Social Networks
ties between people, groups, and organizations, work.
Society
a large group of people who live in the same area and participate in a common culture.
Sociology
study of societies and social worlds
Globalization
increased flow of goods, money, ideas, and people across national borders
Sociological Imagination
the capacities to think systematically about how many things we see as personal problems are actually social problems.
Stereotypes
Usually false or exaggerated beliefs about members of a group; assumptions.
Discrimination
Any behavior, practice, or policy that harms, excludes, or disadvantages individuals on the basis of group membership
Social Theories
Overarching frameworks that suggest certain assumptions and assertions about the way the world works for posing questions and evaluation evidence related to those questions.
Research Methods
ways of systematically studying social theoretical questions in order to develop new evidence that allows new answers to be generated
How can a sociological imagination help you better your understanding of your world?
It helps ask the hard questions and seek answers about the social world we inhabit instead of just settling.
Social Context
the influence of society on individuals
Social Interaction
refers to the way people act together, including how they modify and alter their behavior in response to the presence of others.
Norms
basic rules of society that help us know what is and is not appropriate to do any situation.
Social Structure
the flip side of social interaction refers to external forces, more notably in the social hierarchies and institutions of society; often invisible
Social Hierarchy
the set of important social relationships that provide individuals and groups with different kinds of status, in which some individuals and groups are elevated above others.
Institution of Society
longstanding important practices (marriage, family, education, economic markets) as well as organizations that regulate those practices (government, the military, schools, and religion) provide frameworks for our daily lives.
Roles
positions within an institution or organization that come with specific rules or expectations about how we behave; partly determined on our social standing.
Why do social contexts matter?
Social contexts matter because they help you assess the potential for your future. Families, communities, organizations, institutions, social, and economic contexts matter because they help shape your sociological self.
Auguste Comte
used the word "sociology" in 1839; thought that it would become the ultimate science of the social world and include the study of societies as they are (social statics) and the process of social change (social dynamics)
Thorstein Veblen & John Commons
held chairs in sociology at one point.
Adam Smith & Karl Marx:
philosophers that spent much of their time writing and thinking about the economy and economic relations.
Emile Durkheim
Father of Sociology"; founded 1st European sociology department at University of Bordeaux, 1st major European journal of sociology.
Industrialization and Urbanization
spurred the growth of social sciences.
Social Movement/Union
collective action aimed at bringing about some kind of change in society; created in order to protect and fight for their rights.
Units of Analysis
pieces of a topic that a researcher studies.
Interdisciplinary Research
a method of research that integrates ideas, theories, and data from different academic fields.
Where did sociology come from and how is it different from other social sciences?
The changes of the new world becoming wealthy, industrialized, and urban caused new ideas to form, leading to sociology. It will remain as a foundation discipline for many interdisciplinary social sciences.
How can this book help you develop a sociological imagination?
This book can provide enough background information on the key areas and findings of sociological research to provide readers with the foundation for developing our own sociological imagination.
Self
individual reflection of one's own identity and social position, which is made and reformulated by interaction. It is not a thing; it's a process of interaction.
Interactionism
symbolic interaction; the idea that an individual's personality, preferences, ideas, and so forth are constructed and shaped by and through communication with others and his or her self.
Looking-Glass Self
emphasizes the extent to which our own self-understandings are dependent on how others view us. We see ourselves as others see us.
How do we develop a sense of self?
Judgments accumulate over time to fill in a sense of our own being. Different situations show different senses of self, "I'm a Giants fan," "I'm a Lawyer," Social interaction forms the individual.
Ethnomethodology
the study of people's methods.
Civil inattention
ignoring each another to an appropriate degree although noticing that the other is present.
How do we make sense of our worlds?
Interaction and self-presentation are a big factor in how we make sense of our world and what we consider social norms. Emotion and context is also a large factor because it shows what we actually intend to mean.
Significant Other
denote individuals close enough to us to have a stronger capacity to motivate our behavior.
Reference Groups
groups that tend to influence our behavior
Role Models
the "star" of the reference group.
Generalized Other
social control exercised by common-sense understandings of what is appropriate at a specific time and place.
Socialization
the process by which we come to understand the expectations and norms of our groups, as well as the various roles we transition into over the life course.
Culture
The substance of belief and knowledge of the taken-for-granted world that together we have been socialized into, sometimes coinciding with the country boundaries where we live.
Subculture
sets of individuals who share a common preferences or understandings of specific aspects of the social world but remained part of a larger group that is tied together on a more basic level.
Who matters to us?
