SOC 200 Midterm

Sociology

The systematic study of society and social interaction.

The History of Sociology

The study of how sociology developed as a discipline over time.

The Sociological Imagination

The ability to see the connection between personal experiences and larger social influences, coined by C. Wright Mills.

Sociological Theory

A framework for understanding social phenomena.

Why Study Sociology?

Sociology helps individuals understand how society shapes behavior and provides insights into social issues.

Approaches to Sociological Research

Different methods used to study society, including qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Research Methods

Techniques used to collect and analyze sociological data, such as surveys, experiments, and field research.

Research Ethics

Standards for conducting research responsibly, ensuring participant confidentiality and informed consent.

Antipositivism

The view that social researchers should strive for subjectivity in their work and not seek absolute laws of human behavior.

Objectivity

The practice of maintaining neutrality and avoiding bias in research.

Material and Nonmaterial Culture

Material culture includes physical objects; nonmaterial culture includes ideas, beliefs, and values.

Cultural Universals

Patterns or traits that are globally common to all societies.

Elements of Culture

Norms, values, symbols, and language that define a culture.

High and Popular Culture

High culture refers to elite cultural patterns; popular culture is mainstream and widely accessible.

Subculture and Counterculture

A subculture is a smaller cultural group within a larger culture; counterculture actively opposes dominant cultural norms.

Cultural Change and Culture Lag

Culture changes over time, but material and nonmaterial culture do not always evolve at the same pace.

Socialization

The process by which individuals learn and internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of their society.

Agents of Socialization

Social institutions, such as family, school, peers, and media, that influence a person's development.

Theories of Self Development

Different perspectives on how the self develops, including those by Mead, Cooley, and Freud.

The Self

An individual's distinct identity that is developed through social interaction.

Moral Development

The process by which people learn to distinguish right from wrong and develop a sense of morality.

Generalized Other

The common behavioral expectations of society that individuals take into account in their actions.

Anticipatory Socialization

The process of learning and adopting behaviors in preparation for future roles.

Hidden Curriculum

Unwritten lessons taught in schools, such as discipline, order, and conformity.

Resocialization

The process of discarding former behaviors and adopting new ones, often in a total institution setting.

Social Construction of Reality

The idea that society is created through repeated interactions and shared meanings.

Habitualization

The process by which actions become routines and taken for granted in daily life.

Status

A person's social position within a group or society.

Achieved Status

A status earned through individual effort, such as a job position.

Ascribed Status

A status assigned at birth, such as race or gender.

Roles

The expected behaviors associated with a particular status.

Role Strain

Tension among roles associated with a single status.

Role Conflict

Tension between different roles an individual holds.

Dramaturgy

A sociological perspective that compares social interaction to a theatrical performance.

Impression Management

The process of controlling how others perceive us in social interactions.

Race and Ethnicity

Race is a socially constructed category based on perceived biological traits; ethnicity refers to shared cultural traits.

Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Racism

Stereotypes are generalized beliefs about groups; prejudice is a preconceived opinion; racism is discrimination based on race.

Interpersonal versus Institutional Racism

Interpersonal racism occurs between individuals; institutional racism is embedded in societal structures and policies.

Sex and Gender

Sex is biological; gender is a social and cultural construct.

Sexism and Institutional Sexism

Sexism is discrimination based on gender; institutional sexism is embedded in societal institutions.

Sexuality

A person’s capacity for sexual feelings and attraction.

Social Stratification

A system in which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy based on factors like wealth, income, race, education, and power.

Social Class

A group of people who have a similar economic position in society.

Social Mobility

The ability of individuals or groups to move within a social hierarchy, either upward or downward.

Patriarchy

A social system in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of leadership, moral authority, and privilege.

Matriarchy

A social system in which women hold primary power.

Feminism

A movement advocating for social, political, and economic equality between the genders.

Intersectionality

A perspective that highlights the interconnection of social categorizations such as race, gender, and class as they apply to an individual or group.

Sexual Orientation

A person's physical, romantic, and emotional attraction to members of the same or different gender(s).

Discrimination

The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or gender.

Institutional Discrimination

Discriminatory policies or practices that are embedded in the normal operation of social institutions.

Glass Ceiling

An invisible barrier that prevents certain groups (e.g., women and minorities) from advancing in the workplace.

Deviance

A violation of social norms.

Social Control

The enforcement of conformity by society upon its members, either by law or social pressure.

Sanctions

Rewards or punishments that encourage conformity to social norms.

Functionalism

A major theoretical perspective in sociology that views society as a complex system with interdependent parts working together to promote stability and social order.

Conflict Theory

A major sociological perspective that views society as composed of groups competing for limited resources, often highlighting power imbalances.

Symbolic Interactionism

A sociological theory that focuses on the subjective meanings and symbols that people attach to social interactions.

Types of Sociological Research

Includes ethnography, surveys, experiments, secondary data analysis, and case studies.

Karl Marx

A sociologist and philosopher known for his work on conflict theory and his critique of capitalism.

Émile Durkheim

A founding figure in sociology, known for his work on social integration and his study of suicide.

Max Weber

A sociologist known for his work on bureaucracy, rationalization, and the Protestant ethic.

Herbert Spencer

A sociologist who applied evolutionary theory to society and coined the term 'survival of the fittest.'

C. Wright Mills

A sociologist who developed the concept of the sociological imagination.

Harriet Martineau

One of the first female sociologists, known for her early analysis of social institutions and gender inequality.

W.E.B. Du Bois

A sociologist and civil rights activist who studied race and advocated for African American rights.

Social Networks

A set of social relationships that link individuals or groups together.

Power

The ability to influence or control the behavior of others, often linked to wealth, status, or authority.

Collective Behavior

The actions or behaviors of a group or crowd that is unstructured and spontaneous.

Social Movements

Organized efforts to bring about or resist social change.

Social Capital

The networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively.