Fundamental Concepts of Sociology

Individuals and Society

each person is influenced by society but also influences it.

Agency and Structure

An individual’s power to affect their destiny, Societal Norms and ideas that influence choices

Self and Other

The categorisation of ourselves and others and the symbolic content we associate with

Order and Disorder

Behaviour for a given situation. Order may break down or be disrupted.

Change and Stability

The influence of social transformations on human behaviour and experience, rates of change, why some groups or places experience specific changes and others don’t.

Micro and Macro

Levels of Anaysis. Face to Face interaction, Larger political system.

The Social Construction of Reality

Society is created buy humans via interactions, it isn’t merely given.

Patterns of activity

Recurring ways that humans act together/recurring ways people do things.

Shared Beliefs

Collectively held ideas that people embrace and act upon.

Invisible Idea

An idea a person holds and acts upon but is unaware of.

Habit

Something that a person or people regularly do.

Culture

Collective beliefs, norms, values, language, habits.

Reification

The failure to see the social world as humanly made.

Index

A sign that points to, refers to, or represents something else. i.e see a nice watch as a sign of wealth.