SOCY105 Exam 1

sociological imagination

a point of view that highlights how society affects the experiences we have and the choices we make. 

social-constructionist approach

the assertion that social problems arise as people define conditions as undesirable and in need of change

theoretical approach

a basic image of society that guides theory and research

structural-functional approach

a theoretical framework that sees society as a system of many interrelated parts

claims making

efforts by officials, individuals, and organizations to convince others that a particular issue or situation should be defined as a social problem

experiment

a research method for investigating cause-and-effect relationships under tightly controlled conditions

feminism

a political movement that seeks the social equality of women and men

secondary analysis

a research method that makes use of data originally collected by others

social movement

an organized effort at claims making that tries to shape the way people think about an issue in order to encourage or discourage social change

social-conflict approach

a theoretical framework that sees society as divided by inequality and conflict

economic issues

political debates about how a society should produce and distribute material resources

sociology

the systematic study of human societies

survey

a research method in which subjects respond to items on a questionnaire or in an interview

social institution

a major sphere of social life, or a societal subsystem, organized to meet a basic human need

theory

a statement of how and why specific facts are related

field research

(participant observation) a research method for observing people while joining them in their everyday activities

society

people who live within some territory and share many patterns of behavior

political spectrum

a continuum representing a range of political attitudes from “left to right”

culture

a way of life including widespread values (what is good and bad), beliefs (what is true), and behavior (what people do every day)

social problem

a condition that undermines the well-being of some or all members of society and is usually a matter of public controversy

symbolic-interaction approach

a theoretical framework that sees society as the product of individuals interacting with one another

social policy

formal strategies that affect how society operates

social stratification

an institutionalized system of ranking categories of people in a hierarchy

income

salary of wages from a job, plus earnings from investments and other sources

wealth

the value of all economic assets owned by a person or family, minus their debts

• think: homes, cars, stocks, businesses, factories

episodic framing

a type of media framing in which media focuses on individual cases and discrete events, leading to viewers blaming individuals for poverty

thematic framing

a type of media framing that focuses on the trends over time, and highlight context and environment, leading to viewers to consider societal explanations that causes poverty.

the “American Dream”

an overestimated thought that emphasizes that an individual’s hard work and effort leads them to success, while underestimating the structural influences.

intergenerational mobility

child’s status compared to parents

the change in social or economic status that happens from one generation of a family to the next

intragenerational mobility

changes during one person’s lifetime

race

socially constructed category of people who share inherited physical traits that a society uses to distinguish it from another group.

structural racism

systemic bias embedded in institutions

individual discrimination

a form of discrimination in which one person is treating another person unfairly

institutional discrimination

a form of discrimination where there is unequal treatment embedded in laws, policies, and institutions.

sex

biological traits associated with being male or female

gender

the cultural meanings attached to masculinity and femininity and how people express identity

sexuality/sexual orientation

patterns of attraction, behavior, and identity 

motherhood penalty

economic and career disadvantages many women face after becoming mothers

glass ceiling

invisible barriers that prevent women from advancing into top leadership positions

structural functionalist perspective of gender inequality

• men and women historically performed different social functions

• gender specialization contributed to family and social stability

• industrial societies have fewer rigid divisions of labor but some role differentiation persists

intersectionality

the idea that race, class, and gender interact to create unique experiences of advantages and disadvantages.