Introduction to Sociology Week 2 Study Sheet

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts and vocabulary from the Introduction to Sociology Week 2 lecture notes.

Sociology

A systematic, critical and rigorous study of social life that produces empirically warranted and verifiable statements about the social world.

Sociological Perspective

A way of interpreting social life that rejects individualistic explanations and emphasizes individuals as social beings within their environment.

Figurations

Networks of mutual dependency; social relations and interdependencies that shape social life, as introduced by Norbert Elias.

Sociological Imagination

The ability to understand the connection between personal biography and broader social history, coined by C. Wright Mills.

Personal Troubles vs. Public Issues

Personal troubles are problems within an individual's control, while public issues are structural problems affecting large numbers of people.

SHiP Framework

An analytical framework with four components: Social Structure, History, individual, and Power, used to understand society sociologically.

Social Structure

Relatively stable systems that exist beyond individuals and operate continuously on them; includes Orders, Patterns, and Outcomes.

Power

The ability to do or act, recognized authority, and social dominance; described as 'the DNA of societies' (Castells, 2016).

Culture

The designs for living — values, beliefs, behaviors, and material objects that constitute a people’s way of life.

Non-material Culture

Intangible aspects of culture, including ideas, values, norms, beliefs, symbols, and language.

Material Culture

Tangible objects and artifacts created by members of society.

Symbols

Anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share the same culture.

Language

A system of symbols allowing members of a society to communicate.

Norms

Rules and expectations that guide behavior in society, divided into proscriptive and prescriptive norms.

Socialisation

The lifelong process through which individuals learn about their culture and develop their human potential.

Primary Socialisation

The earliest form of socialisation occurring within the family.

Secondary Socialisation

Socialisation that occurs outside the family, such as through school and peer interactions.

Biological Determinism

The idea that human behavior is largely determined by biology, challenged by sociologists who emphasize learning.

Social Constructionism

The belief that social categories, including gender, are products of social and cultural processes rather than biology.

Looking-Glass Self

The process by which individuals develop self-concepts based on how they believe others perceive them, proposed by Charles Horton Cooley.

Dramaturgical Analysis

The sociological perspective that views social life as a theatrical performance, developed by Erving Goffman.

Total Institution

A place where individuals are isolated from society for re-socialisation, characterized by total supervision and collective regimentation.

Structure vs. Agency

A debate in sociology regarding whether social structures determine individual behavior or if individuals possess free will.

Impression Management

Efforts by individuals to create specific impressions in the minds of others through various means such as appearance and behavior.

Anticipatory Socialisation

Social learning directed toward gaining a desired future position, such as adopting peer group values.

In-group/Out-group Behaviour

The distinction between those who belong to a group and those who do not, reinforced through peer dynamics.

Agents of Socialisation

Groups and social institutions that significantly influence personality development, such as family and media.

Hidden Curriculum

The subtle socialization into societal values that occurs in schools outside the formal curriculum.

Re-socialisation

Events leading to a radical reorientation of an individual's personality, often involving stripping the old personality.

Empiricism

The blending of theoretical perspectives with observable facts to substantiate claims about social life.

Qualitative Research

A research approach emphasizing words and descriptions to develop theories and provide voice to subjects.

Quantitative Research

A research approach emphasizing numbers and statistics to identify patterns and test theories.

Platform Capitalism

An economic system dominated by digital platforms that concentrate data ownership and influence economic conditions.

Surveillance Capitalism

An era where human experiences are commodified into behavior data for prediction and marketing.

Life Chances

The likelihood of an individual accessing opportunities or facing obstacles shaped by social structures and power.