Introduction to Sociology
1. sociology- social science that studies human society and social behavior
2.
sociological imagination- C. Wright Mills- “consists of the capacity to shift from one
perspective to another, and in the process to build up an adequate view of a total society
and of its components.”
3.
Social sciences- disciplines that study human social behavior or institutions and functions
of human society in a scientific manner
4.
When did sociology become a separate discipline? 19th century
5.
Auguste Comte- consider “father of sociology” – discussed importance of “order and
change”- stability and change in society (social statics and dynamics)
6.
Karl Marx- stated society is divided by those who own the means of production and those
who own only their labor- conflict is a primary cause of social change
7.
Herbert Spencer- “social Darwinism” – biological model of society
8.
Emile Durkheim- functionalist perspective- concerned with social order – shared beliefs
and values- strains/anomie
9.
Function- positive consequence that an element of society has for the maintenance of the
social system
10. Anomie- condition where social control- irrelevant- result loss of shared values and sense
of purpose in society
11. Max Weber- interested more in groups as a whole- concept of Verstehen
12. Verstehen- empathetic understanding of the meanings others attach to their actions
13. When did sociology arise in the US? 1890s- rapid rate of social change
14. W.E.B. DuBois- social research at Atlanta University – African-American living in
Philadelphia- double consciousness- identity conflict of being black and American
15. Dysfunction- undesirable consequences of any element of society
16. Theory- set of logically interrelated statements that attempts to describe, explain and
sometimes predict social events
17. Functionalist perspective- society is composed of interrelated parts that work together to
maintain stability within society. This stability is threatened by dysfunctional acts and
institutions.
18. Conflict Perspective- Society is characterized by social inequality; social life is a struggle for
scarce resources. Social arrangements benefit some groups at the expense of others.
19. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective- Society is the sum of the interactions of people and
groups. Behavior is learned in interaction with other people; how people define a situation
becomes the foundation for how they behave.
20. Postmodernist Perspective- Societies are characterized by postindustrialization,
consumerism, and global communications bring into question existing assumptions about
social life and the nature of reality.
Culture
21. culture- knowledge, language, values, customs and material objects that are passed from
person to person from one generation to the next in society or human group (products)
22. material culture- physical or tangible creations that members of a society make, use and
share
23. nonmaterial culture- consists of the abstract or intangible human creations of a society
that influence people’s behavior
24. society- large social grouping that occupies the same geographic territory and is subject to
the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations (people)
25. symbols- anything that meaningfully represents something else
26. values- collective ideas about what is right or wrong, good or bad, desirable or undesirable
in a particular culture
27. language- set of symbols that expresses ideas and enables people to think and
communicate with one another
28. norms- established rules of behavior or standards of conduct
29. sanctions- rewards for appropriate behavior or penalties for inappropriate behavior
30. ideal culture- values and standards of behavior that people in a society profess to hold
31. real culture- values and standards of behavior that people actually follow
32. beliefs- mental acceptance or conviction certain things are true or real
33. cultural universal- cultural pattern existent in every known society
34. laws- formal standardized norms that have been enacted by legislatures and enforced by
formal sanctions
35. mores- strongly held norms with moral and ethical connotations that may not be violated
without serious consequences in a particular culture
36. folkways- informal norms or everyday customs that may be violated without serious
consequences within a particular culture
37. taboos- these are mores so strong that their violation is considered to be extremely
offensive and even unmentionable
38. ethnocentrism- assumption that one’s own culture and way of life are superior to others
39. cultural relativism- belief that the behaviors and customs of a society must be viewed and
analyzed within context of own culture
40. counterculture- group that strongly rejects dominant societal values and norms and seeks
alternative lifestyle
41. subculture- category of people who share distinguishing attributes, beliefs, values and or
norms that set them apart in some significant manner from dominant culture
Socialization
42. socialization- lifelong process of social interaction through which individuals acquire a
self-identity and physical, mental and social skills needed for survival in society
43. Charles Horton Cooley- Looking Glass Self- way in which a person’s sense of self is derived
44. George Herbert Mead- Role Taking- process by which person mentally assumes role of
another person or group in order to understand the world from that person’s or group’s
point of view
45. Agents of socialization- describe specific individuals, groups and institutions that enable
socialization to take place
46. Family- most important- principal socializer – deliberate, unintended, values, norms and
beliefs
47. Peers- primary group composed of roughly equal age and similar social characteristics
48. School- deliberate, unintended- cultural values
49. Mass media- instruments of communication that reach large audiences conform- personal
contact between those sending the information and those receiving it
50. Resocialization- break with past experiences and learning of new values and norms
Society, Social Structure and Interaction
51. social structure- the stable pattern of social relationships that exists within a particular
group or society
52. status- socially defined position in a group or society characterized by certain expectations,
rights and duties
53. role- set of behavioral expectations associated with a given status
54. ascribed status- social position conferred at birth or received involuntarily later in life
55. achieved status- social position a person assumes voluntarily as a result of personal choice,
merit or direct effort
56. master status- most important status a person occupies