Sociology Quiz 1

small group

a group characterized by face to face interaction, a unifocal perspective, a lack of formal arrangements, and a certain level of equality

large group

a group characterized by the presence of a formal structure that mediates interaction and, consequently, status differentiation (has politics, power dynamics)

society

a group of people who shape their lives in aggreggated or patterned ways that distinguish their group from other groups

dyad

a group of two, the most intimate form of social life because two members are mutually dependent on each other, inherent symmetry; even when the power relationships in the dyad are unequal, symmetry must be maintained-if one member leaves group, group ceases to exist

in-group

another term for the powerful group, most often the majority

out-group

another term for the stigmatized group, most often the minority

aggregate

ex: the millennial generation, a collection of people who share one or more attributes but lack a sense of common identity or belonging

social ecology

human behavior/personality shaped by social/physical environments

manifest functions

obvious, intended functions of a social structure for the social system

master status

one status which stands out and overrides all the others

norms

rules governing how we should behave

microsociology

seeks to understand local interactional contexts; methods of choice are ethnographic, generally including participant observation and in-depth interviews

social embeddedness

the idea that economic, political, and other forms of human behavior are fundamentally shaped by social relationships and vice versa. way of learning about the world that combines logically constructed theory and systematic observation--relies on variety of ways to get data

role strain

the incompatibility among roles corresponding to a single status

tertius gardens

the new third member of a triad who benefits from conflict between the other two member of the group

looking glass self

the notion that the self develops through our perceptions of others' evaluations and appraisals of us. 1. we imagine how we look to others 2. we imagine other people's judgments of us 3. we experience some kind of feeling about ourselves based on our perceptions of other people's judgments

resocialization

the process by which one's sense of social values, beliefs, and norms are reengineered, often deliberately through an intense social process that may take place in a total institution

role exit

the process of leaving a role that we no longer occupy

socialization

the processes by which individuals internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of a given society and learn to function as members of that society, we are socialized into accepting social constructs. combination of biology and socialization make us who we are

roles

the set of behaviors expected of someone because of his or her status

sociology

the study of human society

role conflict

the tension created among competing demands between two or more roles pertaining to different statuses

acquired/achieved status

a status that one enters into, a voluntary status

ascribed status

a status that one is born into, an involuntary status

crowd

a temporary gathering of people in a public place; members may/may not interact with each other but do not identify with each other and will not remain in contact (usually brief, impermanent interaction)

deconstruction

a type of postmodern analysis that involves taking apart of disassembling old ways of thinking

status

recognizable social position that an individual occupies

charles horton cooley

1864-1929, coined term looking glass self, "human nature and the social order" (1902/22) (the self emerges from our ability to assume the POV of others and thereby imagine how they see us)

w.e.b. dubois

1868-1963, "The Philadelphia Negro" (1899) (one of the earliest examples of sociology as a statistically-based science), "The Souls of Black Folk" (1903), The first sociologist to undertake ethnograpy in black communities, founder of naacp, first scholar to focus specifically on black communities and lives, "talented tenth," idea of double consciousness

herbert blumer

1900-1987, influenced by George herbert mead and the Chicago school sociologists, coined symbolic interactionism and tenets of it

talcott parsons

1902-1979, looked at whole systems like govt/economy/family and how the contrasted the functioning of the whole social system--survival of society depends on social cohesion

robert k merton

1910-2003, manifest v latent functions, developed midrange theory, strain theory

harold garfinkel

1917-2011, ethnomethodology, breaching experiments

erving goffman

1922-1982, "the presentation of self in everyday life" (1959), dramaturgical theory (face, front v back stage), impression management

auguste comte

1798-1857, invented social physics/positivism, thought we could determine right/wrong w/o reference to higher powers/religious concepts. job of sociologist=to develop this secular morality, three historical stages of understanding society

harriet martineau

1802-76, first to translate comte into english, "theory of practice and society in america" (1837): describes US's physical and social aspects, "how to observe morals and manners" (1838): first sociological methods book, claims marriage based on inferiority of women. one of earliest feminist social sciences writing in english language

karl marx

1818-83, writings provided basis for communism, thought of historical materialism (theory of what drives history=conflicts between classes), condemned capitalist exploitation of proletariat (working class) by bourgeoisie (ownership class), social change is REVOLUTIONARY not EVOLUTIONARY

emile durkheim

1858-1917, wanted to understand how society holds together and the ways modern capitalism and industrialization transform how people relate to each other. "the division of labor in society" (1893) (division of labor had social and moral consequences--determines how social cohesion among individuals is maintained, shift from mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity), "suicide" (1897) (which religious groups are more likely to commit suicide as a result of their social situation--'anomie,' suicide is a function of psychological and social forces), "the elementary forms of religious life" (1917), considered founding practitioner of positivist sociology

georg simmel

1858-1918, established formal sociology (the sociology of pure numbers) and provided formal definitions for many sociological terms. "quantitative aspects of the group" (1950) (without knowing anything about the group members' individual psychology or the cultural and social context in which they are embedded, we can make predictions about the ways people are going to behave based solely on the number of members (social actors) within that group)

