Berger Def of Sociology
a passionate curiosity disciplined by scientific methodology about practices of people
Mills Def of Sociology
studies the intersection of biography and history (troubles/issues) to provide insight into both especially how social structure influence peoples lives
Stereotyping
the assumption that group membership explains individuals behavior
McGinn Def of Sociology
sociology is interested in the power that groups have to affect their members thoughts, behaviors and lives AND the power that groups exercise over one another AND the powerful ways in which groups affect the society around them
Proto-Sociology
pre sociology- attempt to explain social "chaos
Ideology
a set of beliefs attitudes and opinions that may or may not be based on scientific evidence. created by social groups
Critical Thinking
the attempt to step outside ideologies and make reflective logic based judgements.
Dominant Discouse
the way most people or the people in power speak/think about a particular issue
Individualism
explains the world only in terms of what goes on inside individuals. social problems result from flaws in individual behavior
Social Systems
we are always participating in something greater than ourselves. This also includes places and people with structure and culture. these are called ....
Durkheim
suicide. studying the groups someone is in can better predict an individuals behavior than both psych and biology
Johnsons View of Society
We participate in multiple social systems. Social system is a collection of roles in relationship to one another creating a coherent whole.
Social Position/Location
we occupy a variety of positions/statuses in each social system we belong to and tend to experience things differently in each system, this is the sum of these positions.
Culture
how we construct reality within a social system using ideas and symbols (especially language) to assign meaning AND its the way we habitually behave in relationship with the meaning we have constructed
High Culture
theater music literature art
Beliefs
what a group or system tells its system is true.Truth and fiction are social constructs
Values
beliefs we designate as good/bad better/worse. Guides our choices and how we treat others
Norms
Values with explicit rewards or punishments. Results of behavior.
Material Culture
the physical expression of our beliefs values norms and attitudes. Expresses the values of a group
Attitudes
reactions often with emotional attachment to beliefs values and norms
Johnsons Def of Status
the position one holds in a given social system (social job title) (what you are called)
Webers Def of Status
your relative importance in an organization
Role
the collection of values beliefs and norms that apply to a position holder. Shaped by culture.
Johnsons Version of Role
social job description
Role Structure
the relationships that link statuses and the entire system together
Distribution
who gets what in terms of wealth, power, and various positions. Creates paths of least resistance
Merton
deviant" behavior that results from the conflict between "shared values" and "unequal distributions"-example of structure's impact on behavior
Marxean Family Structure
standard family" did not always exist.
Structure and Culture Relationship
culture shapes roles associated with statuses in a structure. Cultures also shape the unequal distributions and structure AND unequal distributions in structure shape culture
Demography
statistical study of human populations. esp Birth patters, death, migration
Population
birth death migration
Human Ecology
a. the relationships that exist among individuals, social system, and physical environment; the consequences of those relationships
William James
self is the sum total of all an individual can call theirs (material social and spiritual self), social self
Charles Horton Cooley
looking glass self" we imagine how we seem to others, how they judge us, then we experience a visceral reaction
George Herbert Mead
Reflexivity. our identity is shaped in learning to see ourselves in the was others do. Also our actions are socially conditioned
Robert Park
Roles. We are shaped by the roles we play over time
Erving Goffman
Dramaturgy: theater, we are on a stage to everyone else
Generalized Other
someone only known by their status or role
Behavior
things we do standard
Action
intended gestures based on social meaning
Individual and System
it operates on us, we operate on it. People make systems happen
Social Inequality
Ritualized patterns that contribute to privileging some groups over others
I Love You
perforative language, socially constructed but creates a change in the meaning of the words , varies based on the role of those who say it
Voting
the system will create paths of least resistance whether or not to vote
Poverty
capitalism displays with as individual choice but actually cannot be eliminated without system change.
Max Weber Sociology
Studied ideal types- groups whose member share characteristics and can be studied as a single unit-protestants
Pierre Bourdieu
Believed sociology discovers social principles
Privilege
No structure is entirely equal
Jazz
Metaphor for society: individuals have the liberty to improvise but within the context of existing musical forms.
social change
stepping off paths of least resistance
history of American racism
socially constructed