Introduction to sociology

Cause of culture change

In the society-culture shift in response to changed conditions in the society like economic changes; cultures change through inventions, innovation, discovery, external pressures, cultural diffusion/the transmission of cultural elements from one society or cultural group to another; cultures change, and cultural change external pressure/could be imposed like when a powerful group takes over a society and sets a new culture

Class system creates inequality are

Inter group power struggles, inequality, unequal access, competition for resources, and not meeting the needs of all members of society, capitalism the haves and the haves note

Functionalism-macrosociology

Interprets each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole each part functional for society. The functionalist perspective, also known as structural functionalism , interprets each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole and use a macro approach in viewing or analyzing society.

Rite of passage

Is a ceremony or ritual that marks an individuals transition from one role to another

Culture war

Is a conflict pitting a subculture or a counter subculture against the dominant culture or a conflict between groups within a society. A culture was is a conflict between social groups and the struggle to dominate their values, beliefs, and practices. It commonly refers to the hot button topics on which there is general societal disagreement and polarization in societal values is seen

Society

Is a group of people who share a culture and a defined territory. Society and culture go hand in hand; neither can exist without the other. Because of this interdependence, social scientists sometimes interchange the terms culture and society

Digital divide

Is a term used to refer to the persistence of inequality in peoples access to electronic information

Feminist theory

Is a theory on women's rights and gender equality-it involves the study of women's roles in society which include their rights,priv, interests, and concerns-it serves as an extension of feminism which evaluates the rightful place of women in society

total institution

Is an isolated and enclosed social system that controls most aspects of its participants lives.

Social control

Is how groups and individuals are brought into conformity with dominant social expectations. Conformity to social expectations does not eliminate individuality

Self

Is more than an interior bundle of drives, instincts, and motives

Ethnocentrism

Is the belief that one's culture, society, or group is inherently superior to others. Because people internalize their culture and tend to see their way of life as the best and the most natural, they often disparage those with differing attitudes and behavior as inferior, wrong, or backward

independent variable

Is the cause of something else

Culture shock

Is the feeling of disorientation when one encounters a new or rapidly changed situation. They experience confusion disorientation, or anxiety accompanying exposure to an unfamiliar way of life

dependent variable

Is the outcome/what is being measured

Resocialization

Is the process of unlearning old ways of doing things and adopting new attitudes, values, norms, and behavior

Socialization

Is the process through which people learn the expectations of society-to be a thoroughly socialized member means to have internalized the expected norms of that society. Socialization continues throughout a lifetime

In contrast to knowledge based on tradition and authority, sociological research is essential in peoples everyday lives for several reasons

It counteracts misinformation, it exposes myths, it helps explain why people behave as they do, it affects social policies, and it sharpens critical thinking skills

Conflict theorists

Produced within institutions based on inequality and capitalistic principles. Conflict theorists maintain that many cultural values and norms benefit some members of society more than others

Qualitative

Provides rich, descriptive data as it examine and interprets nonnumerical material; studies are more interpretive observations based on observations and are more subjective

The main difference between informal and formal sanctions is

That formal sanctions are legally sanctioned, where as informal sanctions are not

Functionalism maintains

That society is a complex system of interdependent parts that work together to ensure a society's survival. stability, Cohesiveness, collective consciousness, and institutions fulfill the needs of society and are functional

Charles Horton Cooley

The sense of self isn't innate but emerges out of social relationships. Cooley called this social self the reflected self, or the looking-glass self, a self image based on how we think others see us. He proposed that the looking glass self develops in an ongoing process of three phases perception, interpretation, response.

C. Wright Mills quote 2

We need to see how personal troubles are better understood as public social issues. He created a distinction between the two. We need to step out of heads-let go our judgements to see how social forces impact our private lives.

Sociology first emerged as a discipline in

Western Europe due to the changes that took place due to the French and industrial revolution during 18th and 19th centuries

Auguste comte

father of sociology, desired to understand society using the scientific method called positivism. He believed that society operated under the physical laws of nature and needed a new science called sociology

Quantitative focuses

on numerical analysis of peoples responses or specific characteristics, studying a wide range of attitudes, behaviors, and traits

Cultural imperialism

A process by which one society's cultural values and products influence or dominate those of another. A great deal of cultural imperialism displaces authentic local culture and results in a cultural loss

The problem of homelessness

A sociologist would approach this problem by looking for patterns of homelessness among other individuals with similar circumstances

William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B) Dubois

A sociologist, activist, and Harvard trained historian, pioneered the rigorous empirical methodology in sociology, which constrasted with the less scientific practices of the time. His scientific approach became highly influential to entire schools of sociological study and is considered a forerunner to contemporary practices. Dubois was the most influential black protest leader in the United States during the first half of the 20th century

Drug abuse among children/adults

A sociologist, would approach this problem by looking for drug abuse among children/adults in similar situations

