sociology test #2

social group

a collection of people who regularly interact with one another on the basis of shared expectations concerning behavior and who share a sense of common identity

social aggregate

a collection of people who happen to be together in a particular place but do not significantly interact or identify with one another

social category

people who share a common characteristic but do not necessarily interact or identify with one another (eye color, gender)

in-group

groups toward which on feels particular loyalty and respect - the groups in which we belong

out-group

groups toward which one feels antagonism and contempt - "those people"

primary group

a group characterized by instance emotional ties, face-to-face interaction, intimacy, and a strong, enduring sense of commitment

secondary group

a group characterized by its large size and by impersonal, fleeting relationship

reference group

a group that provides a standard for judging one's attitudes or behaviors

dyad

a group consisting of two persons

triad

a group consisting of three persons

leader

a person who is able to influence the behavior of other members of a group

transformational leaders

leaders who can instill in the members of a group a sense of mission or higher purpose, thereby changing the nature of the group itself

transactional leaders

leaders who are concerned with accomplishing the group tasks, getting group members to do their job, and ensuring that the group achieves its goals

groupthink

a process by which the members of a group ignore ways of thinking and plans of action that go against the group consensus

Social structure

is about social relationships being organized in all ways of life

Central position

direct ties to most people in the network

At the micro level

social actors are individual people.

At the macro level

social actors can be businesses, organizations, institutions, nation states

Eugenics

Nazi ideals, one race/species are best

functional unity

all the parts will work together to produce order and harmony

indispensability

if a particular part of the system exists for a long period it must be the best or only way of fulfilling the function.

Function

a task or process that, if fulfilled, does something beneficial for all of society

Group

a collection of people who interact usually face-to-face most all know each other usually a “group” is a group b/c “groupness” feels good.

George Simmel

started to think about social connection, and pointed out that group size implicated how groups work

Dense

there are lots of pairs or people directly connected by tie/link

Multiplex

any pair of actors tends to be connected by more than one type of tie

Sparse

there are lots of gaps between actors, fewer direct ties

Uniplex

pairs of people are mostly just connected by a single relation or tie

Caste system

categories that are fixed with clear boundaries

organization

a group with identifiable members that engages in concerted collective action to achieve a common purpose

formal organization

means by which a group is rationally designed to achieve its objective, often using explicit rules, regulation, and procedures

bureaucracy

a type of organization marked by a clear hierarchy or authority and the existence of written rules of procedure and staffed by full-time, salaried officials

ideal type

a "pure type" constructed by emphasizing certain traits of a social item that do not necessarily exist in reality

formal relations

relations that exist in groups and organizations as stipulated by the norms, or rules, of the official system of authority

informal relations

relations that exist in groups and organizations developed on the basis of personal connections and ways of doing things that depart from formally recognized modes of procedure

iron law of oligarchy

large organizations tend toward centralization or power making democracy difficult

oligarchy

rule by a small minority within an organization or society

human resource management

a style of management that regards a company's workforce as vital to its economic comparativeness

corporate culture

an organizational culture involving rituals, events, or traditions that are unique to a specific company

information technology

forms of technology based on information processing and requiring microelectronic circuity

McDonaldization

is the process by which the principle of the Fast-food restaurants is coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world

social capital

the social knowledge and connections that enable people- to accomplish their goals and extend their influence

social stratification

the existence of structured inequalities among groups in society in terms of their access to material or symbolic rewards.

