Rationalization
Term defined by Max Weber
process in which social life is dominated by concerns of efficiency, calculability, predictability and control.
Founding Fathers
Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber
Class
fundamental division of society that shape human behavior and social inequality. ("Inequality inherent to capitalist system" -Karl Marx)
Sui Generis
(thing in itself) society is an entity larger than the sum of its parts. (individuals) -Emile Durkheim
Social Facts
They describe the social pattern that are external to the individuals.
division of labor
created particular forms of social solidarity
Rational proof
use logic rather than tradition or faith, careful, organized and consistent
Empirical proof
use systematic and repeated observations toward the aim of falsification; lends itself to replication
Positivism
defined by Auguste Come, scientific investigation (understanding through systematic sense experience) is the highest form of knowledge
verstehen understanding
from the perspective of those engaged in the behavior
objectivity vs subjectivity
seeing the world as what it is rather than what you would like it to be.
Culture
values and norms that guide expectation for human behavior
values
set of beliefs about what is right/ wrong, good/bad. not all societies have same values
norms
rules and expectations that come from cultural values, informal sanction
Quantitative
use mathematics or statistics to analyze social world (close ended questions)
Qualitative
more in depth (use breadth) understanding of meanings and behavior (open ended questions)
Survey data
taking polls, surveys
content analysis
drawing conclusions from analyzing content
experimental methods
controlling surroundings to analyze reactions.
Participant observation
a case study where the researcher becomes a member of the group being studied- ("Going Native": get caught up in study)
to be human
humans: social and cultural creatures: social is a connection with others while culture is the thing maintaing that
subculture
category of people who share distinguishing attributes, beliefs, values, and/or norms that set them a part from dominant culture (EX: polygamy, gypsies)
Counter cultures
a group that strongly rejects dominant society values and norms that seeks alternative life styles (EX: hipsters, punk, hippies)
socialization
the adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture EX: Classrooms (raising hands)
social structure
a complex frameworks of social institutions and the social practices and positions they imply
status
socially defined position in a group or society characterized by certain expectations, rights and duties. (EX: mother, father, care taker, provider)
Social Instituions
Religion, Family, Education, Government, Economy
Ascribed status
a social position conferred at birth or received involuntarily later in life based in attributes over which the individual has little or no control (EX: Gender, race)
Achieved status
a social position that a persons that a person a assumes voluntarily as a result of personal choice, merit or direct effort
Master Status
the most important status of a person occupies
Role
a set of behavior associated with a given status
role expectation
a groups or societies definition of the way that specific role ought to be played
role performance
how a person actually plays a role
role conflict
a situation in which incompatible role demands are placed on a person by two or more statuses held at the same time
role strain
incompatible demands built into a single role
Mechanic solidarity
social cohesion of preindustrial societies in which there is a minimal division of labor and people feel united by shared values and common social bonds.
organic solidarity
social cohesion found in industrial societies in which people perform very specialized tasks and feel united by their mutual dependence
Gemeinschaft
a traditional society in which social relationships are based on personal bonds or friendship and kinship and on integrational stability
Gesellschaft
a large urban society in which social bonds are based on impersonal and specialized relationships with little long-term commitment to the group or consensus on values
American Individualism
the individual is considered the ultimate source of meaning action and ultimate responsibility
freedom and agency
the ability to control your own life; active; self-directed, and in charge
anticipatory socialization
the process by which knowledge and skills are learned for future rolls
Resocialization
the process of learning a new and different set of roles
negative socialization and deviance
when the process of socialization procedures results to disruptive social order and/ or harmful to human life
deviance
any behavior, belief or condition that violates social norms in the society or group in which it occurs
what causes social deviance?
occurs when there are large scale social changes (EX: when society changes from mechanical to solidarity)
stigmatization
individuals are devalued and disqualified from full social acceptance
spoiled identity
product of stigmatization, (labels)
social dynamite vs. social junk
deviants who pose a threat, deviants who are mild and wont hurt anyone
Social bond Theory
the probability of deviant behavior increases when a persons ties to society are weakened or broken
(Travis Hirsch)
labeling theory
once a person earns a label, or one is attached to them, people become deviant according to their label
(chris cooley and george meade)
primary deviance
initial act or characteristic that labels some one a deviant
secondary deviance
after deviant has embraces that they are deviant (I am...)
Tertiary deviance
attempts to normalize or re-label behavior EX: clubs that promote deviance
social construction of reality
process by which our perception of reality is largely shaped by the meaning we give to experience
definition of the situation
we analyze our individual lives according to the social context in which we find ourselves
The Thomas dictum
if people desire situations as real, then they are real in their consequences
erving goffman's dramaturgical perspective
study of social interaction that composes everyday life to a theatrical perspective. Front Stage Back Stage
Impression management
our efforts to present ourselves to others in ways that are favorable to our own interaction
Face-saving behavior
strategies that we use to rescue a performance when we may experience a loss of face
cooling the mark-out
behaviors that help others to save face or avoid embarrassment
personal front
the object we use to manage public impressions
readiness check
part of how we manage public impressions
biographical self
consolidated effect of multiple interactions
situational identity
self that is flexible depending on the situation
The looking glass self by charles cooley
The self develops through our perceptions of others evaluations
3 Types of identities
Social: perceive ourselves through the eyes of others
Self: own individuals sense of self as unique and stable over time
personal: when perceptions of the others are influences by biographical information of the individual
characteristics of bureaucracy
1. specialization of functions of individuals
2. organization by hierarchy by office
3. proliferation of rules and regulations
4. technical competence/ knowledge dominates
5. impersonality
6. predominance of written communication
Bureaucracy advantages
leveling of social differences, efficiency, precision, reliability
bureaucracy disadvantages
Misinformation, strategic error, irrationality creeps, red tape, dehumanization (things become robotic)
Family
1. social network of people based on common ancestry, marriage or adoption
2. relationships in which people live together and form an economic unit
Function of the family
a care structure, legitimate place for dependency, emotional bonds, sexual pleasure, and socialization
Pre industrial family
production of goods, site of reproduction, center for economic, education, religion, health, emotional and sexual needs
post industrial family
consumption, all needs outsourced
familism
(family functions and feeling) not inherent to family structure
Religion
spirituality vs established religion, beliefs, practices and organization
Sacred
more to life-- honored, respected, beyond human senses
profane
everyday world
collective effervescence
energy from ritualistic activities, feeling that what your involved with is bigger than yourself
bureaucracy
A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials