Midterm Exam Study Guide - Sociology 1301 (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the study guide.

Achieved and ascribed statuses

Achieved status is a social position earned or chosen; ascribed status is assigned at birth or involuntarily.

Agency

The capacity of individuals to act independently and make free choices.

Anomie

A state of normlessness or breakdown of social norms, leading to social instability.

Anticipatory Socialization

Learning and adopting the behaviors or norms of a group one expects to join in the future.

Conflict theory

A theory emphasizing competition for scarce resources and power, highlighting inequality and social change.

Culture (characteristics and elements – i.e., material and non-material)

Culture includes beliefs, values, norms, language, symbols; material culture consists of physical objects; non-material culture comprises ideas and knowledge.

Cultural diffusion

Spread of cultural elements from one society to another through contact, trade, or media.

Cultural relativism

Evaluating another culture from its own standards rather than one's own, avoiding ethnocentrism.

Differential association theory

Deviance is learned through interactions with others; the frequency, duration, intensity, and priority of associations with deviant peers influence behavior.

Division of labor

The specialization of tasks and roles among individuals or groups.

Deviance

Behavior that violates social norms; what counts as deviant varies by culture and context.

Ethnocentrism

Judging another culture by the standards of one's own and believing one's culture is superior.

Functionalism (aka Structural Functionalism)

A theory viewing society as a system of interrelated parts that function together to maintain stability and order; each part has a function.

Impression management

The process by which individuals attempt to control the image others form of them during social interactions.

Interpreting crime data

Analyzing crime statistics to understand patterns, causes, and societal responses.

Labeling theory

Deviance results from societal labels and the reactions of others, which can lead to further deviance.

Neighborhood effects

How neighborhood characteristics influence residents' outcomes like crime, education, and health.

Origins of sociology

Historical context: industrialization, urbanization, and intellectual shifts that gave rise to sociology.

Reference groups

Groups that individuals use as standards to evaluate themselves and guide behavior.

Role conflict and role strain

Role conflict: conflicting demands from multiple roles; role strain: conflicting demands within a single role.

Sanctions (formal and informal)

Responses to norm violations; formal sanctions are official (fines, imprisonment); informal sanctions are social (shame, gossip).

Self-concept (and the three perspectives on it)

Self-concept is the overall sense of who one is; perspectives include the I (subjective, spontaneous), the Me (socialized, normative), and the looking-glass self (how others see us).

Significant and generalized others

Significant others are important individuals shaping the self; generalized others represent the broader societal expectations.

Social control

Mechanisms that regulate behavior, including formal controls (laws) and informal controls (norms, peer pressure).

Social facts

Durkheim's concept: social phenomena external to individuals that constrain behavior.

Social networks

The web of social relationships and connections among individuals and groups.

Social structure (characteristics and significance)

The organized pattern of social relationships and institutions that shape society; includes roles, statuses, and institutions.

Socialization (and agents of socialization)

Process through which individuals learn norms and values; agents include family, peers, education, media, religion, and workplace.

The sociological imagination

The ability to connect personal experiences with larger social and historical forces; troubles are private problems; issues are public concerns.

Statuses and roles

Status is a social position; role is the expected behavior associated with that position; statuses can be ascribed or achieved.

Stigmas

Discrediting marks or labels that spoil a person's identity in the eyes of others.

Structural strain theory

Merton's theory that deviance arises when culturally prescribed goals and legitimate means are unevenly distributed, leading to various adaptations.

Subcultures

Groups within a larger culture with distinct values, norms, and practices.

Symbolic interactionism

A micro-level theory focusing on day-to-day interactions and the use of symbols and language to create social reality.