Sociology

Why study sociology

to gain new perspective on yourself and the world; to determine hidden meaning behind people’s actions— developed bc of industrial rev and enlightenment because of the rapid political and social changes

Sociological imagination

ability to see a connection between larger world and one’s world; being aware of who we are as individuals and the social forces that shape our lives

Social science

branch of science that deals with the institutions and functioning of human society and with the interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of society

Anthropology

study of past and present cultures in less advance societies, physical, cultural development, social customs and beliefs of mankind

Psychology

behavior and thinking of organisms, focus on individual behaviors

Economic

choices people make to satisfy their needs and wants; the scientific study of the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services

Political Science

organization and government, formation of political parties and voting patterns

History

study of past events, in effort to explain current behaviors and attitudes

Important figures

Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, W.E.B. Dubuis, Jane Addams

Functionalist Perspectives

set of interrelated parts that work together to produce stable environment (like gears!!)

Conflict Perspective

Forces in society that promote competition and change (like Enlightenment or Industrial Rev)

Interactionist perspective

Focus on how people interact with one another and their outcomes

Sociology as Social Psychology

examine interplay between sense of self and social world

Social thinking

focus on how we think about ourselves

Social influence

what we are influenced by

Social relations

how we relate to one another

Agents of socialization

institutions that impress social norms on individual

Family

Role of family in socializing children, cultural influence, race and gender

School

teaches children values and customs of larger society and socialized children into gender roles

Peer groups

as children grow older, peer groups increasingly assume role of Mead’s significance others

Significant Others

someone who opinions matter to us and is in a position to influence our thinking

Sociology

the systematic study of human society and behavior; identified as a science discipline by the U.S. National Science Foundation

Industrial Revolution

a period ranging from 1760 to 1840 when agricultural societies shifted to industrial ones; this transition affected every aspect of life

Population Growth Rate

refers to the change in population over a time period

“Pursuit of Self"

new ideas regarding political rights that emerged during the Age of Enlightenment (late 17th and early 18th centuries)

Auguste Comte

French philosopher, coined the term "sociology" in 1838 and created the doctrine of positivism which argued that understanding should be based on science; often referred to as "THE father of Sociology"

"The Law of Three Stages"

theory created by Auguste Comte- claimed the history of mankind could be broken down into 3 stages- theological stage, metaphysical stage, and the scientific stage

Theological Stage

the period of history that extends from the beginning of civilization to the end of the Middle Ages (mid-1300s) when society expressed God's will

Metaphysical Stage

the period of history that extends from the Renaissance of the 1400s through the mid-1500s when society was seen as a natural system rather than just a reflection of God's will;

Scientific or Positivist Stage

the period of history that began with scientists applying scientific laws to the physical world (beginning with Copernicus, Galileo and Newton) and that continued through August Comte's lifetime when scientific laws were then applied to society→ morality and responsibilities do not regulate society

American Journal of Sociology

established in 1895 by Albion Small; the oldest academic journal of sociology in the United States

American Sociological Association

a non-profit organization founded in 1905 as the American Sociological Society, currently the world's largest association of professional sociologists

Communication Studies

an academic field that deals with processes of human communication

Social Work

work designed to improve the social conditions in a community often through relief of poverty or the promotion of child welfare

Humanities

academic fields like literature, philosophy, art, etc. as distinguished from the sciences

Scientific Method

a method of research in which a problem is identified, relevant data gathered, a hypothesis formulated and the hypothesis empirically tested

Society

a body of individuals living as members of a community; an organized interaction of people who typically live in a nation or some other specific territory

Positivism

a way of understanding based on science

Culture

knowledge, values, customs and physical objects that are shared by members of a society

Common Sense

sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge or training

C. Wright Mills

(1916-1962) an American sociologist heavily influenced by Max Weber's and Karl Marx's interpretations of Sociology and personally stressed that the sociologist be able to connect individual experiences and societal relationships

Conflict Theory

Karl Marx argued that life is a competition on the distribution of resources, power, and inequality.

THEORIES ON DEVIANCE

actions that do not comply with social institutions. The institution’s ability to change norms, wealth, or status comes into conflict with the individual.

Social Conflict Theory

inequality in society. It proposes that laws and norms reflect the interests of powerful members of society. It suggests that who or what is labeled as deviant depends on who has the most power.

Strain Theory

Robert Merton, lack of ways to reach socially accepted goals by accepted methods

Social Disorganization Theory

Uni of Chicago researchers, weak social ties and the lack of social control; society has lost ability to enforce norms with some groups

Cultural Deviance Theory

Clifford Shaw and Herny McKay, conformity to the cultural norms of lower class society

Power Elite

C. Wright Mills, ability of those in power to define deviance in ways that maintain the status quo

Labeling Theory

Edwin Lemert, the reaction of others, particularly those in power who are able to determine labels

Differential Association Theory

Edwin Sutherlin, Learning and modeling deviant behavior seen and other people close to the individual

Control Theory

Travis Hirschi, feelings of disconnection from society

Deviance

describes an action or behavior that violates social norms, including a formally enacted rule, as well as informal violations of social norms

Conformity

compliance with standards and rules

Internalisation

 “A person publicly changes their behavior to fit in with the group, while also agreeing with them privately.” (McLeod, 2016)

Identification

“Individuals conform to the expectations of a social role.” (McLeod, 2016)

Ingratiations

when a person conforms to impress or gain favor/acceptance from other people; motivated by the need for social rewards rather than the threat of rejection.

Innovation

involves the acceptance of the goals of a culture but the rejection of the traditional and/or legitimate means of attaining those goals. ex: Mafia-> values wealth but employs alternative means of attaining his wealth

Ritualism

involves the rejection of cultural goals but the routinized acceptance of the means for achieving the goals.

Retreatism

involves the rejection of both the cultural goals and the traditional means of achieving those goals.

Rebellion

is a special case->the individual rejects both the cultural goals and traditional means of achieving them but actively attempts to replace both elements of the society with different goals and means.

Social Forces

any human created ways of doing things that influence, pressure, or force people to behave, interact with others, and think in specified ways. (example:  change in music style, technology, customs, etc.)

Determinism

the doctrine that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes external to the will. Some philosophers have taken determinism to imply that individual human beings have no free will and cannot be held morally responsible for their actions

Ecological Utopia

A traditional way of life that is more in harmony with nature; An organic way of life; Society relates to and lives in sync with  nature. 

Economic Utopia

everyone receives the same amount of goods; Currency is often not a factor; Citizens only take part in work that they enjoy; There are many leisure activities that are offered and taken part of without the pressure of work; Often a result of complete economic failure and restructuring; A mix between capitalism and socialism

Political Utopia

World Peace; Everyone getting along regardless of race, culture, political beliefs; A world without war; Communities working together to make decisions.

Science & Technology Utopia

Set in the future; Technology is advanced and very active in this world; Death may be extremely prolonged or altogether absent; All sickness are curable; Natural humanistic actions (eat, sleep, reproduce, etc.) have been altered by technology; Believed to have the ability to enhance human living conditions.