We reference others whose social positions and preferences makes them especially relevant to our own sense of worth.
Status
distinct social category that is set off from others and had associated with it a set of expected behavior and roles for individuals to assume.
Role Sets
fulfilling certain expectations within your role.
Role Conflict
fulfilling the expectations of one role conflicts with meeting the expectations of another.
Deviant
people regarded as a problem by dominant members of society.
Social Construct of Reality
interactive process by which knowledge is produced and codified, making it specific to a group or society.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
when something becomes true because others say it's true.
Ethnocentrism
the inability to understand, accept, or reference patterns of behavior or belief different from one's own.
What challenges do we face as we move from one social context to another?
We enter in different life statuses as we age or change our life situation. Labeling others creates inner conflict. Confirming to rules given by organizations we are a part of. Conformity is a constant struggle.
Where do sociological questions come from?
First, sociologists decide what they want to ask, and then they figure out the best way to go about answering the questions.
Ethnographers
researchers who enter the everyday lives if those that they study in hopes that they can understand how they navigate and give meaning to their worlds.
Quantitative Research
research relying on statistical analysis of data.
Qualitative Research
research that relies on words, observations, or pictures of data.
Hypothesis
tentative prediction we have about what we are going to discover before we begin the research.
Casualty
the belief that one factor or phenomenon is leading the changes in another.
Epistemology
what we think we know about the world
Positivism
an approach to knowledge based on the claim that the only true way to gain knowledge about the world is to use the logic of the natural sciences�by distancing ourselves from what we study, using universal standards to advance truth claims, determining cau
Interpretivism
a form of sociological analysis that focuses on understanding how people give meaning to social life, objects, and processes - and how they make sense of social reality and navigate social interaction.
Theoretical Traditions
conceptual frameworks that sociologists use to imagine and make sense of the world
Values
belief systems that shape sociologists view and of perspectives on the world we study�also a critical role in shaping the questions that sociologists find interesting and intriguing about the social world
Code of Ethics
a set of guidelines that outline what is considered more and acceptable behavior - that all scientists share
Informed Consent
the voluntary participation of someone in a research project based on the participant having a full understanding of possible risks/benefits involved.
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
required at all universities that receive federal funds for research, these boards review researchers proposals before any work can begin in order to assess the potential hard of research for participants being studied
Social Networks
ties between people, groups, and organizations, work.
Society
a large group of people who live in the same area and participate in a common culture.
Sociology
study of societies and social worlds
Globalization
increased flow of goods, money, ideas, and people across national borders
Sociological Imagination
the capacities to think systematically about how many things we see as personal problems are actually social problems.
Stereotypes
Usually false or exaggerated beliefs about members of a group; assumptions.
Discrimination
Any behavior, practice, or policy that harms, excludes, or disadvantages individuals on the basis of group membership
Social Theories
Overarching frameworks that suggest certain assumptions and assertions about the way the world works for posing questions and evaluation evidence related to those questions.
Research Methods
ways of systematically studying social theoretical questions in order to develop new evidence that allows new answers to be generated
How can a sociological imagination help you better your understanding of your world?
It helps ask the hard questions and seek answers about the social world we inhabit instead of just settling.
Social Context
the influence of society on individuals
Social Interaction
refers to the way people act together, including how they modify and alter their behavior in response to the presence of others.
Norms
basic rules of society that help us know what is and is not appropriate to do any situation.
Social Structure
the flip side of social interaction refers to external forces, more notably in the social hierarchies and institutions of society; often invisible
Social Hierarchy
the set of important social relationships that provide individuals and groups with different kinds of status, in which some individuals and groups are elevated above others.
Institution of Society
longstanding important practices (marriage, family, education, economic markets) as well as organizations that regulate those practices (government, the military, schools, and religion) provide frameworks for our daily lives.
Roles
positions within an institution or organization that come with specific rules or expectations about how we behave; partly determined on our social standing.
Why do social contexts matter?
Social contexts matter because they help you assess the potential for your future. Families, communities, organizations, institutions, social, and economic contexts matter because they help shape your sociological self.
Auguste Comte
used the word "sociology" in 1839; thought that it would become the ultimate science of the social world and include the study of societies as they are (social statics) and the process of social change (social dynamics)
Thorstein Veblen & John Commons
held chairs in sociology at one point.
Adam Smith & Karl Marx:
philosophers that spent much of their time writing and thinking about the economy and economic relations.
Emile Durkheim
Father of Sociology"; founded 1st European sociology department at University of Bordeaux, 1st major European journal of sociology.
