Term
| What do Sociologist Study? |
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Definition
Human societies and human behavior in the groups and institutions that make up a society.
Sociologists: Like the scientific method tries to pursue the natural science model
- Value statistics
- Studies human social life in every concievable way |
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Term
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Definition
| American society in the modern world. Last 200-250 years. |
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Term
| What social science fields share common research inquiries with sociology? |
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Definition
Anthropology (what is the nature the use function?),
History (Has it always been this way? What about the future?),
Psychology (focus on individual concerns and feelings)
Political Science (Political implications of the question) |
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Term
| What is the process of debunking (be comfortable providing and example)? |
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Definition
| To debunk is to be suspicious. Question common beliefs. Hate the word "they". Who is "they"? The social world is too full of cliches. How do we navigate this? |
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Term
| What is the process of interrogation? |
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Definition
| To question the numbers or the statistics. |
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Term
| What do factual questions ask? |
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Definition
| What is happening here? How is society defined by this? What programs are involved? |
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Term
| What do comparative questions ask? |
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Definition
| Does this happen to everybody? Who experiences this? Where? |
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Term
| What do Developmental Questions ask? |
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Definition
| Does this happen to over time? Did something happen to affect this? Track changes over time. |
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Term
| What do Theorectical questions ask? |
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Definition
| What underlies this development? Why did this happen? |
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Term
| What is manifest function? |
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Definition
| The stated intent on why an event is occuring. |
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Term
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Definition
| Other reasons that aren't the intended or expected result |
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Term
| Why is latent or manifest function an important concept in society? |
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Definition
| It is important to take into account all the aspects and possible outcomes of an event that can occur. |
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Term
| What do we consider if we are interested in social reproduction? |
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Definition
| How does society maintains itself through certain traditional events. |
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Term
| What do we study if want to study social transformation? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are three central components of culture? |
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Definition
Culture are the values that the members of a given group hold, the norms they follow and the material goods they create and use.
So, Values, Norms, Material Goods. :) |
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Term
| Can socieities be shared? Can cultures be shared? |
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Definition
| Culture can be shared. It can move between societies and be exchanged. Societies can't be shared. Sub-cultural groups within society can maintain their own culture. |
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Term
| How is the concept of culture connected to the concept of society? |
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Definition
| Society is the system of interrelationships that connects together the individuals who share a common culture. |
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Term
| What is the nature/nurture debate? Where does socialization come into it? |
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Definition
| Nature/Nurture is a debate that asks whether or not certain behaviors are attributed to nature/genetics or are they learned through nurturing. Cutlure is learned- through parents, friends, and society (socialization). Culture is Nurture. |
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Term
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Definition
| The practise of viewing one's own culture as the standard for normality. Jackson and Minor warns us about ethnocentricity. We should really look at our own cultural norms critically. |
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Term
| What do we mean by "cultural universal"? |
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Definition
What types of cultural behaviors are seen as universal? What is common and unique?
Language
Family and Marriage system
Funereal Rights
Religious Rituals
Property Rights
Incest Prohibition
Arts
Body Adornment
Games
Joking
Gift Giving
Hygiene Rules |
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Term
| What is one significant characteristic of Hunter and Gatherer societies? |
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Definition
| The males hunted and the women gathered. Was is sexist? No it was necessary. .003% of the population still live like that. Why don't we? We have developed new and easier way of doing things. |
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Term
| What is one significant characteristic of Pastora and Agrarian societies? |
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Definition
Pastoral: herders
Agrarian: relating to the cultivation of the land
Pastoral and agrarian socieites started doing battle because we can now travel. Developed different religions. Developed higher levels of socialization.
*Not really sure if this answers the question. |
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Term
| What defines Traditional States? |
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Definition
The majority weren't developing food. Other occupations started to develop and people were spreading out and gaining land.
*again I don't know if this answers the question |
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Term
| What defines a Nation State? |
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Definition
When each state truly became powerful.
Nation states are political communities with clearly delineated boarders in which centralized governments have much control over the citizenry and laws have universal applications.
*don't know if this answers the question |
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Term
| What are First World socieities like? Second? Third? |
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Definition
1st world: richer nations. Usually western socieites.
2nd World: Communist countries. (there really isn't much discussion on that since the Cold War ended.)
3rd World: poorer countries. |
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Term
| What are some of the ways that the First World and the Third World are connected? |
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Definition
| Our 1st world lives depend on 3rd World goods. Most of the world population lives in the 3rd world. |
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Term
| What are some criteria used to categorize socieities? |
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Definition
| Birth rate, infant mortality, transitional government, lifespan. Governance and economy. |
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Term
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Definition
The process where an infant gradually becomes a self-aware, self knowlegeable person skilled inthe ways of culture into which he or she was born.
