soci 101 exam 1

C. Wright Mills

coined the term "The sociological imagination" and allows us to comprehend the change happening around us.

Sociological Imagination

Ability to see the connection between the larger world and our personal lives (C. Wright Mills)

Auguste Comte (1798-1857)

"Father of Sociology" - invented what he called "social physics" to understand the world. We could determine what is right and wrong without reference to higher powers or other religious concepts.

Social Institution

Any institution in a society that works to shape the behavior of the groups of people within it

Theoretical Stage

Society seemed to be the result of divine will

"It was God's plan

Metaphysical Stage

human behavior governed by natural, biological instincts

Scientific Stage

develop a social physics to understand human behavior

Harriet Martineau (1802-1876)

In 1853 she translated Auguste Comte's work from French to English. *one of the earliest feminist social scientists

Karl Marx (1818-83)

founder of "Marxism" the ideological alternative to capitalism

Max Weber (1864-1920)

first to use sociological imagination. created Verstehen ("understanding"). To truly understand why people act the way they do, a sociologist must understand the meanings people attach to their actions.

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

studied suicide and showed how individual acts are conditioned by social forces.

Anomie

too little social regulation; normlessness

Georg Simmel

Established a sociology of numbers, how people conduct themselves differently depending how many people are involved

Sociology "cousins"

Psychology, anthropology, History, political science

Symbolic Interactionism

A micro-level theory in which shared means and assumptions form the basic motivations behind people's actions

Quantitative Methods

uses statistical analysis to examine numerical data

(data that can be converted to numerical form)

Qualitative methods

methods that attempt to collect information about the social world that cannot be readily converted to numeric form.

Sociology

The study of human society. The general goal of sociology is to allow us to see how our individual lives are intimately related to the social forces that exist beyond us

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.

correlation or association

simultaneous variation in two variables

Causality

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

Reverse Causality

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

Dependent Variable

The outcome you are trying to explain

Independent Variable

Measures a variable that, if changed, you predict will be associated with changes in the dependent variable.

Hypothesis

a proposed relationship between two variables

Operationalization

the process of assigning a precise method for measuring a term being examined for use in a particular study.

Validity

the extent to which an instrument measures what it is intended to measure

Reliability

likelihood of obtaining consistent results using the same measure

Generalizability

the extent to which we can claim our findings inform us about a group larger than the one we studied

Reflexivity

analyzing and critically considering our own role in, and affect onm our research.

Historical methods

research that collects data from written reports, newspaper articles, journals, transcripts, television programs, diaries, artwork, and other artifacts that date to a prior time period under study

Comparative research

Research that compares one set of findings on one society with the same type of findings on other societies. (There are similarities between the two usually)

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; often involve comparisons to a control group that did not experience such an intervention

Content anaylsis

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

GOLDEN RULES OF RESEARCH

1. do not harm - don't harm the subjects

2. Informed consent - they have the right to know what you're doing

3. Voluntary participation - They can choose whether to leave or not

4. Protected Populations - additional approval for those at higher risk

Culture

1. a set of beliefs, traditions, and practices

2. culture is anything artificial

nonmaterial culture

values, beliefs, behaviors, and social norms

norms

expected behaviors

values

moral beliefs

material culture

everything that is part of our constructed physical environment including technology

ex) fashion, modern furniture, food, music, homes, cars

Ethnocentrism

the inability to accept, reference, or understand patterns of behavior or beliefs that are different from one's own

ex) It was used to justify slavery and violence

Ideology

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

Cultural relativism

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

Cultural Scripts

modes of behavior and understanding that are not universal or natural

subculture

the distinct cultural values and behavioral patterns of a particular group in society

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.

Reflection theory

the idea that culture is a projection of social structures and relationships into the public sphere, a screen onto which the film of underlying reality or social structures of our society is projected.

Media

formats or vehicles that carry, present, or communicate information

Hegemony

a condition by which a dominant group uses its power to elicit the voluntary "consent" of the masses. (ex: wealthy over the poor, gov't funding)

Agents of Socialization

Family - for most, family is primary

School - not just reading and writing, but also etiquette

Peers - can reinforce messages taught at home, but can also introduce entirely new information

Media - shapes how we see ourselves in this world

Adulthood - work, marriage, economics

ascribed status

race, age, sex (what you're born with)

Achieved status

Examples: Doctor, homeowner, married/single, drug dealer, parents, student

Master status

status that stands out above all others

Examples: Disabled, Serial Killer, President of the US

Generalized Other

Internalized attitudes, expectations, and viewpoints of society that we use to guide our behavior and reinforce our sense of self.

For example, it sis the perception of the generalized other that keeps you from taking off your pants to more comfortably lounge in the park on hot summer days.. we continually updated our idea of generalized other.

Resocialization

the process by which one's sense of social values, beliefs, and norms are rengineered, often deliberately through an intense social process that may take place in a total institution

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

Example: Marine Corps

status

a recognizable social position that an individual occupies

role

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

role strain

the incompatibility among roles corresponding to a single status

role conflict

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

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

Dyad

a group of two - the existence of the group depends on both parties and there is no third party to mediate or buffer the situation

Triad

a group of three or more - the group is not dependent on anyone

mediator

a person in the group that tries to resolve conflict between the 2 others in the group, and is sometimes specifically brought in for that purpose

Tertius gaudens

"the 3rd that rejoices - a person that profits from the conflict of the other two, essentially plays the opposite of the mediator

Divide et impera

"divide and conquer" - a person who intentionally drives a wedge between the other 2 parties

small group

a group characterized by face-to-face interaction, a uni-focal perspective, lack of formal arrangements, and a certain level of equality

Party

a group that is similar to a small group but multifocal

large group

a group characterized by the presence of a formal structure that mediates interaction and, consequently, status differentiation

primary groups

social groups, such as family or friends, composed of intimate face-to-face relationships that strongly influence the attitudes and ideals of those involved.

secondary groups

groups marked by impersonal, instrumental relationships (those existing as a means to an end)

In-group

another term for powerful group, most often the the majority

out-group

another term for the stigmatized or less powerful group, the minority

reference group

a group that helps us understand or make sense of our position in society relative to other groups

social network

a set of relations-essentially, a set of dyads- held together by ties between individuals

Tie

a set of stories that explains our relationship to the other members of our network

Embeddedness

the degree to which ties re reinforced through indirect paths within a social network

strength of weak ties

the notion that often relatively weak ties turn out to be quite valuable because they yield new information

Organization

any social network that is defined b a common purpose and has a boundary between its member ship and the rest of the social world