SOC 202 Summary 9/21

Sociology

The scientific study of human social life, groups, and societies, focusing on social interaction and structural change.

Sociological Imagination

Concept by C. Wright Mills; the ability to link personal troubles to broader public issues by connecting individual biography with historical context.

Positivism

Auguste Comte's approach proposing the application of scientific methods to study and discover laws governing social life.

Verstehen

Max Weber's German concept meaning "empathetic understanding"—analyzing human social action from the subjective perspective of the actors.

Structural Functionalism

Macro-level theoretical perspective viewing society as a complex system whose social institutions work together to promote solidarity and stability.

Conflict Theory

Macro-level theoretical perspective (rooted in Karl Marx) viewing society as an arena of power struggles over scarce resources.

Symbolic Interactionism

Micro-level theoretical perspective viewing society as a product of everyday interactions created through shared symbols, language, and meanings.

Mechanical Solidarity

Durkheim's term for social cohesion in pre-industrial societies, based on shared traditions, common values, and minimal division of labor.

Organic Solidarity

Durkheim's term for social cohesion in industrial/modern societies, based on complex division of labor and mutual interdependence.

Anomie

Durkheim's concept describing a state of normlessness, confusion, or lack of social regulation in society.

Bourgeoisie

Marx's term for the capitalist class who own the means of production.

Proletariat

Marx's term for the working class who sell their labor power to survive within a capitalist system.

Alienation

Marx's concept describing the dehumanizing and isolating experience of workers under capitalism who lack control over their work and products.

False Consciousness

Marx's concept describing a state where workers fail to recognize their true class position and exploitation by the bourgeoisie.

Dramaturgical Analysis

Erving Goffman's micro-sociological approach comparing social interaction to theatrical performances, involving front stage, back stage, and props.

Impression Management

Erving Goffman's term for individuals' efforts to shape and control how others perceive them during social interactions.

Social Facts

Durkheim's term for external social structures, norms, and values that exercise control over individual behavior.

Primary Group

A small, tightly integrated social group whose members share personal, lasting relationships and view each other as irreplaceable (e.g., family).

Secondary Group

A large, impersonal social group formed to pursue a specific goal or practical activity (e.g., university class).

Social Institution

An organized set of beliefs, rules, and structures that society establishes to satisfy basic social needs (e.g., family, education, government).

Imagined Community

Benedict Anderson's concept defining a nation as a political community imagined by its members who will never meet most fellow citizens yet hold a image of communion.

Print Capitalism

Benedict Anderson's theory that mass publishing in vernacular languages enabled people to read identical material simultaneously, creating national consciousness.

Renan's Definition of a Nation

Ernest Renan's dual principle defining a nation by a rich legacy of shared past memories/sufferings and present daily consent to live together.

Patriotism

Loyalty and love for one's country as a whole based on shared values and democratic ideals, generally inclusive and non-hostile to other nations.

Nationalism

Loyalty to a nation based on shared ethnicity, culture, or history; often exclusive and emphasizing national superiority over others.

Social Darwinism

Herbert Spencer's applied theory ("survival of the fittest") arguing against social reform for the poor to allow natural societal selection.

Czech Ethnic Identity Criteria

Traditional three-part criteria defining Czech nationhood: born in Czech lands, speaking Czech as a mother tongue, and having Czech parents.

Velvet Revolution

The November 1989 peaceful revolution that ended communist rule in Czechoslovakia.

Triangulation

The practice of combining multiple research methods (e.g., qualitative and quantitative) to validate findings in sociological studies.

Quantitative Research

Sociological methods focusing on numerical data and statistical analysis, such as surveys, experiments, and secondary data analysis.

Qualitative Research

Sociological methods focusing on subjective meanings, experiences, and observations, such as in-depth interviews and participant observation.