Created by christen0526
over 11 years ago
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Question | Answer |
sociology | the systematic study of human society |
sociological perspective | the special point of view of sociology that sees general patterns of society in the lives of particular people |
global perspective | the study of the larger world and our society's place in it |
high-income countries | the nations with the highest overall standards of living |
middle-income countries | nations with a standard of living about average for the world as a whole |
low-income countries | nations with a low standard of living, in which most people are poor |
positivism | a scientific approach to knowledge based on "positive" facts as opposed to mere speculation |
theory | a statement of how and why specific facts are related |
theoretical approach | a basic image of society that guides thinking and research |
structural-function approach | a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability |
social structure | any relatively stable pattern of social behavior |
manifest functions | the recognized and intended consequences of any social patter |
social functions | the consequences of a social pattern for the operation of society as a whole |
latent functions | the unrecognized and unintended consequences of any social pattern |
social dysfunction | any social pattern that may disrupt the operation of society |
social-conflict approach | a framework for building theory that sees society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and change |
gender-conflict theory | the study of society that focuses on inequality and conflict between men and women |
feminism | support of social equality for women and men |
race-conflict theory | the study of society that focuses on inequality and conflict between people of different race and ethinical group |
macro-level orientation | a broad focus on social structures that shape society as a whole |
symbolic-interaction approach | a framework for building theory that sees society as the product of the everyday interactions of individuals |
micro-level orientation | a close up focus on social interaction in specific situations |
positivist sociology | the study of society based on the scientific observation of social behavior |
science | a logical system that basis knowledge on direct, systematic observation |
imperical evidence | information we can verify with our senses |
concept | a mental construct that represents some aspects of the world in a simplified form |
variable | a concept whose value changes from case to case |
measurement | a procedure for determining the value of a variable in a specific case |
reliability | consistency in measurement |
validity | actually measuring exactly what you intend to measure |
correlation | a relationship in which two or more variables change together |
cause and effect | a relationship in which change in one variable (independent) causes change in another variable (dependent) |
interpretive sociology | the study of society that focuses on the meanings people attach to their social world |
critical sociology | the study of society that focuses on the need for social change |
gender | the personal traits and social positions that members of a society attach to being female or male |
research method | a systematic plan for doing research |
experiment | a research method for investigating cause and effect under highly controlled conditions |
survey | a research method in which subjects respond to a series of statments or questions on a questionnaire or interview |
participant observation | a research method in which investigators systematically observe people while joining them in their routine activities |
stereotype | a symplified description applied to every person in some category |
high culture | cultural patterns that distiguish a socitey's elite |
popular culture | cultural patterns that are widespread among a society's population |
subculture | cultural patterns that set apart some segment of a society's population |
multiculturalism | a perspective recognizing the cultural diversity of the United States and promoting equal standing for all cultural traditions |
Eurocentrism | the dominance of European (especially English) cultural patterns |
Afrocentrism | emphasizing and promoting African cultural patterns |
counterculture | cultural patterns that strongly oppose those widely accepted within a society |
cultural integration | the close relationship among various elements of a cultural system |
cultural lag | the fact that some cultural elements change more quickly than others, dusrupting cultural system |
ethnocentrism | the practice of judging another culture by the standards of one's own culture |
cultural relativism | the practice of judging a culture by its own standards |
cultural universals | traits that are part of every known culture |
sociobiology | a theoretical approach that explores ways in which human biology affects how we create culture |
culture | the ways of thinking, the ways of acting, and the material objects that together form a people's way of life |
nonmaterial culture | the ideas created by members of a society |
material culture | the physical things created by members of a society |
society | people who interact in a defined territory and share a culture |
culture shock | personal disorientation when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life |
symbol | anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share a culture |
language | a system of symbols that allows people to communicate with one another |
cultural transmission | the process by which one generation passes culture to the next |
Sapir-Whorf thesis | the idea that people see and understand the world through the cultural lens of language |
values | culturally defined standards that people use to decide what is desirable, good, and beautiful and serve as broad guidelines for social living |
beliefs | specific ideas that people hold to be true |
norms | rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members |
mores | norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance |
folkways | norms for routines or casual interactions |
technology | knowledge that people use to make a way of life in their surroundings |
hunting and gathering | the use of simple tools to hunt animals and gather vegetation for food |
horticulture | the use of hand tools to raise crops |
agriculture | large-scale cultivation using plaws harnessed to animals or more powerful energy sources |
pastoralism | the domestication of animals |
industry | the production of goods using advanced sources of energy to drive large machinery |
postindustrialism | the production of information using computer technology |
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