Sociology: The scientific study of society and social behavior Society: A group of people who share a territory and culture Sociological imagination: C. Wright Mills's idea of linking personal troubles to larger social issues Auguste Comte: Coined the word sociology; called the father of sociology Emile Durkheim: Studied social facts, solidarity and suicide rates Max Weber: Studied bureaucracy and the Protestant ethic Karl Marx: Focused on class conflict W.E.B. Du Bois: Early American sociologist who studied race and The Philadelphia Negro Jane Addams: Social reformer whose work with Hull House shaped early sociology Harriet Martineau: Early sociologist who translated Comte and studied American society Structural functionalism: View that society is a system of parts that work together Conflict theory: View that society is shaped by competition over resources and power Symbolic interactionism: View that society is built from everyday interactions and shared meanings Macrosociology: Study of large-scale social patterns Microsociology: Study of small groups and face-to-face interaction Culture: Shared beliefs, values, norms and objects of a group Norms: Rules for behavior in a group Folkways: Everyday customs, like table manners Mores: Norms with strong moral importance Laws: Formal norms enforced by government Values: Ideas about what is good, right and important Sanction: A reward or punishment that enforces norms Deviance: Behavior that violates norms Social control: Ways society encourages conformity Conformity: Following the norms of a group Socialization: The lifelong process of learning culture and roles Agents of socialization: Family, school, peers, media and religion Primary socialization: Early learning in the family Peer group: People of similar age and interests Hidden curriculum: Lessons schools teach without saying so, like punctuality Social structure: Patterns of relationships that organize society Status: A position in society Ascribed status: Status given at birth or involuntarily Achieved status: Status earned by effort Role: Behavior expected of someone in a status Role conflict: Tension between roles, such as student and employee Primary group: Small, close group, like family Secondary group: Larger, goal-oriented group, like a company In-group: A group you identify with Out-group: A group you do not identify with Reference group: Group used to evaluate yourself Social network: A web of connections among people Social institution: Established system meeting basic needs, like family, education and government Bureaucracy: Organization with rules, ranks and specialized jobs Social stratification: Ranking of people in layers by wealth, power or prestige Social class: A group with similar economic position Socioeconomic status: Combination of income, education and occupation Social mobility: Moving between social classes Poverty: Lacking resources for basic needs Inequality: Unequal sharing of wealth, power or opportunity Prejudice: Unfair attitudes toward a group Discrimination: Unfair treatment based on group membership Stereotype: Oversimplified belief about a group Race: A social category based on perceived physical traits Ethnicity: Shared cultural heritage Minority group: A group with less power than the dominant group Gender: Social and cultural roles linked to being male or female Gender roles: Expected behaviors for men and women Demography: Study of population size and change Birth rate: Number of births per 1,000 people per year Migration: Movement of people from one place to another Urbanization: Growth of cities Social movement: Organized effort for or against social change Collective behavior: Spontaneous group actions, like crowds Social change: Changes in culture and institutions over time Technology and society: New technologies change how people work and relate Globalization: Increasing connection among societies Sample: A smaller group studied to learn about a larger one Survey: Questions asked of many people Correlation: A relationship between two variables, which does not prove one causes the other Hypothesis: A testable prediction Variable: A factor that can change Ethnography: In-depth study through observation Anomie: Durkheim's term for feeling of normlessness Looking-glass self: Charles Cooley's idea that we form self-image from how others see us Generalized other: George Herbert Mead's term for society's expectations Dramaturgy: Erving Goffman's view of life as a performance with front and back stages Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/sociology-intro-terms