sociology test 1

social fact

a product of human interaction with persuasive power that exists externally to any individual (how society influences you)

social structure

the social framework that we live in which is analyzed through three levels (meso, micro, macro)

macro-level

the entire picture (social structures, global trends, institutions)

meso-level

focuses more on organizations, social institutions, and communities (ex. university, workplace, neighborhood)

micro-level

the individual’s interactions and small group dynamics (ex. a convo with two friends)

agency

the ability for individuals to act independently and make their own choices out of their own free-will (ex. choosing your major)

the sociological imagination

The idea to consider how people’s lives are shaped by social facts around us (societal, not the individual)

personal troubles

occurs within the character of the individual and private matters that can only be resolved by the individual

public issues

problems that transcend the local environment of the individual, affects a large number of people

falsifiable

can be tested and shown to be false (science is falsifiable)

theoretical

making a general explanation based on a theory

empirical

based on data analysis and collection

objective

free from bias

communal

shared and challenged in the scientific community (ex. peer review)

the research circle

The visual representation of the steps that show how sociological knowledge is built in society & illustrates the relationship between a theory and data collection

deductive research

you create a theory then experiment it

inductive research

you experiment and test then build a theory based on it

quantitative methods

data collection with numerical data that is represented with numbers (good for answering who and what)

qualitative methods

data collected non-numerically, which is good for answering the why

experiments

a very controlled and manipulated data collection method that is designed to test a hypothesis by isolating the effects of the variable & determines causality

surveys

collecting analyzable data through a questionnaire, can be versatile & generalized but cannot manipulate the data collection in any way or establish causality

network analysis

mapping social ties between people & groups and the exchanges between them (focuses on relationships between the characteristics of individuals)

interviews

An intimate conversation between the researcher and the research subject

ethnography

careful observation of naturally occurring social interactions

content analysis

analyzing media for themes

informed consent

needs to be clearly communicated with the participants of a study & there are issues if a subject is a minor

confidentiality

an ethical principle where the researcher knows the identity of the participants but makes sure that their information and responses don’t get revealed to the general public

field notes

recording detailed observations while conducting qualitative research in the form of ethnography

independent variable

the variable that is being manipulated

dependent variable

the variable being measured

acquiescence bias

a category of response bias where survey respondents tend to respond by agreeing with all the statements in a questionnaire regardless of the context of the question due to an authority figure

social desirability bias

a type of response bias where people desire to be polite or agree with what the researcher is saying

ordering bias

a type of response bias where the sequence in which the questions are asked in a questionnaire influences how a respondent answers (frame of reference)

culture

the entire way of life for a group of people

cultural objects

tangible or intangible items that have been given a specific meaning by a group of people

cultural cognitions

the tendency for individuals to conform their perceptions of risks and other factual beliefs to their underlying cultural values, cultural lens shape how we interpret information

cultural practices

shared actions, behaviors, or rituals that members of a group perform as part of their everyday lives

social construct

the idea that is invented by a society through language practices and social

building blocks of a social construct

signifier, category, binary, association, sequence, hierarchy

social construction

the framework that suggests that the reality that we experience is created through social interaction

culturally competent

the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures

culture shock

the disorienting feelings when an individual faces an unfamiliar culture

socialization

the bridge between the individual and the social structure, the process through which individuals internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of a given society and learn to function as its members

interpersonal socialization

we learn the rules of social interaction through direct, face-to-face contact with others

self-socialization

The process in which individuals guide their own social development, emphasizes agency in how you choose your own identity

media socialization

the process in which individuals learn to internalize the values and beliefs through media

agents of socialization

the individuals and groups that provide the situations and contexts in which socialization occurs (the teachers of society)

cross-cultural comparison

a research method used by sociologists to compare two or more different cultures to identify patterns, differences, and similarities

subculture

a group within a larger society that shares a distinctive set of cultural beliefs and values that sets it apart from the mainstream culture

