sociology midterm

sociology

-the scientific study of human society and human interactions

-uses principles of the scientific method to study the ways in which humans interact with each other

-focuses in the roles of individuals, group, and institutions

herbert spencer

-believed that everything in the universe that can be known can be classified into the categories of item, force, action, space and matter

-not the father of sociology

harriet martineau

-translated the works of Compte to English

-did not build upon the theories of Charles Darwin and applied them to the study of sociology

emile durkheim

-considered the father of modern sociological study

-founder of the functionalist theory

max weber

-not the founder of conflict theory

-German sociologist who developed the theory of ideal type

-founder of the symbolic/interactionist theory

karl marx

-divided society between the "haves" and "have nots"

-did not like the idea of capitalism/thought it was the correct way a society should be run

-founder of conflict theory

sociological perspective

looking at society systematically in a scientific way to identify patterns and connections

sociological imagination

-proposed by american sociologist C. Wright Mills

-the vivid awareness of the relationship between private experience and the wider society

-ability to make connection between yourself and the wider world

macrosociology

-looks at society on a large scale

-examines long term effects

microsociology

-looks at sociology on an individual or small scale

-examines day-to day interactions

social sciences

-focus on human social behavior and institutions and the study of the functions of human society in a scientific manner

-ex. philosophy, sociology, and psychology

correlation

-does not prove causation

-connections between changes in one variable that leads to change in another variable

archival research

-sociologists look at information that has already been collected in past studies

-done before a new study and helps devein a base to build a central question to conduct a new study

quantitative research

-collects numerical data that can the be used to find trends and patterns in the responses

-most common forms are surveys and polls

qualitative research

-research that is done to find opinions, underlying reasons and motivations of people

-most common forms are focus groups interviews adn observation

descriptive research

systematically describes the characteristics, behaviors, trends, or situations of a population or phenomenon, answering "what, where, when, and how" questions without explaining "why" or establishing cause-and-effect ???

correlational research

studies the statistical relationships between two or more variables as they naturally occur ???

structured observation

type of research method where the researcher controls the environment and observes participants' behaviors

participant observation

type of research method where researchers fully immerse themselves in a social situation over a long period of time and record observations

naturalistic observation

researcher observes participants in a natural setting w/o influencing participants (participants don't know they are being involved in the study)

experimental groups

-control: group with no treatment, there for comparison

-experiment: set of research participants who receive the specific treatment (independent variable)

empiricists

believe that knowledge is the result of experience

conflict perspective

-believing that society is best understood to be make up of conflicting interest groups who are competing for power

-macrosociology

-founded by Karl Marx

symbolic/interactionist perspective

-microsociology

-focus on the interactions of indivduals within a society

-symbolizes anything that has a larger meaning than just itself(sports car = symbol of youth

-founded by max weber

functionalist perspective

-macro sociology (makes assumption that society is a large collection of interdependent parts; society is stable and works through a system of concerns and cooperations-dysfunction is anything that doesnt work as part of the society)

-each part of society works together for the benefit of the whole much like a living organism

-founded by Emile durkheim

culture

defined as the behaviors and beliefs characteristics of a particular social, ethnic, or age group

customs

practiced by small groups of people

habits

generally tried back to individuals with wide variations from person to person

religious beliefs

typically combined with a moral code to determine ideas of right and wrong

courtship

-a method in which menders if a culture will go in search of finding a mate

-not finding a job that fits them well

etiquette

giving up your seat on the subway for an elderly person

folk culture

-traditionally practiced by groups in homogenous, rural. isolated areas

-ex. Japan

popular culture

-found in large heterogenous societies that share certain habits, even if there is much diversity

-ex. the US

globalization

the process by which people, places, regions, and countries become more inter-linked and more interdependent

ethnic religions

-the members are born into it and the religion ideas are connected to their ethnicity. because of this they tend to be smaller

-ex. hinduismand judaism

subcultures

within cultures and they are differences between ages, genders, politics, ethnicities, and geography

social structure

a network of interrelated statuses and riles that guide human behavior

role conflict

when fulfilling the role expectations of one status interferes with a second status

role exit

the process people go through to detach from a role that was previously central to their social identity

role strain

when a person has difficulty fulfilling the idea of ones status

socialization

the preparation of newcomers to become members of an existing group to think, feel and act in ways the group considers appropriate

groups

where at least two people have one of more goals in common and share common ways of thinking and behaving

stereotypes

people will often attach stereotypes and stigmas to people based on social category ???

stigmas

-people will often attach stereotypes or stigmas to people based on social category

-a term for any physical or social attribute that devalues a persons or groups identity, and which may exclude those who are devalued from normal social interaction

-ex: "teen mother" has a negative connotation

-can be physical (including physical to mental impairments) moral (signs of flawed character) or tribal (membership in a discredited or oppressed group)

social aggregate

-a group that consists of members who share little else other than that they happen to be in the same place at the same time(ex a group of people who are on the same flight)

