Culture
Systems of belief and knowledge shared by members of a group/society that shape individual and group behavior and attitudes
Counterpublic
Alternative public organizations created by disadvantaged social groups
Cultural universal
A cultural trait common to all humans
Culture industry
The production of popular music, movies, books, television, social media, and other types of mass culture products
Class Reproduction
The processes that cause class boundaries and distinctions maintained over time
Counterculture
A group whose ideas, attitudes and behaviors are in direct conflict with mainstream culture
Cultural omnivore
A cultural elite that demonstrates high status through a broad range of cultural consumption and knowledge, including low-status culture
Culture war
Disagreements about the proper role of family and religious values in society
Cultural relativism
The idea that cultural meanings and practices must be evaluated in their own social contexts
Cultural capital
The type and level of education and cultural knowledge possessed by an individual. Signifies ones high status in the eyes of others
Digital divide
The social, economic, and cultural gap between those with effective access to information technology and those without access
Ethnocentrism
The inability to understand, accept or reference patterns of behavior or belief different from ones own
Ethnography
A qualitative research method for studying the way of life of a group of people by close observation of them over a relatively long period of time
Framing
The act of presenting crafted forms of speech or writing that try to present a particular side of an issue. Politicians, political activists and social movements engage in framing when trying to persuade other that their way of thinking is correct
Global culture
Cultural practices that are common to large parts of the world
Group style
The set of norms and practices that distinguishes one group from another
Hegemony
Widely shared beliefs about what is right or wrong that legitimize and empower societys elites
Habitus
A concept introduced by Pierre Bourdieu to refer to the diverse ways in which individuals develop intuitive understandings and ingrained habits reflecting their class background and upbringing
Journalism
The product and dissemination of information about contemporary affairs of general importance
Language
A comprehensive system of words or symbols representing concepts which is often but not always spoken
Mass communication
Communication within society as a whole, as opposed to between individuals
Mainstream culture
The most widely shared systems of meaning in a society. Includes most widely consumed products, foods, etc
Multiculturalism
Beliefs or policies promoting the equal accommodation of different ethnic or cultural groups within a society
Nationalism
The assumption that people are inherently members of a specific nation and that their identities are largely defined by their national membership
Networked public
An online public sphere
Norm
A basic rule of society that helps us know what is and is not appropriate to do in a situation. Norms evolve over time as social attitudes and expectations change
National culture
The set of shared cultural practices and beliefs within a give nation-state
Protestant ethic
The belief that hard work and thrift are signs of Gods grace
Public sphere
A social space physical, virtual and theoretical where private citizens can come together as a public body to discuss and express opinions about matters of general interest
Symbolic boundary
The distinctions people make between themselves and other on the basis of taste, socioeconomic status, morality or other differences
Subculture
A relatively small group of people whose affiliation is based on shared beliefs, preferences, and practices that distinguish them from the mainstream or larger social group to which they also belong
Symbol
Something that communicates an idea while being distinct from the idea itself
Tool kit
The view that culture is a set of symbolic skills, devices or strategies that people learn through a particular environment they live in and choose from when they consider actions to apply to practical situations in their own lives
Taste
A persons cultural preferences
Value
A judgment about what is intrinsically important or meaningful. When it comes to research, values held by sociologists shape their views of and perspectives on the questions they ask