notebooklm sociology

What did Karl Marx believe would be the ultimate outcome of the conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat?

He believed workers would rise up, overthrow capitalism, and form a new, classless society with collective ownership.

How did Lewis Coser's view of social conflict differ from Karl Marx's?

Coser argued that conflict can strengthen societies by acting as a warning message, leading to adaptation and greater group loyalty when resolved.

What is the primary focus of Max Weber's meso-level analysis of organizations?

The goal-oriented, efficient new organizational form called bureaucracy, which is based on rationality.

Émile Durkheim described simple, premodern societies as being held together by _____, which is social cohesion based on the similarity of individuals in the group.

mechanical solidarity

What are the four primary theoretical perspectives or paradigms in sociology?

Symbolic interaction theory, rational choice theory, structural-functional theory, and conflict theory.

The process by which individuals and groups shape reality through social interaction is known as what?

The social construction of reality.

What key concept did George Herbert Mead use to describe the spontaneous, impulsive, and creative part of the self?

The "I".

In George Herbert Mead's theory, what is the "Me"?

The part of the self that has learned the rules of society through interaction and role-taking, and it controls the "I".

Define resocialization.

The process of shedding one or more social positions and taking on others, which involves learning new norms, behaviors, and values.

A place that cuts people off from the rest of society and totally controls their lives in the process of resocialization is known as a(n) _____.

total institution

Term: Social class

Definition: The wealth, power, and prestige rankings that individuals hold in society.

Erving Goffman's approach that analyzes life as a play or drama on a stage, with scripts and props, is called _____.

dramaturgy

What is the difference between an ascribed status and an achieved status?

An ascribed status is often assigned at birth (e.g., race, sex), while an achieved status is chosen or earned (e.g., student, doctor).

According to Émile Durkheim, what is anomie?

The state of normlessness that occurs when the rules for behavior in society break down under extreme stress from rapid social change or conflict.

What are the three types of suicide identified by Émile Durkheim?

Egoistic (weak group ties), anomic (norm breakdown), and altruistic (strong group obligation).

What concept did George Ritzer use to describe the process where principles of efficiency, predictability, and control, exemplified by fast-food chains, dominate more sectors of our social world?

The McDonaldization of society.

Term: Alienation (in the context of work)

Definition: A feeling of being uninvolved, uncommitted, unappreciated, and unconnected to one's group or society, often occurring in routine or dead-end jobs.

What is institutional racial discrimination?

Any meso-level arrangement that favors one racial group over another; this may be intentional or unintentional.

What is the core idea of differential association theory regarding deviance?

It posits that people learn to commit deviant acts through their social relationships and interactions with others who model and normalize such behavior.

According to labeling theory, how does an act become deviant?

An act becomes deviant when members of a society with power label it as such.

What are the two types of social controls that shape our tendency to conform, according to social control theory?

Internal controls (our inner voice of right and wrong) and external controls (society's formal and informal sanctions).

Robert Merton's strain theory suggests that deviance occurs when there is a discrepancy between socially approved _____ and the socially approved _____ to achieve them.

goals; means

Term: White-collar (or occupational) crime

Definition: A violation of the law committed by an individual or group in the course of a legitimate, respected occupation or financial activity.

Ongoing criminal enterprises run by an organized group for economic gain through illegitimate means are referred to as what?

Organized crime.

What does the concept of 'social stratification' refer to?

The layering of individuals into social strata or hierarchies based on factors like wealth, power, and prestige.

What is the 'feminization of poverty'?

The trend in which single females with children make up a growing proportion of those in poverty.

What is 'side-effect discrimination'?

A form of unintentional institutional discrimination where practices in one institutional area have a negative impact because they are linked to discriminatory practices in another area.

What are the two main types of social mobility?

Intergenerational mobility (change in status compared to parents' generation) and intragenerational mobility (change in status within an individual's own lifetime).

According to the Davis-Moore thesis, why is social stratification functional for society?

It ensures that the most important positions are filled by the most qualified people by offering them greater rewards.

Term: Race (from a sociological perspective)

Definition: A socially created concept that identifies a group as 'different' based on certain biologically inherited physical characteristics.

What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination?

Prejudice refers to preconceived attitudes about a group, while discrimination is the differential treatment and harmful actions against members of a group.