hooking up

a specific cultural aspect for sexual or romantic encounters that don’t include dating or marital relations

hooking culture

a social environment (high school & college) where casual sexual encounters are prioritized over traditional dating

institutions

established and enduring patterns of social relationships that organize social life and meet basic social needs

formal practices

highly structured and documented behaviors within a society or organization (laws, manuals)

informal practices

unspoken rules, habits and social expectations that lack formal authority but still govern our behavior out of the desire to be accepted by society

hierarchy

a system in which groups of people are ranked one above each other according to status and authority

roles

a set of behaviors/privileges that are attached to a specific status

division of labor

a fundamental concept that describes how society fragments tasks into specialized roles (to increase efficiency)

rationalization

a sociological concept that refers to the process where modern society increasingly shifts away from traditions/values and towards efficiency/predictability (lacks humanity)

organizations

a social entity that is goal-directed and deliberately structured, they have formal boundaries and specific membership requirements with an established set of rules to coordinate the activities of many people towards a single purpose

mcdonaldization

a thesis that describes how efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control are dominating society more than humanity

efficiency

the search for the optimum means to a given end, to complete tasks as quickly as possible with the least amount of effort/cost

predictability

the assurance that a product or service will be the same across different times and locations

calculatibility

emphasizes how things can be counted and measured over subjective quality

ideology

a system of values and ideas that shape how individuals see and perceive the world and their place within it

social identities

Various labels and categories that individuals use to define themselves and that others use to define them, determines how we are positioned within society

social identity theory

explores how being a part of a group and the social identities derived from those groups shape an individual’s behavior

primary cultural frame

a shared set of meanings and their cultural lenses that allow people to understand their social environment and coordinate their behaviors

stereotypes

a generalized belief about a particular group or category of people (categorization)

controlling images

stereotypes that are used to justify and maintain social hierarchies and inequalities, designed to make injustice seem natural

status beliefs

a schema that associated greater self-worth and competence with one category of people compared to another

reward of social identity

social and material benefits that individuals receive from belonging to a group

social rules

an explicit or implicit guideline that governs behavior within a society or group, provides the scripts for our daily interactions & is a core component of the social structure

folkways

an informal rule or norm that governs everyday behavior (ex. saying thank you)

mores

an informal rule that carries major moral significance (ex. cheating on a spouse)

taboos

the most extreme type of social norm, represents a behavior so deeply offensive that it triggers disgust (ex. incest)

policies

a formal and written rule and procedure established by an organization to guide decision-making and achieve specific goals

laws

the most formal type of social rule, a written norm that are enforced by the state

social sanction

any reaction, positive or negative that follows the observance or violation of a social rule

symbolic interactionism

focuses on how individuals create and maintain social reality through everyday interactions and the use of shared symbols

dramaturgy

views social interaction as a theatrical performance, suggests that individuals are actors on stage that use various techniques to manage the impressions others have on them

impression management

the conscious process in which people attempt to influence the perceptions that others form about them

face

a positive social value that the person claims for themselves through their performance during a social interaction

face-work

the process and actions that we take to maintain or save that face when it is threatened

front-stage

the performance, any social setting where we are performing a specific role for an audience

back-stage

the reset, a private space where we can step out of character

ethnomethodology

studies the methods that people use to make sense and produce their everyday social reality

ethnomethods

a specific and everyday procedure that people use to create a sense of order and reality in their social world

the looking-glass self

a social concept that suggests that a person’s self grows out of society’s interpersonal interactions of others and develop our self-image based on how we believe that others see us

bodies

the physical presence of the actor that includes gestures, posture, and facial expression

costumes

the clothing and fashion choices used to signal a specific status or identity

props

objects that are carried around to bolster the performance of a role

scripts

the dialogue and standardized sequence of a social interaction

roles

the social identity that is being performed (student)

sets

the physical environment where the performance takes place