sociology core skills exam A

Norms

expected, accepted behaviors within a culture, guide how people are expected to behave in certain situations (formal: laws, informal: social etiquette)

socialization

process where people learn and internalize values, beliefs, and norms of their culture, happens through life, crucial for development of identity

agents of socialization

individuals, groups and institutions that contribute to the socialization process (school, churches, family and friends) help shape beliefs, behaviors, and identity, helps shape norms and social behaviors

ethnocentrism

belief that ones culture or group is superior to others, judging other cultures based on standards of ones own culture, leads to conflict and misunderstanding

culture relativism

practice of assessing a culture by its own standards rather than seeing it how another culture sees it, promotes understanding and appreciation of culture differences

social change

transformation of culture, behavior, social institutions and social structure overtime; can result from technological, economic, social, and demographic changes

deviance

behavior that violates social norms, actions that fall outside of what is considered normal in society

relativity of deviance

what is considered deviant varies across cultures

sociological imagination

perspective that provides understanding of human beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors within a larger society, C. Wright Mills, understanding how personal challenges are influenced by broader social forces

culture

patterned way of life, passed from gen to gen, beliefs, values, attitudes, norms, language, technology, shared by people in a society