Action Theory
theory that self-serving actions by forceful leaders play a role in a civilization's emergence
Beliefs
Cognitive content held as true
Capitalism
An economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations, esp. as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned means of wea
Case Studies
A research method that involves the intensive examination of unusual people or organizations.
Causation
A cause and effect relationship in which one variable controls the changes in another variable.
Coercion
An unfair trade practice in which an insurer uses physical or mental force to persuade an applicant to buy insurance.
Collective conscience
the common faith or set of social norms by which a society and its members abide; a set of common assumptions about how the world works.
comparative analysis
A method of determining the value of property in which the selling prices of similar properties are used as the basis for estimating the value of the subject property.
conformity
Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.
Consumerism
a movement advocating greater protection of the interests of consumers
content analysis
A systematic analysis of the content rather than the structure of a communication, such as a written work, speech, or film.
control croup
The group that does not receive the change or the independent variable
correlation
A measure of the relationship between two variables
covert observation
observation in which the observer's presence or purpose is kept secret from those being observed
critical theory
A contemporary form of conflict theory that criticizes many different systems and ideologies of domination and oppression.
cross-sectional surveys
cross section of the population survey is made across different groups but at the same time.
culture
Knowledge, values, customs, and physical objects that are shared by members of a society.
customs
Common practices followed by people of a particular group or region
determinism
Assumption of Science. Behavior is caused by some event.
domain assumptions
views on what you think matters most cant be proven or disproven in science or social science how you see the world ( hobbes/rousseau)
economic determinism
A branch of Marxism which says that societies are determined by their economies (or economic systems).
ethical issues
Moral questions or problems; situations or actions that contain legitimate questions of moral right or wrong
ethnomethodology
A method of sociological analysis that examines how individuals use everyday conversation and gestures to construct a common-sense view of the world
experimental group
A subject or group of subjects in an experiment that is exposed to the factor or condition being tested.
falsification
A form of deception that involves presenting false, fabricated information as though it were true
feminist theory
A sociological perspective that emphasizes the centrality of gender in analyzing the social world and particularly the uniqueness of the experience of women. There are many strands of feminist theory, but they all share the desire to explain gender inequa
field experiments
Experiments conducted in natural settings rather than in the laboratory
forces of production and relations of production
Total of social relationships that people must have in order to survive; combinations of the means of labor.
free will
Idea that you govern your own future and your actions will affect you later on and you are responsible, acting without the constraint of necessity or fate and the ability to do what you want to do, therefore contradicting the idea that life is predetermin
functionalist theory
Theory of mental life and behavior that is concerned with how an organism uses its perceptual abilities to function in its environment.
manifest and latent functions
conscious & deliberate; unconscious & unintended
gender
The biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female.
globalism
the view that the people and nations of the world should become more economically and politically integrated and unified.
Hawthorne effect
workers improve or modify an aspect of their behavior in response to the fact of change in their environment, rather than in response to the nature of the change itself.
hypothesis
An often "if...then..." statement, a testable prediction. Educated guess.
hypothetical-deductive method
Piaget's term for the process by which the formal operational thinker systematically tests possible solutions to a problem and arrives at an answer that can be defended and explained
ideology
A comprehensive set of beliefs about the nature of people and about the role of an institution or government.
interactionist
A sociological approach that generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction in order to explain society as a whole.
interpretivism
a study of consumer behavior that observes the act of consuming rather than the act of buying; based on qualitative research
interviews
A systematic approach designed to elicit information from a person or group of people in an informal or formal setting by talking to an interviewee, asking relevant questions and documenting the responses.
laboratory experiments
Experiment in which conditions are highly controlled.
longitudinal surveys
research method in which the same people are interviewed repeatedly over a period of time
looking glass self
An image of yourself based on what you believe others think of you
adolescence
13-18 years of age
ageism
Discrimination based on age
age set
A formally established group of people born during a certain time span who move through the series of age-grade categories together
age stratification
The unequal distribution of wealth, power, and privilege among people at different stages of the life course
beanpole family
a multigenerational family structure characterized by many small generations
civil partnership
A legal ceremony giving a homosexual couple the same legal rights as a husband and wife.
childhood
A stage in a person's life, from birth to around age 13, in which developing and growth occurs.
common-law marriage
a marriage without an official ceremony made legally binding by mutual agreement and legally established conditions
communes
A relatively small, often rural community whose members share common interests, work, and income and often own property collectively.
confluent love
The idea that post-modern society is characterized by constant search for a better relationship.
conjugal roles
The domestic roles of married or cohabiting partners.
dependency ratio
In the Social Security system, the number of recipients as a percentage of the number of contributing workers.
divorce
A civil dissolution of marriage. A civil divorce does not free people before God (they are still bound in a valid marriage); thus, an attempted remarriage would be adultery. In addition, divorce introduces disorder into the family and into society. It bri
domestic labor
domestic tasks are those that take place within the home such as cooking and cleaning
domestic violence
Abuse, physical or mental, that occurs within the home
dual burden
Feminist term (Anne Oakley) to describe the increased responsibilities of wives for paid work and house work.
