Psychology
Social science that deals with the behavior and thinking of organisms
Anthropology
Social science that focuses on societies and examines present simple cultures
Economics
Social science that explains people choices of goods and services by examining wants and
needs
Political Science
Social science that studies the government to examine items like voting patterns
Sociology
Social science that studies human society and social behavior
Functionalist
Perspective that views society as a set of interrelated parts working together
Interactionist
Perspective that emphasizes the use of symbols
Conflict Perspective
Perspective that focuses on the forces that promotes competition and change
Karl Marx
Prussian philosopher who divided society into two classes: the proletariat and bourgeoisie
Auguste Comte
French philosopher who coined the term "sociology
Emile Durkheim
Frenchman who developed the first sociology course and studied suicide rates in Europe
Herbert Spencer
Englishman who adopted a biological model of society inspired by Charles Darwin
Max Weber
Prussian economist who developed the principle of Verstehen and ideal type
Values
The shared beliefs about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable
Universals
Similarities that all cultures have in some fashion.
Norms
Shared rules of conduct that tell us how to act in specific situations
Culture
All the shared product of human groups physical and non-physical
Law
Written rule of conduct enacted and enforced by the government
positive sanction
An action that rewards a particular kind of behavior
Negative Sanction
Punishment or the threat of a punishment used to enforce conformity
Formal Sanction
Reward or punishment given by a formal organization or regulatory agency
Informal Sanction
A spontaneous expression of approval or disapproval given by an individual or a group
Post Industrial
Society characterized by the production of information and the provision of services
Horticultural
Society in which the subsistence strategy is vegetables grown in garden plots
Agricultural
Society in characterized by the use of draft animals and plows in the tilling of fields
Industrial
Society in which the mechanized production of goods is the main economic activity
pastoral
Society characterized by a reliance on domesticated herd animals as the main form of subsistence
Bureaucracy
Ranked authority structure that operates according to specific rules and procedures
Out Group
Any group to which a person does not belong or identify with
Secondary Group
Group in which interaction is impersonal and temporary a group in which interaction is impersonal and temporary in nature
Social Network
Network of interrelated statuses and roles that guides human interaction
Primary Group
Group of people who interact over a long period of time on a direct and personal basis
Personality
Sum total of behaviors, attitudes, beliefs and values that are characteristic of an individual
Socialization
Interactive process through which people learn the basic skills, values, beliefs and behavior
patterns of society
Looking-Glass Self
Interactive process by which we develop an image of ourselves based on how we imagine
we appear to others
Generalized Others
Parents, siblings, other relatives and friends who have direct influence on our socialization
Peers
Primary group of individuals of roughly equal age and similar social characteristics
Puberty
Physical maturing that makes a person capable of reproduction.
Courtship
Social interaction with the sole purpose of eventual marriage.
Adolescence
Period between the normal onset of puberty and the beginning of adulthood.
Social Integration
Degree of attachment people have to social groups or to society as a whole.
Homogamy
Tendency of individuals to marry people who have similar social characteristics.
Phase I of female adult development
Leaving Home, making a psychological break from parents and development of a life plan
Phase II of female adult development
There is usually a break in employment
Phase III of female adult development
Women are in their early 30's, women are in a similar situation men find themselves in their 20's and women have fewer obligations at home making it easier for women to pursue career goals
Entering the Adult World
A period when the chief task is to explore a variety of relationships and career
opportunities while becoming a responsible member of society and developing a dream of adult accomplishment
Settling Down Period
Major task is to "make it" in the adult world and form true commitments to work, family,
leisure, friendship and community while separating from role models or mentors
Midlife Transition
A period of moderate to severe crisis that involves self-examination and questioning of life
structure where the major task is to escape pressure of unattainable dreams
Early Adult Transition
Bridge between adolescence and adulthood where the important task is leaving home while usually receiving some support from parents financially
Age 30 Transition
A retrospective period where divorces are common and choices are crucial to future development because of shifts in direction and where the major task is to construct a life structure that fits adult world
Social stratification
Division of society into categories, ranks or classes
social inequality
Unequal sharing of social rewards and resources
social class
Grouping of people with similar levels of wealth, power and prestige
social mobility
Movement of individuals or groups from one position in a society's stratification system to another
socioeconomic status
Rating that combines social factors such as level of education, occupation prestige and place of residence with the economic factor of income in order to determine an individual's relative position in the stratification system
ethnic group
Individuals who share a common cultural background and a common sense of identity
stereotype
Unsupported generalization about a category of people
Segregation
Physical separation of a minority group from the dominate group
ethnicity
Set of cultural characteristics that distinguishes one group from another group
subjugation
Maintaining of control over a group through force