Sociology 101 (Exam 1)

C. Wright Mills

coined the term "The sociological imagination" and allows us to comprehend the change happening around us.

Scientific Stage

develop a social physics to understand human behavior

ascribed status

race, age, sex (what you're born with)

social cohesion

refers to the way people form social bonds, relate to each other, and get along on a day-to-day basis

Embeddedness

the degree to which ties re reinforced through indirect paths within a social network

Hegemony

a condition by which a dominant group uses its power to elicit the voluntary "consent" of the masses. (ex: wealthy over the poor, gov't funding)

Historical methods

research that collects data from written reports, newspaper articles, journals, transcripts, television programs, diaries, artwork, and other artifacts that date to a prior time period under study

Reflection theory

the idea that culture is a projection of social structures and relationships into the public sphere, a screen onto which the film of underlying reality or social structures of our society is projected.

role conflict

the tension caused by competing demands between two or more roles pertaining to different statuses

informal social sanctions

the usually unexpressed by widely known rules of group membership the unspoken rules of social life

crime

the violation of laws enacted by society

Organizational structure

the ways in which power and authority are distributed within an organization

Sociological Imagination

Ability to see the connection between the larger world and our personal lives (C. Wright Mills)

Achieved status

Examples: Doctor, homeowner, married/single, drug dealer, parents, student

Agents of Socialization

Family - for most, family is primary School - not just reading and writing, but also etiquette Peers - can reinforce messages taught at home, but can also introduce entirely new information Media - shapes how we see ourselves in this world Adulthood - work, marriage, economics

Independent Variable

Measures a variable that, if changed, you predict will be associated with changes in the dependent variable.

small group

a group characterized by face-to-face interaction, a uni-focal perspective, 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

Party

a group that is similar to a small group but multifocal

Ritualist

individual who rejects socially defined goals in order to live within his or her own means

Reliability

likelihood of obtaining consistent results using the same measure

Ethnomethodology

literally "the methods of the people" this approach to studying human interaction focuses on the ways in which we make sense of our world

formal social sanctions

mechanisms of social control by which rules or laws prohibit deviant criminal behavior

Qualitative methods

methods that attempt to collect information about the social world that cannot be readily converted to numeric form.

Experimental Methods

methods that seek to alter the social landscape in a very specific way for a given sample of individuals and then track what results that change yields; often involve comparisons to a control group that did not experience such an intervention

Cultural Scripts

modes of behavior and understanding that are not universal or natural

correlation or association

simultaneous variation in two variables

organic solidarity

social cohesion based on difference and interdependence of the parts

mechanical or segmental solidarity

social cohesion based on sameness

Innovator

social deviant who accepts socially acceptable goals but rejects socially acceptable means to achieve them

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.

Master status

status that stands out above all others Examples: Disabled, Serial Killer, President of the US

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

studied suicide and showed how individual acts are conditioned by social forces.

Anomic suicide

suicide that occurs as a result of too little social regulation

Cultural relativism

taking into account the differences across cultures without passing judgment or assigning value

egoistic suicide

that occurs when one is not well integrated into a social group

role

the duties and behaviors expected of someone who holds a particular status

Validity

the extent to which an instrument measures what it is intended to measure

Generalizability

the extent to which we can claim our findings inform us about a group larger than the one we studied

Ethnocentrism

the inability to accept, reference, or understand patterns of behavior or beliefs that are different from one's own ex) It was used to justify slavery and violence

role strain

the incompatibility among roles corresponding to a single status

strength of weak ties

the notion that often relatively weak ties turn out to be quite valuable because they yield new information

social regulation

the number of rules guiding your daily life and, more specifically, what you can reasonably expect from the world on a day to day basis

Socialization

the process by which individuals internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of a given society and learn to function as members of that society.

Resocialization

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

Operationalization

the process of assigning a precise method for measuring a term being examined for use in a particular study.

Organizational culture

the shard beliefs and behaviors within a social group; often used interchangeably with corporate culture

social control

those mechanisms that create normative compliance in individuals

Anomie

too little social regulation; normlessness

nonmaterial culture

values, beliefs, behaviors, and social norms

fatalistic suicide

suicide that occurs as a result of too much social regulation

altruistic suicide

suicide that occurs when one experiences too much social integration

Quantitative Methods

uses statistical analysis to examine numerical data (data that can be converted to numerical form)

values

moral beliefs

Divide et impera

"divide and conquer" - a person who intentionally drives a wedge between the other 2 parties

Auguste Comte (1798-1857)

"Father of Sociology" - invented what he called "social physics" to understand the world. We could determine what is right and wrong without reference to higher powers or other religious concepts.

