Sociology
Social science that studies human society and social behavior
Social interaction
How ppl relate 2 1 another & influence each other's behavior
Sociological imagination
Ability to see connection btw larger world and personal lives
Social Darwinism
Perspective that says societies evolve toward stability and perfection
Theory
Systematic explanation of the relationship among phenomena
Manifest function
Intended & recognized consequence of element of society
Latent Function
Unintended & unrecognized consequence of element of society
Symbol
Anything that stands for something else
Culture
Shared products of human groups (beliefs)
Society
Group of interdependent people who have organized in such a way to have unity
values
Shared beliefs about what is good or bad
norms
Shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations
folkways
Norms that don't have moral significance attached to them
mores
Norms that have moral significance
laws
Written rules of conduct enforce by government
cultural universals
Common features found in all human cultures
ethnocentrism
Tendency to view one's own culture as superior to others'
cultural relativism
Belief that cultures should be judged by their own standards
subculture
Group with its own unique values, norms, behaviors that exists within a larger culture
counterculture
Group that rejects values of larger society and replace it with their own cultural patterns
Self-fulfillment
Commitment 2 full development of one's personalities/talents
narcissism
Extreme self-centeredness
sanctions
Rewards/punishments used to enforce conformity to norms
formal sanction
Rewards/punishments given by formal society (gov, cops)
informal sanction
Spontaneous expression of approval/disapproval given by individual
social control
Enforcing of norms through sanctions/internalization
ideology
System of belief/ideas that justifies social interest by society
social movement
Long term effort to promote social change
social structure
Network of interrelated statuses/roles that guides human interaction
status
Socially defines position in group or society
role
Behavior expected of someone in certain status
exchange
Individual interaction assumed in effort to receive reward in return for actions
reciprocity
If you do something for someone, they owe you
group
Set of 2+ who interact on the basis of shared expectations
urbanization
Concentration of the population in cities
primary group
Small group who interact over a long time personally
secondary group
Group in which interaction is impersonal and temporary
social network
Web of relationships formed by total of individuals' interaction with other people
formal organization
Large secondary group established to achieve certain goals
bureaucracy
Ranked authority structure that operates according to specific rules
personality
Sum total of behaviors that are characteristics of someone
heredity
Transmission of genetic characteristics from parents to kids
instinct
Unchanging biologically inherited behavior patterns
aptitude
Capacity to learn a skill or acquire certain knowledge
feral children
Wild or untamed children
socialization
Interactive process in which individuals learn basic skills of society
self
Conscious awareness of possessing a distinct identity that separates us from others in society
significant others
Specific ppl who have direct influence on our socialization
generalized other
Internalized attitudes of society we used to guide our behavior and reinforced our sense of self
total institution
Setting in which ppl are isolated from the rest of society for a set period of time (prisons)
deviance
Behavior that violates significant social norms
stigma
Mark of social disgrace that sets deviant from rest of society
labeling theory
Theory that focuses on how individuals come to be labeled as deviant
crime
Any act labeled as such by authority, prohibited by law
white collar crime
Crime committed by someone from high status
criminal justice system
The system of police, courts, and corrections
racial profiling
Assuming nonwhites are more likely to commit crime
plea bargaining
Legal negotiation that allows accused person to plead guilty to a lesser charge
recidivism
Repeated criminal behavior