Sociology: Identity and Society

Vocabulary flashcards covering the core concepts of sociology, identity, socialization, and social control based on the lecture notes.

Enculturation

The process of learning the specific content of your culture, including language, customs, beliefs, and traditions.

Socialization

The broader, lifelong, and active process of acquiring a "self"—learning to think, feel, and act in ways approved by society while negotiating between biological impulses and societal expectations.

Identity

A fairly consistent pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting that is socially constructed through interaction with others and changes throughout life.

Looking-Glass Self

A theory by Cooley stating we form our self-concept based on how we imagine others perceive us, how we imagine they judge that appearance, and the feelings we develop from those imagined judgments.

The "I"

According to Mead, the spontaneous, impulsive, and creative aspect of the self that represents raw instincts and acts without thinking.

The "Me"

According to Mead, the internalized attitudes and expectations of society; the part of the self that reflects before acting.

Agents of Socialization

The individuals, groups, and institutions, such as family, school, peer groups, and mass media, that teach us how to behave and think in society.

Hidden Curriculum

The informal lessons taught in school environments, such as punctuality, obedience, and competition.

Aspirations

Our dreams, goals, and ambitions for the future.

Structural Constraints

Social barriers such as class, gender, ethnicity, and geography that limit access to opportunities and what one believes is realistically achievable.

Values

Abstract, generalized principles, such as honesty or justice, that guide behavior and judgments about what is good, right, and desirable.

Norms

Specific, unwritten rules for behavior in specific situations that serve as the practical application of values.

Folkways

Routine customs such as greetings and table manners; violations typically lead to mild ridicule.

Mores

Moral norms tied to right and wrong, such as honesty and fidelity; violations can lead to social ostracism.

Laws

Codified norms enforced by the state through formal punishments.

Taboos

The strongest social norms, such as the prohibition of incest, where violation leads to extreme rejection.

Status

A socially defined position in society.

Ascribed Status

An involuntary social position assigned at birth, such as age, gender, or ethnicity.

Achieved Status

A social position earned through effort and choice, such as being a professional, athlete, or leader.

Role

The set of behaviors, duties, and expectations attached to a specific status.

Role Conflict

A clash between two different statuses, such as a parent who is also a full-time employee.

Role Strain

A clash within a single status, such as a manager expected to be both a strict enforcer and a compassionate friend.

Conformity

Aligning behavior with group norms and expectations to satisfy a desire to belong.

Social Control

The sum of strategies used by society to regulate behavior and ensure conformity.

Informal Sanctions

Spontaneous social reactions like gossip or social ostracism that regulate behavior through fear of exposure or exclusion.

Formal Sanctions

Codified rules, such as laws, enforced by state institutions like police, courts, and prisons.

Deviance

Behavior that violates social norms; defined by Merton as a byproduct of structural strain between cultural goals and legitimate means.

Innovation

A form of deviance where an individual accepts cultural goals but uses illegitimate means, such as theft or fraud, often as a survival response.

Ritualism

A form of deviance where an individual abandons cultural goals but strictly clings to legitimate means.

Retreatism

A form of deviance where an individual rejects both cultural goals and the legitimate means of achieving them.

Rebellion

A form of deviance where an individual rejects existing goals and means and seeks to replace them with a new social structure.

Human Dignity

The intrinsic, inalienable worth of every person, where the individual is treated as an end, not a means.

Rights

Protected claims, such as free speech and privacy, that limit how far society can demand conformity.

The Common Good

Social conditions that allow all individuals in a society to reach their full potential.