Sociology

Hegemony

a condition where the dominant group uses power to elicit forced "go with the flow" from the masses by conforming to the majority

Subculture

a distinct pattern of cultural values within a larger culture that is united by different concepts, values, symbols and is shared within the larger group (ex: goth)

Independent Variable

a factor that the researcher believes has a causal impact on the dependent variable, so he/she will change it to test the theory

Dyad

a group of two on which the relationship is equally contingent on two players to keep it in existence (ex: a relationship between a couple)

Reference Group

a group that helps us understand or make sense of our position in a society relative to other groups. Ex: Rival High schools, rival football teams and other "rivals" that devolve into a pecking order to show the status of one's own group

Small Group

a group with four factors. (ex would be a study group) 1. Face-to-face interaction. All members of the group are present and interact with one another and are not spread geographically out. 2. Unifocal - there is one conversation and center of attention but turn-taking speaking occurs, so the power politics is not uneven. 3. Lack of Formal Arrangement- the meeting is very relaxed and last minute. Attendance is not mandatory and the date has been decided readily last minute, not planned for weeks. 4. Equality - there is no one person leading the group or more powerful. No one member can dissolve/break up the group. If he/she is absent, the group can go on.

Positivist Sociology

a lens of sociology that believes the social world can be described and predicted by certain relationships (like social physics)

Party

another group with the same four factors, but varies in by being multifocal. (ex would be a sleepover, team dinner or other fun activities) 1. Face-to-face Interaction 2. Lack of Formal Arrangement 3. Equality 4. Multifocal - multiple conversations are occurring at the same time and different people grouping in different parts of the room/house according to preference for that company or topic.

Midrange Theory

not macro or micro sociology. Attempts to predict how certain social institutions tend to function. (eg the theory of a household.)

Historical Methods

research that collects data from written reports, newspapers, journals, tv, diaries, art, and other artifacts that date to a similar prior time period than the study takes place in

Gender Roles

set of behaviors assumed to accompany one's status as a gender - be it male, female, gay or straight male/female

Reflection Theory

the idea that culture is a projection of social structure (telling it like it is) when in reality it is our reactions to art that make culture

Self

the individual identity of oneself as perceived by oneself. The way I (Kaylee) perceive the person Kaylee

Ethnocentrism

the inherent belief that one's culture is superior to others and others should conform to your belief system.

Causality

the notion that a change in one factor results in a corresponding change in another. Ex: Lemonade sales go up with temperature.

Dependent Variable

the outcome that the researcher is trying to explain

Public Sociology

the practice of sociological research, teaching and service that seeks to engage a non-academic audience for a productive end or change (ex: gay rights)

Socialization

the process by which people are born into/learn values, beliefs and norms of a society and learn to function as members within that society

Operationalization

the process of assigning a precise method for measuring a term being examined in a particular study. Ex: what "the poverty line" constitutes

Consumerism

the steady acquisition of material possessions with the belief that money CAN buy happiness

Sociology

the study of human society

Sample

the subset of people that represent a larger whole

Role Conflict

the tension caused by competing demands of two or more roles (such as mother and doctor)

Functionalism

the theory that social institutions and processes exist to serve some important function. The functions may be manifest or latent. Ex: healthcare, or the mafia.

Norms

the unspoken rules of behavior

Adult Socialization

the ways in which you are socialized when you are or become an adult. For instance, what your job entails, the responsibilities, the kind of house/neighbordhood you are expected to live in

Role Strain

when a role is very stressful or demanding to the straining point of excluding the others

Validity

when an instrument measures what it's supposed to measure. Ex: rulers measure length

Feminist Methodology

a set of systems that treat women's experiences as legitimate and equal empirical data and promotes social science for women

Reverse Causality

a situation when A makes B change, but in reality it is B changing A

Achieved Status

a status into which one enters by merit or actions; a voluntary status

Ascribed Status

a status you were born with and involuntary

Ideology

a system of concepts and relationships that explore cause and effect

Content Analysis

a systematic analysis of the CONTENT rather than the structure of a communication such as written work, speech or film

Divide Et Impera

"Divide and Conquer" it means the third party deliberately causes strife between the other two for some sort of personal pleasure/gain ex: a sister between a husband and wife if she thinks her sister is being abused

Face

"Saving Face" - the esteem by which an individual is held by others - the status one achieves by actions (such as being humorous or brave) Saving Face is when you use an excuse to cover an egregious social error (like farting in public or saying something offensive)

Tertius Gaudens

(TERSHUS GAUDYENS) "the third that rejoices" - the individual who profits from the disagreement of the other two in the triad without purposefully causing the rift. ex: a kid during a divorce process in which the parents compete for his/her affections

Hypothesis

A proposed relationship between the dependent and independent variable

Agents of Socialization

Aspects that assimilate/teach you the unwritten rules of life namely: 1) Families 2) School 3) Peers 4) Media

Jane Addams

Founded the Hull House - first social work house in America. And put into practice the idea of directly helping the poor by hands on activities.