How to become competent human beings; learning how to tie our shoes, wearing the right clothes, getting a deal on good boots. The main instrument for social reproduction |
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Term
| Why is socialization so crucial to socieities? |
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Definition
| Again main instrument of social reproduction. Nature is a good start but if no one builds an identity for you then it is hard to become a functioning human being. It is important to society because everything hinges on us being socialized. |
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Term
| What are some agents of socialization? |
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Definition
| Agents of socialization: the groups within which or thorugh which, socialization occurs. Such as; family, peers, media, education, work and religious organizations. |
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Term
| Can adults be socialized? If so think of an example. |
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Definition
| We can become socialized to believe that certain behaviors are acceptable. Take the Hmoung for example. When coming to America they have to become socialized to our norms so that they are able to function in our society. |
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Term
| What did the case of "Genie" (the girl who had been socially isolated for most of her childhood) tell us about the nature/nurture debate? |
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Definition
| Nature is a good start. However we need to be taught how to use what nature has given us. It is very important to have the nurture of family, friends and society- to be touched, to be talked to, to be taught. |
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Term
| Smiling babies: nature or nurture? |
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Definition
All babies smile at 6 weeks. At 3 months they learn that a smile gets a response.
Nature with nurture reinforcement. :) |
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Term
| What are the stages of play? |
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Definition
Solitary: play by themselves. Learn to manipulate objects and be skilled at it. 1 to 2 year old.
Parallel: not interacting at all with the other person but doing the same thing. Looking for company.
Associative: 3, individuals combining play.
Cooperative: 4 or more, individuals in complicative play. Reciprocity in play. You can starte to see the beginning of socialization.
"Generalized Other": 4-8 years old understanding all the roles of the game even if you never play any other role. Practise interaction and understanding responses and experiencing things outside of your own world.
Ages 3-5 live in the world of "No". |
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Term
| What is the concept of the life course? |
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Definition
| the Life Cycle..or life course- the stages of life. This is a culturally variable construct. Going from baby, toddler, preteen, teen, young adult, adult, senior. |
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Term
| What does microsociology study? Macrosociology? |
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Definition
Micro: individual experiences in day to day life.
Macro: huge chain of events and how it affects group as a whole.
Individual people engage in large systems- so it is all connected.
Ex: Education: it is the individual students, principals and teachers that carry the institution of education (Micro). How much does it all cost? Which district is the most successful? (Macro) |
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Term
| What is the significance of civil inattention? Anticipatory grooming? What are "spacing zones"? |
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Definition
Civil inattention: expected courtesies of inattention to ease an embarassing moment.
Anticipatory grooming: unconscious grooming done before confronting another individual- checking hair, stuff in teeth, breath. We always want to look presentable to others- to put our best foot forward for fear of being immediatley assessed
Spacing zones: space around us that gives us breathing room. Intimate zone: 1.5 ft. Personal: 2-4 feet, Social: 5-12 ft (formal settings, job interviews), Public Zone: 12 ft. We often create barriers to maintain space (put a bag down so no one will sit with you on the bus). |
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Term
| What are roles? What is the relationship between a role and a frame? |
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Definition
Roles are socially defined expectations about behavior that a person in a given status or social position follows.
Frames are defined settings of social interactions.
You play a certain role within the frame of interaction. :D |
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Term
| What is role strain? How do people handle role strain? How is role strain different from role conflict? |
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Definition
Role Conflict is when a person has to fulfill more than one role. Ivolves a bit of time management. Ex: when your best friend gets a man. She doesn't fulfill her role as friend as much anymore because she has to fulfill her role as best friend. Everyone has choices on how to best fulfille each role.
Role strain: When there is a lot of conflict during a given situation. Take a nurse for example: the Nurse has to be caring, and patient and kind. Yet she also has to be efficient- she can't tend to just one person's needs- but to all the patients she has. Then she as administrative duties to fulfill. Time management! |
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Term
| What is impression management? What is a social situation that involves high impression management? |
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Definition
Impression management deals with how well you manage your role. It depends on the other person's impression of you. It's the work that you do to fit or play a role to the expectations of others.
Front room: when it is most important to you to make a good impression. Ie- blind date or a job interview.
