sociology unit 2

common sense

the knowledge we get from our life experiences, through conversations with others and from what we e have heard our parents say, what we read, what we see on tv, and what we hear on streaming services

fake news

misinformation that is presented as being authentic

theory

a set of propositions intended to explain a fact or social phenomenon

functionalist theory

a sociological approach that assumes social behaviour is best understood in terms of parts working together to maintain the larger society as a whole

social reproduction

the process by which a society reproduces itself from one generation to another and also within generations

manifest functions

the intended and easily recognized ways in which an institution or social phenomenon operates

latent functions

the unintended and often hidden ways in which an institution or social phenomenon operates

dysfunction

an element or a process of society that may lead to a decrease in stability

moral order

unwritten social norms and conventions that serve to maintain societal order

anomie

instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values or from a lack of purpose or ideals

conflict theory

a sociological approach that assumes that social behaviour is best understood in terms of conflict between competing groups over scarce resources

capitalism

an economic system whereby individuals sell their labour for a wage, and then in turn purchase the things they need with that wage

mode of production

a way of producing the material things we need to survive

bourgeoisie

the owners of the means of production; the capitalists

proletariat

the workers; those who produce for the bourgeoisie

class consciousness

occurs when members of an oppressed group come together in recognition of their domination and oppression, and collectively act to change it

false consciousness

Marx’s term for when the working class mistakenly identifies with the capitalist class

symbolic interactionism

a sociological perspective asserting that people create meaning through interactions

backstage interactions

interactions where people are free of the expectations and norms that dictate front stage behaviour - how you really act

front stage interactions

interactions where people’s behaviour reflects internalized norms and expectations

significant others

those people who play a major role in shaping a person’s self

i

Mead’s term for the element of the self that is spontaneous, creative, and impulsive

me

Mead’s term for the socialized element of the self

double-consciousness

feeling as though your identity is divided into several parts, making it impossible to have one unified identity

feminist theory

a sociological approach that attempts to understand, explain, and change the ways in which the construction of gender creates inequality

patriarchy

the cultural system in which men hold power and authority; the father is the authority in the family and descent is reckoned in the male line

standpoint theory

a feminist political position that argues that knowledge stems from social position

intersectionality

the interrelationships among various systems of discrimination and disadvantages as they apply to an individual or a group, resulting in unique experiences of inequality based on the individual or group’s overlapping circumstances (eg. race, class, gender, and ability)

hypothesis

a proposition or tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables that we can test through research

variable

any trait, quality, or characteristic that can vary in size over time or across individuals or groups

dependant variable

the variable that is being tested or measured in a scientific experiment (y)

independant variable

the variable that is changed or controlled in a scientific experiment to test the effects of the dependant variable (x)

quantitative research

using the scientific method to gather numerical data; usually used for larger sample sizes - interested in broader analysis of behaviours and trends that can be applied to populations as a whole

qualitative research

using the scientific method to gather non-numerical data - smaller sample sizes and is interested in detailed analysis of motivations and personal interpretations

mixed methods

a way of conducting research that involves both quantitative and qualitative data

experiment

A method designed to study possible cause and affect relationships under well controlled, carefully regulated laboratory conditions

unobtrusive methods

measures that don’t require the researcher to intrude in the research context

content analysis

A research method for studying documents and communications, which might be tests of various formats, pictures, audio, or video

participant observation

A method for gathering information by participating in the social group being studied

population

in research, the set of all individuals who share some specific characteristic of interest to the researcher

sample

A relatively small number of people drawn from the population of interest

systematic random sampling

A method of narrowing down potential respondents in a population by taking a complete list of all members of the population, choosing a random starting point, and selecting people on a set interval

convenience sampling

A method of narrowing down potential respondents in a population by asking only those people who pass a particular place

snowball sampling

A method of narrowing down potential respondents in a population by starting with one respondent and asking that person to recommend the next person to talk to

questionnaires

A set up questions with a choice of predetermined answers devised for the purpose of a survey

response bias

The tendency of people to answer questions untruthfully, or in ways that may be misleading

structured interview

An interaction where respondents are asked the standard set of questions in the same form and the same order

unstructured interview

An interaction where respondents are asked flexible and open-ended questions

secondary data analysis

Examines and interprets data gathered by another researcher or by the government

validity

Refers to accurately measuring a concept

reliability

Refers to the extent to which a measure produces consistent results

research ethics

Governing principles that dictate standards of behaviour for the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data in order to ensure that undertaking these tasks does not do harm