Society is interrelated parts working together in order to maintain stability.

Comte, Spencer, Durkheim

• Focuses on the forces of society that promote change
• No change w/out conflict
• Marx

• Focuses on how the individual is affected in society
• Studies people within groups
• Weber

• A person is closely tied to his/her group
• No individiual is w/out a group
• Group condones suicidal activity

• Person isolated from society
• Lacks group emotion

• Person experiences a dramatic life change
• Loses sight of social norms
• Self conflict

• A social science dealing with the government workings

• Used to explain current behaviors
• Study of the past

• Choices people make to satisfy wants and needs
• Study of why goods are made, distributed and consumed.

• Study of various aspects of past and present cultures

• Study of how individual behavior and personality are affected by social environment.

• Intended purpose of an aspect of society
• (car=transportation. education=knowledge)

• Negative consequence an element has for the stability of the social system (Crime)

• Unintended purpose of an aspect
• (car=status. education=dating pool)

• Norm with little social signifigance
• No danger to society if violated
• Ex: not covering mouth when you yawn

• Norms with great social significance
• Dangerous to society if violated
• EX: Murder

• Norm and value becomes part of your beliefs
• Learned through parents, school, religion, media

• Written rule of conduct enforced by gov't
• Formalized mores (1st and second degree murder)
• Formalized Folkways (not parking in handicap spaces)

• Rewards or punishments to enforce conformity 
• Positive/Negative
• Formal/Unformal

• Shared rules of conduct based on values
• Tells us how to act

• Spreading of cultureal traits to other cultures

• Abstract human creations
• ex: values, norms, mores

• A cluster of interrelated traits
• ex: soccer

• Anything that stands for something else

• Social change