the earliest theories of collective action; suggests that individuals who join a crowd can become “infected” by a mob mentality and lose the ability to reason
contagion theory
a theory of collective behavior that assumes individual members of a crowd make their own decisions about behavior and that norms are created through others’ acceptance or rejection of these behaviors
emergent norm theory
a temporary gathering of people in a public place; members might interact but do not identify with each other and will not remain in contact
crowd
continuous disorderly behavior by a group of people that disturbs the peace and is directed toward other people and/or property
riot
large groups of people engaging in similar behaviors without necessarily being in the same place
mass behavior
interests or practices followed enthusiastically for a relatively short period of time
fads
the widespread custom or style of behavior and appearance at a particular time or in a particular place
fashion
a situation in which behavior that is rational for the individual can, when practiced by many people, lead to collective disaster
social dilemma
a type of social dilemma in which many individuals’ overexploitation of a public resource depletes or degrades that common resource
tragedy of the commons
a type of social dilemma in which individuals incur the cost to contribute to a collective resource, though they may never benefit from that resource
public goods dilemma
any social group with leadership, organization, and an ideological commitment to promote or resist social change
social movement
any activity intended to bring about social change
activism
term describing resistance to particular social changes, efforts to maintain the status quo, or attempts to reestablish an earlier form of social order
regressive
term describing efforts to promote forward-thinking social change
progressive
a theory of social movements that assumes people join not because of the movement’s ideals but to satisfy a psychological need to belong to something larger than themselves
mass society theory
a theory of social movements that focuses on the actions of oppressed groups seeking rights or opportunities already enjoyed by others in the society
relative deprivation theory
redrawing the boundary lines of state voting districts in order to advantage one political party over another
gerrymandering
a theory of social movements that focuses on the practical constraints that help or hinder social movements’ action
resource mobilization theory
the dissemination of material and symbolic culture (tools and technology, beliefs and behavior) from one group to another
cultural diffusion
a theory of social change that assumes changes in technology drive changes in society, rather than vice versa
technological determinism
the time between changes in material culture or technology and the resulting changes in the broader culture’s relevant norms, values, meanings, and laws
cultural lag
social groups whose interactions are mediated through information technologies, particularly the Internet
virtual communities
Marshall McLuhan’s term describing the way that new communication technologies override barriers of space and time, joining together people all over the globe
global village
the cultural and economic changes resulting from dramatically increased international trade and exchange in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries
globalization
the imposition of one culture’s beliefs and practices on another culture through media and consumer products rather than by military force
cultural imperialism
the process by which cultures that were once unique and distinct become increasingly similar
cultural leveling
a term that characterizes industrialized societies, including the decline of tradition, an increase in individualism, and a belief in progress, technology, and science
modernity
a term that characterizes postindustrial societies, including a focus on the production and management of information and skepticism of science and technology
postmodernity
