AICE Sociology - Chapter 1

age cohort

the group of people who move together from one age to the next.

agencies of socialization/social control

The social institutions and groups, such as family and the media, which influence behavior by providing guidance, examples and sanctions.

agency

when people have some control over their lives and can make choices and decisions, rather than their behavior being determined by forces beyond their control.

anomie

a situation in which people are unable to predict the behavior of others because the system of norms and values is not being followed.

capitalism

an economic system based on the private ownership of property and the pursuit of profit.

Conformity

behaving in a socially acceptable way

consensus

general agreement across a society on a set of values; seen by functionalists as essential for society to be stable.

consumerism

repeated experience of wealthy lifestyles and desirable consumer goods that suggests "happiness" is something that can be bought.

Cultural deprivation

not having the values and attitudes which are likely to bring success in society

culture

the way of life of a particular group of people, taught and learned through socialization

customs

established and accepted cultural practices and behaviors

determinism

the claim that human behavior is shaped by forces beyond the immediate control of individuals, such as social structures or ‘society’

deviance

Behavior that violates the norms and values of a group.

family

a social institution comprising of a group of people linked by kinship ties

Force

also referred to as coercion - using intimidation and threats to persuade someone to do something they do not want to do.

forces of production

the ways in which capital can be transformed through technology and people's labor into goods for sale.

ideology

a set of ideas and ideals which explains how society woks or should work.

interactionist

An approach focused on the behavior of individuals that refers to three related perspectives (phenomenology, ethnomethodology, and symbolic interactionism), based on the concept of social action.

liberal feminism

a feminist approach which seeks to bring about equal opportunities for men and women without changing the system.

Marginalization

the pushing of an individual or group to the edge of a group or society, denying them an active voice and identity

Marxism

political, sociological, and economic school of thought based on the work of Karl Marx.

Marxist feminism

a feminist approach which combines feminism with Marxism to argue that women are exploited by both capitalism and patriarchy.

microsociology

a type of sociology focused on the study of individuals and small groups

Neo-Marxism

any developments from original Marxism, adapting it to meet changing circumstances

Non-conformity

when a person acts in ways that go against the norms and values of society

norms

socially acceptable ways of behaving in different roles.

over-socialized conception of man

Criticism of the claim that human beings are simply the product of their socialization and that behavior can be understood as merely a response to external stimulation.

patriarchy

male-dominated unit of a society

peers

people of similar status, and usually age, with whom a person has frequent contact

power

the ability to make others do what you want, even against their will.

radical feminism

a feminist approach which focuses on patriarchy as the cause of women's oppression

relations of production

the relationships between the people involved in production, such as between the owners and the workers.

Resistance

the ways in which people combat and contest the dominant power in a society. Used for a wide variety of activities.

roles

expected patters of behavior expected with each position that we hold, such as being a friend, student, or teacher.

sanctions

ways of rewarding or punishing acceptable or unacceptable behavior; usually used in the sense of punishments (negative sanctions).

social class

the division of society into socio-economic groups, wit different levels of power and wealth.

social construction

the idea that our perception of what is real is created through a variety of historical and cultural processes, rather than something that is fixed and naturally occurring.

social control

ways in which members of society are made to conform to norms and values

social identity

collective or group identities applied to important roles. Cultures classify, group and give meaning to broad identities, such as male or female, that define how 'men' and 'women' are generally expected to behave

socialization

the process through which people learn the various forms of behavior that go with membership of a particular culture.

structuralist

form of sociology, such as functionalism and Marxism, that focuses on analyzing society in terms of its institutional relationships and their effect on individual beliefs and behaviors

Structuration

theory, developed by Giddens, which argues that structure and action are equally significant in terms of our ability to understand the relationship between the individual and society

subcultures

a culture within a larger structure; can take many forms, such as religious groups, fans of a particular singer or actor, school gangs, and so on.

surveillance

when people or places are watched over carefully; a way of controlling behavior.

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Under-socialization

when the process of socialization is incomplete or inadequate

values

beliefs or ideas that are important to the people who hold them.