Social Analysis Final
Violent crimes
"crimes against a person", based on the use of force or the threat of force
Nonviolent crimes
"property crimes", involve the destruction or theft of property but do not use force or the threat of force
Secondary deviance
When a person's self concept and behavior begin to change after his or her actions are labeled as deviant by members of society
Megachurch
a Christian church that has a very large congregation averaging more than 2,000 people who attend regular weekly services
Crime
a behavior that violates official law and is punishable through formal sanctions
Police
a civil force in charge of regulating laws and public order at a federal, state, or community level
Self report study
a collection of data acquired using voluntary response methods, such as questionnaires or telephone interviews
Family of procreation
a family that is formed through marriage
Tracking
a formalized sorting system that places students on "tracks" (advanced versus low achievers) that perpetuate inequalities
Shaken-baby syndrome
a group of medical symptoms such as brain swelling and retinal hemorrhage resulting from forcefully shaking or causing impact to an infant's head
Master status
a label that describes the chief characteristic of an individual
Denominations
a large, mainstream religion that is not sponsored by the state
Marriage
a legally recognized contract between two or more people, traditionally based on a sexual relationship, who have an expectation of permanence about their relationship
Grade inflation
a practice of awarding students higher grades than they have earned
Monotheism
a religion based on belief in a single deity
Polytheism
a religion based on belief in multiple deities
Totemism
a religion that believes in a divine connection between humans and other natural beliefs
Ecclesia
a religion that is considered the state religion
Power elite
a small group of wealthy and influential people at the top of society who hold the power and resources
Sects
a small, new offshoot of a denomination
Education
a social institution through which members of a society are taught basic academic knowledge, learning skills, and cultural norms
Family
a socially recognized group, usually joined by blood, marriage, cohabitation, or adoption, that forms an emotional connection and serves as an economic unit of society
Structural Functionalism
a sociological paradigm that focuses on the way each part of society functions together to contribute to the whole
Religion
a system of beliefs, values, and practices concerning what a person holds sacred or considers to be spiritually significant
Court
a system that has the authority to make decisions based on law
Deviance
a violation of established contextual, cultural, or social norms, whether folkways, mores, or codified law
Primary deviance
a violation of norms that does not result in any long-term effects on the individual's self-image or interactions with others
Social order
an arrangement of practices and behaviors on which society's members base their daily lives
Sociological imagination
an awareness of the relationship between a person's behavior and experience and the wider culture that shaped the person's choices and perceptions
Critical Theory
an expansion on conflict theory that attempts to address structural issues causing inequality
Knowledge gap
an ongoing and increasing gap in information for those who have less access to technology
Criminal justice system
an organization that exists to enforce a legal code
Social disorganization theory
asserts that crime is most likely to occur in communities with weak social ties and the absence of social control
Hate crimes
attacks based on a person's race, religion, or other characteristics
Religious rituals
behaviors of practices that are either required or expected of the members of a particular group
Sorting
classifying students based on academic merit or potential
Corporate crimes
crime committed by white-collar workers in a business environment
Cultural capital
cultural knowledge that serves as a metaphorical currency that helps us navigate a culture
Labeling theory
examines the ascribing of a deviant behavior to another person by members of society
Ambilineal
follows either the father's side only or the mother's side only
Patrilineal
follows the father's line only
Matrilineal
follows the mother's line only
"Reversion to the mean" theory
if something goes up a lot, it tends to then go down a lot
Strain theory
notes that access to socially acceptable goals plays a part in determining whether a person conforms or deviates
Street crimes
offenses committed by ordinary people against other people or organizations
Kinship
one's traceable ancestry that can be based on blood, marriage, or adoption
Universal access
people's equal ability to participate in an education system
Broken windows theory
proposes that a broken window is a sign of a neglected community, and a neglected community is a place where crime can thrive. if police could fix the small problems, the big ones would disappear
Negative sanctions
punishments for violating norms
Family life course
