AICE Sociology 1.1

Norms

specific rules that dictate how people should act in a particular situation.

ex: greeting people, apologizing for wronging another person.

Anomie

a condition where people who fail to understand the norms of society operatterm-1e in a particular situation react in a multitude of ways.

ex: forms of confusion, range, fear.

Values

common expectations that provide a sense of order and predictability.

ex: loyalty, integrity, gratitude, courage.

Social Order

behavioral patterns/regularities established by societies that make social action possible

ex: marriage, family

Beliefs

ideas that are accepted as true, whether or not they are supported by evidence

ex: religious, philosophical, political.

Scientific Method

way of generating knowledge about world through an objective, systematic & controlled research.

ex: hypothetico-deductive model

Positivism

methodology based on the principle that it's possible & desirable to study the social world in broadly the same way that natural scientists study the natural world.

ex: mathematics

Capitalism

economic system based on the pursuit of private profit.

ex. relationship between employer and employee (owner & non-owner)

Culture

the "way of life" of a particular group of people; the ideas and beliefs they create.

ex: religious beliefs, art, food, clothes, holidays.

Primary Socialization

the process of learning that begins at birth and occurs in the home and family

ex: the influence of the immediate family to a child

Secondary Socialization

process of learning appropriate behavior within smaller sections of the larger society

ex: the influence of schools, places of worship, work environment on individuals.

Social Change

involves a major shift in the political, economic, or cultural order (macro level). refers to everyday changes in political, economic, or cultural relationships (micro level).

ex: civil right movements, women rights, LGBTQ+.

Weberian Theory

focuses on understanding and explaining social action. contemporary forms of Weberian sociology are usually expressed as interactionist sociology.

ex: a wealthy immigrant family composed of software engineers having high economic class but lower power/status.

Value Consensus

agreement about the things a society, and by extension individuals within that society, thinks are important

ex: individual freedom being more important than collectivism.

Traditional Society

type of society in which behavior is characterized by and based on long-standing customs, habits, and traditions

ex: Native Societies, including Canadian first nation tribes.

Mechanical Solidarity

type of social solidarity characteristic of pre-industrial/tribal societies, in which people are bound together by who they are rather than what they do

ex: religious groups, indigenous tribes

Subculture

a culture within a larger culture.

ex: religious groups, fans of a particular singer, school gangs..

Cultural Hybridity

the cultural practice of combining and assigning new meaning to previous beliefs, practices, or ideas that leads to the emergence of a new cultural form out of two or more existing ones, leaving both forms changed without erasing the old.

ex: creole languages, food that incorporates different cuisines.

High Culture

refers to the idea that some cultural products and practices are superior to others.

ex: ballet, classical music/literature, fine wine

Popular Culture

"culture of the masses"

ex: slang, sports, fashion, technology

Consumer Culture

standardized commodities are promoted by global marketing campaigns to "create similar lifestyles".

ex: Nike, McDonald's, Coca-Cola

Global Culture

reflects how local/national cultural developments can spread, be picked up, and shaped to suit the needs of different groups.

ex: pop music, fast food chains, fashion trends

Sanctions

enforced by agencies of social control.

ex: police & legal system

Identity

our sense of self

ex: gender, social class, profession, sexual orientation, race, religion

Social Construct

an idea that has been created and accepted by the people in a society

ex: gender roles, money, marriage/family, race & ethnicity