Unit 1

Social Darwinism

The belief that only the fittest survive in human political and economic struggle.

Ethnocentrism

belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group

Mores

fixed customs or manners; moral attitudes

cultural relativism

not judging a culture but trying to understand it on its own terms

Norms

rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members

hedonism

self indulgence; pleasure-seeking

Symbols

something that represents something else

Beliefs

specific ideas that people hold to be true

Acculturation

the adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture

material culture

the physical things created by members of a society

Ethics

the principles of right and wrong that guide an individual in making decisions

Sociology

the systematic study of human society

Technology

Knowledge that people use to make a way of life in their surroundings

Diffusion

Movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

society

A community of people who share a common culture

Counter Culture

A culture with lifestyles and values opposed to those of the established culture.

Subculture

A group of people with shared value systems based on common life experiences and situations

Enlightenment

A movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason in the reappraisal of accepted ideas and social institutions.

Hypothesis

An educated guess

Internalization of norms

Become a part of individual own set of beliefs

Culture

Beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.

social facts

Can be measured and proven. Makes Sociology a science

Taboo

Excluded or forbidden from use or mention