Georg Simmel (1950) Groups

Has a classic work "Quantitative Aspects of the Group" Simmel suggests that without knowing anything about the individuals, the form of the group creates certain preset roles individuals fill. Explored the idea that the dyad can only survive if both parties are committed. Also posited the three basic forms of political relations that occur within a triad. Finally, there are groups larger than a dyad or triad, and the different large groups have different characteristics. There can be Small Groups, Parties and Large Groups. Explained that groups and relationships can multiply relationships exponentially even by adding just one more person to the group. A three person group between Harry, Ron and Hermione has three relationships = H/He, H/R and He/R. But add one more person to the group, say Ginny, and suddenly the relationships expand to six possible relationships - H/He, H/R, He/R, R/G, H/G, He/G - even adding one person can complicate a formerly simple relationship

Generalized Other

It comes with learning to calculate the personalities, reactions and probabilities of instances of another or other people. A better awareness of the "other" is called being perceptive. It also means our expectations for people or places we have never met or been to. (Example - what the Bahamas are like. I've never been there, but I've been to the beach and seen the ads.)

Macro-sociology

Looking at large scale and broad interactions. (Gender norms in the Middle East.)

Micro-sociology

Looking at small scale interactions in a local setting. (People who stare straight ahead in the elevator)

Karl Marx

One of the three founding sociologists. He elaborated on a theory of what drives human history called "historical materialism." Marx believed that class conflicts drove social change throughout history.

Emile Durkheim

One of the three founding sociologists. Studied how society holds together and how modern capitalism and industrialization changed how people related to one another and treated one another. Argued that the division of labor created a multi-layered strata of new class differences. The more specialized a society, the more micro-classes there were. Also wrote "Suicide" in which he explores how an individual is a product of society and most things are out of his control. Mostly, our days have a set pattern of group life and routines. When those are disrupted with a sense of purported aimlessness and hopelessness, that is called "Anomie" that results when a person can no longer expect life to have a structure or purpose. Was also considered the founding father of "Positivist Sociology."

Max Weber

One of the three founding sociologists. Wrote "Economy and Society" (1922) and the essay "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" (1930). In the latter, he argued that the protestant reformation laid the groundwork for modern capitalism by upending the idea of Catholic "virtuous poverty." One of his most contributions was "Verstehen" (Understanding) when he suggested sociologists should approach sociology from the perspective of living within that society.

I

One's sense of agency, action or power - what I want, what I do (I want a cookie. A really big one.)

Other

Someone or something outside of the self. This is the last thing/perception to develop in young children.

American Sociology

Started at the Chicago School and looked at human's behaviors as shaped by their social and physical environment (called social ecology). Also studying Urbanism - immigration, race, ethnicity, politics and family life. Anonymity of the city and the ethnic division in cities. Also looked into the theory of the Social Self - how we develop through games, interactions and growing up. It also encompasses how we see "the other" or the rest of society.

Out Group

The "outcast" group, which is less powerful or considered the minority regardless of numbers

Mediator

The mediator attempts to resolve conflict between the other two members of the triad and is sometimes brought in for that purpose: Harry in H/R/H

Large Group

The primary characteristics are: 1. Formal Structure/Arrangement - this has been prearranged and set up purposefully with the gathering in mind 2. Status Differentiation - someone clearly has more power/is leading 3. Unifocal (an example would be a classroom or team practice)

Resocialization

The process by which one's sense of social values, beliefs and norms have to be acculturated or changed often deliberately through an intense and radical social process. Examples: learning to be a soldier, how to be in a Fraternity, moving to another country

Me

The sense of self as percieved by the object of "I" - as the way oneself thinks others see the self. The way my friends view me (Kaylee) instead of the way I view me.

Liminality

The stage of transition between two roles in society, such as pre adolescence (between child and adulthood) or bride-to-be

Social Institution

a complex group of interdependent positions that perform a social role and reproduce themselves over time. An institution in society that works to shape the behavior of the people within it. It usually comes with a prejudice or attributes attached to it. Ex: Georgetown. (Rich snobs, but also very prestigious and smart students) The FBI (secretive but strong ex-military.) Any line of employment.

Symbolic Interactionism

a micro level theory in which shared meanings, orientations and assumptions form the basic motivations behind people's actions 1. Humans act towards ideas/values based on how worthwhile they are in society 2. These meanings are the products of social interaction 3. The meanings are modified/filtered through an interpretative process individually

Symbolic Interactionism

a micro-level theory that people react to symbols they learned from society (red light means stop.)

Post Modernism

a notion how symbols have eroded in culture. That face value "facts" of society can now be broken down and debated.

Total Institution

a place in which one is totally immersed in day-to-day life and cannot escape the activities or surroundings. No barriers exist between the aspects of life (such as work and play). Examples include prison, college (being a student and a friend and a housemate simultaneously) and the military

Status

a recognizable social position in regard to rank in power

Culture

a set of beliefs, traditions and practices learned from birth. What makes it home when we are abroad.

Social Network

a set of relations, a set of dyads (usually between yourself and another person) held together by ties.

Ties

a set of stories or memories that explains how two people know each other. (Example - we met through my sister's best friend.)

