sociology final

social structure

pattern of organization composed of structure/forms that allow associations between individuals

social institutions

organized patterns of beliefs and behaviors that are centered on basic social needs - includes traditional (family) and emergent (pop culture)

status

socially defined position in a group or in a society

ascribed status

beyond an individual's control; inherited traits (sex, family, heritage, race, age)

achieved status

individuals gain this through their own direct efforts; skills, knowledge or abilities

role

behavior--the right and obligations expected of someone occupying a particular status

role set

the different roles attached to a single status

role conflict

when fulfilling the role expectations of one status makes it difficult to fulfill the role expectations of another status

role strain

occurs when a person has difficulty meeting the role expectations of a single status

role exit

process people go through to detach from a role that has been central to their self-identify

leaders

influence people's opinions and attitudes

instrumental leaders

goal/task orientated

expressive leaders

emotion oriented/maintain morale

authoritarian

- Focuses on instrumental concerns - Takes personal charge of decision making - Demands strict compliance from subordinates

democratic

More expressive and tires to include everyone in the decision making process

laissez-faire

allows the group to function more of less on its own

formal organizations

large, complex secondary group that has been established to achieve specific goals

bureaucracy

ranked authority structure that operates according to specific rules and procedures

Max Weber's Models of Bureaucracies (5)

Division of labor
Ranking of authority
Employment based on formal qualifications
Written rules and regulations
Specific lines of promotion

Problems of Bureaucracies

- don't fulfill original goals
- alienation
- iron law of oligarchy
- the peter principle

iron law of oligarchy

Organizations tend to become increasingly dominated by small groups of people - people who don't fit with the majority of people make decisions

the peter principle

Every position in a given bureaucracy will eventually be filled by employees who are incompetent to fulfill job duties

rationality

involves subjecting every feature of human behavior to calculation, measurement, and control

group characteristics

- Consists of 2 or more people - Interaction among members - Have shared experiences - Possess some sense of common identity

dyad

- 2 members - Each member has control over a group's existence - Less stable - More intimate

triad

- 3 members - Group identity is independent of any individual - More stable - Less intimate

formal group

structure, goals, and activities of the group are clearly defined

informal group

no official structure or established rules of conduct

primary group

- One/singular group - Group one is closest to (family, friends) - Small in size - Lots of interaction among members and intimacy

secondary group

- Large in size - No control over who is in group; can't choose group - Not interaction on intimate level; not much interaction

social interaction

the way people relate to one another and influence each other's behavior

Social Exchange Theory

people are motivated by self-interest in their interactions w people - people end relationships when the cost of interaction outweigh the reward

accommodation

state of balance between cooperation and conflict

Pre-Industrial Society

Food production is the main economic activity; achieved through human and animal labor

Hunter-Gatherer Societies

- Daily collection of wild plants and hunting animals - Move around constantly; no permanent villages - Family as main social unit

Pastoral Societies

- Rely on domesticated herd of animals for food - Nomadic life - Food surpluses create division of labor - Trade - Hereditary chieftainships

Horticultural Societies

- Crop rotation - More complex division of labor; specialized roles like craftspeople or religious leaders - More developed economic and political systems

Agricultural Societies

- Plowing fields w animals - Use of irrigation to increase crop yield - Larger populations; cities - Hereditary monarchy - Emergence of powerful armies - Status differences; landowners vs peasants

Industrial Society

- Production of manufactured goods due to new tech and machinery - Increases food production and population size - Increase in industrial workforce - Factories - Mass literacy - More control over status and position

Post-Industrial Society

- Economic emphasis is on the provision of information - Standard of living increases along w wages - Strong emphasis on science and technology - Search for personal fulfillment - Emphasis on equality and democracy

Mechanical Solidarity

What pre-industrial societies are held by - When people share the same values and perform the same tasks and become united

Organic Solidarity

Refers to impersonal social relationships that arise with increased job specialization - Dependent on others for survival

McDonaldization

refers to the increasing presence of the fast food business model in common social institutions

pros/cons of mcdonaldlization

pros: promotes efficiency because everyone has their specific roles and responsibilities; individuals have comfort in knowing what to expect cons: forces society into specific patterns that only put emphasis on making money or reaching a certain "goal"

Family, education, politics, religion, and economics are all a part of what?

traditional social institution

Mass media, sports, and popular culture are all a part of what?

