Sociology: Social Structure, Conformity, and Sociological Imagination

Vocabulary flashcards covering key sociological concepts from the lecture notes (conformity, social structure, sociological imagination, etc.).

Sociological imagination

The ability to connect personal experiences to larger social forces; a macro, bird's-eye view of how society shapes individual choices, behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and values.

Social structure

The patterned arrangement of social relations and institutions that guide behavior within a group or society.

Conformity

The tendency to align one's behavior, beliefs, and values with the norms and expectations of a group.

Norms

Unwritten rules about how members of a group are expected to behave.

Status

A position within a group or society that carries particular expectations and prestige; status can drive behavior and choices.

Stanley Cup phenomenon

The idea that people pay for prestige and perceived status symbols rather than intrinsic utility, using brands or trends to signal belonging.

Social forces

External pressures in society that influence individuals' behavior, choices, and beliefs.

Interconnectedness of institutions

Different parts of society (religion, economy, government, family, schools) form an integrated system where changes in one part affect others.

Macro perspective

A broad view of society focusing on large-scale structures and processes rather than individual events.

Sociological perspective

Using a scientific approach to study society, asking why social issues happen, and examining relationships between institutions and individuals.

Social issue

A topic that raises concern within a society and is debated as to whether it is a problem or not.

Social problem

A social issue that has harmful consequences and may require intervention or policy changes.

Correlation

A relationship where two variables move together, without necessarily implying that one causes the other.

Causation

A relationship where one variable directly produces a change in another; requires evidence beyond correlation.

Hypothesis

A testable statement about how variables are related, used to guide data collection and analysis.

Data

Information gathered through observation, surveys, experiments, or records to test hypotheses.

Surveys

A method of collecting data by asking questions to a sample of people to understand opinions, behaviors, or characteristics.