contemporary society

sensorimotor

(0-2 yrs) a. Perception of touch

formal operational

(11-15 yrs) a. Capable of handling abstract concepts & hypothetical situations b. Problem-solver

preoperational

(2-7 yrs) a. Master basic modes of logical thought b. Understand based on experience (schema) c. egocentric

concrete operational

(7-11 yrs) a. Physical perception of the world

quantitative

analyze statistics & data, numbers, what/when?

interactional vandalism

-deliberate subversion of the tacit rules of conversation -ex: catcalling, you are walking your dog and strangers run up to you to pet your dog & ask questions

newly industrializing economies (NIEs)

-developing countries that over the past 2 or 3 decades have begun to develop a strong industrial base

conversation analysis

-empirical study of conversations, examining details of naturally occurring conversations to reveal the organizational principles of talk and its role in the production & reproduction of social order

multiculturalism

-ethnic groups exist separately and share equally in economic & political life

non-verbal communication

-face, gestures, emotions -not universal -communicate without words -convey sarcasm, skepticism, joking -give away our true feelings

losing/saving face

-first impression is going wrong; need to "save" it

ethnography

-firsthand studies of people using participant observation or interviewing

emile durkheim

-functionalism: function of parts of society -solidarity & stability -manifest= intended -latent= unintended

variables

-independent= variable that stands alone, causes change in dependent variable -dependent= depends on the independent variable

Norms

-informal understandings that govern individual's behavior in society -safeguard our values -control behavior -makes behavior systematic -maintains social order -creates social solidarity

solidarity

-integrates people into social groups regulated by norms

conflict theory

-karl marx -focuses on ways in which certain groups are exploited -social mobility, social revolution -change is important in society

cultural universals

-language -marriage -religious rituals -property rights -incest prohibition -art, dancing -bodily adornment -games -gift giving -joking -hygiene

developing world

-less-developed societies in which industrial production is virtually nonexistent or limited -most of world's population lives here

macro-sociology v. micro-sociology

-macro= the study of the broader features of society like race, class, or gender -micro= the study of everyday behavior in situations of face-to-face interaction

nature v. nurture

-nature: are we shaped by biology & evolution? (biologists, psychologists) -nurture: are we products of learning through life's experiences? (sociologists)

self-identity

-ongoing process of self-definition

sanctions

-penalties for breaking norm -types: shame, guilt, informational (automatic, bad reputation)

origins of sociology

-political change -industrialization -rise of science

nation-state

-political community with clearly delimited borders; governments have extensive powers over citizens' lives -present in industrialized societies

bias

-prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair -can get in the way of the intended message

impression management

-preparing for the presentation of one's social role -visual appearance -manner & general behavior -managing body language -exaggeration/downplaying -bending the truth

socialization

-process whereby children learn social norms & values, and achieve a distinct sense of self -contributes to social reproduction

colonialism

-process whereby western nations establish their rule in parts of the world away from their home territories

global culture

-produced by forces: economy, communication, migration

response cries

-seemingly involuntary exclamations individuals make when, for example, being taken by surprise, dropping something inadvertently, or expressing pleasure -ex: whoa, ouch, yikes

front stage

-setting of social activity in which people seek to put on a definite "performance" for others -comprised of appearance, manner, and setting

gender roles

-social roles assigned to each sex and labeled as masculine or feminine

primary v. secondary v. adult socialization

-socialization occurs through all stages of life -childhood, teenager, young adult, mature adult, old age

social roles

-socially defined expectations for a person in a given social position

karl marx

-society is divided by class; inequality -wrote the communist manifesto -capitalism to communism: believed that the elite would eventually give up power (elite vanguard), he hoped to guide the poor to the communist side, didn't actually happen -conflict perspective -proponent of power: ability of individuals to achieve aims that further their own interests

empirical

-sociology is an empirical science -based on careful & systematic observation

assimilation

-the acceptance of a minority group by a majority population in which the new group takes on the values & norms of the dominant culture

cultural lag

-the fact that some cultural elements change more quickly than others, disrupting a cultural system -changes set in motion by: -invention -discovery -diffusion

cultural relativism

-the practice of judging a society by its own standards

social interaction

-the process by which we act & react to those around us

social reproduction

-the process of perpetuating values, norms, and practices, leading to structural continuity over time

sociology

-the science of society, social institutions, and social relationships

social position

-the social identity an individual has in a given group or society

ethnomethodology

-the study of how people make sense of what others say & do in the course of day-to-day social interaction -created by sociologist Harold Garfinkel

semiotics

-the study of the ways in which non-linguistic phenomena can generate meaning -ex: traffic light, stop sign