recognizes the events that occur in the lives of families but views them as parting terms of a fluid course rather than in consecutive stages
Cults
religious groups that are small, secretive, and highly controlling of members and have a charismatic leader
Positive sanctions
rewards given for conforming to norms
Legal codes
rules adopted and enforced by a political authority
Formal sanctions
sanctions that are officially recognized and enforced
Informal sanctions
sanctions that occur in face-to-face interactions
Established sects
sects that last but do not become new denominations
Qualitative sociology
seeks to understand human behavior by learning about it through in-depth interviews, focus groups, and analysis of content sources
Conflict Theory
sociological paradigm that focuses on the way inequities and inequalities contribute to social, political, and power differences and how they perpetuate power
Symbolic Interactionism
sociological paradigm that focuses on the way one-on-one interactions and communications behave
Macrolevel
sociologists look at trends among and between large groups and societies
Microlevel
sociologists study small groups and individual interactions
Religious beliefs
specific ideas members of a particular faith hold to be true
Control theory
states that social control is directly affected by the strength of social bonds and that deviance results from a feeling of disconnection from society
Differential association theory
suggests that individuals learn deviant behavior from those close to them who provide models of and opportunities for deviance
Matrilocal residence
system in which it is customary for the husband to live with (or near) his wife's blood relatives or family of orientation
Patrilocal residence
system in which it is customary for the wife to live with (or near) her husband's blood relatives or family of orientation
E-readiness
the ability to sort through, interpret, and process digital knowledge
Bigamy
the act of entering into marriage while still married to another person
Technology
the application of science to solve problems in daily life
Atheism
the belief in no deities
Work
the carrying out of tasks that require the expenditure of mental and physical effort
Religious experience
the convention or sensation that we are connected to "the divine"
Intersectionality
the critical insight that race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, ability, age, etc. operate not as unitary, mutually exclusive entities, but as reciprocally constructing phenomena that in turn shape complex social inequalities
Credentialism
the emphasis on certificates or degrees to show that a person has a certain skill, has attained a certain level of education, or has met certain job qualifications
Family of orientation
the family into which a person is born
Nuclear family
the heterosexual two-parent family structure, referring to married parents and children as the nucleus, or core, of the group
Informal education
the learning about cultural values, norms, and expected behaviors by participating in a society
Formal education
the learning of academic facts and concepts through a formal curriculum
Sanctions
the means of enforcing rules
Bilateral descent
the pattern of tracing kinship through both paternal and maternal ancestors
Unilateral descent
the pattern of tracing kinship through one parent only
Net neutrality
the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally by Internet Service Providers
Social law
the regulation and enforcement of norms
Animism
the religion that believes in the divinity of nonhuman beings, like animals, plants, and objects of the natural world
Sociology
the scientific and systematic study of groups and group interactions, societies, and social interactions
Family life cycle
the set of predictable steps and patterns families experience over time
Economy
the system of production and exchange that provides for the material needs of individuals living in a given society
Corrections system
the system tasked with supervising individuals who have been arrested for, convicted of, or sentenced for criminal offenses
Hidden curriculum
the type of nonacademic knowledge that students learn through informal learning and cultural transmission
Digital divide
the uneven access to technology around race, class, and geographic lines
Liberation theology
the use of a church to promote social change via the political arena
Social placement
the use of education to improve one's social standing
Cultural transmission
the way people come to learn the values, beliefs, and social norms of their culture
Quantitative sociology
uses statistical methods such as surveys with large numbers of participants
Intimate partner violence (IPV)
violence between household or family members (specifically spouses) but including unmarried, cohabitating, and same-sex couples
Cohabitation
when a couple shares a residence but not a marriage
Polygamy
when someone is married to more than one person at a time
Monogamy
when someone is married to only one person at a time
Victimless crimes
when the perpetrator is not explicitly harming another person
Occupation
work done in exchange for a regular wage or salary