Intro to Sociology - Exam 1

sociological imagination

the ability to see the connections between our personal experience and the larger forces of history

social institution

a complex group of interdependent positions, that together, perform a social role and reproduce themselves over time (ex. family, religion, etc.)

Comte’s three historical stages

theological, metaphysical, and scientific

theological stage

society seemed to be a result of divine will

metaphysical stage

humankind’s behavior is governed by natural, biological instincts

scientific stage

we would develop a social physics to identify scientific laws that govern human behavior

division of labor

degree to which jobs are specialized

social solidarity

the way social cohesion among individuals is maintained

symbolic interactionism

a micro-level theory in which shared meanings, orientations, and assumptions form the basic motivations behind people actions

functionalism

the theory that various social institutions and processes in society exist to serve some important (or necessary) function to keep society running

conflict theory

the idea that conflict between competing interests is the basic, animating force of social change and society in general (inequality exists and people get left behind)

dialectic materialism

a notion of history that privileges conflict over economic; material resources as the central struggle and driver of change in society (Marx’s theory of history)

total institutions

an institution that controls all the basics of day-to-day life (military, college, etc.)

significant other

individuals close enough to us to have a strong capacity to motivate our behavior

reference groups

groups that influence our behavior

role models

those on which we model our behavior

generalized other

social control exercised by commonsense understandings of what is appropriate in a specific time and place

status

a recognizable social position that an individual occupies

ascribed status

a status into which one was born; involuntarily (gender, birthday, etc.)

achieved status

a status into which one enters; voluntarily

master status

one status within a set that stands out or overrides all others

stratification

the hierarchical organization of society into groups with differing levels of power, social prestige, or status and economic resources

socialization

the process by which you learn how to become a functioning member of society

proletariat

the working class

bourgeoisie

the capitalist class