jane addams

1860-1935, public sociologist—thought about how the ways in which our world can not be separated from social/political action and change, considered the founder of social work, taught at the university of Chicago, founded Hull House—women's role in sociology made more apparent bc of their role as caretakers. Hull House Maps and Papers (1895) pioneered the study of Chicago neighborhoods, helping the shape the research direction of the Chicago school of sociology, rec'd nobel peace prize 1931

george herbert mead

1863-1931. "mind, self, and society" (1934) (development of self v generalized other (our view of the views of society as a whole that transcends individuals or a particular situation)), sociology department at the university of Chicago (the Chicago school); father of social psychology (micro sociology); proposed that human development and the meanings we assign to every day objects and events are social processes, requiring the interaction of multiple individuals; the mind does not develop independently from its social environment—society shapes our choices. Tabula raza is erased by socialization; the individual personality was shaped by society, AND VICE VERSA; idea of the self, four stages of role taking

w. i. thomas

1863-1947, DEFINITION OF THE SITUATION: "if men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences;" actions and reactions based on individual understanding of an incident

max weber

1864-1920, thought opposite of marx (ideas, religion, etc. were merely an effect of how societies evolve and not a cause), "economy and society" (1922) (theories of of authority, rationality, the state, status etc.), "the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism" (1904) (protestant reformation laid groundwork for modern capitalism b/c people began to see riches as sign of divine providence), concept of verstehen. concerned with understanding the increasing rationality, secularization and disenchantment associated with the rise of capitalism and modernity. anti-positivist; believed that researchers should focus on understanding the meanings attached to social norms, actions derived from them

group

a collection of people who share some attribute, identify with one another, and interact with each other

modernism

a paradigm that places trust In the power of science and technology to create progress, solve problems, and improve life

social conflict theory

aka marxist theory, conflict theory. conflict between classes = basic, animating force behind social change, competition driven along all levels of society, many interests are irreconcilable--inequality exists as political struggle against/amongst groups LIMITATIONS: fails to account for the role of cohesion, consensus, and stability

double consciousness

an awareness of oneself as both American and black, never free from racial stigma

social construction

an entity that exists because people behave as it exists--existence of social norms is perpetuated as people and social institutions act in accordance with he widely agreed upon formal rules or informal norms of behavior associated with that entity

total institution

an institution in which one is totally immersed and that controls all aspects of daily life. ex boarding schools, colleges, monasteries, army

generalized other

an internalized sense of the total expectations of others in a variety of settings, regardless of whether or not we've encountered those things/people before

sociological imagination

c wright mills, the ability to see the connection between our personal experience and the larger forces of history, enables you to grasp relationship between history and biography in society

positivist sociology (positivism)

coined by comte, furthered by durkheim. strain within sociology that believes the social world can be described/predicted by certain describable relationships (like social physics--comte)

social institution

complex group of interdependent positions that together, perform a social role and reproduce themselves over time--any institution that works to shape the behavior of groups/people in it

development of sociology (three stages)

comte theological stage--society is result of divine will metaphysical stage--enlightenment thinkers, human behavior governed by natural, biological instincts scientific stage--we would develop a social physics in order to identify scientific laws that govern human behavior (we can understand society through its underlying logic)

macrosociology

concerned with social dynamics at a higher level of analysis--across the breadth of society

midrange theory

developed by robert k merton, argued w parsons about it. helped to propel society forward, style of theorizing that integrated theory and empiricism to predict how certain social institutions/social phenomena tend to function. starts with something observable and abstracts from it general observations that can be supported by data, that can be supported by data. generates falsifiable hypotheses that can be tested by analyzing the real world

anomie

durkheim, a sense of aimlessness or despair that arises when we can no longer reasonably expect life to be predictable; too little social regulation; normlessness

organic solidarity

durkheim, individuals connected b/c of shared reliance on each other. can establish social controls based on the interdependence of specialized parts or members, rehabilitative justice

mechanical solidarity

durkheim, individuals connected because of shared beliefs, personal ties, traditions etc. can establish social controls based on the sameness of society's parts of members—associated with punitive justice, spectacle of breakage will control others' behavior

feminist theory

emerged from womens movement of 1960s and 70s, shares many ideas w/ conflict theory--esp emphasis on conflict and political reform, emphasis on women's experiences and a belief that sociology and society in general subordinate women, early theory focused on defining sex/gender, interested on power relationships in regard to gender differences

dramaturgical theory

erving goffman, social life is generally a theatrical performance, where we are all actors on a metaphorical stage with roles, scripts, costumes, and sets. has front and back stage as well as face

impression management

erving goffman, we adjust our "performances" in ways that make positive impressions on others—all about face; keeping up face is our ultimate goal

copresence

face to face interaction or being in the presence of others

chicago school of urban sociology

founded early 20th c., founders wanted to distinguish sociology as legitimate science. Chicago = emblem of modernity at the time, men of Chicago school used the city itself as a study focus

