Intro to Sociology

Sociology

the scientific and systematic study of groups and group interactions, societies and social interactions.

Society

A group of people who live in a defined geographic area, who interact with one another, and who share a common culture

Micro-level

Small groups and individual interactions

Macro-level

Large groups and societies.

Culture

A system of shared practices, values and beliefs.

Sociological imagination

A way of studying culture, created by C. Wright Mills. An awareness of the relationship between a person’s behavior and experience and the wider culture that shaped the person’s choices and perceptions.

Cultural Patterns

Social forces and influences that put pressure on people to select one choice over another.

Social Facts

The laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, customs, fashions, rituals, and cultural rules that govern social life.

Figuration

Coined by Norbert Elias, it is the process of simultaneously analyzing the behavior of individuals and the society that shapes that behavior.

Social Institution

Structures that fulfill essential functions in society, such as family, education, religion, and economy.

Auguste Comte

French philosopher who founded the original ideas of sociology

Social location

A way of classifying someone by their race, social class, gender, sexual orientation and religion.

Marginalization

A social group that occupies a position outside of the centers of power. Often affects minorities, who have a better idea of societal power.