Sociological Theory and Family Reading - Vocab

Conflict Theory: a theory in sociology that suggests groups in society are in a constant state of conflict as they vie for access to limited resources

Extended Family: individuals related through biological or legal connections (such as aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents) who typically (within US culture) do not live with each other

Fictive Kin: individuals who think of themselves as family even though there are no biological or legal ties to bind them

Functionalism: a theory in sociology that suggests all social institutions (for instance, the political system, medical system, legal system, etc.) have a function or serve a purpose for society

Nuclear Family: family form consisting of married parents and their biological children

Social Construction of Reality: the assertion that the social world is continuously created and recreated during human interactions

Socialization: the process through which individuals, especially children, learn the social rules that meant to guide their behaviors

Sociological Theory: general principles that attempt to explain how something in the social world works

Symbolic Interactionism: a theory in sociology that suggests human understandings of the social world are continuously created as people interpret the symbols they encounter in interactions