INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY Chapters 3–4:

Society

A group of people living in a particular territory, subject to a common political authority, and sharing a common culture.

Sanctions

Rewards or punishments used to enforce norms.

Folkways

Informal norms governing everyday behavior.

Mores

Strongly held norms with moral significance.

Taboos

Norms so strong that violating them is unthinkable or forbidden.

Language

A system of symbols enabling communication.

Symbols

Objects or actions representing shared meanings.

Material Culture

Physical objects created by society.

Nonmaterial Culture

Ideas, beliefs, and values of a society.

Cultural Diversity

The existence of varied cultural groups within a society.

Ethnocentrism

Judging other cultures by the standards of one’s own.

Cultural Relativism

Understanding a culture on its own terms.

Subculture

A group with values and norms distinct from the dominant culture.

Counterculture

A group that rejects dominant cultural values.

Cultural Change

Transformation of culture over time.

Cultural Lag

When material culture changes faster than nonmaterial culture.

Social Reproduction

The transmission of norms, values, and inequalities across generations.

Agents of Socialization

Groups or institutions shaping social learning (family, school, peers, media, religion, work).

Anticipatory Socialization

Preparing for future roles.

Resocialization

Resocialization

Resocialization

Learning new norms after discarding old ones.

Looking-Glass Self (Cooley)

Self-image shaped by how we think others see us.

I and Me (Mead

 "I" = spontaneous self; "Me" = socialized self.

Generalized Other

Internalized social norms of society

Social Roles

Expected behaviors attched to social positions

Role Conflict

Tension between competing roles

Role Strain

Difficulty fulfilling expectations of a single role

Life Course

Socially constructed stages of life.

Age Cohort

People born in the same historical period.

Gender Socialization

Learning gender roles and expectations.

Hidden Curriculum

Unofficial lessons taught by institutions (e.g., obedience, competition).