SYG2000 Terms

"the talented tenth"

According to W. E. B. DuBois, the ten percent of the black population that had the talent to bring respect and equality to all blacks

postmodernism

a condition characterized by a questioning of the notion of process and history, the replacement of narrative within pastiche, and multiple, perhaps even conflicting identities resulting from disjointed affiliations

triad

a group of three

dyad

a group of two

independent variable

a measured factor that the researcher believes has a causal impact on the dependent variable

comparative research

a methodology by which two or more entities which are similar in many dimensions but differ on one in question, are compared to learn about the dimension that differs between them

reflexivity

analyzing and critically considering our own role in, and effect on, our research

media

any formats, platforms, m or vehicles that carry, present, or communicate information

research methods

approaches that social scientists use for investigating the answers to questions

norms

how values tell us to behave

metaphysical stage

human behavior governed by natural, biological instincts

Marxism

ideological alternative of capitalism

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, convey this understanding to others and produce a shared social order

master status

one status within a set that stands out or overrides all others

i

one's sense of agency, action, or power

historical methods

research that collects data from written reports, newspaper articles, journals, transcripts, television program, diaries, artwork, and other artifacts that date back to the period under study

reflection theory

the idea that culture is a projection of social structures and relationships in the public sphere; a screen onto which the film of the underlying reality or social structures of a society is projected

role strain

the incompatibility among roles corresponding to a single status

self

the individual identity of a person as perceived by that same person

reliability

the likelihood of obtaining consistent results using the same measure

terminus gaudens

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

mediator

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

causality

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

organicism

the notion that society is like a living organism, each part of which serves an important role in keeping society together

dependent variable

the outcome the researcher is trying to explain

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 reengineered, often deliberately, through an intense social process that may take place in a total institution

divide et impera

the rope of a member of a triad who intentionally drives a wedge between the other two actors in the group

me

the self as perceived as an object by the "I" the self as one imagines others perceive one

consumerism

the steady acquisition of material possessions often with the belief that happiness and fulfillment can thus be achieved

sociology

the study of human society

sample

the subset of the population from which you are actually collecting data

culture

the sum of the social categories and concepts we embrace in addition to beliefs, behaviors, and practices; everything but the natural environment around us

role conflict

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

functionalism

the theory that various social institutions and processes in society exist to serve some important/necessary function to keep society running

cultural lag

the time gap between the appearance of a new technology and the words and practices that give it meaning

dramaturgical theory

the view (advanced by Erving Goffman) of social life as essentially a theatrical performance, in which we are all actors on metaphorical stages, with roles, scripts, costumes, and sets

correlation/association

when two variables tend to track each other positively or negatively

feminist methodology

a set of systems or methods that treat women's experiences as legitimate empirical and theoretical resources, that promote social science for women and that take into account the researcher as much as the overt subject matter

reverse causality

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

achieved status

a status into which one enters; voluntary status

ascribed status

a status into which one is born; involuntary status

positivism/positivist sociology

a strain within sociology that believes the social world can be described and predicted by certain observable relationships or also called the "normal science" model of sociology

ideology

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

content analysis

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

midrange theory

a theory that attempts to predict how certain social institutions tend to functions

Auguste Comte's Three Stages

1. theological stage 2. metaphysical stage 3. scientific stage

Verstehen (Max Weber)

German for "understanding" and is the basis of interpretive sociology in which researchers imagine themselves experiencing the life positions of the social actors they want to understands rather than treating those people as objects to be examined

macrosociology

a branch of sociology generally concerned with social dynamics at a higher level of analysis (Across the breadth of society)

social institution

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

double consciousness (W.E.B. Du Bois)

a concept conceived to describe the two behavioral scripts, one for moving through the world and the other incorporating the external opinions of prejudiced onlookers, which are constantly maintained by African Americans

hegemony

a condition by which a dominant group uses its power to elicit the voluntary "consent" of the masses

Symbolic Interactionism

a micro-level theory in which shared meanings, orientations, and assumptions form the basic motivation's behind people's actions

symbolic interactionism

a micro-level theory in which shared meanings, orientations, and assumptions form the basic motivations behind people's actions

scientific method

a procedure involving the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses based on systemic observation, measurement, and/or experiment

hypothesis

a proposed relationship between two variables usually with a stated direction

participant observation

a qualitative research method that seeks to uncover the meanings people give their social actions by observing their behavior in practice

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

anomie

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

status set

all the statuses one holds simultaneously

theory

an abstracted, systematic model of how some aspect of the world works

population

an entire group of individual persons, objects, or items from which samples may be drawn

social constructions

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

"looking-glass self" (Charles Cooley)

an image of yourself based on what you believe others think of you

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

case study

an intensive investigation of one particular unit of analysis in order to describe it or uncover its mechanisms

"generalized other"

an internalized sense of the total expectations of others in a variety of settings - regardless of whether we've encountered those people or places before

generalized other

an internalized sense of the total expectations of others in a variety of settings -- regardless of whether we've encountered those people or places before

survey

an ordered series of questions intended to elicit information from respondents

microsociology

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

theological stage

divine will (God's plan)

culture shock

doubt, confusion, or anxiety arising from immersion in an unfamiliar culture

feminist theory

emphasize equality between men and women and want to see women's lives and experiences represented in sociological studies

material culture

everything that is a part of our constructed, physical environment, including technology

interpretive sociology

focused on the meanings people attach to social phenomena, prioritizing specific situations over a search for social facts that transcend time and place.

Sociology cousins

history, anthropology, psychological and biological sciences, economics and political science

operationalization

how a concept gets defined and measured in a given study

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; they often involve comparisons to a control group that did no experience such an intervention

quantitative methods

methods that seek to obtain information about the social world that is already in or can be converted to numeric form

cultural scripts

modes of behavior and understanding that are not universal or natural

values

moral beliefs

gender roles

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

scientific stage

social physics to see how social institutions, relations, and structure work

formal sociology

sociology of pure numbers

other

someone or something outside of oneself

cultural relativsim

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

sociological imagination

the ability to connect the most basic, intimate aspects of an individual's life to seemingly impersonal and remote historical forces

conflict theory

the idea that conflict between competing interests is the basic, animating force of social change and society in general

culture jamming

the act of turning media against themselves

ethnocentrism

the belief that one's own culture or group is superior to others, and the tendency to view all other cultures from the perspective of one's own

subculture

the distinct cultural values and behavior patterns of a particular group in society; a group united by sets of concepts, values, sum bolds, and shared meaning specific to the members of that group distinctive enough to distinguish it from others within the same culture or society

roles

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

face

the esteem in which an individual is held by others

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

code switch

to flip fluidly between two or more languages and sets of cultural norms to fit different cultural contexts

nonmaterial culture

values, beliefs, behaviors, and social norms