Understanding Sociology Flashcards
anomie
the loss of direction felt in a society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective
applied sociology
the use of the discipline of sociology with the specific intent of yielding practical applications for human behavior and organizations
basic sociology
sociological inquiry conducted with the objective of gaining a more profound knowledge of the fundamental aspects of social phenomena. also known as pure sociology
clinical sociology
the use of the discipline of sociology with the specific intent of altering social relationships or restructuring social institutions
conflict perspective
a sociological approach that assumes that social behavior is best understood in terms of tension between groups over power or the allocation of resources, including housing, money, access to services, and political representation
cultural capital
noneconomic goods, such as family background and education, which are reflected in a knowledge of language and the arts
double consciousness
the division of an individual’s identity into two or more social realities
dramaturgical approach
a view of social interaction in which people are seen as theatrical performers
dysfunction
an element or process of a society that may disrupt the social system or reduce its stability
feminist perspective
a sociological approach that views inequity in gender as central to all behavior and organization
functionalist perspective
a sociological approach that emphasizes the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability
global sociology
a level of sociological analysis that makes comparisons between entire nations, using entire societies as units of analysis
globalization
the worldwide integration of government policies, cultures, social movements, and financial markets through trade and the exchange of ideas
ideal type
a construct or model for evaluating specific cases
interactionist perspective
a sociological approach that generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction in order to explain society as a whole
latent function
an unconscious or unintended function that may reflect hidden purposes
macrosociology
sociological investigation that concentrates on large-scale phenomena or entire civilizations
manifest function
an open, stated, and conscious function
mesosociology
an intermediate level of sociological analysis that focuses on formal organizations and social movements
microsociology
sociological investigation that stresses the study of small groups, often through experimental means
natural science
the study of the physical features of nature and the ways in which they interact and change
nonverbal communication
the sending of messages through the use of gestures, facial expressions, and postures
queer theory
the study of society from the perspective of a broad spectrum of sexual identities, including heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality
science
the body of knowledge obtained by methods based on systematic observation
social capital
the collective benefit of social networks, which are built on reciprocal trust
social inequality
a condition in which members of society have differing amounts of wealth, prestige, or power
social science
the study of the social features of humans and the ways in which they interact and change
sociological imagination
an awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider society, both today and in the past
sociology
the scientific study of social behavior and human groups
theory
in sociology, a set of statements that seeks to explain problems, actions, or behavior
verstehen
the German word for “understanding” or “insight”l used to stress the need for sociologists to take into account the subjective meanings people attach to their actions