_____ refers to practices from the past that may no longer be allowed but that continue to have consequences for people in the present.

Past-in-present discrimination

The structural-functionalist theory of Émile Durkheim argues that external inequality is dysfunctional for an industrial society. Why?

Because it prevents some people from fulfilling their innate talents, which damages the overall functioning and efficiency of society.

Term: Sex (biological)

Definition: A biological term referring to genetic, anatomical, and hormonal differences between males and females.

Term: Gender

Definition: A society's notions of masculinity and femininity—socially constructed meanings associated with being male or female.

What is the 'glass ceiling'?

Invisible barriers that limit the progress of women and other minorities to the highest job or status positions within an organization.

What is the 'glass escalator'?

An occupational social force that pushes men up the job ladder to higher echelons, especially in traditionally female occupations.

The term for an assumption that every person is heterosexual, thereby legitimizing it as the only normal lifestyle, is known as _____.

heterosexism

Term: Homophobia

Definition: An intense fear and hatred of homosexuality and homosexuals.

What are social institutions?

Organized, patterned, and enduring sets of social structures that provide guidelines for behavior and help society meet its basic survival needs.

What is the difference between a nuclear family and an extended family?

A nuclear family consists of parents and their children, while an extended family includes other kin, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

A pattern of mate selection in which partners select each other based primarily on romance and love is called _____.

free-choice marriage

What is the most common form of marriage in industrial and postindustrial societies?

Monogamy, which is the marriage of two individuals.

The term _____ refers to the marriage of one person to more than one partner at the same time.

polygamy

What is the 'hidden curriculum' in schools?

The implicit messages learned in school through the three Rs: rules, routines, and regulations.

Term: Reproduction of class

Definition: The socioeconomic positions of one generation passing on to the next generation.

What is the sociological concern with standardized testing in education?

The argument that test questions, vocabulary, and testing situations can disadvantage lower-class, minority, and immigrant students.

According to Émile Durkheim, what are the three elementary forms of religion?

The sacred, rituals, and a community of believers.

Stories that transmit values and embody ideas about life and the world within a religious context are known as _____.

myths

Term: New Religious Movements (NRMs)

Definition: The beginning phase of an entirely new religion, often arising from a new revelation by a charismatic leader; formerly called cults by sociologists.

What is a theocracy?

A government in which religious leaders rule society in accordance with God's presumed wishes.

What does the term 'secularization' refer to?

The diminishing influence and role of religion in everyday life.

According to Max Weber, what is the difference between power and authority?

Power is the ability to influence others and achieve goals against their will, while authority is power that people consider legitimate.

What are Max Weber's three types of legitimate authority?

Traditional authority, charismatic authority, and rational-legal authority.

The _____ model of power holds that power is distributed among various groups so that no one group has complete power.

pluralist

The _____ model of power asserts that it is inevitable that a small group of elites will rule societies.

power elite

What is the key characteristic of a totalitarian government?

It almost totally controls people's lives, including political, social, and economic institutions.

In a _____ economic system, the government or another centralized group oversees production and distribution.

planned (or centralized)

Term: War

Definition: An armed conflict occurring within, between, or among societies or groups, sometimes called organized mass violence.

According to conflict theorists, what is a primary cause of war, terrorism, and revolution?

The outcome of oppression by the ruling elite and powerful countries and an attempt to eliminate that oppression.

Term: Terrorism

Definition: The planned use of random, unlawful violence or threat of violence against civilians to create fear and advance a group's political or ideological goals.

What is a pandemic?

A disease prevalent throughout an entire country that may infect a continent or reach around the world.

What is the 'sick role' as described by Talcott Parsons?

A special position in society that comes with rights and obligations, where a sick person is excused from normal responsibilities but is obligated to try to get well.

The process by which a professional occupation loses autonomy, respect, and service orientation due to control by nonprofessionals and outside forces is called _____.

deprofessionalization

Term: Demography

Definition: The study of human populations, including their size, distribution, composition, and changes over time.

What did Thomas Malthus argue in his theory of population?

He argued that population grows exponentially while the food supply grows arithmetically, leading to inevitable checks on population like famine and war.

What is the core idea of demographic transition theory?

It links population patterns to a society's level of technological and economic development, outlining stages from high birth/death rates to low birth/death rates.

