Social Institution
an interrelated system of social roles and social norms, organized around the satisfaction of an important social need or social function.
Kinship
Family bonds of how individuals are related to one another
Nuclear Family
consists of a parent or parents and any children
Extended Family
consists of the nuclear family plus other relatives such as grandparents who commonly live together
Marriage
social relationship that creates family ties and typically involves intimacy, and is formalized by a legal contract and some type of ceremony, religious or not
Cohabitation
social relationship that can create family ties and typically involves intimacy, in which people live together but do not get married
Monogamy
restricting intimate relationships with one person
Polygamy
marriage system in which an individual is allowed multiple spouses
Sociology
systematic study of the relationship between individuals and society, studies from a group’s perspective, focuses on society and patterns of social relationships, how humans are molded by the things that they don’t see
social solidarity
the collective bonds that connect individuals
rationalization of society
the long-term historical process by which rationality replaced tradition as the basis for organizing social and economic life
Social Theory
a set of principles and propositions that explains the relationships among social phenomena
Conflict
tensions and disputes
Consensus
solidarity and cooperation often due to shared values
Objective Conditions
the material aspects of social life, including physical environment, social networks, and social institutions
Subjective Conditions
involves the world of ideas, including our sense of self, social norms, values and belief systems (All of these exist “in our head” and are a part of our cultural life.
Micro level analysis
focus on small scale, usually face to face, social interactions
Macro level analysis
focus on large scale social systems and processes such as economy, politics and population trends
Structural-Functionalist Theories
Focus on Consensus and cooperative interaction in social life, looking at how different parts of society contribute to its overall operation
Conflict Theories
Focuses on issues of contention power and inequality, highlighting the competition for scarce resources
Symbolic Interactionist Theories
Focuses on how society emerges from people’s use of shared symbols in the course of their everyday functions
Feminist Theories
Focuses on inequalities between women and men
Culture
collection of values, beliefs, knowledge, norms, language, behaviors, and material objects shared by a people and socially transmitted from generation to generation
Structure
the recurring patterns of behavior in social life
Power
the ability to bring about an intended outcome, even when opposed by others