soci final fr

sociological imagination

ideology of how our personal experiences, and those of other people, exist within a larger social context

structural functionalism theory

process of human behaviour is governed by stable patterns of social relations and social structures; focus on norms and traditions

anomie

coined by Durkhein, a social condition when norms and values break down in society

solidiarity

principle of how people in a society are connected and guided by shared values, norms, and rules that help maintain social order

conflict theory

process of emphasizing the centrality of conflict and power struggles in social life; Marco-level theory; focus on patterns of inequality

symbolic internationalism theory

process of focusing on interpersonal communication and interactions; micro-level theory; emphasizing social life influenced by attached meanings to objects

bureaucracy

organizational structure characterized by many rules, standardized processes, procedures, meticulous division of labor and hierarchies

double consciousness

a fracture sense of identity; and individual holds two contradictory sets of beliefs at the same time

color line

a representation the separation of Black and White people physically, economically, and emotionally

psychological wage

a symbolic rewards White people receive from a system that values whiteness

quantitative

an analysis based on number; focus on amounts/quantities and statistical relationships

qualitiative

an analysis on non-numerical; focus on themes, processes, meanings; cannot be quantified

experiments

a research method with the aim to measure the effect of an independent variable has on a dependent variable; always analyzed quantitatively

natural experiments

an observational experiment study with a naturally occurring

surveys

a research method that collects data from responses through questions pre-determined and close-ended questionnaires; analyzed quantitatively

participant observation

a research method where a researcher studies observes and participates the life of a group; analyzed qualitatively

Qualitative Interviews

A research method where researchers ask open-ended questions to analyze complex themes that cannot be quantified

Historical and Content Analysis

A research method using existing sources to determine the presence of certain words, themes, or concepts within some given qualitative data

variables

Observable characteristics that can have more than one possible answer or value; independant and dependant variable

unit of analysis

Objects of study within a research project; ie. individuals, nations, organizations, provinces

Operationalization

 The process of turning abstract concepts into measurable observations; how to exactly measure what we want to study

population

The group of human beings with predefined criterion in common (ie. location, race, ethnicity, nationality); units you want to know about

sample

A small proportion of people from the target population that research is aiming to study; group representative of the larger population

Nonresponse Bias

A type of bias that occurs when people are unwilling or unable to respond to a survey making them differ greatly from people who respond

correlation

A relationship between two (or more) variables which they change together

Causation

One variable affects another variable

Spurious Relationships

When a relationships appears to be cause-and-effect, but in reality are not; another outside variable is causing it

confirmation bias

A tendency to process or interpret information that is consistent with one’s existing beliefs

misinformation

the act of sharing information without realizing it’s wrong

disinformation

the deliberate creation and sharing of false in order to mislead

social structure

The set of social statuses, roles, groups, networks, and institutions that organize and influence the way people live

Ascribed Status

The social status of a person that is assigned at birth or assumed involuntarily later in life; age, perceived racial identity

Achieved Status

The social status that is a voluntary status that is chosen; reflects personal skills, abilities, and efforts

role

The set of expectations for people who occupy a particular social status

network

A series of social relationships that link a person directly to other individuals and indirectly to even more people

Social Groups

Two or more people with similar values and expectations who interact with one another on a regular basis

Institutions

The central domains of social life that guide behaviours and meet basic social needs

Socialization

The process by which we learn to adhere to unwritten rules of social life; learning culture and sets of expectations

Looking-glass self

The process where our perception of how others see us affects our sense of self

Generalized other

 The values and norms of the larger culture that individuals use to guide their actions

Reference group

A group of individuals use as a comparison to guide their own beliefs, values, and behaviours

Impression Management

the process in how people try to control how other people perceive them; mannerisms, persona appearance

Emotional labor

The process in which individuals’ attempts to bring their inner feelings, or outward expression into line with expected feeling rules

culture

A sum of practices, rituals, values, norms, ideologies, beliefs, languages, symbols, and material objects that people create

values

moral beliefs about what is good or bad that guide behaviour

norms

rules and expectations that guide behaviour, often informal

beliefs

convictions that people believe to be true, align with norms and values

ideology

a set of shared beliefs that explain the world and guide behaviour

symbols

Material or non-material objects to which cultures assign meaning 

rituals

important routinized group activities

Socioeconomic class

Groups who share a similar position due to their income, wealth, education and/pr occupation