Tertius gaudens

"the 3rd that rejoices - a person that profits from the conflict of the other two, essentially plays the opposite of the mediator

Culture

1) a set of beliefs, traditions, and practices 2) culture is anything artificial

Sociology "cousins"

Psychology, anthropology, History, political science

Hypothesis

a proposed relationship between two variables

subculture

the distinct cultural values and behavioral patterns of a particular group in society

GOLDEN RULES OF RESEARCH

1. do not harm - don't harm the subjects 2. Informed consent - they have the right to know what you're doing 3. Voluntary participation - They can choose whether to leave or not 4. Protected Populations - additional approval for those at higher risk

Symbolic Interactionism

A micro-level theory in which shared means and assumptions form the basic motivations behind people's actions

Reverse Causality

A situation in which the researcher believes that A results in a change in B, but B in fact, is causing A

Social Institution

Any institution in a society that works to shape the behavior of the groups of people within it

Georg Simmel

Established a sociology of numbers, how people conduct themselves differently depending how many people are involved

Harriet Martineau (1802-1876)

In 1853 she translated Auguste Comte's work from French to English. *one of the earliest feminist social scientists

Generalized Other

Internalized attitudes, expectations, and viewpoints of society that we use to guide our behavior and reinforce our sense of self. For example, it sis the perception of the generalized other that keeps you from taking off your pants to more comfortably lounge in the park on hot summer days.. we continually updated our idea of generalized other.

strain theory

Merton's theory that deviance occurs when a society does not give all its members equal ability to achieve socially acceptable goals

Comparative research

Research that compares one set of findings on one society with the same type of findings on other societies. (There are similarities between the two usually)

Theoretical Stage

Society seemed to be the result of divine will "It was God's plan

Causality

The notion that a change in one factor results in a corresponding change in another

Dependent Variable

The outcome you are trying to explain

Sociology

The study of human society. The general goal of sociology is to allow us to see how our individual lives are intimately related to the social forces that exist beyond us

Triad

a group of three or more - the group is not dependent on anyone

Dyad

a group of two - the existence of the group depends on both parties and there is no third party to mediate or buffer the situation

reference group

a group that helps us understand or make sense of our position in society relative to other groups

mediator

a person in the group that tries to resolve conflict between the 2 others in the group, and is sometimes specifically brought in for that purpose

status

a recognizable social position that an individual occupies

Deductive approach

a research approach that starts with a theory, forms a hypothesis, makes empirical observations, and then analyzes the data to confirm, reject, or modify the original theory

Inductive approach

a research approach that starts with empirical observations and then works to form a theory.

social network

a set of relations-essentially, a set of dyads- held together by ties between individuals

Tie

a set of stories that explains our relationship to the other members of our network

Ideology

a system of concepts and relationships, an understanding of cause and effect

Content anaylsis

a systematic analysis of the content rather than the structure of a communications. such as written work, speech, or film

Total Institution

an institution in which one is totally immersed and that controls all the basics of day-to-day life; no barriers exist between the usual spheres of daily life, and all activity occurs in the same place and under the same single authority Example: Marine Corps

Reflexivity

analyzing and critically considering our own role in, and affect onm our research.

In-group

another term for powerful group, most often the the majority

out-group

another term for the stigmatized or less powerful group, the minority

Organization

any social network that is defined b a common purpose and has a boundary between its member ship and the rest of the social world

social deviance

any transgression of socially established norms

material culture

everything that is part of our constructed physical environment including technology ex) fashion, modern furniture, food, music, homes, cars

norms

expected behaviors

Max Weber (1864-1920)

first to use sociological imagination. created Verstehen ("understanding"). To truly understand why people act the way they do, a sociologist must understand the meanings people attach to their actions.

Media

formats or vehicles that carry, present, or communicate information

Karl Marx (1818-83)

founder of "Marxism" the ideological alternative to capitalism

secondary groups

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

social integration

how well you are integrated into your social group or community

Metaphysical Stage

human behavior governed by natural, biological instincts

Conformist

individual who accepts both the goals and strategies to achieve them that are considered socially acceptable