Back room: when you are relaxed (at home after the job interview). |
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Term
| What is the Absolute definition of deviance? |
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Definition
| That deviance isn't an absolute. Sociologists don't beleive that any act of deviance is intrincially evil. (Even taking a life) Sociology stresses context. People act according to place and tiem and what the situation allows. It's not really about the act itself but how society reacts to it or chooses to deal with it within context. Understanding the complexity and richness of human behavior |
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Term
| What is the Statistical Rrity Definition of deviance? Why is this definition inadequate? |
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Definition
| We don't say that something is deviant because the behavior is rare. Why? Because it may be a good behavior; like graduating early, being a supermodel. Behaviors that happen a lot are considered deviant: cheating in marriage. There are also behaviors that become so common that they lose their deviancy: divorce, tatoos. |
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Term
| What is the Social Harm definition? What is the Legal definiton? What behavior could we not study if we took these definitons exclusively? |
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Definition
Social harm: if it harms most people then it is deviant: crime, drunk driving, corporate pollution? However there are behaviors that are deviant that harms no one: homosexuality, joining a cult.
Legal: Only deviant if there is a law against it. What about obesity or handicaps? The Gospel Hour? |
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Term
| What is the Normative approact to studying deviance? What is one critique of this approach? |
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Definition
This focuses on the do's and don'ts rules of culture. Find out what are the norms are from culture- then you will know what is deviant.
It is really too general. Just because you aren't caught you still could be violating a social norm. It does not have to be formalized. An unmarried woman is considered a deviant.
It does not allow you to look at the differences in sub-cultures. It does not allow for complexity or shades of gray. Too simplistic.
Also violating rules does not give you a good indication of soceity. There are some deviances that go unpunished. Children stealing candy- Ceo's stealing retirement funds vs a kid stealing a car. |
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Term
| What is the Reactive approach to studying deviance? What is one critique of this approach? |
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Definition
When we look at how society reacts to the deviant behavior. When a person is caught and punished, what is the response to it? This is not so much about the crime itself but about who was doing the crime.
A case by case basis and how society inforces it's rules. How do we try to get conformity?
If you don't get caught then you are home free! We can't look at secret behavior. In the closet..you won't get caught.
This also denies the victim. In a rape case the victim is denied if the rapist isn't caught.
The stigma or fear from what you might encounter upon getting caught is greater than actually breaking the norm. |
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Term
| What are common explanations of deviant behavior? |
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Definition
Biology: that deviance is associated with genetic mutations.
Pschology: Crime is associated with a mental/psychological disorders.
Due to early childhood upbringing, trauma, 'mother'. It lead them to committ crimes. However, how do you explain adultry, white collar crimes etc. |
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Term
| What is differential association? |
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Definition
Differential: Sutherland, 1948. Really interested in sub-culture. The clash between cutlures is the heart of deviancy.
The deviance we commite comes out of knowlege and availability. You are awared of the rules of society but you shift your concepts of right and wrong. You might even come to admire a person involved with the deviancy through association. (I cousin who steals because he has to support his family). |
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Term
| What is Anomie association? |
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Definition
Robert Merton- 1930's. Very controversial
Deviance happens beause the goals of society and the ability of the people to meet these goals are in disconnect. There is an increase in norm violations when society reaches a state of anomie: normness-less. Ex: New Orleans behavior after Katrina, when common patterns are disrupted. Winning the lottery.
Also when society stresses a goal but fails to stress the means of getting the goal. |
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Term
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Definition
Main goal: The American Dream
Retreatists: No longer participates in goals. The hobo, drug addict, Chruch as cults
Conformists: Follow the goal and established means to the goal. They believe in it!
Innovator: Liek the goal but can't get the means of the goal. So they try to work around it. Crime!
Ritualists: They give up on the goal. Don't think they will ever accomplish it. Just say..oh well!
Rebels: This goal is a crock! Promotes new goals and new means to the goals. Revolutionary.
Everyone who is not a conformist is a deviant. However the bad deviants are the ones who commit crimes. (Innovators). |
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Term
| What is the Labeling Theory? |
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Definition
Sociologists stole this theory from Psychology. :D 1950's Becker. Self-fulfilling prophesy. (Psychology)
Outside actors applying a label of deviancy on you contributes to your tendancy towards deviant behavior. This all depends on the frequency of the labeling and the power behind the label or the Intensity. The intensity depends on the relationshop between the labeler and the labelee.
Moving from action to identity: A teen steals one thing. The police harass him about it. Then he gets it from parents at home. Then the school finds out about it and frames you for whatever 'theft' occurs afterwards. You girlfriends parents don't want you to hang with her. Your friends don't want to be associated with you. And when your parents find out that you have 'stolen at school' they come down harder on you. They kick you out. You become homeless and compelled to steal again. :(
Somtimes the pressure of labeling alone won't compel deviant behavior. Also there is the 'halo' affect: someone pours on the compliments so that you succeed. |
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