Conspicuous consumption

The practice of overtly displaying the consumption of expensive cultural items or services to gain prestige

Corporate Consolidation

The purchase of smaller corporations by larger ones, a handful of large companies control a majority of culture industry

Cultural Capital

Non-economic resources (ie. knowledge, skills, mannerisms, behaviours) that promotes social mobility in a stratified society

Subculture

Groups that have values and practices that distinguish them from the wider society

Counterculture

Social groups that reject mainstream values and norms and replace them with different ones

Globalization

Exchanges of cultural ideas and values between cultures around the world

Ethnocentrism

Evaluating another culture negatively because it differs from one’s own culture

Cultural imperialism

When one culture imposes its cultural values and norms on another culture

deviance

attitudes, behaviours, or conditions that violate social norms

stigma

The process when a characteristic of an individual or group is seen as undesirable and face negative sanctions for it

Labeling theory

Theory of when people become deviants by being labeled as deviants will come to see themselves as deviants; self-fulfilling prophecy

Opportunity theory

Theory of people having more access to subcultures and resources that allow them to be deviant

Theory of differential association

Deviance is learned behaviour like all others

Control Theory

Theory that ties to mainstream groups and institutions make someone less likely to be deviant; weak bonds influence likelihood of deviance

Functionalist Framework/Theory

When used to explain deviance, negative responses to deviance strengthen social norms and social cohesion

Strain Theory

Theory when there is a mismatch between the goals individuals have and the means they have to achieve them

Conflict Theory

When used to explain deviance, where rules, norms, and values are shaped by power relations in society; dominant groups define what is deviant

Intersectionality

A framework for understanding how social identities and status combine to shape lived experiences

race

A classification on physiological differences that societies consider socially significant 

Ethnicity

A common culture or ancestry shared by a group of people; self-identification

Stereotypes

Widely-shared generalizations about a group of people

Prejudice

Preconceived attitudes about a group of people

Discrimination

Different and unjust treatment toward a group of people

Implicit Bias

Subconscious perceptions that affect individuals’ attitudes and actions

Racism

 Beliefs, ideologies, and institutional practices that disadvantage people socially perceived as a member of certain races

Indian

The legal identify of an Indigenous person who is registered under the Indian Act

Native

The collective term referring to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples; has largely been replaced by the term ‘Indigenous’

Aboriginal

The collective noun used in the *Constitution Act*, 1982 and includes First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples

Indigenous

A collective noun for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples; most common term in Canada

The Indian Act of 1876

Imposed government control over all aspects of First Nations Peoples including, band councils, reserves, status and membership; main purpose was to control and assimilate First Nations people into Canadian society

Settler Colonialism

The process where settlers sought to control space, resources, and people not only by occupying land but also establishing an exclusionary private property regime and coercive labour systems. 

Two-Spirit

 The umbrella concept that encompasses Indigenous North American peoples’ distinct gender identities that varied from tribe to tribe; involved understands of gender beyond “man” and “woman”

The Seal Hunt

an important inuit central tradition, providing meat, fuel and cloth; harvests thousands of seals in one season 

__Social Class__

a group of individuals who share a similar socioeconomic position based on income, wealth, education and occupation

__Absolute Poverty__

not being able to afford basic necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing

__Relative Poverty__

being poor in comparison to other people in society

income

money earned from employment or investments

__Wealth__

the total amount of money or assets someone owns 

* Includes property, savings, investments, and inheritance 

__Mobility__

moving from one social class position to another; can be upward or downward

__Intergenerational Mobility__

differences in social class position between family members of different generations (like parents and children) 

Theology

the study of God and the nature of God

Religion

A belief system about what is sacred that is held by a group of people

Sacred

have special power, deserve special attention, and are not “everyday objects”

Profane

everyday objects, ordinary, mundane

Collective Effervescence

“a sort of electricity generated from closeness… an extraordinary height of exaltation”

Secularization

Religion loses power and meaning in society

sex

biological characteristics of males, females, and intersex people

intersex

individuals who have biological characteristics that cannot be dichotomized into male or female

gender

range of characteristics related to identity and expressions of masculine and feminine