dysfunctional family
family system in which one or more family members do not fulfill their responsibilities throwing the system out of balance
empty-shell marriage
The spouses feel no strong attachments to each other, and outside pressures keep the marriage together rather than feelings of warmth and attraction between the partners
extended family
Closely related people of several generations such as brother sisters parents uncles aunts grandperent and great grandparents
family diversity
the variety of ways that families are structured and function to meet the needs of those defined as family members
family functions
a component of family systems theory that involves the daily routines of the family
fertility rate
the average number of children a woman of childbearing years would have in her lifetime, if she had children at the current rate for her country
functional fit
A person's physical ability to function independently in life, without assistance.
functional prerequisites
common conditions and problems
gay family
Two or more people share a same sex orientation and live together with or without children, there are 6-10 million children raised in these households
gender inequality
The difference between men and women in terms of wealth and status.
household
A group of people united by kinship or other links who share a residence and organize production, consumption, and distribution among themselves.
instrumental roles
Functional roles that help the group select, plan, and complete a task. Kinda like the head decision maker.
expressive roles
group leadership that focuses on the group's well-being
joint roles
joint conjugal roles
segregated role
Family maintenance divided.
conjugal role
cultrually defined, culturally assigned set of behaviors each spouse is expected to carry out
Kibbutz
A Jewish collective farm on which each member shared equally in the work, rewards, and defense of the farm. I guess this could be a model society, for some.
kinship patterns
... the study of the patterns of social relationships in one or more human cultures, or it can refer to the patterns of social relationships themselves
life course analysis
An approach for focusing on the meanings family members give to life events and choices, like deciding to leave home, getting divorced.
single parent family
a family in which only one parent is present to care for the children
loss of function
Ceases to function how it should.
marriage
A legal relationship, usually involving economic cooperation, sexual activity, and childbearing.
marital breakdown
the legal grounds for divorce based on circumstances that impair marital functioning, such as spousal desertion or long-term separation
matriarchy
A form of social organization in which females dominate males
matrifocal family
family group consisting of a mother and her children, with a male only loosely attached or not present at all
matrilineal
relating to a social system in which family descent and inheritance rights are traced through the mother
monogamy
A form of marriage in which one woman and one man are married only to each other.
new man
idea that it was the fate (destiny) of the US to expand its boundaries beyond the seas. Also, believing women should be equal to men.
nuclear family
A married couple and their unmarried children living together.
particularistic values
Focused on one's values. Or of a specific group.
partnership
2 or more people working together to accomplish an end goal.
patriarchy
A form of social organization in which males dominate females
macrosociology
Analysis of social life that focuses on broad features of society, such as social class and the relationships of groups to one another; usually used by functionalists and conflict theorists
marxist theory
The ideology espoused by Karl Marx which holds that government is a reflection of economic forces, primarily ownership of the means of production
mass culture (pop culture)
common culture experienced by a large number of people
methodological pluralism
use of multiple methods and more than one theoretical explenation to delve into research questions
microsociology
Seeks to understand local interactional contexts; its methods of choice are ethnographic, generally including participant observation and in-depth interviews. Symbolic interactions.
modern industrial society
Production Based Economy. Identity determined by productive role in industrial economy. Relatively fixed class-based identities
modernity
Conditions of modern life brought about by modernization.
nature vs. nurture
name for a controversy in which it is debated whether genetics or environment is responsible for driving behavior
neo-marxist
a person who accepts the basic principle of Marx that societal problems are created by an unjust and inequitable distribution of resources of any and all kinds, without necessarily believing that
non-participant observation
A research technique involving detached watching and listening in which the researcher does not interact with the study participants.
norms
A society's stated and unstated rules for proper conduct.
objectivity
A state of personal neutrality in conducting research.
official statistics
Statistics produced by local and national government, government agencies and organisations funded by the government
organic solidarity
Durkheim's term for the interdependence that results from people needing others to fulfill their jobs; solidarity based on the interdependence brought about by the division of labour
mechanical solidarity
Durkheim's term for the unity (a shared consciousness) that people feel as a result of performing the same or similar tasks
over-socialized conception of man
human beings should be seen as social without being entirely socialized
overt observation
observation in which those being observed and informed are informed of the observers presence and purpose
paradigms
Conceptual framework. , Sets of assumptions and ideas that guide research questions, methods of analysis and interpretation, and the development of theory
participant observation
A research method in which investigators systematically observe people while joining them in their routine activities
personal documents
Things such as diaries, letters, and autobiographies not written for an official purpose that provide first-person accounts of the writer's life and events within it.
phenomology
the study of individuals' own unique, first-person, conscious experience
pilot studies
surveys using a limited number of respondents and often employing less rigorous sampling techniques than are employed in large, quantitative studies
positivism
A philosophy developed by the French count of Saint-Simon. Positivists believed that social and economic problems could be solved by the application of the scientific method, leading to continuous progress. Popular in France and Latin America. (616)
post-modernism
Media-influenced aesthetic sensibility of the late 20th century characterized by open-end edness and collage. Post Modernism questions the foundations of cultural and artistic forms through self-referential irony and the juxtaposition of elements from pop
power
Influence over others.
