definitions
sociology: the study of companions and group life
sociological imagination: the ability to see the connections between our personal lives and the social world we live in
social structure: patterns of social relationships and behaviours that work as a system to constrain individual choice
agency: the ability to influence the world around us
economics: the study of the world from the standpoint of the economy
political science: the study of the world from the standpoint of the state
sociology: the study of the world from the standpoint of civil society
civil society: a set of organisations, associations, movements that exist outside both the state and the economy
pragmatic social behaviourism: a theory of how our sense of self emerge from social interactions
generalised other: an internalised sense of expectations of others
phenomenology: the philosophical study of how we experience things from our own point of view
symbolic interactionism: the study of face-to-face interactions with particular attention to the creation of meaning
dramaturgy: everyday social life is like a theatrical performance in which we are all actors on a metaphorical “stage”
impression management: we act in such a way that others will form desired impressions of us and our current situation
about communication, not just ‘deception’
ethnomethodology: the study of the methods people use for producing recognisable social orders
‘ethno’: pertaining to member of a social group
‘method’: a systematic procedure for accomplishing something
‘ology’: the study of
queer theory: a “conceptualisation which sees sexual power as embedded in different levels of social life” (Stein n Plummer, 1994, quoted in Pasco 2005:331) and interrogates areas of the social world not usually seen as sexuality
heterosexism: a system of belief that privileges heterosexuality as the “normal” and “natural” form of sexual attraction
homophobia: discrimination, prejudice n violence against gay n lesbian people
heteronormativity: “the myriad ways in which heterosexuality is produced as a natural, unproblematic, taken-for-granted phenomenon” (Kitzinger 2005:478)
“these include the presumptions that there are only 2 sexes; that it is ‘normal’ or ‘natural’ for people of different sexes to be attracted to one another; that these attractions may be publicly displayed and celebrated: that social institutions such as marriage and the family are appropriately organised around different-sex pairings; that same-sex couples are (if not ‘deviant’) a ‘variation on’ or an ‘alternative to heterosexual couple’
conversation analysis (CA): focuses on the sequential organisation and overall structure of conversation (eg turn-taking)
membership categorisation analysis (MCA): focuses on how people selectively invoke social categories in their talk
discourse: a textually mediated system of practice that creates “truth” and knowledge
conceptualisation: the refinement and specification of abstract concepts
operationalisation: the development of specific research procedures that help us identify empirical observations that represent those concepts in the real world
Max Weber:
class: groups of ppl who are in similar market situation n share similar economic opportunities and life chances
property owners, propertyless intelligentsia, petty bourgeoisie, manual working-class
status: the social honour and prestige associated with an individual/group (may not align w economic class)
party: the power derived from political organisation and ideology
power: the ability to impose one’s will on others
Pierre Bourdieu:
economic capital: wealth, income, financial inheritances, monetary assets; what you own
social capital: resources based on connections n group membership
cultural capital: what you know and how you live it
institutionalised cultural capital: status conferred by institution (eg education)
objectified cultural capital: cultural goods that we own
embodied cultural capital: skills, competencies n knowledge