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