PA 1 Vocab - Intro to Sociology

Sociology

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

Society

A group of people living in a defined geographic area who interact and share a common culture.

Sociologist

A professional who studies social events, interactions, and patterns, developing theories to explain them.

Micro-level

The study of small groups and individual interactions.

Macro-level

The study of large groups and societies.

Culture

The shared practices, values, and beliefs of a group, encompassing their way of life and social rules.

Sociological imagination

The awareness of the relationship between an individual's behavior and the wider culture that shapes their choices, as pioneered by C. Wright Mills.

Figuration

The process of analyzing individual behavior in the context of the society that influences it, founded by Norbert Elias.

Positivism

The scientific study of social patterns, a term coined by Auguste Comte.

Hypothesis

A testable proposition or statement.

Social Solidarity

The social ties and bonds within a group.

Grand theories

Theories that attempt to explain large-scale relationships and fundamental questions in sociology.

Paradigms

Philosophical and theoretical frameworks used to formulate theories and generalizations within a discipline.

Social Institutions

Established patterns of beliefs and behaviors that meet social needs, such as government, education, family, religion, and the economy.

Function

The role or part that something plays in the overall social life.

Dynamic Equilibrium

A state where all parts of society work together to maintain stability.

Dysfunctions

Social processes that produce undesirable consequences for society's operation.

Manifest functions

Functions that are sought for and anticipated.

Latent functions

Functions that have unsought or unintended consequences.

Dramaturgical analysis

A sociological perspective that compares social interactions to actors performing in a play, where individuals switch roles in different situations.