Introduction to Sociology and Key Concepts

Flashcards covering key concepts from sociology, the importance of volunteer notetaking, and distinctions between sociology and other social sciences.

What is sociology?

The scientific study of patterns of human behavior as shaped by human interaction.

What does the 'Tragedy of the Commons' refer to?

A dilemma where individuals deplete a shared resource due to self-interest, even when it harms everyone in the long term.

What are the central concepts in sociology?

Social structure, which refers to the ordered and persisting relationships among positions in a social system.

What distinguishes sociology from other disciplines?

Sociology employs holistic social analysis and emphasizes the social aspects of human behavior.

What is 'The Sociological Imagination'?

The ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and larger social influences.

What are personal/private troubles vs social/public issues?

Personal troubles are individual problems, whereas social issues affect larger groups or society as a whole.

Why is it difficult for people to view problems as social/public issues?

Most people interpret problems as personal issues and often try to solve them at the personal level.

What are sociological questions focused on?

They focus on understanding the nature of social phenomena, their elements, types, causes, and consequences.

What challenges does sociology face as a science?

The subject matter involves self-aware humans who assign meaning to their actions, making it complex.

What did C. Wright Mills mean by, 'Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both'?

Understanding individual lives requires comprehension of the societal context in which they occur.

What is a factual sociological question?

A question that seeks information about what is and aims to gather objective data.