The pattern of movement from rural areas to cities is called _____.

urbanization

What is the difference between Ferdinand Tönnies' concepts of 'Gemeinschaft' and 'Gesellschaft'?

Gemeinschaft refers to a small, traditional community with personal relationships, while Gesellschaft describes a large, modern society with impersonal relationships.

Term: Gentrification

Definition: The process of middle and upper-class members buying and renovating rundown properties in central-city locations, often displacing poorer residents.

What are social movements?

Consciously organized attempts outside of established institutional mechanisms to enhance or resist change through group action.

What is the difference between proactive and reactive social movements?

Proactive movements advocate for change, while reactive movements (or countermovements) resist change or seek to reverse it.

The theory that explains crowd behavior as developing new norms in unusual situations where old norms break down is called _____ theory.

emergent norm

According to Patricia Hill Collins, what aspects of experience should sociologists look at to see how they intersect and reinforce one another?

Race, social class, gender, and sexuality.

Who developed the concept of the "looking-glass self"?

Charles Horton Cooley.

What does Richard Florida's work on the 'Creativity Class' investigate?

He studies which U.S. communities attract creative people and the characteristics of those communities.

What is the 'principle of least interest' in the study of families?

It states that the person with the least interest in maintaining the relationship has the most power within it.

What is the central focus of Elijah Anderson's book 'Code of the Street'?

It describes the coexistence of 'decent' and 'street' oriented groups in poor neighborhoods and the code of conduct that develops for survival.

What key argument does sociologist Kevin Bales make about the abolition of slavery?

He demonstrates a 'freedom dividend,' showing the powerful and positive economic change that comes to whole communities when slavery is abolished.

Sociologist Mary Gatta's work focuses on the structural barriers faced by which specific group?

Working-poor women, particularly single mothers, who face challenges like child care, irregular work hours, and transportation inequities.

According to sociologist Jack Levin, what is 'disablist violence'?

Hate crimes committed against people with emotional, intellectual, and physical disabilities.

Sociologist Grace Yukich used her sociological training to understand what major event and its aftermath?

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, moving from a knee-jerk reaction to understanding religious violence and interfaith peace efforts.

What contribution did sociologist James Coleman make to the study of education?

He researched and described the meaning and goals of equal educational opportunity.

What is the focus of Kristin Kenneavy's 'Public Sociologies' course?

Students learn to gather and analyze data to understand and address social issues on their campus and in the wider community, such as interpersonal violence.

Term: Globalization

Definition: The process by which the entire world is becoming a single sociocultural entity—more uniform, more integrated, and more interdependent.

What are the two forms of nonmaterial culture that express values and beliefs?

Ideal culture (what is regarded as most desirable) and real culture (the way things are actually done).

The term for when members of a minority group are compelled to suppress their cultural identity is known as _____.

forced assimilation

The processes that limit the progress of women and other minorities to the highest job positions because of invisible barriers are known as the _____.

glass ceiling

A pattern of mate selection in which someone other than the couple selects the marital partners is called a(n) _____.

arranged marriage

The term for organized, patterned, and enduring sets of social structures that help society meet its basic survival needs is _____.

social institutions

A violation of the law committed by an individual or group in the course of a legitimate, respected occupation is called _____.

white-collar crime

What theory focuses on the process of learning deviant behavior from those with whom we interact?

Differential association theory.

The social cohesion in complex modern societies, based on the interdependence of individuals with specialized tasks, is called _____ by Émile Durkheim.

organic solidarity

What is a 'core self' according to the Iowa School of symbolic interaction?

A stable inner sense of who we are that is rooted in the most important social positions we hold in society.

Term: Ethnocentrism

Definition: The tendency to view one's own group and its cultural expectations as right, proper, and superior to others.

The term for a violation of a norm that has been codified into law is a(n) _____.

crime

What is a 'meritocracy'?

A society where positions are allocated in a social group or organization according to individuals' abilities and credentials.

Which social theorist argued that external inequality, like racial discrimination, is dysfunctional for an industrial society because it wastes human talent?

Émile Durkheim.

The theory that pictures humans as consciously and deliberately creating their personal and collective histories through shared symbols is _____.

symbolic interaction theory

What does rational choice theory propose about human behavior?

That humans are fundamentally concerned with self-interests, making rational decisions based on weighing costs and rewards.