postmodernism

from french school of social thought in 1960s and 70s, social reality is diverse, pluralistic, and constantly in flux, characterized by a challenging of "objectivity" and shared meanings (grand theories or narratives), challenge to modernism, interested in deconstruction

functionalism v. social conflict re: crime and deviance

functionalism: society defines crime to reaffirm belief about right/wrong...dissuasion from deviance social conflict: behavior labeled criminal/deviant defined by dominant groups in society because they have the power to do so -Functionalism and Social Conflict Theory are understood as opposing social theories; today, scholars tend to embrace a bit of both theories

i

george herbert mead, one of the parts of the self, ones own sense of agency, action, and power

me

george herbert mead, one of the parts of the self, the imagined self as others see that person (how others react to you depending on environment--shapes you as a person)

the self

george herbert mead, the individual identity of a person as understood by that person, comprised of two parts

four stages of role taking

george herbert mead. preparatory stage: relating to the world as if you are the center of the universe. play stage: learning to take the attitude and role of the people with whom they interact--significant others game stage: taking the role of multiple others. adult stage: internalizing the generalized other

verstehen

german concept coined by max weber, means understanding in german. forms object of inquiry for interpretive sociology (the study of social meaning)--sociologists should approach social behavior from perspective of those engaging in it (sociologists must understand meanings people attach to their actions)

triad

group of three or more, supra-individual power—the group can be maintained even if a member leaves, the group is not dependent on any individual member, secrets can exist, politics: multiple points of view exist that, unlike dyad, must somehow be mediated...power comes into play

secondary groups

groups marked by impersonal and instrumental relationships (those existing as a means to an end)

ethnomethodology

harold garfinkel, the study of "folk methods" and background knowledge that sustains a shared sense of reality in everyday interactions, based on the assumption of 'unwritten rules' that govern our lives that may or may not be important to others, can use breaching experiments to study, "the methods of the people"

symbolic interactionism

has to do with microsociological theory, america's unique contribution to sociology. interaction/nmeaning central to society--ways people interact/derivations from interaction crucial to understanding of a society. meanings created through interaction. helps explain both our individual personalities and the ways in which we are all linked. social order and social change are CONSTRUCTED tenets of symbolic interactionism (herbert blumer): we act toward things on the basis of their meaning, meanings are not inherent; rather they are negotiated through interaction with others—this negotiation is critical and changing, meanings can change or be modified through interaction ADVANTAGES: versatile: we create and re-create meaning/social facts through our interactions, wide explanatory power—can explain racism and other social inequalities, can help explain and analyze a wide variety of social interactions CRITIQUES: apolitical (supports the status quo, not change), unscientific—too broad? Negotiation of meaning? Not definitive enough?, the focus on micro-level interactions may miss out of the influences of social processes/larger social forces (i.e. who has the right to make the laws as to who is deviant)

biography

individual

stereotyping

judging others based on preconceived generalizations about groups or categories of people

divide et impera

latin for divide and conquer, role of the member of a triad who intentionally drives a wedge between the other two members

latent functions

less obvious, perhaps unintended functions of a social structure

thinking like a sociologist

making the familiar strange

mediator

member of a triad who attempts to resolve conflict between the two other actors of the group

front stage v. back stage

part of goffman's dramaturgical theory, action vs. preparation. backstage work helps us to project our front stage image

face

part of goffman's dramaturgical theory, the esteem to which an individual was held by others

structure

patterned social arrangements that affect agency

saturated self

postmodern idea that the self is now developed by multiple influences chosen from a wide range of media sources

praxis

practical action that is taken on the basis of intellectual/theoretical understanding. instrumental in understanding rapid changes of 20th c. as well as macro and micro level social issues

gender roles

sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany one's status as a male or a female

parties

small groups that are multifocal

agents of socialization

social groups, institutions, and individuals that provide structured situations where socialization takes place. family (parents, siblings), institutions (schools, churches), peers, media, adult socialization (ways in which you are socialized as an adult)

primary groups

social groups, such as family or friends, composed of intimate face to face relationships that strongly influence the attitudes and ideals of those involved

history

society

organicism

society=living organism, each part interdependent on whole for survival

sociological perpective on interaction

sociology focuses on interaction that occur in copresence

other

someone or something outside of oneself

significant other

specific people important in a child's life, who have the greatest impact on their self-evaluations

embodied status

status based on physical characteristics

agency

the ability of the individual to exercise free will

status set

the culmination of statuses an individual occupies

breaching experiments

used in study of ethnomethodology, collaborators exhibited "abnormal" or "atypical behaviors in social interactions in order to see how other people would react"

structural functionalism

various social institutions and processes in society exist to serve important/necessary functions--society=complex system LIMITATIONS: accepts status quo, no concept for social change, built on belief that an instititution exists because it is functional for society, doesn't recognize power dynamic/race/class/gender/sexuality, threatens social integration and causes conflict