-not different times

-random groups comprised of random members (do not even really interact much other than being in the same general area as another)

primary group

a group that you have the most contact and investment with over long periods of time

secondary group

a group that usually forms in order to complete a specific goal or task

in group

-not one that is targeted by the out group for opposition

-exclusive group demanding intense loyalty as part of membership

-form barriers to entrance

-exclusivity

out group

-not the exclusive group demanding intense loyalty as part of membership

-group targeted by an in group for opposition-antagonism or competition

-clash with in groups

-extremely dangerous when groups are violent

traditional family

a social unit of people related through marriage, birth, or adoption who reside together in sanctioned relationships and child rearing

sociological perspectives

the functionalist perspective: developed by e. durkheim, macro sociology, each part of society works together for the benefit of the whole much like a living organism(large collection of interdependent parts)

the conflict perspective:developed by karl marx, macro sociology, society is understood to be made up of conflicting interest groups who vie for power and privledge(this dynamic results in continuous social change which is the normal state of affairs), conflict theory focuses heavily on inequality and differential distribution of power and wealth, applied to feminist perspective

symbolic/interactionist perspective: developed by max weber, microsociology, focus on the interactions of indivduals within a society, symbolizes anything that has a larger meaning than just itself(sports car = symbol of youth)

religion(essay)

-the belief in and worship of a superhuman God (monotheistic) or Gods (polytheistic) with controlling power

-has attached belief of an afterlife

-typically combined with a moral code

-I dont think its an integral part of culture because many cultures thrive without a religion, or a set religion (buddhism, USA)

culture (essay)

-the behaviors and beliefs characteristics of a particular social, ethnic or age group

-made up of different customs, practices, traits and beliefs

-I think it is important to study today because if you don't you will only know about your own culture and not other poeples', but if you do learn about them and know about others differences, you learn to accept them and appreciate them as well as decrease xenophobia, racism and ethnocentrism (negative reactions to differences)

liberalism and conservatism(essay)

-liberalism supports active federal govt in promoting individual welfare and supporting civil rights and accepts peaceful political social change within the existing political system (in favor of more govt rile in society and progressive social stances) and would prefer separation of the church and state from the public sphere

-Conservatism promotes a limited government role in helping individuals economically, supports traditional values and lifestyles, favors a more active role for government in promoting national security, and approaches change cautiously and promotes a more limited government role and supports traditional values and believes that religion provides a moral objective guide for laws to be based on

forms of interaction between people in society (essay)

1. exchange: occurs when people interact in an effort to receive a reward or a return for their action (stabilizing)

2. cooperation: occurs when 2 or more people/groups work together to achieve a goal that will benefit more than one person (ex. two people work on a project that is mutually beneficial) (stabilizing)

3. accommodation: state of balance between cooperation and conflict that sometimes requires compromise/negociation where both sides need to give something up to achieve their goal (stabilizing)

4. competition: occurs when 2 or more people/groups oppose each other to achieve a goal that only one can attain, common in western societies, considered basis of capitalism and democracy, can lead to psychological stress a lack of cooperation and conflict (destabilizing)

5. conflict: the delineate attempt to control a person by force to oppose someone or to harm another person, has few rules of accepted conduct, can reinforce group boundaries and loyalty

groupthink and the symptoms of it (essay)

groupthink: occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of "mental efficiency, reality testing and moral judgement"

symptoms: illusion of vulnerability, collective rationalization, belief in inherent morality, stereotypicial views of out groups, direct pressure on dissenters, self censorship, illusion of unanimaty, self appointed 'mindguards'

conformity (essay)

-adapting to social norms from exposure to information of the sole pressure of others

-affected by personality (levels of self esteem, authoritarianism, individuality) and culture (if some cultures do/don't encourage it)

-ex fashion and trends, Asch line experiment

deviance (essay)

-a behavior, trait, belief, or other characteristic that violates a norm and causes a negative reaction, relative to cultures, not inherently wrong

-labeling theory: deviance is a consequence of external judgements/labels

-self fulfilling prophecy: a prediction that directly/indirectly causes itself to be true

-functionalists argue that devices serves a positive social function by clarifying moral boundaries and promoting social cohesion

-conflict theorists believe that a society's inequalities are reproduced in its definitions of deviant so that the less powerful are more likely criminalized

-symbolic interactionists focus on how interpersonal relations and everyday interactions shape definitions of deviance and influence those who engage in it

early sociological thinkers and their beliefs (essay)

1. august compte: considered the father of sociology

2. harriet Martineau: translated the works of compute to English (broadened sociology) and believe principles of study should be to improve societal conditions (I agree with her bc the purpose of any study should be for the benefit of society)

3. herbert spencer: believed everything that can be known/observed fits into the categories of time, force, action, space, and matter (I agree most with him because everything does fit into these categories)

4. emile Durkheim: considered father of modern sociology, was an empiricist (the idea that knowledge is the result of experience and that scientific knowledge id developed through obsrvation and experimentation)

5. karl marx: made observations of working class, divided society between have and have nots, founder of conflict theory and marxism/communism

6. max weber: developed theory of ideal type (model to which everything could be compared/models used as a way to measure reality), and founder of symbolic interactionist theory