The enlightenment in 18th and 19th century Europe had

A tremendous influence on the development of modern sociology

Socialization agents

Are people, sources, or structures that pass on social expectations, the individuals, groups, or institutions that teach us how to participate effectively in society

Quantitative studies

Are usually statistically, sophisticated and based on statistical analysis

Reflection hypothesis

Assumes that images and values portrayed in the media reflect the values existing in public, but the reverse can also be true. The ideals portrayed in the media also influence the values of those who see them

4. Culture is

Adaptive and constantly changing

Functionalist theorists

Believe that norms and values create social bonds that attach people to society

Age, gender, class, race, sexuality

All impact behaviors and life chances-we are all individuals, and social forces touch our lives in significant ways, even if we do not see those forces

Harriet martineau

An English author, published several dozens on various topics in social science, politics, literature, and history. Her translation and condensation of Auguste Comte's complex material for widespread consumption material were primarily responsible for the dissemination of Comte's work. Martineau, a feminist and strong opponent of slavery, denounced many aspects of capitalism as alienating and degrading and criticized dangerous work places that often led to injury and death

Hypothesis

An educated guess about the relationship between two or more concepts and is formulated as if then statements

Participation in common culture is

An essential social bond that unites society

Symbolic interactionalism

Analyzes society by addressing the subjective meanings that people impose on objects, events, and behaviors-people behave based on what they believe to be true; therefore, society is socially constructed through human interpretation-the meaning is constantly modified through social interaction. (Max Weber, Charles hooten Cooley, George Herbert mead, Irving goffman)

symbolic interactionists

Are concerned with meaning people give to behavior and how social interaction produces and changes culture and cultural behavior

cultural universals

Are customs and practices that are common to all societies. There are many cultural universals, but specific behaviors vary across cultures, from one group to another in the same society, and over time

Taboos

Are norms that are so heavily held that violating them results in extreme disgust. Actions prohibited by most societies may be rooted in religious beliefs and have some form of written law preventing them from being broken

Much of contemporary functionalism grew from the work of

Auguste Comte and Emile Durkheim, who believed that human behavior results from social structures that promote order and integration in society

Inductive reasoning

Begins with a specific observation followed by data collection, conclusion about patterns or irregularities, formulation of hypothesis leading to theory construction

Deductive reasoning

Begins with a theory, prediction, or general principle that is tested through data collection. One might reason that because catholic doctrine forbids abortion, Catholics would be less likely than other religious groups to support abortions rights

From a sociological perspective

Sociologists approach problems by looking for patterns of X in similar situations or circumstances

Culture is the

Cement that bungs society together

Symbolic interaction theorists

Centers on the idea that human actions are based on the meanings people attribute to behavior; these meanings emerge through social interaction; people learn identities and values through socialization

Steps in the research process

Choose a topic to study, summarize the related research, formulate a hypothesis or ask a research question, describe the data collection methods, collect the data, analyze the data, present and explain the results

What is an example of c wright mills sociological imagination

College students moving back in with their parents after graduation which is a broader public issue

Social learning theory

Considers the formation of identity to be a learned response to external social stimuli

Agents of socialization

Consist of the family, the media, peers, religion, sports, and schools. Media has and continues to impact our modern society substantially

Nonmaterial culture

Consists of the ideas that people create to interpret and understand the world. Beliefs about the supernatural, customs, and rules of behavior are examples of nonmaterial culture

Material culture

Consists of the physical objects people make, use, and share. These objects include buildings, furniture, music, weapons, jewelry, hairstyles, and the internet

Societies

Despite their diversity, share some cultural characteristics and functions. We don't see culture directly, but it shapes our attitudes and behavior

There is a process of sociological research

Developing a research question, creating a research design, understanding the process of gathering and analyzing data, and reaching conclusions

Disengagement theory

Drawn from functionalism, predicts that as people age, they gradually withdraw from participation in society and are simultaneously relived of responsibilities

Major theorists associated with this period in time and other known sociologists and influential leaders are

Emilie Durkheim, Karl Marx, max Weber, Auguste Comte, c. Wright mills, Harriet martineau, Jane Addams, and WEB Dubois

Conflict theorists

Emphasis is on the role of power and coercion in society; conflict theorists on socialization are more interested in how patterns of inequality in society shape group identity

Conflict theory-macro sociology

Emphasizes the role of coercion and power, a persons or groups ability to exercise influence and control over others in producing social order

Sociology is an

Empirical discipline

Sociology is an

Empirical discipline that uses the scientific method and aspires to be both scientific and humanistic

Erving Goffman

Erving Goffman extended these analyses by showi b that we interact differently in different settings throughout adulthood

Objective

Evaluate reality without using personal opinions or bias when conducting research

