anticipatory socialization
the process by which an individual learns to assume a role in the future
aptitude
the capacity for developing physical or social skills
conventional morality
Kohlberg's term for the practice of defining right and wrong according to the motive of the action being judged
developmental socialization
the process by which people learn to be more competent in playing their currently assumed roles
ego
Frued's term for the part of personality that is rational, dealing with the world logically and realistically
gender identity
people's images of what they are socially expected to be and do on the basis of their sex
generalized other
Mead's term for people who do not have close ties to a child but who do influence the child's internalization of society's values
id
Freud's term for the part of personality that is irrational, concerned only with seeking pleasure
intelligence
the capacity for mental or intellectual achievement
looking-glass self
Cooley's term for the self-image that we develop from the way others treat us
peer group
a group whose members are about the same age and have similar interests
personality
a fairly stable configuration of feelings, attitudes, ideas, and behaviors that characterizes an individual
postconventional morality
Kohlberg's term for the practice of judging actions by taking into account the importance of conflicting norms
preconventional morality
Kohlberg's term for the practice of defining right and wrong according to the consequence of the action being judged
resocialization
the process by which people are forced to abandon their old selves and to develop new ones
significant others
Mead's term for the people who have close ties to a child and exert a strong influence on the child
socialization
the process by which a society transmits its cultural values to its members
superego
Freud's term for the part of personality that is moral; popularly known as conscience
total institutions
places where people are not only cut off from the larger society but also rigidly controlled by the administrators
competition
an interaction in which two individuals follow mutually accepted rules, each trying to achieve the same goal before the other does
conflict
an interaction in which two individuals disregard any rules, each trying to achieve his or her own goal by defeating the other
cooperation
an interaction in which two or more individuals work together to achieve a common goal
dramaturgy
the method of analyzing social interaction as if the participants were performing on a stage
ethnomethodology
the analysis of how people define the world in which they live
exchange
an interaction in which two individuals offer each other something in order to obtain a reward in return
genderlects
linguistic styles that reflect the different worlds of women and men
humorology
the study or practice of humor
interaction ritual
a form of interaction in which the participants perform certain acts to show reverence to each other
kinesics
the use of body movement as a means of communication; also called body language
oppositional interaction
an interaction in which the participants treat each other as competitors or enemies
proxemics
the use of space as a means of communication
role distance
separating role-playing as outward performance from the inner self
social construction of reality
the process by which people create through social interaction a certain idea, feelings, or belief about their environment
social interaction
the process by which individuals act toward and react to others
supportive interaction
an interaction in which the participants treat each other as supporters or friends
symbolic interaction
an interaction in which people actively interpret each other's actions and reactions and behave in accordance with interpretations
Thomas theorem
sociologist W.I. Thomas's famous pronouncement that "If people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences
socialization
plays a large role in determining what we achieve
emotional socialization
learning how to identify feelings and how to manage them, including learning how one should feel, how to express emotions, and how to produce or eliminate certain
feelings.
feminist perspective
studied how boys and girls learn to be "masculine" and
"feminine" based on individual sex.
looking-glass self
the self-image that we develop from the way others treat and see us.
family
most important socializing agent
school
impersonal agent of socialization that contributes to conformity and commitment to the social order.
mass media
shapes expectations, dull creative imagination, and promote vocabulary and knowledge.
adult socialization
ongoing learning throughout one's life.
twixters
young people who live with parents as if they still were teenagers and represent an extension of the adolescence.
functionalist perspective
studies supportive interactions of cooperation and exchange.
conflict perspective
looks at oppositional interactions of conflict and competition.
social interactionist perspective
examines interaction from inside by exploring how people interpret each other's actions.
semiotics
study of symbolic communication
symbol
anything that stands for one or more other things and provides the basis for human communication
symbolic communication
essence of human interaction.
microsociology
study of individual and group social interaction; Erving Goffman
The Secret
a wildly popular film and book that promotes the "law of attraction," which is the belief that you can get anything you want.