Key Concepts in Sociology and Social Identity

Sociological imagination

The ability to evaluate some aspect of your life and understand how larger social forces play a role in shaping it

Agency

The capacity individuals have to act based on their own choices, influenced by social structural rules and resources

Structure

External forces, such as rules, norms, and resources, that influence our choices and behaviors

Qualitative data

Non-numerical data typically capturing detailed descriptions, themes, and personal experiences

Quantitative data

Numerical data that represent measurable quantities or amounts

Self

The individual's awareness of their own identity, shaped by social interactions and the perceptions of others

Significant other

Important individuals whose judgments and interactions significantly influence our self-concept

Socialization

The lifelong process of learning and internalizing the norms, values, beliefs, and behaviors appropriate for members of a society

Resocialization

The process through which an individual's existing norms and identities are replaced with new ones, often occurring in total institutions

Agents of socialization

Individuals, groups, and organizations that influence one's sense of self and help teach the norms and values required for participating in society

Role

The set of behaviors expected from an individual based on their status in society

Role conflict

The stress or tension experienced when the expectations of multiple roles are incompatible or conflicting

Status

A social position occupied by an individual within society

Achieved status

A social position gained through personal efforts, choices, or accomplishments

Ascribed status

A social position assigned at birth or assumed involuntarily later in life, such as race or gender

Norms

Rules and expectations that govern behavior within a society or group

Institutions

Structures within society, such as family, education, religion, and government, that organize social life and influence individual behavior

Gender vs. Sex

Gender refers to socially constructed roles, behaviors, and identities associated with being male or female, whereas sex refers to biological differences between males and females

Gender binary

The classification of gender into two distinct, opposite, and disconnected forms of masculine and feminine

Intersectionality

The idea that individuals' social identities, such as race, gender, class, and sexuality, overlap and combine to shape experiences of inequality and privilege

Doing gender

Actively performing behaviors and roles socially associated with one's gender through interactions, expectations, and institutional practices

Gender as a social construction

The understanding that gender identities and roles are created by societal norms, interactions, and institutions, rather than purely biological factors

Race

A social construct used to categorize people based on physical characteristics, typically skin color

Ethnicity

A social category based on shared cultural heritage, language, or ancestry

Phenotype

Observable physical traits of an individual, such as skin color, facial features, and hair texture

Race as a social construction

The concept that racial categories are not biologically inherent but are socially defined and given meaning by society

Redlining

A discriminatory practice where services are denied or limited to certain neighborhoods based on racial or ethnic composition

Invisible knapsack/White privilege

Unearned advantages and privileges that White individuals have simply due to their racial identity, often invisible to those who benefit from it

White flight

The phenomenon where White residents move out of diverse urban neighborhoods into suburban or predominantly White areas

Segregation

The separation of different racial or ethnic groups into distinct neighborhoods, schools, or institutions