Sociology; Leisure and Media and Social Institutions: Politics, Education, and Religion

Leisure

Time that can be spent doing whatever you want, such as relaxing, recreating, and indulging in freely chosen activities.

Recreation

Any pleasurable activity that is refreshing and renewing for the body, mind, and spirit.

Ideal types

Leisure and work are ideal types that exist on a continuum.

Linked through consumption

Leisure and work are linked through the act of consumption.

Functionalism ON LEISURE

A theoretical perspective that views recreation and leisure as providing for the needs of society and its members, helping maintain social cohesion and unity.

Conflict Theory on leisure

A theoretical perspective that views recreation and leisure as reinforcing existing power structures and creating and maintaining social inequalities.

Symbolic Interactionism on leisure

A theoretical perspective that views recreation and leisure as being produced when people act together, playing a meaningful role in everyday lives.

Shift from public to private sphere

A change over time where people spend more time at home for leisure activities.

Digitization of leisure and recreation

The shift towards online experiences and continual interaction in leisure and recreation activities.

Commodification of leisure and recreation

The process of turning leisure and recreation activities into commodities that can be bought and sold.

Types of leisure activities associated with social class

Certain leisure activities, such as basketball or tennis, are associated with specific social classes.

Media and democracy

The relationship between media and democracy, where media is regarded as the fourth estate and plays a role in shaping public opinion and setting the public agenda.

Magic Bullet Theory

The theory that media consumers are passive, uncritical recipients of content.

Minimal Effects Theory

The theory that media has minimal effects on individuals' attitudes and behaviors.

Active audience

The theory that individuals actively engage with media and can counter the effects of the media.

Minimal Effects Theory

The theory that individuals use media for various purposes, such as escaping reality, social interaction, education and information, and entertainment.

Agenda-setting theory

The theory that mass media selectively sets the public agenda by highlighting certain issues and topics.

Two-step flow model theory

The theory that audiences get much of their information from "opinion leaders" who convey and explain important news.

Encoding/decoding model

The model that combines the magic bullet theory and active audience/minimal effects theories, suggesting that there are specific ideological messages that are responded to in a variety of ways.

Social institutions

Systems and structures that shape the activities of groups and individuals in society, such as government, education, and religion.

Authoritarianism

A political system characterized by government by and for a small elite, with no representation of ordinary citizens.

Dictatorship

A political system where an individual seizes power and becomes an absolutist ruler.

Totalitarianism

A political system where the government seeks to control every aspect of citizens' lives.

Monarchy

A political system where there is a succession of rulers kept within the family, such as a king and queen.

Democracy

A political system in which all citizens have a right to participate equally.

Pluralist Theory

The theory that a wide variety of individuals and groups have equal access to resources and power.

Power Elite Theory

The theory that a small number of people control the economic, political, and military institutions of a society.

Education

The process by which a society transmits knowledge, values, and norms, teaching youth to follow society's rules and respect authority.

Tracking

The selective placement of individuals into different programs of study based on their abilities or perceived abilities.

Hidden Curriculum

Indirectly learned attitudes and behaviors taught in schools.

Religion

An institutionalized system of shared beliefs and rituals.

Religiosity

The regular practice of religious beliefs.

Fundamentalists

Individuals who have a literal interpretation of religious texts and desire a return to greater religious purity.

Unchurched

Individuals who are spiritual but not religious and often adopt aspects of various religious traditions.

Megachurches

Large churches that attract a significant number of attendees.

Family

A social group whose members are bound by legal, biological, and/or emotional ties.

Mate selection

The process of choosing a partner for marriage or a long-term relationship.

Endogamy

Marriage to someone within one's social group, such as race, class, ethnicity, education, religion, region, or nationality.

Exogamy

Marriage to someone from a different social group.

Monogamy

The practice of being married to one person at a time, which is the only legal form of marriage in the U.S.

Polygamy

The practice of having multiple spouses.

Structural Functionalism

A sociological perspective that views the family as one of the