Three golden rules

First do no harm by causing participants physical, psychological, or emotional harm/pain, second the researcher must get the participants informed consent to be in a study, third researchers protect a participants confidentiality

Mass media

Forms of communication designed to reach large numbers of people with enormous power in shaping public attitudes and behavior and can be shared quickly and contribute to cultural imperialism

Nature vs nurture

From the sociological perspective, the nature nurture controversy is not that one or fully controls whom we become. Still, that life involves a complex interplay, or interaction, between genetic and social influences on human beings

Folkways

General standards of behavior adhere to by a group(how you dress, greet each other)

Sociology is the scientific study of

Human behavior in society, focusing mainly groups

Independent and dependent variable

If research supports that a healthy diet increases one's life expectancy, then a healthy diet is the independent variable, and life expectancy is the dependent variable

1. Culture is

Learned

Qualitative is somewhat

Less structured/focused on the central research question

Personal troubles are

Linked to broader public issues

Quantitative attempts to discover and

Measure facts about society and social behavior to test a specific hypothesis

Social sanctions

Mechanisms of social control that enforce folkways, norms, and mores-can be positive and negative

Qualitative findings are

Not generalized to the larger society

Popular culture

Refers to beliefs, practices, activities, and products that are widespread among a population. Social class affects our participation in high culture and popular culture

Multiculturalism(sometimes called cultural pluralism)

Refers to the coexistence of several cultures in the same geographic area without one culture dominating another

High culture

Refers to the cultural expression of a society's highest social classes

Cultural lag

Refers to the gap that occurs when material culture changes faster the nonmaterial culture

Culture

Refers to the learned and shared behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, values, and material objects that characterize a particular group or society. Culture shapes a peoples whole way of life

Golden rules of research

Regardless of the discipline or the research methods used, all ethical standards have at least three golden rules

Qualitative and quantitative

Researchers use both qualitative and quantitative approaches depending on the research they are conducting to determine the approach they will use

Cultural capital

Resources such as knowledge, verbal and social skills, education, and other assets that give a group advantages

Sanctions

Sanctions can be positive and negative based on rewards and punishments-social rewards for conformity and social punishments for non-conformity, both of which can be informal or formal

Functionalism

Sees culture as a significant integrative force in society, providing societies with a sense of collective identity and commonly shared worldviews

Sociology focuses on how groups

Shape behaviors, and it differs from other fields of studying that psychology focuses on the individual. Social psychologist focuses on the individuals behavior in society

3. Culture is

Shared

Qualitative Focus on

Smaller units of society and of society and on understanding the social

There are a large number of subjects

So the findings can be a basis for drawing generalized conclusions

Micro Analysis

Socially constructed, society's reaction to face to interaction, relative to time and place, people behave as they do because of the meanings people attribute to situations, changes based on the meaning people give/depending on the society/culture

Norms

Specific cultural expectations for how to behave in each situation

Mores

Strict norms that control moral and ethical behavior-are upheld through laws

Countercultures

Subcultures created as a reaction against the values of the dominant culture

Building blocks of life

Symbols, language, values, norms, rituals

sociological imagination

The ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and larger social forces that influence group life

Subculture

The culture of groups whose values and norms of behavior differ to some degree from the dominant culture-remember we gave the example of the Amish as they live in relative isolation from the modern American society and have their own religious and social way of living

Dominant

The culture of the most powerful group in society

George Herbert mead

The most critical social interaction occurs in the family, the foundation of socialization

Cultural relativism

The opposite of ethnocentrism, which is the idea that a persons belief and practices should be understood based on that person culture. Not judging a culture to our standards, we should try to understand other groups cultural practices in their context

Sociology is the scientific way of

Thinking about society and it's influence on how groups shape behavior

The sociological imagination is the ability

To see the strange in the familiar land and the general in particular-detaching yourself from individualistic interpretations of human behavior and accepting the initially strange notion that human behaviors are a product of social forces

2. Culture is

Transmitted from one generation to the next

C. Wright Mills quote 1

Understand the relationship between individuals and the society in which they live, and you have to learned to tune into your sociological imagination as your ability to see the societal patterns that influence individuals as well as groups of individuals

Qualitative research is aimed at

Understanding and interpreting the experiences of individuals through their eyes

Jane Addams

Was a social worker who cofounded hull house, one of the first settlement houses in Chicago that served the neighborhood poor. One of Addams greatest intellectual legacies was her emphasis on applying knowledge to everyday problems, and much of her work contributed to symbolic interactionism. Her colleagues ignored her at the university of Chicago because discrimination against women sociologists was rampant

You need a random sample when conducting experiments

Which gives everyone in the population an equal chance of being selected for a study

To understand the experience of a given person or a group

You must know the social and historical context in which people live that shakes the experiences of individuals and groups. Imagine that you. Imagine that you are living in the moment you are observing

Quantitative follows

the scientific method