Sociology Semester Review

Culture

The way that we think, things we believe, and how we act, passed from one generation to the next.

Material Culture

The physical objects that separate groups of people.

Nonmaterial Culture

Common patterns of thought and behavior that represent separate groups; also known as symbolic culture.

Subculture

A more specific set of values and behaviors that further distinguish people from a larger culture.

Counterculture

A subculture that challenges aspects of the larger culture it is a part of.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

The idea that language influences the way we think and view situations and people.

Ethnocentrism

Using one's own knowledge and values to judge other cultures, often leading to negative perceptions.

Cultural Relativism

Understanding a different culture without judgment.

Values

Individual opinions that define what is considered good or bad, right or wrong.

Norms

Basic expectations held to maintain values within a society.

Taboo

A norm that is so strictly upheld that violating it results in severe social repercussions.

More (MORE-ay)

Norms that, if violated, are considered wrong as they go against the values of the group.

Folkway

Norms that are not strictly enforced and can be violated without severe consequences.

Moral Holiday

Brief moments where societal norms are suspended, allowing previously unacceptable behaviors to occur.

Criminal Justice System

A system used to maintain social order and reinforce norms through police, courts, and corrections.

Police

Enforce laws, maintain public order, and investigate crimes.

Courts

Determine guilt, protect the accused, and interpret laws.

Corrections

Include jails, prisons, parole, and probation to punish offenders and rehabilitate them.

Problems in the Criminal Justice System

Includes issues like racial bias, mass incarceration, recidivism, and unequal legal access.

Alternatives to the Criminal Justice System

Restorative justice, community service, rehabilitation programs, and diversion programs.

Cooley's Social Mirror

The concept that social feedback influences self-perception and moral behavior.

Mead's Stages of Development

Imitation, Play, and Game stages that outline the development of social understanding.

I vs. Me

The distinction between self as subject (I) and self as object (me) in social contexts.

Freud's Id, Ego, Superego

Components of personality; Id is primal instincts, Superego is moral compass, Ego mediates between them.

Deviance

Behavior that violates social norms.

Norms of Appearance

Expectations surrounding physical appearance.

Involuntary Memberships

Memberships determined by characteristics like race or gender, affecting deviant perceptions.

Relativity of Deviance

The idea that deviance is dependent on culture, time, and context.

Agents of Socialization

Family, school, peers, media, and workplace that teach societal norms and values.

Nature vs. Nurture

The debate on the influence of biology versus environment on behavior.

Conflict Theory

The perspective that laws benefit powerful elites and that crime arises from inequality.

Functionalism

The view that deviance promotes social stability by reinforcing norms.

Symbolic Interactionism

Focuses on small-scale interactions and meanings assigned to deviance.

Racism

The systemic oppression of one group over another based on race.

Prejudice vs. Discrimination

Prejudice is an attitude; discrimination is unfair treatment.

Social Movements

Organized efforts to promote or resist change in society.

Waves of Feminism

1st wave (suffrage), 2nd wave (workplace rights), 3rd wave (intersectionality).

Homosexuality vs. Queerness

Homosexuality is sexual attraction; queerness is a broader identity challenging norms.

Gendered Artifacts

Objects coded as masculine or feminine that reinforce gender norms.

Field Theory

Social behavior is shaped by the field or environment in which it occurs.

Strain Theory

Conflict between societal goals and available means can lead to deviance.

Reification of Race

Treating race as a biological fact rather than a social construct.

Labeling Theory

Society's labels shape identity, particularly in gender nonconformance.

Six Patterns of Gender Inequality

Include pay gap, occupational segregation, domestic labor imbalance, underrepresentation, violence against women, and unequal media representation.

Sex vs. Gender

Sex is biological; gender is a social identity.