Sociology 101 Test 2

Mores

core norms that most people believe are essential.

Functionalist theory of deviance

each element of the social structure helps maintain stability of society

Physical stigma

including physical or mental impairments

Tribal stigma

membership in a discredited or oppressed group

Three types of stigma

Physical, moral, tribal

Moral panic

a backlash against perceived changes in the dominant culture

Deviance

a behavior, trait, belief, or other characteristic that violates a norm and causes a negative reaction

Subculture

a group within society differentiated by distinctive norms, values, and lifestyle

Counterculture

a group within society that openly rejects and/or actively opposes societies values and norms

Social norms

a rule or guideline regarding what kinds of behavior are acceptable and appropriate within a culture

Hegemony

a term developed by Antonio Gramsci to describe the cultural aspects of social control, whereby the ideas of the dominant social group are accepted by all of society

Crime

a violation of a norm that has been codified into law

Conflict theory of deviance

actions that do not comply with social institutions

Critiques of cultural relativism

an argument against cultural relativism is that it may allow human rights abuses to go on "in the name of culture"

Stigma

any physical or social attribute that devalues a person or group's identity, and which may exclude those who are devalued from normal social interaction

Labeling theory

putting a label on someone could create a self fulfilling prophecy or a prediction that causes itself to become true

Secondary socialization

social learning that occurs when kids enter social institutions like school (during/after school)

Structural strain theory

social structures may pressure citizens to commit crimes

Impression management

the effort to control the impressions we make on others so that they form a desired view of us and the situation; the use of self-presentation and performance tactics

Culture

the entire way of life of a group of people (including both material and symbolic elements) that acts as a lens through which one views the world and is passed from one generation to the next.

Symbolic culture

the ideas associated with a cultural group, including ways of thinking (beliefs, values, and assumptions) and ways of behaving (norms, interactions, and communication)

Primary deviance

the initial act or attitude that causes one to be labeled as deviant

Cultural relativism

the principle of understanding other cultures on their own terms, rather than judging or evaluating according to one's own cultural

Socialization

the process of learning and internalizing the values, beliefs, and norms of our social group, by which we become functioning members of society

Taboo

the strongest of social norms. Violating this causes revulsion in the community and punishment usually severe

Ethnomethodology

the study of folk methods and background knowledge that sustain a shared sense of reality in everyday interactions

Secondary deviance

the subsequent deviant identity or career that develops as a result of being labeled deviant

Dominant culture

the values, norms, and practices of the group within society that is the most powerful

Ethnocentrism

using one's own culture as a means or standard by which to evaluate another group or individual, leading to view that other cultures are abnormal or inferior

Differential association

we learn to be deviant through our association with deviant peers

Primary socialization

(a form of social learning) the period early in a person's life during which they initially learn and build themselves up through experiences and interactions around them (before school)

Symbolic interaction

a paradigm that sees interaction and meaning as central to society and assumes that meanings are not inherent but are created through interaction

Dramaturgy

an approach started by Erving Goffman in which social life is analyzed in terms of its similarities to theatrical performance

Culture wars

clashes within mainstream society over the values and norms that should be upheld

Folkways

loosely enforced norms and violation tends to evoke the least severe punishment.

Moral stigma

signs of flawed character

The looking glass self

the notion that the self develops through our perception of others evaluations and appraisals of us

Material culture

the objects associated with a cultural group, such as tools, machines, utensils, buildings, and artwork; any physical object to which we give social meaning