emergent social institution

Greatest role in shaping an individual's life and shaping their social identity--\> can change

master status

Behavior: the expectations and and obligations expected of someone occupying a particular status

role

This type of group is small, high level of intimacy, and interaction among members is very frequent

primary group

This type of group is large, less intimacy among members, and interaction is less frequent

secondary group

Whenever people interact to receive a type of reward/return for their actions

exchange

The belief that if you do something for someone, that person owes you something in return

reciprocity

People are motivated by self-interest in their interactions with people

social exchange theory

When two or more people oppose each other to achieve a goal that only one can attain

competition

This type of social interaction happens when a person or group deliberately attempts to control a person by force/ to oppose someone in order to defeat them

conflict

This is a type of social interaction when two or more groups work together to achieve the same goal.

cooperation

In Accommodation, when two people/groups reach a mutual decision.

compromise

This type of accommodation brings a halt to the competition/conflict until a compromise can be reached

truce

This type of accommodation is when a third party is brought on to advise, counsel, and/or guide the two sides to come to an agreement

mediation

This type of accommodation is when mediation fails and the third party has to make a binding agreement on the two sides.

arbitration

This type of leader is goal/task oriented

instrumental

This type of leader is emotion/morale focused

expressive

This leadership style focuses on instrumental concerns, takes personal charge of decision making, and demands strict compliance from subordinates

authoritarian

This leadership style is more expressive and tries to include everyone in the decision-making process

democratic

This leadership style allow the group to more or less function on their own without giving any help; "hands off" approach.

laissez-faire

In Weber's model of Bureaucracies, this is when Work is divided among specialists in various positions

division of labor

In Weber's model of Bureaucracies, this is when there are clear cut lines of responsibility

ranking of authority

\n In Weber's model of Bureaucracies, this is when each position has requirements that individuals need to have

employment based on qualification

In Weber's model of Bureaucracies, this is when there are objective rules and routines for each staff member

written regulations

In Weber's model of Bureaucracies, this is when employees expect a career--\> there are ways to advance in your career

specific lines of promotion

This is when organizations become increasingly dominated by small groups of people

iron law of oligarchy

In McDonaldization, this term means that every aspect of the organization is geared toward the minimization of time

efficiency

In McDonaldization, this term is when organizations want consumers to believe that they are getting a large amount of product for not a lot of money. Workers in these organizations are judged by how fast they are instead of the quality of work they do

calculability

In McDonaldization, this term is when no matter where a person goes, they will receive the same service and receive the same product every time when interacting within an organization

predictability

In McDonaldization, this term is when you have standardized/uniform employees. Sometimes organizations replace humans with non-human technologies.

control

voluntary association

group or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement, usually as volunteers, to form a body to accomplish a purpose

Social stratification

grouping/division of society into ranks/categories/classes; different levels based on ascribed and achieved statuses

T/F: in an open stratification system, movement is not possible between the status levels of society

false

T/F: in a caste system, a person's status is assigned at birth

true

wealth

assets--the value of everything the person owns and income

power

ability to control the behavior of others, with or without their consent

prestige

respect, honor, recognition, or courtesy and individual receives from others

socioeconomic status (SES)

rank people according to wealth, power, and prestige

social inequality

divisions based on individual characteristics that lead to unequal sharing of resources

caste system

resources/social rewards assigned based on ascribed status; based on child's parents

class system

distribution of scarce rewards id determined based on achieved status

exogamy

marrying outside of one's social category

endogamy

marrying inside of one's social category

(social stratification) functionalist theory

- Necessary part of a society - Roles must be performed if a system is to be maintained - The more important the role, the higher the reward

(social stratification) weakness of functionalist theory

not everyone has equal access to such resources as education; assumes that positions that higher rewards are more important

(social stratification) conflict theory

- Competition over scarce resources as cause of social inequality - Marxist theory--class exploitation - Struggle for resources

(social stratification) weakness of conflict theory

fails to recognize that unequal rewards are based on differences in talent, skill, and desire

6 tier class system

Upper Class, Upper Middle Class, Lower Middle Class, Working Class, Working Poor, Underclass

upper class

small segment of population that commands most amount of wealthRockefellers, Vanderbilts, Bill Gates, Michael Jordan"Old money" vs "new money"

upper middle class

high income business people; have large house; nice cars; vacationscollege educated; career oriented & class based on incomeCEOs, doctors

lower middle class

live comfortably but must work hard; no manual laborWhite collar jobs, nursing, middle management, teachers

working class

few financial resources, can get pushed in lower class easily; requires manual laborBlue collar, harder labor, factory workers, tradespeople, less skilled

working poor

rarely make living wage; depend on govt support; high school education or lessLowest paying jobs, housecleaning, migrant farm work, minimum wage

underclass

generational unemployment & poverty; public assistance as chief resourcesUndesirable work, only 50% of children in underclass move up

Social Mobility

Movement between or within social class