Sociology Exam 1

latent function/dysfunction

-def: a function of something that was not its intended purpose or function, ex: a newspaper is not supposed to be a fly swatter but people sometimes roll it up and use it as such

functional theory

1. elements of a society are interrelated and compliment eachother 2. these elements function in society like organs in a body 3. there is a strong consensus over what is needed for society

W.E.B Du Bois

1st black sociologist founded 2nd socio department at Atlanta believed in a double-consciousness

Field Research

observing ppl in their natural habitat participant observation face to face interviews

social facts

patterned ways of acting, thinking, and feeling that exist outside any one individual but that exert social control over each person

culture shock

personal disorientation when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life

postmodernist perspective

post industrialization, consumerism and global communication makes existing ideas of social life and reality confusing

feminism

power of all females belief we live in a patriarchy where women are the suboordinates

two major analytical approaches

quantitative and qualitative

validity

reliability, replicable, verification

high culture

same as pop but restricted to those in the upper classes "elite culture"

symbolic interactionist

society is a sum of interactions behavior is learned in interaction how people define a situation makes how they behave

ethical considerations

must obtain and disclose all findings and interpretations must have consent must protect confidentiality

folkways

norms that express the everyday customs of a group

mores

norms with strong moral and ethical connotations and are essential to the stability of a culture

functionalist perspective

society is composed of interrelated parts that work together to maintain stability but is threatened by dysfunctional acts/institutions

diffusion

spread of culture

interviews

standardized and open-ended

class conflict

struggle between working class and capitalist clasa

what is formal sociology

study of the universal patterns that are found in social interaction based on the size of the social group

secondary analysis

studying already gathered information

subcultures

subgroups within the larger, or national, culture with unique values, ideas, and attitudes

what type of collection of research is most common

surveys

non material culture

symbols, language, values and norms

race

term use to specify groups of people distinguished by physical characteristics such as skin color

sociological imaginations

the ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and the larger society personal issues vs public issues

sex

the anatomical difference between males and females

ethnocentrism

the assumption that ones own culture is superior to other cultures

What is positivism?

the belief that the world can best be understood thru scientific inquiry (methodological and social/political

ethnicity

the cultural heritage of identity of a group based on factors like language or origin

dominant culture

the culture of the most powerful group in society

Validity

the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to

cultural lag

the fact that some cultural elements change more quickly than others, disrupting a cultural system

double consciousness

the identity conflict of being both a black and an American BC although US accepts FREEDOM and EQUALITY they still accept RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION

what is culture

the knowledge, language, values, customs and material objects that are passed from person to person and from 1 generation to the next

sample

the part of the population to be studied

culture war

the polarization of society over controversial cultural elements

class

the relative location of a person or group within a larger society based on wealth, power, prestige etc

what is sociology

the systematic study of human society and social interaction

theoretical perspective

theory- a set of logically interrelated statements that attempts to describe, explain and maybe predict social change perspective- an approach/ viewpoint to the subject

verstehen

value free research

cultural relativism

views and analyzes another culture in terms of that cultures own values and standards

Ideal culture

we all start out with the same opportunities

norms

where they fit on continum

non probability sample

" rely on convenience or availability

Max Weber

emphasized that sociology should be VALUE FREE believed that rational bureaucracy was the significant factor in determining the social relations between people

Robert Merton

examined the manifest and latent unintended functions of social process

macrolevel analysis

examines whole societies, large-scale social structures, and social systems

symbols

expresses shared meanings so groups can communicate cultural ideas and abstract concepts

real culture

factors like age, gender, social class, race ethnicity can inhibit your chances in life

Harriet Martineau

first woman sociologist first to write about the use of scientific perspective as a research method first to to advocate equality and expose stratification (hierarchy) and inequality translated Comtes work wrote "Society in America" RACIAL AND GENDER EQUALITY combination of "public sociology" (empathy and advocacy)

global sociological imagination

life is different in high, middle and low income families

objectified state

material objects that indicate money or social class

gender

meanings, beliefs and practices associated with sex differences

Karl Marx

"ideas of the ruling class become the ruling ideas" believed economics was the central force for change believed that class conflict was necessary to produce change

counter culture

A culture with lifestyles and values opposed to those of the established culture.

patriarchy

A form of social organization in which males dominate females

Jane Addams

Founded Hull House in Chicago to help poor immigrants, part of social reform movements

microlevel anaylisis

focuses on small groups rather than large-scale

laws

formal, standardized norms that are enforced by formal sanctions

4 major theoretical perspectives

functionalist conflict symbolic postmodernist

biology gives DNA while culture...

gives twitter, rap, Walmart

relativist fallacy

going too far with appreciation "basic human rights"

Bourgeoiseie

group in a society that carries on commerce and industry ( the middle class; distinct from landowners, wage earners, farmers)

imperialism

imposition of culture and destruction of local cultures

ethnographic study

in-depth study of a culture, which uses a combination of methods including participant observation

institutionalized state

PHD> Masters> undergrad

manifest function/dysfunction

intended and recognized consequence of some element of society

structural functionalism

TALCOTT PARSONS society = social system our job is to understand how groups and individuals adapt to the structure and how structures change over time EX: family and religion

1st sociology department in the US

The Chicago School

tempocentrism

judgment of time period

female objectification

Treating women as instruments of male pleasure

cultural universals

customs and practices that exist in all societies and include activities and institutions EX: storytelling, families and laws specific forms of these universals vary from one cultural group to another

embodied state

knowing abcs, being able to read early in life

probability sample

each person has a equal chance in selection

anomie

a condition in which social control becomes ineffective as a result of the loss of shared values and a sense of purpose in society

what is society

a large social grouping that shares the same geographical territory and is subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations EX: USA, MEXICO, NIGERIA

urbanization

a process by which an increasing proportion of a population lives in cities rather than in rural areas forced people to become consumers created poverty, crime, pollution,etc

negative sanction

a punishment or the threat of punishment used to enforce conformity

global interdependence

a relationship in which the lives of all people are closely intertwined and anyones nation's problems are part of a larger global problem EX: environmental problems

positive sanction

a reward or positive reaction for following norms, ranging from a smile to a material reward

language

a set of symbols thru which groups communicate

pop culture

activities, products and customs, traditions that belong to the masses or the middle and working classes "mass culture"

culture has two faces

allows us to exercise freedoms constrains us due to taking advantage of it

Emile Durkheim

applied scientific method to suicide stressed that ppl are a product of their social environment and their behavior cannot be understood thru individual biological and psychological traits sociology gets into our minds and hearts

functionalist

assumes society is a stable, orderly system society develops institutions to survive but the system is delicate

varibles

attitudes behaviors traits IV DV

George Simmel

believed in formal sociology "geometry of social life" forms of interactions (superior and subordinate) society is a web of interactions

conflict perspective

characterized by social inequality social life is a struggle for scarce resources and social groups may/may not benefit

Herbert Spencer

coined "Survival of the fittest" society evolving=complex=progress=hands off approach to social change "Pure" science developed the idea of the right of the individual and the noninterference on the part of the state natural fallacy

Auguste Comte

coined "sociology" and founded it believed in positivism patriarchy

material culture

consists of physical and tangible (artifacts) creations that members of society make, use and share changes in technology shapes this

high cultural knowledge

convers to social and economic advantage knowing the proper manners for a high culture

Anne Swidler

culture = map bc it provides the knowledge shared by members of a geographic or social group so that they know how to act in different social situations