Chapter 1: Sociology & the Real World

sociology

systematic/scientific study of human society & social behavior, from large-scale institutions & mass culture to small groups & individual interactions

society

group of people who shape their lives in aggregated and patterned ways that distinguish their group from other groups

social sciences

disciples that examine the human or social world; anthropology, political science, psychology, economics, communication studies, history

sociological perspective

way of looking at the world through sociological lens

beginner's mind

approaching the world without preconceptions in order to see things in a new way

culture shock

sense of disorientation when one enters a radically new social or cultural environment

sociological imagination

quality of mind that allows us to understand the relationship between our individual connections and larger social forces

microsociology

level of analysis that studies face-to-face and small group interactions in order to understand how they affect the larger patterns and institute of society

macrosociology

level of analysis that studies large-scale social structures in order to determine how they affect lives of groups or individuals

theories

abstract proposition that explain social world and make predictions about future

paradigms

set of assumptions, theories, and perspectives that make up a way of understanding social reality that attempt to explain and predict social world

positivism

theory that sense perceptions are only valid sense of knowledge objective

scientific method

procedure for acquiring knowledge that emphasizes collecting concrete data through observations and experiments

social darwinism

theory of evolution; "survival of the fittest"

structural functionalism

paradigm that begins with assumption that society is a unified whole that functions because of contributions of separate structures

mechanical solidarity

describes the type of social bonds in premodern, agrarian societies

organic solidarity

describes the type of social bonds on difference, interdependence, and individual rights

anomie

"normlessness"; sense of disconnection brought about by changing conditions

solidarity

unity within a particular society

collective effervescence

intense energy in shared events where people feel swept up in something larger than themselves

collective consciousness

shared morals and beliefs that are most common

empirical

based on scientific experimentation/observation

dysfunction

disturbance to some aspect of a social system; stability, order equilibrium