Sociology Introductory Concepts (Chapters 1–5)

50 vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions and theories across Chapters 1 to 5 of Introductory Sociology.

Sociology

The systematic study of human behaviour in social context.

Social solidarity

Refers to the degree to which group members share beliefs and values, as well as the intensity and frequency of their interaction.

Social structures

Relatively stable patterns of social relations.

Sociological imagination

The ability to see the connection between personal troubles and social structures.

Manifest functions

Obvious and intended effects of social structures.

Latent functions

Non-obvious and unintended effects of social structures.

Cultural hegemony

Occurs when the values of upper-class dominance become so deeply entrenched that the great majority of people accept them as common sense.

Verstehen

Max Weber's approach to sociological research that involves empathetic understanding of the motives and meanings people attach to their actions.

Social constructionism

A variant of symbolic interactionism suggesting that apparently natural or innate features of life are sustained by social processes that vary historically and culturally.

Queer theory

A theoretical perspective that denies the existence of stable identities, arguing that official labels act as forms of control and domination.

Deductive reasoning

A logical approach that begins with general ideas and proceeds to test their validity on specific cases.

Inductive reasoning

A logical approach that begins with concrete cases and proceeds to identify general patterns and themes.

Informed consent

Requires participants to acknowledge that they are aware of the risks of participation and are participating voluntarily.

Operationalization

The process of translating abstract concepts into concrete variables and propositions into testable hypotheses.

Independent variable

The presumed cause in a cause-and-effect relationship.

Dependent variable

The presumed effect in a cause-and-effect relationship.

Validity

The degree to which results reflect reality, meaning a measure actually measures what it is intended to measure.

Reliability

The degree to which a measurement procedure yields consistent results.

Spuriousness

Occurs when a change in a control variable causes a change in both the independent and dependent variables, erasing the association between them.

Authenticity

The extent to which qualitative investigation captures social realities as experienced by insiders.

Cultural appropriation

The adoption, often by members of a dominant culture, of elements from a culture of people who have been historically marginalized or oppressed.

Abstraction

The human capacity to create general concepts that meaningfully organize sensory experience.

Folkways

Norms that specify social preferences, representing the least important norms that evoke the least severe punishment.

Mores

Core norms that most people believe are essential for the survival of their group or society.

Taboos

The strongest social norms whose violation causes revulsion in the community and severe punishment.

Ethnocentrism

The tendency for a person to judge other cultures exclusively by the standards of his or her own culture.

Cultural relativism

The belief that all cultures have equal value.

Rationalization

Max Weber's term for the application of the most efficient means to achieve given goals and the unintended, negative consequences of doing so.

Cultural capital

The beliefs, tastes, norms, and values that people draw upon in everyday life, which are connected to social class and shape one's fate in society.

Cultural jamming

Creative methods used by individuals and groups to challenge dominant cultural beliefs, tastes, norms, and values.

Socialization

The process by which people learn to function in social life and become aware of themselves as they interact with others.

Looking-glass self

Charles Horton Cooley's concept describing how we develop a self-concept by interacting with others, imagining how we appear to them, and judging their evaluations.

Epigenetics

The study of how gene expression (rather than DNA itself) is modified by behavioural and social sources.

Primary socialization

The process of mastering the basic skills required to function in society during childhood, occurring primarily within the family.

Secondary socialization

Socialization that occurs outside the family after childhood, such as within the public school system.

Hidden curriculum

The implicit lessons in school involving the teaching of obedience to authority and conformity to cultural norms.

Thomas theorem

The sociological assertion stating that 'situations we define as real become real in their consequences.'

Resocialization

Occurs when powerful socializing agents deliberately cause rapid change in people's values, roles, and self-conception, sometimes against their will.

Total institutions

Settings in which people are isolated from larger society and are under strict control and constant supervision of a specialized staff.

Anticipatory socialization

The process of taking on the norms and behaviours of the social roles to which we aspire.

Ascribed status

A social position imposed on a person at birth, related to a characteristic that is impossible or extremely difficult to change.

Achieved status

A social position that a person acquires through their efforts and choices.

Master status

A social position that a person considers central to their social identity.

Role conflict

Occurs when an individual is faced with conflicting expectations arising from two or more statuses held simultaneously.

Role strain

Occurs when incompatible demands are built into a single status or role.

Technological determinism

Asserts that the adoption of technologies leads to inevitable and sometimes undesirable social effects.

Emotion labour

Emotion management that many people perform as part of their job and for which they are paid.

Cultural scaffolding

The set of cultural values and beliefs that legitimate existing power arrangements, making them seem reasonable and natural.

Dramaturgical analysis

Erving Goffman's view of social interaction as a play in which people present themselves so as to appear in the best possible light.

Ethnomethodology

The study of how people make sense of what others do and say by adhering to pre-existing norms and tacit agreements.