Chapter 11 - Social Structure and Demographics

functionalism

focuses on the function of each component of society and how those components fit together

manifest functions

deliberate action that serve to help a given system

latent function

unexpected, unintended, or unrecognized positive consequences of manifest functions

conflict theory

focuses on how power differentials are created and how these differentials contribute to the maintenance of social order

symbolic interactionism

study of the ways individuals interact through a shared understanding of words

social constructionism

explores the ways in which individuals and groups make decisions

rational choice theory

states that individuals will make decisions that maximize potential benefit and minimize potential harme

exchange theory

applies rational choice theory within social groups

feminist theory

explores the ways in which one gender can be subordinated

social institutions

well established social structures that dictate certain patterns of behavior

culture

encompasses the lifestyle of a group of people and includes both material and symbolic elements

material culture

includes the physical items one associates with a given group

symbolic culture

includes ideas associated with a group

cultural lag

refers to the ideas that material culture changes more quickly than symbolic

demographics

refer to the statistics of populations and are the mathematical applications of sociology

ageism

prejudice on the base of age

gender

set of traits associated with a biological sex

race

social construct based on phenotypic differences between groups, either real or perceived

ethnicity

social construct that sorts people by culture

symbolic ethnicity

recognition of an ethnic identity that is only relevant on special occasions