ethnocentrism

-the tendency to look at other cultures through the eyes of one's own culture and thereby misrepresent them

george herbert mead

-theories of child development -achieve self-awareness when we learn to distinguish "I" (individual self) from the "me" (social self) -process called self-consciousness -children begin to understand values & morality that govern social life, learning to grasp the generalized other

how culture is expressed

-through speech & writing -words shape how we see the world -words reinforce inequalities

identity

-understandings about who one is and what is meaningful to him/her

triangulation

-use (2) different methods to come to the same conclusion

content analysis

-use cultural & historical documents or artifacts

sub-cultures

-values & norms distinct from those of the majority, held by a group within a wider society

functionalism

-what is society doing when it is doing well? -function of parts of society -Emile Durkheim

self-consciousness

-when we achieve self-awareness by learning to distinguish "I" (individual self) from the "me" (social self)

steps in research process

1. Research question 2. Review literature 3. Hypothesis 4. Design research project 5. Carry out research 6. Analyze followings 7. Report findings

types of solidarity

1. organic: industrialization, political change, egoism, individual freedoms & integration 2. mechanical: small town, strong beliefs

sociocultural evolution of society

-4 stages: hunter-gatherer, agrarian, pastoral, traditional/feudal, industrialized

dramaturgy

-Erving Goffman -in life we play a number of social roles, expected behaviors of people occupying particular social

generalized other

-George Mead -understanding values & morality that govern social life -children are able to take into account the attitudes & perspectives of others in their social group -final stage in childhood development process

society

-a group of people who live in a particular territory are subject to a common system of political authority and are aware of having a distinct identity from other groups

power

-ability to influence or control the behavior of people -Karl Marx used the concept of power in relation to social classes and social systems rather than individuals -power rests in a social class' position in the relations of production -power does not lie in the relationship between individuals, but in domination and subordination of social classes based on the relations of production

surveys

-administer questionnaires to population (usually quantitative)

sociobiology

-an approach that attempts to explain the behavior of both animals and human beings in terms of biological principles

experiments

-analyze variable in a controlled environment

signifier

-any vehicle of meaning & communication

back stage

-areas apart from the front region performance in which individuals are able to relax and behave informally

reflexivity

-awareness of how the research can affect the results

how cultures change

-change in one dimension of a cultural system usually sparks changes in others

symbols

-change over time -verbal or nonverbal, written or unwritten -anything that conveys a meaning

social identity

-characteristics that are attributed to an individual by others

culture

-complex system of meaning & behavior that defines the way of life for a group/society -culture influences action by shaping a "tool kit" of habits, skills, & styles from which people construct "strategies of action" -symbols & strategies -old definition: entire way of life -newer definition: consists of symbolic vehicles of meaning- beliefs, rituals, art forms, ceremonies, language, gossip, stories, daily life rituals -these symbols are the means through which "social processes of sharing modes of behavior & outlook within a community" take place

correlation v. causation

-correlation= relationship b/w variables -causation= direct relationship

agrarian

a. Based on rural communities without towns or cities b. Livelihood gained through agriculture (some hunting) c. Stronger inequalities than hunter/gatherer d. Rules by community leader/chief

schools

a. Formal curriculum b. Classroom norms c. Teacher's authority

mass media

a. Forms of communication such as newspapers, magazines, radio, tv b. Rising concerns about violence and its effect on children

family

a. Key during primary socialization b. Language and basic behavioral patterns c. Family diversity

peer relationships

a. Peer group: individuals of a certain age (cohort) b. Bill Corsaro: "interpretive reproduction" c. Ex: mean girls

pastoral

a. Size ranges from a few hundred people to thousands b. Depend on the tending of domesticated animals for their subsistence c. Marked by distinct inequalities d. Rule by chiefs or warrior kings

hunting & gathering

a. Small numbers of people gaining livelihood from hunting, fishing, & gathering edible plants b. Few inequalities c. Differences of rank limited by age & gender

industrialized

a. Strongly developed nation-states in which the majority of the population work in factories or offices rather than in agriculture b. Most people live in urban areas c. Government has extensive powers over citizens' lives

work

a. Teaches us how to be "professional" b. Unique demands: time management, dress, interactions

traditional/feudal

a. Very large in size (millions can exist) b. Some cities exist, in which trade & manufacture are concentrated c. Based largely on agriculture d. Major inequalities exist among different classes e. Distinct apparatus (structure) of government headed by a king or emperor

major agents of socialization

family schools peer relationships mass media work

qualitative

gather data & reasoning, more interpretive observations, why/how?

jean piaget's stages of cognitive development

sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational