SOC144 - Exam 2

culture

the ways of thinking, the ways of acting, and the material objects that together form a people’s way of life

material culture

the physical things created by members of a society

non-material culture

the ideas created by members of society

culture shock

personal disorientation when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life

symbols

anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share a culture

values

culturally defined standards that people use to decide what is desirable, good and beautiful (and by extension what is undesirable, bad, and ugly) mand that serve as broad guidelines for social living

norms

rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members

cultural transmission

the process whereby one generation passes on culture to the next

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

the thesis that people see and understand the world through the cultural lens of language

Mores

Norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance

Folkways

specific social normsthat define and guide behavior in society

*high culture

cultural patterns that distinguish a societies elite

*popular culture

 cultural patterns that are widespread among a society’s population

*multiculturalism

diversity, perspective recognizing the cultural diversity of the United States, and promoting equal standing for all cultural traditions

counterculture

norms differ widely from or strongly oppose those widely accepted within a society

ethnocentrism

the practice of judging another culture by the standards of one’s own culture

cultural relativism

the practice of judging a culture by it’s own standards

socialization

 the lifelong social experience by which people develop their human potential and learn culture

anomie

the weakening or disappearance of norms in means to the normative goals in society are not present

personality

a person’s fairly consistent patterns of acting, thinking and feeling (identiy, consciousness)

isolation studies, and what they tell us

Nurture,’ social interaction, is essential to a person becoming fully human at all; without it, consciousness doesn not develop fully. Environment shapes people into becoming what they become

anticipatory socialization

Learning that helps a person achieve a desired position

agents of socialization

Factors that influence our socialization shape our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Examples include family, peers, schools, media, and religion.

extent of average US television viewing

• 98% of American households have televisions

• The U.S. has one of the highest television rates in the world

• Two-thirds of American children have the tv on during meals

• 70% of American children said that their parents dont limit screen time

Findings of Elisabeth Kulber-Ross

(5 stages of death)

• Denial

• Anger

• Negotiation

• Resignation (Depression)

• Acceptance

cohort

A group of individuals who share a common characteristic or experience and are studied or observed together.

resocialization

Radically changing an inmates personality by carefully controlling the environment

Status

a social position that a person holds

role

 behavior of someone who holds a particular status

master status

has particular importance for social identity, often shaping a person’s entire life

role conflict

conflict among the roles connected to two or more statuses

role strain

tension among the roles connected to a single status

social construction of reality

the process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction

Thomas Theorem

"The Thomas Theorem states that if individuals define situations as real, they are real in their consequences."

Garfinkel

Garfinkel created the term "ethnomethodology" as a way to describe how people use different methods in order to understand the society they live in.

Ethnomethodology

the study of the way people make sense of their everyday surroundings

Dramaturgical Analysis

the study of social interaction in terms of theatrical performance

presentation of self

a person’s efforts to create specific  impressions in the minds of others (impression management)

nonverbal communication

The process of conveying messages without using words, through facial expressions, body language, gestures, and eye contact.

body language

Nonverbal communication through gestures, facial expressions, and posture. It conveys emotions, attitudes, and intentions without using words.

Ex of bias in the social construction of gender in language

Married women used to take their husbands’ names and then became “Mrs. Husband’s Name.”

primary group

are close and personal, but do not exist for any particular reason

secondary group

are formed in nature; they are not close and personal; they are goal oriented

Charles Cooley

American sociologist known for his concept of the "looking-glass self," which explains how our self-perception is shaped by how we believe others perceive us. He emphasized the role of social interaction in the development of self-identity.

Democratic Leadership

expressive and seeks input from the group

Expressive leadership

focused on the group’s well-being (think of Barney)

Instrumental leadership

group focus (think Darth Vader)

findings of Soloman Asch

• cards / ‘perception’

• Will people suspend their own judgement to conform with others? YES!!!

• ⅓ of all subjects are willing to conform

findings of Stanley Milgram

• At what limit will the subjects stop shocking

• NONE of the 40 people questioned going to 300volts

• ⅔ of the shockers went to 400-300 volts because they were scared of authority

Irving Janis

He is a psychologist known for his research on groupthink, a phenomenon where group members prioritize consensus over critical thinking.

Group think

the tendency of group members to conform, resulting in a narrow view of some issues

in-group

a social group towards members fell respect and loyalty

out-group

a social towards group where an individual feels a sense competition or opposition

network

A group of interconnected devices or computers that are linked together to share resources, exchange information, and communicate with each other.

simmel

He was known for creating social theories that fostered an approach to the study of society that broke with the then-accepted scientific methodology used to examine the natural world.

dyad

Two members, one relationship, the smallest unity of social life

changes that take place in groups as group size increases

The more people that are in a social group the more stable it becomes. Therefore you trade off stability for intimacy.

formal organizations

large secondary group organized to achieve their goals efficiently  (involves secondary social relationships only)

bureaucracy

A system of administrative organizations and procedures characterized by hierarchical structure, division of labor, and strict adherence to rules and regulations.

ascpects of female advantage in the work place

Women have a greater “information focus” than men, place greater value on communication skills,, more democratic and flexible leaders, emphasize the interconnectedness of all organizational operations

McDonalization/rationalization

Weber’s term for the historical change from tradition to rationality as the main type of human thought

7 Aspects of rationalization

1. Distinctive social institutions

2. Large scale organizations

3. Specialized tasks

4. Personal discipline

5. Awareness of time

6. Technical competence

7. Impersonality

deviance

recognized violation of cultural norms

crime

the violation of a society’s formally enacted criminal law

social control

situations that are defined as real (objective) are real in their consequences

Durkheim’s analysis of deviance

• Deviance affirms cultural values and norms

• Responding to deviance clarifies moral boundaries

• Responding to deviance brings people together

• Deviance encourages social change

Robert Merton

a founding father of modern sociology, and a major contributor to the subfield of criminology.

Strain theory

uses social explanations for social phenomena

innovation

where deviant, or criminal, means are found to acheive normal goals, which are not present, due to strain

triad

Three members, with three relationships