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Paradigm

A model or frame for how you think about things. Like trying on different hats or glasses to see the world in different ways!

Structural Functionalism

Sees society like a living organism—different parts (social structures) work together for stability.

Social structures

family, school, government, etc

Social functions

the jobs these structures do

Manifest functions

intended, on-purpose jobs

Latent functions

hidden, unplanned jobs

Symbolic Interactionism

Sees society as created through everyday interactions.

People use symbols (words, gestures, looks) and give them meaning together.

We aren’t just living in reality—we’re building it, moment by moment!

The 3 Cs Model

Context, Conditions, and Choices

Context

the cultural world you were born into

Conditions

the specific experiences that shaped you personally

Choices

what you decide to do

Diversity

When people with different contexts and conditions come together and blend ideas. The best ideas come from this mixing, and it fuels collective learning

Positivism

The idea that phenomena can be studied through direct observation. Facts and evidence come first. Objective. Numbers

Normative Theory

Based on subjects and values. Asks what should be. Subjective. Meanings. “What matters to people?”

Positivist Sociology

The study of society based on systematic observations of social behavior. Watching, counting, measuring.

Quantitative Research

Research that uses math and numbers to study observable relationships in the world. Great for descriptive data

Qualitative Research

Research that uses words and stories to illustrate and characterize. Asks why and tries to understand meanings and experiences (e.g., why some people marry and others commit without marriage).

Interpretative Sociology

The study of society that focuses on the meanings people attach to their social world. Seeing through another person’s lens. Uses methods like interviews

Values

What’s good

Their attitude about how the world works

Critical Sociology

The study of society that focuses on the need for social change. Not just understanding society, but asking what’s unfair and how to make it better

Hypothesis

A statement of a possible relationship between two variables. Structured as an “if… then…” statement. An educated guess that research can test

Variable

Something that can take multiple values

Value

The actual measurement of a variable

Validity

Whether a measurement directly reflects the concept you’re trying to study. You have to measure what you actually mean to measure

Independent Variable

The variable that does the influencing. The cause

Dependent Variable

The variable that gets influenced. The effect

Experiments

A research method where you control conditions, change the independent variable, and observe what happens to the dependent variable

Collecting Data

Experiments
Surveys
Participant Observation
Existing Resources

Inductive Approach

Start with data and observations, then use them to build a theory. Data → Patterns → Theory. Great for discovery and new ideas

Deductive Approach

Start with an existing theory, form a hypothesis, then collect data to test it. Theory → Hypothesis → Data → Test. Great for testing ideas