Studied by 8 people
Sociology
the systematic study of human society and social intervention
Sociological Imagination
the ability to see the relationships between larger individual experiences and the larger society
Socialization
the process by which we learn the ways of society and /or groups
Status
the social position a person holds within a social structure
Roles
the behavior expected of someone with a given status
Folkways
informal norms or everyday customs that may be violated without serious consequences within a particular culture
Mores
strongly held norms with moral and ethical connotations that may not be violated without serious consequences in a particular culture
Master Status
one that holds special importance, often shaping one's entire life
Power
the ability to exercise one's will over the others
Prestige
A positive position in society
Social Interaction
the process by which people act and react in relation to others
Achieved Status
Direct effort
Ascribed Status
Assigned
Empirical evidence
the information obtained through observation and documentation of certain behavior and patterns or through an experiment
Independent Variable
the variable assumed to be the cause of the relationship between variables
Dependent variable
the variable assumed to be caused by the independent variable(s)
Proletariat
the social class of wage-earners, those members of a society whose only possession of significant economic value is their labour power (their capacity to work)
Caste system
a system of social inequality in which people's status is permanently determined at birth caused by their parents' ascribed characteristics
Ethnic Pluralism
when the immigrating cultures retains their own cultural aspects. Groups are distinct but have equal standing.
Absolute poverty
a level of economic deprivation that exists when people do not have the means to secure the most basic necessities of life
Social Stratification
the hierarchical arrangement of large social groups based on their control of basic resources
Meritocracy
social stratification based on personal merit
Horizontal Social Mobility
the movement within the same range of prestige
Intergenerational Social Mobility
refers to changes in the social position of children relative to their parents
Intragenerational Social Mobility
refers to changes in social position within a person's adult life
Statist Perspective
the doctrine that the political authority of the state is legitimate to some degree
Power Elite Model
a small group of people who control a disproportionate amount of power, wealth, and privilege and access to decision-makers in a political system
Sacred
that which is set apart as extraordinary, inspiring awe and reverence; Embodied in ritual of ceremony
Profane
Ordinary elements of everyday life
Cult
Religious organization that is largely outside a society's cultural traditions
Sect
stands in defiance of the values of the larger society, emphasis upon conversion experience for the membership, intolerance for other religious organization, informal religions organization, less formalized worship, more liberal interpretation of religious doctrine
Totalitarian
a political system in which the state seeks to regulate all aspects of people's public and private lives
Authoritarian
a political system controlled by rulers who deny popular participation in government
Special Interest Group
people organized to address some social or economic issue, strong in nations with established political parties, employ lobbyist to work on their behalf
Kinship
refers to a social network of people based on common ancestry, marriage, or adoption
Polyandry
concurrent marriage of one woman with two or more men
Polygyny
concurrent marriage of one man with two or more women
Fertility
the number of children born in a population per year
Fecudity
maximum number of potential births
Infant mortality rate
number of deaths of infants less than 1 year old per 1000 births
Megalopolis
an urban area larger than a metropolis where several cities and towns have merged
Note 
Flashcard (59)