Sociology ch4

nature vs. nurture debate

the ongoing discussion of the r roles of genetics and socialization in determining individual behaviors and traits

sociobiology

uses biological and evolutionary explanations for social behavior

socialization

the process of learning and internalizing the values, beliefs, and norms of our social group and we become our full potential as humans

feral children

children who have had little human contact and may have lived in social isolation from a young age

self

An indiviudals, conciousness and experiences of personal identity that is different from others

id - Sigmund Freud

the id consists of basic inborn drives that are the source of instinctive psychic energy

ego - Sigmund Freud

is the realistic aspect of the mind that balances the forces of the id and the superego

the superego

has two components (the conscience and the ego-ideal) and represents the internalized demands of society

psychosexual stages of development

four distinct stages of the development of the self between birth and adulthood, according to Freud; personality quirks are a result of being fixated, or stuck, at any stage

looking-glass self

the notion that the self develops through our perception of others' evaluations and appraisals of us

preparatory stage

the first stage in Mead's theory of the development of self, wherein children mimic or imitate others

play stage

the second stage in Mead's theory of the development of self, wherein children pretend to play the role of the particular or significant other

particular or significant other

the perspectives and expectations of a particular role that a child learns and internalizes

game stage

the third stage in Mead's theory of the development of self, wherein children play organized games and take on the perspective of the generalized other

generalized other

The internalization of how a society works, that children learn and then take into account when shaping their own behavior

thomas theorem

classic formulation of the way individuals determine reality, whereby "if people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences"

definition of the situation

an agreement with others about "what is going on" in a given circumstance; this \allows us to control our actions with others and create goals

expressions of behavior

small actions such as an eye roll or head nod that serve as an interactional tool to help project our definition of the situation to others

expressions given

expressions that are intentional and usually verbal, such as utterances

expressions given off

observable expressions that can be either intended or unintended and are usually nonverbal

impression management

the effort to control the impressions we make on others so that they form a desired view of us and the situation; the use of self-presentation and performance tactics

dramaturgy

an approach pioneered by Erving Goffman in which social life is analyzed in terms of its similarities to theatrical performance

front

in the dramaturgical perspective, the setting or scene of performances that helps establish the definition of the situation

region

the context in which the performance takes place, including location, décor, and props

personal front

the performance tactics we use to present ourselves to others, including appearance, costume, and manner

backstage

the places where we rehearse and prepare for our performances

frontstage

the places where we deliver our performances to an audience of others

social construction

the process by which a concept or practice is created and maintained by participants who collectively agree that it exists

agents of socialization

social groups, institutions, and individuals (especially the family, schools, peers, and the media) that provide structured situations in which socialization takes place

cooling the mark out

behaviors that help others save face or avoid embarrassment, often referred to as civility or tact

hidden curriculum

values or behaviors that students learn indirectly over the course of their schooling

resocialization

the process of replacing previously learned norms and values with new ones as part of a transition in life

total institutions

institutions in which individuals are cut off from the rest of society so that they can be controlled and regulated for the purpose of systematically stripping away previous roles and identities in order to create new ones

status

a position in a social hierarchy that carries a particular set of expectations

ascribed status

a status that is inborn; usually difficult or impossible to change

embodied status

a status generated by physical characteristics

achieved status

a status earned through individual effort or imposed by others

master status

a status that is always relevant and affects all other statuses we possess

stereotyping

judging others based on preconceived generalizations about groups or categories of people

role

the set of behaviors expected of someone because of their status

role conflict

experienced when we occupy two or more roles with contradictory expectations

role strain

experienced when there are contradictory expectations within one role

role exit

the process of leaving a role that we will no longer occupy

role-taking emotions

emotions such as sympathy, embarrassment, or shame that require that we assume the perspective of another person or group and respond accordingly

feeling rules

norms regarding the expression and display of emotions; expectations about the acceptable or desirable feelings in a given situation

emotional labor

the process of evoking, suppressing, or otherwise managing feelings to create a publicly observable display of emotion

agency

the ability of the individual to act freely and independently