primary data
Data originating from a researcher and collected to provide information relevant to a specific research project.
qualitative data
Information describing color, odor, shape, or some other physical characteristic
questionnares
personality inventories
reliability
Consistency of measurement
representativeness
judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes; may lead one to ignore other relevant information
research funding
when whoever funds the research could impact the findings of the reseearch based towards his/ her wants/expectations; bias towards the funder of the experiment
researcher bias
a tendency for researchers to engage in behaviors and selectively notice evidence that supports their hypotheses or expectations
researcher effect
program particiapnat behave differently, investigator becomes personall involved, researcher predisposition or biases, researcher competence
respondent
Behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus
roles
A set of behaviors that have some socially agreed upon function and for which there is an accepted code of norms
sampling
The level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll. The more people interviewed, the more confident one can be of the results.
sampling techniques
can be used to estimate densities and total population sizes
sampling error
An error that occurs when a sample somehow does not represent the target population.
scientific method
A series of steps followed to solve problems including collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and stating conclusions.
secondary method
its either a conclusion a fact or an opinion. Look for conclusion first. Only label something an opinion if its not the conclusion. Look for trigger words like evidence, which tends to indicate a fact.
semiology
The study of the processes of signification, through signs and codes, in films and other camera directions
significant others
The people who are important in one's life, such as parents or other primary caregivers and siblings.
social change
the transformation of culture and social institutions over time
social construction of reality
the process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction
social control
Attempts by society to regulate people's thoughts and behavior
social engineering
Attacks that involve manipulating and tricking an individual into divulging confidential info to be used for fraudulent purposes.
social identity
the "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to "who am I?" that comes from our group memberships
social order
A group's usual and customary social arrangements, on which its members depend and on which they base their lives
social policy
Rules,regulations, and policy making pertaining to the quality of life, welfare, and relations of human beings in the United States
social problems
a condition that undermines the well-being of some or all members of society and is usually a matter of public controversy
social sanctions
rewards or punishments that encourage conformity to social norms
social self
Your concept of self as developed through your personal, social interactions with others.
patrifocal family
Family group consisting of a father and his children
patrilineal
relating to a social system in which family descent and inheritance rights are traced through the father
polyandry
A polygamous mating system involving one female and many males.
polygamy
A form of marriage in which a person may have two or more spouses simultaneously.
polygyny
having more than one wife at a time
postmodern family
a term that describes the variation in modern-day families- two parents and single parents, married and unmarried couples, and multigenerational households
primary socialization
The process by which children learn the cultural norms of the society into which they are born. Primary socialization occurs largely in the family
privatized family
a home centred family that has little contact with extended kin or neighbours
reconstituted family
a new family that forms after the remarriage of a single parent, sometimes involving the blending of two families into a new one.
rite of passage
A ritual marking the symbolic transition from one social position to another
serial monogamy
A marriage form in which a man or a woman marries or lives with a series of partners in succession
social construction
The process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction
symmetrical family
A family form in which spouses carry out different tasks but each makes a similar contribution within the home.
triple shift
Role of women - Paid work, unpaid work and emotional work
universalistic values
Rules and values that apply equally to all members of society, regardless of who they are.
urbanization
An increase in the percentage and in the number of people living in urban settlements.
youth culture
The belief that young people have values, interests, and activities distinct from those of other age groups
socialization
Creation of voluntary associations and institutions which relate to economic and social goals, to cultural and recreational activities, to sport, to various professions, and to political affairs
structuralist
A psychologist who studied the basic elements that make up conscious mental experiences
structuration
the production and reproduction of social systems through group members' use of rules and resources in interaction.
sub-culture
a social group within a national culture that has distinctive patterns of behavior and beliefs
subjectivity
a personal presentation of evens and characters, influenced by the author's feelings and opinions
symbolic interactionism
A theoretical perspective in which society is viewed as composed of symbols that people use to establish meaning, develop their views of the world, and communicate with one another.
traditional society
the way of doing something in a country for years and years, unchanging
triangulation
A method of indirectly measuring distance by creating an imaginary triangle between an observer and an object whose distance away is to be estimated.
vailidity
Measurement that accurately reflects what it was intended to measure
value consensus
This is a general agreement by members of society concerning what is good and worthwhile.
value judgement
an opinion based on a person's individual values and beliefs
value-freedom
theory put forward by Max Weber which states that sociology should be completely objective rather than influenced by moral judgement
values
Beliefs of a person or social group in which they have an emotional investment (either for or against something).
variables
Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviors that are controlled or observed in a study.
verstehen
understanding social behavior by putting yourself in the place of others
weberian theory
focuses on the "macro", concerned with rationalization in society and bureaucracies.