Society and Culture - Continuity, Change, and Belief Systems Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering core topics in Society and Culture: continuity and change, research methodologies, sociological theories, pop culture (Barbie), case study concepts (Afghanistan), and belief systems/ideologies (Islam).

Continuity

The repetition of patterns of thinking and behaving over a period of time, or the persistence and consistent existence of cultural elements in a society across time.

Change

A continual and often complex process involving the alteration or modification of culture, values, behaviours, or sources of power in a society.

Ethnocentrism

An attitude arising in strongly traditional societies where people judge other cultures as inferior based on their own cultural lens, reinforcing group loyalty but creating barriers to outside influences.

Cultural Relativism

The practice of encouraging people to understand other cultures based on those cultures' own beliefs and values, rather than judging them through one's own cultural lens.

Primary Research

Original information or research data collected first-hand by the person doing the research using methods of social research.

Secondary Research

A qualitative research process where the researcher collects, collates, and synthesises existing information or other people's research on a topic.

Quantitative Methods

Research methods enabling the collection of specific data from a sample population by counting, which can be collated into percentages and represented by tables and graphs.

Qualitative Methods

Research methods relying on interpretive skills to gather complex, detailed data useful for exploring in depth how and what people are thinking and feeling.

Case Study

A research method that provides in-depth, context-rich insights into real-world situations, making it ideal for exploring complex or unique phenomena.

Focus Group

A research method that generates rich, interactive insights by capturing diverse perspectives through guided group discussions.

Content Analysis

A research method that systematically quantifies and interprets textual or visual data to reveal patterns and trends over time.

Participant Observation

A qualitative research method where the observer is part of the research, offering immersive, firsthand insights into social behaviors and cultural practices within their natural context.

Evolutionary Change

The process of structural change creating a slow alteration in the institutions or social roles of a society that are then integrated into that society.

Transformative Change

Profound, permanent, and broad-based social change that occurs across multiple levels (micro, meso, macro) to completely alter existing structures, values, and behaviours.

Westernisation

A social process where the values, customs, and practices of Western industrial capitalism are adopted to form the basis of cultural change.

Modernisation

A process of dynamic social change resulting from the diffusion and adoption of characteristics of apparently more advanced societies by less advanced societies.

Social Theory

A hypothesis or form of explanation based on observation and study about human social behaviour, subject to criticism, acceptance, and critical analysis.

Conflict Theory

A social theory asserting that social structures evolve out of competition and inequality, where social conflict between oppressed and powerful groups drives change.

Evolutionary Theory

A theory asserting that societies develop slowly and gradually from basic hunter-gatherer structures into complex industrial and post-industrial models, viewing all change as progress.

Functionalist Theory

A social theory associated with Emile Durkheim asserting that society is a series of interdependent systems or institutions that adjust gradually to maintain harmony and balance.

Interactionist Theory

A sociological theory asserting that individuals are conscious, thinking beings whose behaviour and creation of social reality are conditioned by social context and subjective interpretation.

Linear Direction of Change

A pattern of social change that progresses in one single direction and builds over time, as suggested in evolutionary theory.

Cyclical Direction of Change

A pattern of social change where change is repetitive, often illustrated by the historical rise and fall of civilisations.

Dialectical Direction of Change

A pattern of social change combining linear and cyclical directions, taking a spiral pattern with short-term repetitive change and long-term directional change.

Endogamous

The practice of marrying strictly within a specific ethnic group, class, or social group.

Patrilineal

A social system in which inheritance and kinship are traced strictly through the male line.

Patrilocal

A marital residence custom where a bride moves to her husband's place of residence upon marriage.

Patriarchal

A social structure in which authority, leadership, and primary decision-making power reside with male elders.

Mullahs

Leaders trained in Islamic religious law who lead prayers, conduct ceremonies, resolve community disputes, and serve as advisors.

Madrassas

Islamic religious schools.

Pashtunwali

The traditional, unwritten ethical code and social norms followed by Pashtun tribesmen in Afghanistan.

Popular Culture

Modern culture transmitted via mass media and aimed at the masses, characterized by broad appeal, widespread access, constant evolution, and commercial enterprise.

Paraphernalia

All the merchandise, products, or articles that create popular culture, allowing consumers to access its values and mythology.

Commodification

A process first defined by Karl Marx wherein an element of culture, idea, or human quality is transformed into a commercial product to be bought and sold.

Institutional Power

The capacity of established organizations—such as governments, corporations, or institutions—to control, influence, and shape societal outcomes, norms, and resources.

Official Censorship

Government-enforced restriction of media, speech, or creative content through formal laws, regulations, or statutory institutions.

Unofficial Censorship

Informal pressure exerted by groups, communities, corporations, or social norms that restricts what creators share without legal enforcement.

Belief System

A structured way of organizing the shared beliefs, practices, and values of a whole community at meso and macro levels, often providing meaning and purpose.

Ideology

An organized body of ideas, doctrines, and principles reflecting the beliefs, values, and interests of a group or institution, often guiding political or social action.

Worldview

A comprehensive philosophy of life or conception of the world characterized by an organized set of ideas explaining social, cultural, physical, and psychological reality.

Socialisation

The lifelong process by which individuals learn and internalise the norms, values, beliefs, and behaviours of their society.

Social Construct

A concept, idea, or framework created and defined by society through cultural and historical forces rather than objective or natural factors.

Secularisation

The process of a society transitioning to become non-religious, marked by the decline of religious practice and the separation of religious institutions from government.

Secularism

The belief that individual religious choice is a voluntary, personal decision and should be treated as a private matter separate from state authority.

Shahada

The first Pillar of Islam and fundamental profession of faith, stating: 'There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet'.

Salat

The prescribed ritual prayers performed five times daily by Muslims while facing the Kaaba in Mecca.

Zakat

The obligatory charitable giving required of Muslims to support those less fortunate, grounded in the belief that wealth belongs to Allah.

Sawm

The practice of obligatory fasting from dawn until sundown during the ninth lunar month of Ramadan.

Hajj

The annual sacred pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim is expected to complete at least once in their lifetime if physically and financially able.

Quran

The central holy book of Islam, considered by Muslims to be the unchangeable, literal word of God revealed in Arabic to Prophet Muhammad.

Hadith

The documented records of the sayings, actions, and approvals of Prophet Muhammad that provide practical guidance for living an Islamic life.