Sociology: Levels of Analysis & Social Development

Flashcards covering sociological concepts from macro and micro analysis, social structure, social status, the life course, human development theories (Cooley & Mead), and advanced sociological perspectives like Functionalism, Conflict Theory, Solidarity, Stereotyping, Personal Space, Dramaturgy, Ethnomethodology, and Social Construction of Reality.

Macrosociology

A large-scale view of society, focusing on the big picture. Theories include Functionalism and Conflict Theory.

Microsociology

A small-scale view of society, focusing on interpersonal interactions. Theory includes Symbolic Interactionism.

Social Structure

The pre-existing framework of society, including rules and expectations, that shapes behavior based on factors like gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Culture

Shared beliefs, values, and norms that are elements of social structure.

Social Class

A division of society based primarily on income, as well as education and occupational prestige, ranging from poverty to the wealthy 1%.

Social Status

A position someone occupies within society (e.g., student, employee, son/daughter).

Status Set

All the social statuses a person holds at one time.

Ascribed Status

A status given at birth and not chosen, such as sex, race, or family's class.

Achieved Status

A status earned or chosen through a person's actions or decisions (e.g., college student, felon, high school dropout).

Master Status

A dominant status that overshadows all other statuses and often primarily defines how others perceive an individual (e.g., being disabled, a celebrity, or a criminal).

Status Symbols

Objects or markers that visibly communicate a person's status, roles, authority, or opportunities (e.g., a judge's robe, wedding ring, luxury items).

Childhood (Modern View)

A life stage where children are seen as dependent and needing protection, rather than as economic workers, possible in economically advanced societies.

Adolescence

A transitional life stage between childhood and adulthood (roughly 13-17 years old), marked by frustration due to shifting expectations from parents and society.

Rites of Passage

Ceremonies or rituals that mark the transition from childhood to adulthood, often seen in 'primitive' societies and symbolically present in advanced societies (e.g., Quinceañera, Bar/Bat Mitzvah).

Transitional Adulthood

The life stage from approximately 18-29 years old, where society delays full adult responsibilities, making milestones like leaving home, finishing school, and financial independence harder to reach compared to past generations.

Middle Years

Spanning from 30-65 years old, divided into early (30-49, often upward career/family) and later (50-65, awareness of mortality, 'Sandwich Generation').

Sandwich Generation

Individuals in their later middle years (50-65) who are simultaneously caring for both their children and their aging parents.

Transitional Older Years

The life stage from approximately 65-74, where many individuals remain healthy and active but focus more on the limited time remaining.

Later Older Years

The life stage from 75+ years, characterized by increased health declines, more doctor visits, and eventual focus on the end of life.

Socialization

The lifelong process of learning how to be a member of society, acquiring norms, values, behaviors, and skills.

Feral/Isolated Children

Children who have grown up without social interaction, demonstrating that human contact, affection, and teaching are necessary for proper language, norms, and behavioral development.

Looking-Glass Self (Charles Cooley)

A theory stating that our sense of self develops by imagining how others see us, interpreting their reactions, and forming self-concepts based on these interpretations.

Role Taking (George Herbert Mead)

A theory describing how children learn to understand perspectives by taking the role of others, progressing through stages of imitation, play, and games, leading to the generalized other.

Generalized Other

The internalized expectations and attitudes of society as a whole, developed through the process of role taking.

Functionalist Perspective

A sociological theory that views society as an organized system where institutions (family, schools, religion, law, military) work together to meet basic needs and maintain smooth operation.

Conflict Perspective

A sociological theory that views society as primarily serving the elite at the top, with powerful individuals and groups maintaining systems to protect their status and prevent social change.

Mechanical Solidarity

A type of social cohesion found in traditional or farming communities, based on shared work, similar values, interdependence on common success, and little tolerance for diversity.

Organic Solidarity

A type of social cohesion found in modern, complex societies, where people perform very different jobs but depend on one another due to specialized roles (like organs in a body).

Stereotyping

The act of judging people based on characteristics like race, gender, age, or appearance, often emphasizing negatives, obscuring the individual, and shaping interactions.

Public Distance

A personal space zone extending 12 feet or more, typically used for famous figures or public speaking.

Social Distance

A personal space zone extending 4 to 12 feet, suitable for formal interactions like job interviews.

Personal Distance

A personal space zone extending 1.5 to 4 feet, typically used among friends and acquaintances.

Intimate Distance

A personal space zone extending 0 to 18 inches, reserved for family, partners, and very close relationships.

Dramaturgy (Erving Goffman)

A sociological perspective that views life as a stage, where individuals perform different 'front stage' roles in public and maintain a 'back stage' private self.

Front Stage

In Dramaturgy, the public performance an individual shows to others.

Back Stage

In Dramaturgy, the private self and behaviors hidden from the audience.

Ethnomethodology

The study of everyday background assumptions and unspoken rules that help society function, which people intuitively understand without explicit instruction (e.g., not haggling at a supermarket).

Social Construction of Reality

The concept that reality is not always fixed but is defined differently by people, meaning what is considered real or acceptable can vary across cultures and contexts.