Industrialization and Urbanization
spurred the growth of social sciences.
Social Movement/Union
collective action aimed at bringing about some kind of change in society; created in order to protect and fight for their rights.
Units of Analysis
pieces of a topic that a researcher studies.
Interdisciplinary Research
a method of research that integrates ideas, theories, and data from different academic fields.
Where did sociology come from and how is it different from other social sciences?
The changes of the new world becoming wealthy, industrialized, and urban caused new ideas to form, leading to sociology. It will remain as a foundation discipline for many interdisciplinary social sciences.
How can this book help you develop a sociological imagination?
This book can provide enough background information on the key areas and findings of sociological research to provide readers with the foundation for developing our own sociological imagination.
Self
individual reflection of one's own identity and social position, which is made and reformulated by interaction. It is not a thing; it's a process of interaction.
Interactionism
symbolic interaction; the idea that an individual's personality, preferences, ideas, and so forth are constructed and shaped by and through communication with others and his or her self.
Looking-Glass Self
emphasizes the extent to which our own self-understandings are dependent on how others view us. We see ourselves as others see us.
How do we develop a sense of self?
Judgments accumulate over time to fill in a sense of our own being. Different situations show different senses of self, "I'm a Giants fan," "I'm a Lawyer," Social interaction forms the individual.
Ethnomethodology
the study of people's methods.
Civil inattention
ignoring each another to an appropriate degree although noticing that the other is present.
How do we make sense of our worlds?
Interaction and self-presentation are a big factor in how we make sense of our world and what we consider social norms. Emotion and context is also a large factor because it shows what we actually intend to mean.
Significant Other
denote individuals close enough to us to have a stronger capacity to motivate our behavior.
Reference Groups
groups that tend to influence our behavior
Role Models
the "star" of the reference group.
Generalized Other
social control exercised by common-sense understandings of what is appropriate at a specific time and place.
Socialization
the process by which we come to understand the expectations and norms of our groups, as well as the various roles we transition into over the life course.
Culture
The substance of belief and knowledge of the taken-for-granted world that together we have been socialized into, sometimes coinciding with the country boundaries where we live.
Subculture
sets of individuals who share a common preferences or understandings of specific aspects of the social world but remained part of a larger group that is tied together on a more basic level.
Who matters to us?
We reference others whose social positions and preferences makes them especially relevant to our own sense of worth.
Status
distinct social category that is set off from others and had associated with it a set of expected behavior and roles for individuals to assume.
Role Sets
fulfilling certain expectations within your role.
Role Conflict
fulfilling the expectations of one role conflicts with meeting the expectations of another.
Deviant
people regarded as a problem by dominant members of society.
Social Construct of Reality
interactive process by which knowledge is produced and codified, making it specific to a group or society.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
when something becomes true because others say it's true.
Ethnocentrism
the inability to understand, accept, or reference patterns of behavior or belief different from one's own.
What challenges do we face as we move from one social context to another?
We enter in different life statuses as we age or change our life situation. Labeling others creates inner conflict. Confirming to rules given by organizations we are a part of. Conformity is a constant struggle.
Where do sociological questions come from?
First, sociologists decide what they want to ask, and then they figure out the best way to go about answering the questions.
Ethnographers
researchers who enter the everyday lives if those that they study in hopes that they can understand how they navigate and give meaning to their worlds.
Quantitative Research
research relying on statistical analysis of data.
Qualitative Research
research that relies on words, observations, or pictures of data.
Hypothesis
tentative prediction we have about what we are going to discover before we begin the research.
Casualty
the belief that one factor or phenomenon is leading the changes in another.
Epistemology
what we think we know about the world
Positivism
an approach to knowledge based on the claim that the only true way to gain knowledge about the world is to use the logic of the natural sciences�by distancing ourselves from what we study, using universal standards to advance truth claims, determining cau
Interpretivism
a form of sociological analysis that focuses on understanding how people give meaning to social life, objects, and processes - and how they make sense of social reality and navigate social interaction.
Theoretical Traditions
conceptual frameworks that sociologists use to imagine and make sense of the world
Values
belief systems that shape sociologists view and of perspectives on the world we study�also a critical role in shaping the questions that sociologists find interesting and intriguing about the social world
Code of Ethics
a set of guidelines that outline what is considered more and acceptable behavior - that all scientists share
Informed Consent
the voluntary participation of someone in a research project based on the participant having a full understanding of possible risks/benefits involved.
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
required at all universities that receive federal funds for research, these boards review researchers proposals before any work can begin in order to assess the potential hard of research for participants being studied