Comprehensive Quiz Bowl & General Education Reviewer

Sociology

The study of society, human relationships, and social behavior.

Anthropology

The scientific study of human cultures and societies.

Society

A group of people living together and interacting in a community.

Culture

The shared beliefs, customs, values, and way of life of a group.

Material Culture

The physical objects created and used by people.

Nonmaterial Culture

Beliefs, values, language, and traditions that are not physical objects.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one's own culture is superior to others.

Cultural Relativism

Understanding a culture according to its own standards.

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of cultural traits between groups or societies.

Acculturation

The adoption of another culture's traits while retaining aspects of one's original culture.

Assimilation

The absorption of a group into another culture, potentially losing its distinct identity.

Subculture

A group within a larger culture that has distinct customs or values.

Counterculture

A culture that challenges or rejects dominant cultural values.

Enculturation

The process of learning one's own culture.

Cultural Heritage

The shared language, customs, and traditions inherited from previous generations.

Primary Group

A group characterized by close, personal relationships.

Secondary Group

A group characterized by formal, impersonal, or goal-oriented relationships.

In-group

A group to which a person feels they belong.

Out-group

A group perceived as separate from one's own group.

Reference Group

A group used as a standard for evaluating one's behavior and opinions.

Social Network

The connections and relationships among individuals or groups.

Cooperation

The process of working together toward a common goal.

Competition

Competition between people or groups for limited resources.

Social Conflict

A disagreement between individuals or groups over interests or resources.

Socialization

The process of learning society's norms, values, and behaviors.

Resocialization

The process of learning new norms after entering a new social environment.

Anticipatory Socialization

Learning the expectations of a future social role.

Family (Early Socialization)

The first major agent of socialization for most children.

Peer Group

The influence of friends of similar age or social status.

Role-Taking

The ability to understand another person's perspective.

Social Norms

General rules that guide behavior in society.

Values

Beliefs about what is good, desirable, or important.

Folkways

Norms involving everyday customs and ordinary behavior.

Mores

Norms involving strong moral expectations.

Laws

Official rules established and enforced by authorities.

Deviance

Behavior that violates social norms.

Sanctions

Rewards or punishments used to encourage conformity.

Conformity

Behavior that follows accepted social expectations.

Social Control

The process of enforcing rules and maintaining social order.

Labeling Theory

The theory that deviance results partly from society labeling individuals.

Differential Association Theory

The theory that deviant behavior is learned through interaction with others.

Strain Theory

The theory that a gap between cultural goals and legitimate means can lead to deviance.

Family (Institution)

The institution responsible for early socialization and family relationships.

Education

The institution responsible for formal teaching and learning.

Religion

An institution involving beliefs and practices concerning the sacred.

Government

The institution responsible for governance and public authority.

Economy

The institution responsible for producing, distributing, and consuming goods and services.

Nuclear Family

A family consisting of parents and their children.

Extended Family

A family that includes relatives beyond parents and children.

Secularization

The process through which society becomes less influenced by religion.

Hidden Curriculum

The unintended lessons and expectations students learn in school.

Inheritance

The transfer of property or wealth from one generation to another.

Social Stratification

The structured ranking of people into social layers.

Social Class

A person's position within the economic and social hierarchy.

Caste System

A system in which social position is largely determined by birth.

Class System

A stratification system in which social position can change through achievement and circumstances.

Social Mobility

Movement between social positions.

Vertical Mobility

Movement to a higher or lower social level.

Horizontal Mobility

Movement between positions at approximately the same social level.

Intergenerational Mobility

Movement between the social positions of parents and children.

Intragenerational Mobility

Movement in social position during one person's lifetime.

Social Inequality

The unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and rewards.

Poverty

The condition of lacking sufficient resources to meet basic needs.

Net Worth

The value of assets minus liabilities.

Income

Money earned from employment, investments, or other sources.

Socioeconomic Status

A person's standing based on income, education, and occupation.

Prestige

The respect or social standing a person receives.

Power

The ability to influence decisions and control resources.

Gender Roles

Social expectations associated with being a man, woman, or another gender.

Sex

Biological characteristics used to classify people by sex.

Gender

Social and cultural expectations associated with gender.

Gender Identity

A person's internal sense of their own gender.

Gender Expression

The outward presentation of gender through appearance or behavior.

Gender Discrimination

Unfair treatment based on a person's gender or sex.

Sexism

The belief that one sex or gender is superior to another.

Feminism

The movement advocating women's rights and gender equality.

Gendered Division of Labor

The unequal distribution of paid and unpaid work based on gender.

Intersectionality

The theory examining how overlapping identities shape privilege and discrimination.

Auguste Comte

Known as the father of sociology.

Social Facts (Émile Durkheim)

Concept developed by Émile Durkheim.

The Division of Labor in Society

Written by Émile Durkheim.

The Communist Manifesto

Written by Karl Marx with Friedrich Engels.

Class Conflict (Karl Marx)

Analyzed between capitalists and workers by Karl Marx.

The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Written by Max Weber.

Looking-Glass Self

Concept developed by Charles Horton Cooley.

Generalized Other

Concept developed by George Herbert Mead.

Dramaturgy (Sociology)

Concept developed by Erving Goffman.

Manifest and Latent Functions

Concepts developed by Robert K. Merton.

Sociological Imagination (Author)

Concept developed by C. Wright Mills.

Kimberlé Crenshaw

Introduced the concept of intersectionality.

Albert Bandura

Developed the theory of social learning through observation.

Pierre Bourdieu

Developed influential theories of cultural capital and social capital.

Abraham Maslow (Needs)

Developed the hierarchy of needs.

Structural Functionalism

The perspective that views society as interconnected parts working together.

Conflict Theory

The perspective emphasizing inequality, power, and competition over resources.

Symbolic Interactionism

The perspective examining meanings created through everyday interactions.

Sociological Imagination

The concept connecting personal experiences to wider social structures.

Mechanical Solidarity

The type of solidarity based on similarity and shared beliefs.

Organic Solidarity

The type of solidarity based on specialization and interdependence.

Anomie

The condition of normlessness or weakened social regulation.