Status Set

all the statuses that one holds simultaneously at a given time

Population

an entire group of individual persons or items from which a sample can be taken

Social Construct

an entity that exists because people acts like it does. ex: Santa Claus or "Big Brother"

Reflexivity

analyzing and critically considering our own role in our research and how the research has been affected

Qualitative Methods

attempt to collect information that cannot be put into numeric format. Usually explaining actions in words or why things are the way they are. Used by people who interview, spend time with and open ended manner of reviewing or watching.

Double Consciousness

concept by DuBois. The first "script" is how we move through the world and society. The second script is how racially prejudiced outsiders view oneself and how to correctly behave according to that prejudice so as not to propagate it.

Conflict Theory

developed by Marx that change must come in revolutionary leaps instead of small steps in order to be effective and permanent.

Material Culture

everything that is part of the constructed, physical environment

Harriet Martineau

first to translate Comte into English. She was also an early feminist sociologist.

Georg Simmel

founder of "Formal Sociology" - sociology of pure numbers. Studied small interactions (microinteractions) between groups or subcultures through numbers. Created definitions of much used words such as 'stranger,' and 'the poor.'

Secondary Group

groups marked by a cause but also impersonal, instrumental relationships as for a means to an end. Examples include: labor unions and political parties

Reliability

likelihood of getting consistent results over and over ex: a clock that's 5 minutes fast isn't valid, but it is reliable because you only have to subtract 5 to get the proper time

Primary Group

limited in number of members, and have face-to-face interaction. The group is an end to itself. Primary groups are key agents in socialization. These are composed of intimate relationships that strongly influence attitudes and ideals. The first Primary Group one experiences is the family, and the second is close friends. Other groups can include: youth groups, bands, teams, cliques and clubs.

Comparative Research

methodology by which two or more entities (like countries) that are similar in many dimensions but vary on particular ones that can be taken into question (like USA and Canada)

Experimental Methods

methods that seek to alter the social landscape in a very specific way for a given sample of individuals and then track what results that change - often use a control group to see the differences

Quantitative Methods

methods that seek to obtain information about the social world already in or can be converted to numeric form. It uses statistical analysis to describe the world such as surveys, sampling bank records or measuring heights.

Cultural Scripts

modes of behavior and understanding that are not universal

Auguste Comte

positivism arose out of a need to make moral sense of the social order in a time of declining religious authority. He believed the idea of morality was defined by society and not by religion. The job of a sociologist was to develop aforementioned "secular morality." Argued that society had undergone three historical changes: 1. Theological Stage - society was a result of divine will (kings ruled under the will of God and the feudal system was put in place because people were born into their lot in life.) 2. Metaphysical Stage - humans behavior was governed by natural/biological instinct. Needed to strip away society to see how our basic drives governed the foundation for our society. 3. Scientific Stage - "social physics" to identify the scientific laws that rule human behavior. How we relate to one another, overall structure of society if we merely looked at their underlying logic (such as capitalism).

Dramaturgical Theory

proposed by Erving Goffman that the world is a stage with certain, sets, scripts, roles, props and actors.

Ethnomethodology

proposed by Harold Garfinkel means "the methods of the people" which approaches the study of human interactions focused on the ways in which we make sense of the world, convey the understanding and hold a mutual understanding of what is socially acceptable (such as being quiet and self absorbed on an airplane)

Participant Observation

qualitative research method that seeks to observe social actions in practice

Deductive Approach

starts with a theory, forms a hypothesis, makes empirical observations and then confirms, rejects or modifies the hypothesis. Ex: I believe that the hotter it is outside, the more kids sell lemonade. Research would confirm.

Inductive Approach

starts with observations and then works to form a theory. Ex: I notice that ice cream sales are slow in winter, or that there are a lot of sales at Baskin Robins. I then think about WHY that might be and conduct a test.

Cultural Relativism

taking into account the differences across cultures without passing judgment

Charles Horton Cooley (1909)

talks about Primary and Secondary groups

Sociological Imagination

the ability to connect the basic aspects of an individual's life to bigger (and sometimes historical) forces. To see the veneer of what our society really is and the daily life of that, then contrast to previous societies and to track the changes that are subtly shifting currently.

Culture Jamming

the act of playing the media against themselves (such as parody advertisements)

In Group

the category of people who is "in" or has control of the masses. This does not always make them the majority. Think "in crowd" or popular people in high school who numbered few, but ran the boards like Program Council

Master Status

the defining status of one's life, most of the time to the exclusion of all others in other people's minds. Example: when Mom's patients call and don't seem to realize she's a mom and a friend and a teacher not JUST their doctor waiting anxiously by the phone

Role

the duties and behaviors that accompany certain statuses

Generalizability

the extent to which we can claim that the findings inform us about a group larger than the one we studied. Ex: how college students feel about homosexuality versus middle aged people based on a small and random sampling

Triad

three OR MORE that form a group in which one person does not hold sway or more power than the others

Correlation

two variables that vary together but may not be direct causes of one another: Ex. People who have higher income have better health. But money doesn't make you healthy - the resources it provides do.

Non Material Culture

values, beliefs, traditions and social norms

Looking-Glass Self

we alter our personality and reactions in accordance to how other's see us.