Final Review Flashcards

Flashcards for Final Review

What is the focus of the sociological perspective compared to the individualistic perspective?

Sociological perspective looks at broader societal influences, while individualistic focuses on personal characteristics.

Name the three major theoretical perspectives in sociology.

Conflict Theory, Functionalism, and Symbolic Interactionism.

What is ethnocentrism and how do sociologists try to overcome it when studying other cultures?

Ethnocentrism is judging other cultures based on one's own cultural standards. Sociologists use cultural relativism.

What is the nature vs. nurture debate?

Debate about the relative importance of innate qualities (nature) versus environmental factors (nurture) in human development.

Name one of the commonly accepted theories of personality development.

Looking-Glass Self

Define conformity.

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to match those of other people or a group standard.

Name one of the four theories of deviance.

Merton's Strain Theory or Differential Association Theory

How do groups influence individual behavior?

Through conformity, obedience, groupthink, and social loafing, among other ways.

What is social class?

A division of a society based on social and economic status.

What does 'race is socially constructed' mean?

Race is not based on biological differences, but rather on social meanings and categorizations.

What is social phenomenon?

A social phenomenon consists of actions, behaviors, or events that are caused by society or affect society.

What is the difference between income and wealth, and which is better for understanding social class?

Income is money received, while wealth is assets owned. Wealth is better for understanding social class because it reflects accumulated resources.

Define ethnocentrism.

The tendency to view one's own culture as superior and to judge other cultures based on one's own standards.

What is Conflict Theory?

A sociological perspective that emphasizes the role of power, inequality, and conflict in shaping social structures and social change.

What is Sociological Perspective?

Understanding human behavior by placing it within its broader social context.

What is Merton's Strain Theory?

A theory of deviance that argues that when individuals are unable to achieve societal goals through legitimate means, they may resort to deviant behavior.

What is a Latent Function?

The unintended and often unrecognized consequences of social institutions or policies.

What is Symbolic-Interactionism?

A sociological perspective that focuses on how individuals create meaning through social interaction and the use of symbols.

What is Conformity?

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to match those of other people or a group standard.

What is Differential Association Theory?

A theory of deviance that argues that deviant behavior is learned through interaction with others who engage in deviant behavior.

What is Tabula Rasa?

The idea that the mind is a blank slate at birth, and that knowledge comes from experience and perception.

What was the purpose of the Milgram Experiment?

To study obedience to authority.

What is Naturalistic Observation?

Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situation.

What are Values?

Culturally defined standards that people use to decide what is desirable, good, and beautiful and that serve as broad guidelines for social living.

What is a Closed System?

A system that does not exchange energy or matter with its surroundings.

What is a Folkway?

Norms for routine or casual interaction.

What is Cultural Relativism?

The practice of judging a culture by its own standards.

What is Cultural Diffusion?

The spread of cultural beliefs and social activities from one group to another.

What is a More?

Norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance.

What is an Open System?

A system that exchanges energy or matter with its surroundings.

What is a Sanction?

A reward or punishment that reinforces socially accepted behavior.

What is a Subculture?

A cultural group within a larger culture, often having beliefs or interests at variance with those of the larger culture.

What is Social Inequality?

The unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges within a society.

What is Social Class?

A division of a society based on social and economic status.

What is Poverty?

The state of being poor.

What is Gender?

The socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female.

What is Social Stratification?

A system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy.

What are Role Expectations?

Socially determined behaviors expected of a person performing a role.

What is Assimilation?

The process by which minorities gradually adopt patterns of the dominant culture.

What was the purpose of the Asch Experiment?

To study conformity.

What is Material Culture?

The physical things created by members of a society.

What is Discrimination?

Unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members.

What is Obedience?

Compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority.

What is Bias?

Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way that’s considered to be unfair.

What is Incarceration?

The state of being imprisoned.

What is Looking-Glass Self?

A social psychological concept stating that a person's self grows out of society's interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others.

What is Acculturation?

The process of cultural change and psychological change that results following meeting between cultures.

What is Enculturation?

The process by which people learn the dynamics of their surrounding culture and acquire values and norms appropriate or necessary in that culture.

What is Role-Taking Theory?

Theory that as children grow, they practice role-taking. By anticipating what others expect of them, children learn to see themselves through the eyes of other people.