Chapter 1 Key terms

antipositivism

the view that social researchers should strive for subjectivity as they work to represent social processes

conflict theory

a theory that looks at society as a competition for limited resources

constructivism

an extension of symbolic interaction theory which proposes that reality is what humans cognitively construct it to be

culture

a group's shared practices

dramaturgical analysis

a technique sociologists use in which they view society through the metaphor of theatrical performance

dynamic equilibrium

a stable state in which all parts of a healthy society work together properly

dysfunctions

social patterns that have undesirable consequences for the operation of society

figuration

the process of simultaneously analyzing the behavior of an individual and the society that shapes that behavior

function

the part a recurrent activity plays in social life as a whole and the contribution it makes to structural continuity

functionalism

a theoretical approach that sees society as a structure with interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of individuals

generalized others

the organized and generalized attitude of a social group

grand theories

attempts to explain large-scale relationships and answer fundamental questions such as why societies form and why they change

hypothesis

a testable proposition

latent functions

the unrecognized or unintended consequences of a social process

macro-level

a wide-scale view of the role of social structures within a society

manifest functions

the intended and sought consequences of a social process

micro-level theories

the study of specific relationships between individuals or small groups

paradigms

philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories

positivism

the scientific study of social patterns

qualitative sociology

research that relies on in-depth interviews

quantitative sociology

research that uses statistical methods such as surveys with large numbers of participants

reification

an error of treating an abstract concept as though it has a real

significant others

specific individuals who have an important impact on a person's life

social facts

the laws

social institutions

patterns of beliefs and behaviors focused on meeting social needs

social solidarity

the social ties that bind a group of people together such as kinship

society

a group of people who live in a defined geographical area

sociological imagination

the ability to understand how personal experiences relate to larger societal structures and historical forces

sociology

the systematic study of society and social interaction

symbolic interactionism

a theoretical perspective that examines social interactions through communication

theory

a proposed explanation about social interactions or society

verstehen

a German term meaning to understand social behavior in a deep and empathetic way