Sociology: The scientific study of society and social behavior Sociological imagination: Seeing how personal troubles connect to larger social forces; C. Wright Mills Auguste Comte: Coined the word 'sociology' Emile Durkheim: Studied social facts and suicide; founder of modern sociology Karl Marx: Focused on class conflict and capitalism Max Weber: Studied bureaucracy, authority and the Protestant ethic W.E.B. Du Bois: Pioneer of empirical sociology; wrote The Souls of Black Folk Functionalism: Society is a system of parts that work together for stability Conflict theory: Society is shaped by struggles over resources and power Symbolic interactionism: Society is built from everyday interactions and shared meanings Manifest function: Intended, recognized effect of a social structure Latent function: Unintended, often unrecognized effect Dysfunction: A harmful effect of a social pattern Social structure: Patterns of relationships that organize society Status: A position in society Ascribed status: A status one is born with Achieved status: A status earned through effort Master status: The status that most shapes a person's identity Role: Behavior expected of someone with a status Role conflict: Tension between roles of different statuses Role strain: Tension within a single role Culture: Shared beliefs, values, norms and objects of a group Material culture: Physical objects a society creates Nonmaterial culture: Ideas, beliefs and values Norm: A rule for expected behavior Folkway: A casual norm; violation brings mild disapproval Mores: Serious norms tied to moral standards Taboo: A strongly forbidden behavior Sanction: Reward or punishment that enforces norms Value: A shared idea of what is good or desirable Subculture: A group with distinct norms inside a larger culture Counterculture: A group that rejects mainstream norms Ethnocentrism: Judging other cultures by one's own standards Cultural relativism: Understanding a culture on its own terms Culture shock: Disorientation in an unfamiliar culture Cultural lag: Society's norms trail behind technology Socialization: Learning the norms and roles of society Agents of socialization: Family, school, peers, media and religion Looking-glass self: Our self-image forms from how we think others see us; Cooley Generalized other: Society's expectations internalized; George Herbert Mead Anticipatory socialization: Preparing for a future role Resocialization: Learning new norms, as in an institution Total institution: A place that controls all aspects of residents' lives Deviance: Violating social norms Strain theory: Deviance arises when goals cannot be met legitimately; Merton Labeling theory: Deviance is a result of being labeled Differential association: Deviance is learned from close associates Anomie: Normlessness when social rules weaken Social control: Ways society encourages conformity Social stratification: Ranking people in layers by wealth, power or prestige Caste system: Rigid stratification based on birth Class system: Stratification based on wealth and occupation, with some mobility Social mobility: Movement between social classes Intergenerational mobility: Change in class position compared with one's parents Socioeconomic status: Combined measure of income, education and occupation Cultural capital: Knowledge and tastes that help one advance socially; Bourdieu Social capital: Benefits from social networks and relationships Poverty line: Income level used to define poverty Meritocracy: System where advancement is based on ability and effort Race: A social category based on perceived physical traits Ethnicity: Shared cultural heritage Minority group: A group with less power, not necessarily smaller numbers Institutional discrimination: Unequal treatment built into laws and practices Segregation: Physical separation of groups Gender: Social and cultural meanings of masculinity and femininity Sex: Biological category of male or female Patriarchy: A system in which men hold most power Gender role: Behaviors expected of a gender Glass ceiling: Invisible barrier to advancement Family: A group related by blood, marriage or adoption Nuclear family: Parents and their children Extended family: Nuclear family plus other relatives Monogamy: Marriage to one partner at a time Endogamy: Marrying within one's group Exogamy: Marrying outside one's group Institution: An established system that meets social needs Bureaucracy: A formal organization with hierarchy and rules McDonaldization: Spread of efficiency, predictability and control; Ritzer Primary group: Small, close group with personal ties Secondary group: Larger, impersonal group organized around a goal In-group: A group one belongs to and identifies with Out-group: A group one does not belong to Reference group: A group used as a standard for self-evaluation Social network: A web of social ties Gemeinschaft: Community based on close personal ties Gesellschaft: Society based on impersonal, contractual ties Demography: Study of populations Urbanization: Growth in the proportion of people living in cities Collective behavior: Spontaneous group action Social movement: Organized effort to promote or resist change Globalization: Increasing interconnection of the world's societies Dramaturgy: Viewing social life as theater; Erving Goffman Impression management: Controlling how others see us Social construction of reality: Meanings of things are created by social interaction Thomas theorem: If people define situations as real, they are real in consequence Quantitative research: Studies using numbers and statistics Qualitative research: Studies using interviews and observation Participant observation: Researcher joins a group to study it Survey: Collecting data through questions Correlation versus causation: Two things related does not mean one causes the other Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/tp-sociology