Sociology Vocab 1

Intro to Sociogy

Bourgeoisie

those who own the means for producing wealth in industrial society (for example, factories and equipment)

Class Conflict

a clash between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, who labored for them. Just as slaves overthrew slave owners, wage workers would overtake capitalists. Resulted in a communist society

Darwinism

theory of social change based on Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution that claimed if left alone, natural social selection would ensure the survival of the fittest society

Dramaturgy

approach that depicts human interaction as theatrical performances

Dysfunction

elements of society that have negative consequences

Functionalism

theoretical perspective that emphasizes the contributions (functions) of each part of a society

Sociological Imagination

the ability of individuals to see the relationship between events in their personal lives and events in their society

Symbolic Interactionism

a theoretical perspective that focuses on the actual interaction among people

Latent functions

unintended and unrecognized

Manifest functions

intended and recognized

Mechanical solidarity

social dependency based on a widespread consensus of values and beliefs, enforced conformity, and dependence on tradition and family

Organic solidarity

social interdependency based on a high degree of specialization in roles

Positivism

an approach to the study of society that relies specifically on scientific evidence, such as experiments and statistics, to reveal a true nature of how society operates

Power

the ability to control the behavior of others

Proletariat

work for the bourgeoisie and are paid just enough to stay alive

Sociology

the scientific study of social structure

Social Statics

the study of social stability and order, and social dynamics

social Structure

the patterned interaction of people in social relationships

Symbol

something chosen to represent something else (observable representing something not observable, something that is abstract)

verstehen

understanding the social behavior of others by putting yourself mentally in their places (putting yourself in someone else’s “shoes”)