Sociology Key Terms

Question	Answer
Historical Sensibility	Awareness of the influence of past events upon current society
Anthropological Sensibility	Noting the culturally specific ideas within a society and how this influences world view.
Critical Thought	Being able to put aside preconceived or common beliefs and to question all information
Social Construction	The human mind is shaped by society. Therefore, all perceptions of the world are socially constructed.
Structure and System	The adherence of a person to the 'norm' of structures within a system. Beyond and accepted spectrum comes deviance.
Culture	Extrinsic: the activities, tools, method of making a living, mannerisms and expectations. Intrinsic: world view, ways of thinking and feeling, outlook on life and interpretation of life.
Agency	Humans, whilst a subject of society, also help shape it. Our actions create change in the society we live in.
Socialisation	Influences which shape and individual down to their posture and language. Like society, it is always changing.
Modernity and Colonialism	Modernity is the lead up to and period after the industrial revolution. Colonialism resulted from this to share this 'improved way of life'.
Globalisation	With enhanced technologies and international communications came the existence of a 'global community'.
Deglobalisation	With the increased exposure to multiple cultures some groups found it comforting for only associate with those of their own culture.
Sociological Perspectives	Functionalist theories Conflict theories Internationalist theories
Rational - Scientific Tradition	Sociological perspective using the scientific method to study social phenomena and implement 'value freedom' where personal bias is not used.
Political Tradition	Perspective saying that 'value freedom' (to analyse without bias) is not possible and so an authors background must be analysed.
Interpretive Tradition	A sociological perspective saying that value freedom and personal bias don't really matter. All that matters is to observe and interpret.
Feminism in Sociology	In the 60s, feminist sociologists focused on the position and experiences of women in society, relating it with race, class and ethnicity. There was also research into where gender inequality came from.
Post Modernity	Experts made 'truth claims' which were analysed among others before being believed. Consumerism was how a person defined themselves; with what they surrounded themselves with. The class system no longer worked to define and individual. People acted how they wanted.
World Systems Theory	The world is capitalist. It operates within 3 elements of structured inequality. The Core: Affluent and well developed The Semi Periphery: Exploited by the core and exploiting the periphery. The Periphery: Under developed produces of raw materials and cheap labor for the core.
The Compression of the World	The compression of the world and intensification of world consciousness as a whole. The Global Field outlining the complexities of global interrelationships
The Global Field	The reference points of the complex interrelationships that compress the globe. National Societies Selves World System of Societies Humankind
Techno-Capitalism	The technological advancements allowing for capitalism to operate as a global economy.
Global Economy	The capacity for the whole economy to move in real time on an international level
Virtual Culture	A complete transformation of work and culture. With technology as a key director in the global economy, those without access to it experience economic inequality.
Technological Globalisation	Improvements in communication and transport technologies mean more frequent and accessible international connection and movement. Companies also have the ability to create an identity for themselves.
Cultural Globalisation	The tension between cultural homogenisation and cultural heterogenisation.
Cultural Homogenisation	The cultural influence of corporations through advertising and their status in the community.
Macdonaldisation	Efficiency: organizing activities to be achieved in the most effective way. Calculability: Quantifying efficiency. Higher quantity=higher success. Predictability: Increasing calculability by creating a set structure of production. Control: Placing maximum control over all else. Humans are set robotic tasks
Cultural Heterogeneity	Companies adapt to the culture which they are operating in order for their product to be accepted easily.
Global Hybridisation	The mixing of world cultures and creating a 'global culture'. However, the internet has given a platform to maintain all the different world cultures.
Durkheim	Social Facts Collective Conscience The Division of Labor Differentiation in Society Social Solidarity Anomie and Justice
Social Facts	It is society which influences the behaviors of the individual. The individual will be alienated on seen as 'non human' if they do not comply the the acceptable thoughts, behaviors and activities of society.
Collective Consciousness	The shared morals and beliefs which can bring together or separate groups. An individual will not act on their own rational self interests but will take into account the emotional and non rational social order
The Division of Labor	The ongoing specialization and complexity of an individual's work and activities.
Differentiation of Society	Social interactions are formed through the division of labor based on the interdependence and similarity they have between one another.
Social Solidarity	Mechanical: Similarity with others based on beliefs and values. Organic: Social connection based on interdependence for services, support and activities
Anomie	The alienation from social context due to societal differentiation leading to a decline of social cohesion and moral regulation.
Justice	Contract Law: Applying constraints on the interactions of all groups no matter their status. Occupational Groups: Grouping together of people who share ideas and interests. Their groups create constraints against inequality and unjust power.
Talcott Parsons	Agreed with Durkheim that individuals complied to a social order in their beliefs and actions and that the social cohesion was threatened by social differentiation. Highlighted the importance of a new system which allowed all norms and values to integrate and coexist in society.
Marx	The social structure is set to benefit some groups over others and therefore leading to social conflict. Economics and those with the power over it also provide the dominant ideology, influencing the legal, political and social systems.
Ideology	A misrepresentation of society based on half truths which does not take into account the real life contradictions and conflicts in society. A false consciousness is to believe the ideology as truth.
Alienation	The individual dissociation from the systems in which we belong. For example, religion where 'god' is untouchable or; work, where hundreds of workers work toward achieving another persons goal and get not share in its attainment.
Social Change	Economics is not the only influence on social change. Individuals operating within the political, legal and economic institutions of the society start to resonate with new social ideas and these are then directed by strong and charismatic leaders.
Weber	Society formed by human behavior. Groups will affect one another and the systems and institutions we belong to are simply behaviors which have been fostered and encouraged.
Immediate Understanding	Exactly what has happened in a situation
Explanatory Understanding	Theorizing HOW and what CAUSED the situation to occur
Capacity for social change	Having a balance of a strong world view and the economic materials to influence the change
Simmel	Society as a combination of social interactions between individuals and groups. Sociology analyses these interactions and the connections that bind individuals together
Social Interactionalism	Society is a web of interactions where institutions are the crystallization of certain webs. Institutions which are seemingly different find their similarities in their web of interactions

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	Created by Rachael Davidson almost 9 years ago