three key aspects of social stratification

class, status, and power

slavery

a form of social stratification in which some people- are owned as property by others

caste system

a social system in which one's social status is determined at birth and set for life

endogamy

the forbidding of marriage or sexual relations outside one's social group

class

one of the most frequently used concepts in sociology, sociologist use this term to refer to socioeconomic variations among groups of individuals that create variations in their material prosperity and power

life chances

a term introduced by Max weber to signify the opportunities a person has for achieving economic prosperity

means of production

the means whereby the production of material goods is carried on in a society, including not just technology but the social relations among produces

bourgeoisie

people who own the means of production, including companies, land, or stock (shares), and use these to generate economic returns, according to Marx

proletariat

people who sell their labor for wages, according to Marx

surplus value

in Marxist theory, the value of a worker's labor left over when an employer has repaid the cost of hiring the worker

status

the social honor or prestige that a particular group is accorded by other members of a society

pariah groups

groups that suffer from negative status discrimination they are looked down on by most other members of society

contradictory class locations

positions in the class structure, particular routine white collar and lower managerial jobs, that share characteristics with the class positions both above and below them

income

payment, usually derived from wages, salaries, or investment

wealth

money and material possessions held by an individual or group

upper class

a social class broadly composed of the more affluent members of society, especially those who have inherited wealth, own business, or hold large numbers of stocks

middle class

a social class composed broadly of those working in white-collar and highly skilled blue-collar jobs

the upper middle class

consist of highly educated professionals

the lower middle class

consist of trained office workers

working class

a social class broadly composed of people working in blue or pink-collar, or manual, occupations

lower class

a social class composed of those who work part-time or not at all and whose household income is typically low

social mobility

upward or downward movement of individual's or a group among different class positions

intragenerational mobility

movement up or down a social stratification hierarchy within the course of a personal career

intergenerational mobility

movement up or down a social stratification hierarchy from one generation to another

social reproduction

the process whereby societies have structural continuity over time

cultural capital

noneconomic or cultural resources that parents pass down to their children, such as language or knowledge. these resources contributed to the process of social reproduction

downward mobility

social mobility in which individuals' wealth income, or status is lower than what they or their parents once had

short-range downward mobility

social mobility that occurs when an individual moves from one position in the class structure to another of nearly equal status

absolute poverty

a state of poverty in which one lacks the minimal requirements necessary to sustain a healthy existence

relative poverty

poverty is defined according to the living standards of the majority in any given society

poverty line

an official government measure to define those living in poverty in the United States

working poor

people who work but whose earnings are not enough to lift them above the poverty line

feminization of poverty

an increase in the proportion of the poor who are female

social security

a government program that provides economic assistance to persons faced with unemployment disability, or old age

medicare

a program under the U.S. social security admiration that reimburses hospitals and physicians for medical care provided to qualifying people over 65 years old

culture of poverty

is not a result of individual inadequacies but is instead the outcome of a larger social and cultural atmosphere into which successive generations of children are socialized

dependency culture

a term to describe individuals who rely on state welfare provision rather than entering the labor market

social exclusion

the outcome of multiple deprivations that prevent individuals or groups from participating fully in the economic, social, and political life of the society in which they live

agency

the ability to think act and make choices independently

homeless

people who have no place to sleep and either stay in free shelters or sleep in public places not meant for habituation

economy

the system of production and exchange that provides for the material needs of individuals living in a given society

power

the ability of individuals or the members of a group to achieve aims or further the interests they hold, even when others resist

authority

a government's legitimate use of power

work

the activity by which people produce from the natural world and so ensure their survival

occupation

any form of paid employment in which an individual regularly works

technology

the application of knowledge of the material world to production, including the creation of material instruments used in human interaction with nature

informal economy

economic transactions carried on outside the sphere of formal paid employment

housework

unpaid work carried out in the home, usually by women domestic chores such as cooking, cleaning, and shopping also called domestic labor

division of labor

the specialization of work tasks, by means of which different occupations are combined within a production system

alienation

the sense that our own abilities as human beings are taken over by others

strike

a temporary stoppage of work by a group of employees in order to express a grievance or enforce a demand

unions

organizations that advance and protect the interests of workers with respect to working conditions, wages, and beifits

collective bargaining

the rights of employees and workers to negotiate with their employers for basic rights and benefits

capitalism

an economic system based on the private ownership of wealth, which is invested and reinvested in order to produce profit

corporations

business firms or company's

entrepreneur

the owner or founder of a business firm

monopoly

a situation in which a single firm dominates in a given industry