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