study guide to prcc sociology exam SU pt1

Defintion of sociology

Scientific study of human behavior.

Implies that social behavior is regular and patterned

the term sociological imagination to refer to the ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and the larger society

C. Wright Mills

A sociologist is conducting a study on a small group of formerly middle-class individuals who are now best described as working poor. If the sociologist uses C. Wright Mills's understanding of the sociological imagination, they will understand this as a function of how

individual troubles can be caused by structural issues.

Auguste Comte maintain that the study of society must be

empirical

According to your text, theories _____ over time because of _____.

evolve; cultural and technological changes

Theory

: Set of statements that explains why a phenomenon occurs

Sociological imagination

is the ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and larger social influences

functional theory

the idea that the function or purpose of something is central to understanding its nature and behavior.

conflict theory

Examines how and why groups disagree, struggle over power, and compete forscarce resources•

Perceives continuous tension between haves and have-nots•

Explains how societies create and cope with disagreements

symbolic theory

Examines individual's everyday behavior through the communication ofknowledge, ideas, beliefs, and attitudes

define culture

Learned and shared behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, values, material objects that characterize a particular group or society

Material culture

Physical objects that are made, used, and shared.

Nonmaterial culture

: Ideas created to interpret and understand the world. ex rituals

definition of symbols

anything that represents something else, conveying meaning to people within a shared culture.

basic differences between folkway, mores laws taboos

Folkways

: Everyday customs, practices, and interaction

Mores

: Maintain morals and ethics

Laws

: Formally defined norms about what is permissible or illegal

Sanctions

: Reward appropriate behavior and penalize inappropriate behavior

definition of social norm

Specific rules of right and wrong behavior

sanction

Reward appropriate behavior and penalize inappropriate behavior.

how does high culture difer from popular culture

high culture is the cultural expression of society highest social classes

where as popular culture is wide spread among a population

In what way is ethnocentrism functional?

It reinforces conformity and maintains stability.

_____ is the belief that no culture is better than another and that cultures should be judged by their own standards.

Cultural relativism

Lisa asserts that she is proud of her own culture and notes that it is superior to other cultures in many ways. Her classmate, Melanie, however, believes that all cultures are equal and have their own worth. Given this scenario, it can be said that Lisa espouses _____, whereas Melanie espouses _____.

ethnocentrism cultural relativism