SOCL Exam #1 Flashcards

Sociology

The study of human societies, social behaviors, and the social forces affecting our lives.

Culture

The shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that characterize a group of people or society; learned and passed on generations to generations.

Socialization

The process by which individuals learn and adapt to the norms, values, and roles of their society.

Social Deviance

The behavior that violates social norms and rules.

Social Psychology

The study of relationships between society and the individual, examining how individuals are both shaped by and shape society.

Social Change

The study of how societies evolve or remain constant over time.

Social Stratification

The study of how groups or societies are layered or divided by power, wealth, and prestige.

Great Transformation

The shift in society from agrarian to industrial during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Durkheim's Suicide Theory

Emile Durkheim's study showing higher rates of suicide among males, singles, and protestants related to social integration levels.

Macro Analysis

The study of societal and institutional patterns in sociology.

Micro Analysis

The study of personal and interpersonal dynamics in sociology.

Mills’ Sociological Imagination

The ability to see personal lives in the context of larger societal and historical structures.

Empirical Proof

Evidence based on systematic observation or data collection rather than personal opinion.

Structural Functionalism

A theoretical perspective viewing society as interconnected parts that work together for stability and order.

Conflict Theory

A perspective that sees society as composed of groups competing for resources and power.

Symbolic Interactionism

A micro-level theory focusing on how individuals create and negotiate meanings through social interactions.

Manifest Functions

Intended and obvious outcomes of a social structure or phenomenon.

Latent Functions

Unintended and hidden outcomes of a social structure.

Independent Variable

The presumed cause in an experiment.

Dependent Variable

The presumed effect in an experiment.

Qualitative Research

Research methods focusing on depth and detailed understanding of social phenomena.

Quantitative Research

Research methods that seek to quantify data and analyze it statistically.

Folkways

Casual norms that guide everyday behavior with minor consequences.

Mores

Stronger norms related to moral behavior, often solidified into laws.

Taboos

The most strongly held norms, violations of which cause extreme disgust or outrage.

Ethnocentrism

Judging another culture based on the standards of one's own culture.

Cultural Relativism

Judging another culture by its own standards.

Mead’s Theory of Self-Development

The theory describing three stages of self-development: preparatory, play, and game stages.

Cooley’s Looking Glass Self

The concept that our self-concept is influenced by our perception of how others view us.

Thomas Theorem

The idea that if people define a situation as real, it is real in its consequences.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

The phenomenon where belief or expectations bring about behaviors that confirm those beliefs.

Agents of Socialization

Entities such as family and peers that shape an individual’s social identity and values.

Killing Us Softly IV

A video analyzing the impact of mass media advertising on societal norms and individual self-esteem.