Exam Two Study Guide SOC 105: Introduction to Sociology

sociology

The study of society, social relationships, and social institutions

macrosociology

The study of large-scale social structures and processes

microsociology

The study of small-scale interactions and everyday behavior

sociological imagination

The ability to connect personal experiences to larger social forces

social institutions

Organized systems that meet basic societal needs (e.g., family, education, government)

culture

The beliefs, values, norms, and behaviors shared by a group

values

Standards of what is good or desirable in a society

norms

Rules and expectations that guide behavior

functionalism

A theory that sees society as a system of parts working together for stability

conflict theory

A theory that focuses on inequality and power struggles in society

ideology

A set of beliefs that justifies and supports the existing social order

qualitative methods

Research based on non-numerical data like interviews and observations

quantitative methods

Research based on numerical data and statistics

socialization

The process by which people learn norms, values, and behaviors

resocialization

The process of learning new norms and values to replace old ones

total institution

A place where people are isolated and controlled (e.g., prison, military)

social construction

The idea that reality is created through social interactions

symbolic interactionism

A theory focusing on how people use symbols and meanings in interactions

status

A social position a person holds

role

The behavior expected from a status

role strain

Difficulty fulfilling multiple roles within one status

role conflict

Conflict between roles from different statuses

gender roles

Societal expectations based on gender

ascribed status

A status given at birth (e.g., race, gender)

achieved status

A status earned through effort (e.g., job, education)

status set

All statuses a person holds

master status

The most important status that defines a person

me

The part of the self shaped by society’s expectations

I

The individual’s personal response to society

self

A person’s identity formed through social interaction

other

Someone we take into account when forming our self

generalized other

The internalized sense of society’s expectations

social stratification

A system of ranking people in a hierarchy

closed system

A system with little or no social mobility (e.g., caste)

open system

A system with opportunities for mobility (e.g., class system)

caste system

A rigid system based on birth

class system

A system based on wealth and achievement

status hierarchy system

A ranking based on social status

meritocracy

A system where success is based on ability and effort

class traits

Common behaviors and lifestyles of a social class

social mobility

The movement between social classes

intergenerational mobility

Movement between generations

intragenerational mobility

Movement within a person’s lifetime

structural mobility

Movement caused by changes in society

socioeconomic status

A person’s social position based on income, education, and occupation

income

Money earned from work or investments

wealth

Total value of assets owned

conspicuous consumption

Buying expensive goods to show status

relative poverty

Being poor compared to others in society

absolute poverty

Lack of basic necessities

historical materialism

The idea that material conditions shape society (Marx)

class

A group sharing similar economic positions

feudalism

A system with lords and serfs based on land ownership

capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership and profit

corporation

A large company recognized as a legal entity

union

An organization that protects workers’ rights

union busting

Actions taken to prevent or weaken unions

proletariat

The working class

bourgeoisie

The owners of production

alienation

Feeling disconnected from work and society

false consciousness

Believing ideas that go against one’s best interests

class consciousness

Awareness of one’s social class and inequality

politics

The process of making decisions for a society

power

The ability to influence others

authority

Legitimate power accepted by people

power elite

A small group holding most power

traditional authority

Power based on customs and tradition

charismatic authority

Power based on a leader’s personality

legal-rational authority

Power based on laws and rules

monarchy

A system ruled by a king or queen

absolute monarchy

A monarchy with total control

constitutional monarchy

A monarchy limited by laws or a constitution

dictatorship

A system where one leader has total power

oligarchy

A system ruled by a small group

democracy

A system where people have power

representative democracy

A system where people elect leaders to represent them