Intro to Sociology

Sociology vocabulary

Sociology

The study of human behavior in society.

Micro Sociology

Focuses on the individual level of social interaction; related to Social Psychology.

Macro Sociology

Focuses on the societal level of social interaction; related to Functionalism and Conflict Theory.

Anomic Suicide

Suicide resulting from an individual feeling lost or alone.

Altruistic Suicide

Suicide resulting from excessive regulation on the individual.

Egotistic Suicide

Suicide resulting from people feeling totally detached from society.

Social Integration

A key factor in reducing suicides, as identified by sociologists.

Social Structures

Key components of society, including family, religion, schools, government/laws, class, and peers.

Augusta Comte

Coined the term "Sociology" in 1838 and is considered the father of Sociology; he used scientific methods to explain how society works.

Emile Durkheim

Stated that people are connected by religious beliefs and that deviance is functional; he considered social integration a key factor in suicides and is considered the father of functionalism.

Functionalism

Interprets each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole.

Manifest Functions

Recognized and intended consequences of social structures or institutions.

Latent Functions

Unrecognized and unintended consequences of social structures or institutions.

Conflict Theory

Focuses on coercion and inequality in society, examining who is in power and how they exploit those not in power; associated with Karl Marx.

Karl Marx

Wrote the Communist Manifesto and stated that capitalism shaped society; he identified two classes: Proletariat (workers) and Bourgeois (owners).

Max Weber

Sociologist of religion who argued that religion is a central force in driving social change, particularly the Protestant Ethic.

Symbolic Interactionism

A theory that sees society at the everyday level through interactions; associated with Goffman.

Goffman

Developed a dramaturgical approach, viewing life as a theatre with front and back stages.

W.E.B. DuBois

Studied race relations, particularly between African Americans and Caucasians; founder of the NAACP.

Jane Addams

A historical female sociologist who focused on projects in Chicago and feminist works.

Objectivity

State of personal neutrality in doing research.

Subjectivity

Bringing one's own perspective into the research.

Qualitative Research

Focuses on words, interviews, and themes to gain in-depth knowledge on a little-known topic/group.

Quantitative Research

Focuses on numbers, surveys, and trends to test hypotheses.

Independent Variable

A variable that causes change in the dependent variable (e.g., race, sex, age).

Dependent Variable

A variable that is affected by the independent variable (e.g., attitudes, political affiliation).

Reliability

Consistency in measurement; something is always the same but may not be valid.

Validity

Accuracy and reliability in measurement; measures what it is supposed to measure.

Culture

The values, behaviors, and material objects that constitute a people's way of life.

Culture Shock

A personal disorientation that comes from experiencing a different way of life.

Language

A system of symbols that allows members to communicate in a culture.

Beliefs

Specific statements people hold to be true in a culture.

Ethnocentrism

Seeing things from the point of view of one’s own group, nationally and internationally.

Socialization

A lifelong social experience by which individuals develop human potential and learn patterns of their culture.

Mead's Key Idea

Self - Individual self awareness and self image.

Cooley - Looking Glass Effect

We see ourselves how other describe us.

Agent of Socialization - Family

The most important agent of socialization. This is where we learn our skills/values/attitudes.

Resocialization

Occurs in social institutions i.e…. Military, prisons, asylums, etc. but is also experienced by millions of people. Key: erosion of current identity through degradation and humiliation.

Status

A recognized position that an individual occupies. It involved duties, rights, expectations, and guides one’s behavior

Ascribed Status

A status that one is either born with or takes on involuntarily

Achieved Status

A status that one earns or takes on voluntarily that reflects on personal ability

Master Status

Status that has exceptional importance for social identity that shapes a person’s way of life.

Role

Behavior expected by someone who hold a particular statusRole Strain - Incompatibility among a role of one status

Ethnomethodology

The study of the way people make sense of their everyday lives.

Social Group

Is made up of two or more people who identify and interact with one another.

Bureaucracy

An organizational model rationally designed to perform tasks efficiently.

Peter Principle

People getting promoted to the level of incompetence due to not wanting the employees or “who you know” phenomenon.

McDonaldization

Our culture is becoming “McDonaldized” an awkward way of saying that we model many aspects of life on this restaurant chain.

Deviance

A recognized violation of cultural norms. Deviance is subjective and can be changed over time.

Hate Crime

A crime that is increased when a misdemeanor crime is committed

Stalking

Any person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows or harasses another person commits the offense of stalking

Exploitation

Means misusing the resources of an elderly or disabled person for personal or monetary benefit.

Criminal Justice Theories: Merton’s Strain Theory

Explains deviance in terms of whether people have the goals or means to be successful. If they don't, deviance happens.