REBECCA G. ADAMS
INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY VOCABULARY LIST
achieved positions - those positions acquired by a person through individual effort
adult socialization - learning new roles during adulthood
affective processes -encompass emotional reactions to dyad and group members. They are the feelings that people have for each other.
aging effect - the consequence of people changing as the result of growing older
aggregation - a gathering of people who happen to be in the same location
alienation - according to Marx, a condition of estranged detachment of workers from their occupation or the goods they produce and a resulting diminished sense of identity
anticipatory socialization - behavior that prepares people for roles they will hold in the future
antithesis - according to Marx, forces of opposition that challenge the status quo
ascribed positions - those assigned by society or nature
authority - the formally recognized right to exercise power (i.e. legitimate power)
backstage - an area in which it is possible to relax and to stop performing.
behavioral processes - the action components of relationships. They are what people do together.
beliefs - those things that the members of society or a group believe are true whether they are or not
birth cohort - a group of people born during the same time interval
boundedness -the proportion of network members' ties that stay within the boundaries of the social network
bureaucracy - according to Weber, a type of formal organization, that attempts to achieve maximum efficiency in carrying out complex administrative tasks.
caste system - a closed stratification system usually sanctified by religion in which a person's parentage determines his or her social position for life
causal relationship - when a proposition specifically states that a change in an independent variable causes a change in a dependent variable
charisma - the gift of grace that people who are natural leaders are said to have
charismatic authority - the gift of grace - people who have personal qualities that attract followers (e.g. Martin Luther King, Billy Graham)
chronological age - a person's age in calendar years
class - according to Weber, a class is: a number of people who have in common a specific causal component of their life chances, represented by economic interests in the possession of goods and opportunities for income, and represented under the conditions of the labor market. Marx also had an economic conception of class
cognitive processes -are the thoughts each participant has about him or herself and the other members of dyads and larger groups. They are what people think about each other.
cohort effect - the consequence of people being different than people of other ages because of the unique normative and structural historical circumstances they have faced during their lives
conflict paradigm - theoretical point of view that focuses on social disagreements and the struggle among individuals and groups to impose their points of view on others. Stresses the role of power in social affairs.
context -the conditions external to the development, maintenance, and dissolution of specific friendships.
correlation - indicates that one variable changes in a certain direction as another variable changes in a certain direction counter culture - a social group that rejects many or all of the norms and values of the mainstream culture
counter culture - a social group that rejects many or all of the norms and values of the mainstream culture
craze - is a fad or fashion that becomes so important to people that they spend a great deal of money, time and emotion on it
crude birth rate - the number of births per 1000 people per year
crude death rate - number of deaths per 1000 people per year
culture - it is a system of symbols, physical artifacts, ideas, values, norms, beliefs, knowledge, and customs transmitted from one generation to the next within a social group.
cultural dimension of context -all that participants in a context learn both to believe, value, think, and feel and to do, use, and produce.
cultural relativity - the acknowledged absence of absolute standards of behavior and the consequent need to judge behavior within its cultural setting
culture - a system of symbols, physical artifacts, ideas, values, norms, beliefs, knowledge, and customs transmitted from one generation to the next within a social group
deductive research - start with a theory and test various propositions to see if they are upheld
definition - conveying indications to another person as to how to act
dependency ratio - the ratio of people in dependent groups (young and/or old) to the number of people in economically productive age groups
dependent variable - the condition that a researcher is attempting to explain
desocialization - learning to give up roles one has previously had
deviance - any form of behavior that violates the norms of a social system
discrimination - a systematic pattern of excluding or disadvantaging members of a particular group, regardless of merit or talent
disposition - personality, motives, and personal preferences which result from socialization or heredity.
dyad - two person group
dysfunction - the consequence of a component of society that causes a disturbance to the workings of the whole system
ethnocentrism -the tendency to regard one's own culture as better than the culture of others
evolutionism - the belief that every society progresses and improves from simple beginnings through stages of ever- increasing complexity
exclusivity -do people interact primarily one-on-one or are their individual contacts available to a wider range of persons?
fad - cultural trait that suddenly becomes popular and just as suddenly disappears
fashion - cultural trait that is popular for a short time and is gradually replaced
feral children - children that are raised in isolation from other humans
fertility - the rate at which a population gives birth
fictions - are mental structures that help us make sense of the world around us
folkways - less essential norms derived from tradition and custom
formal organization - a group whose activities are rationally designed to achieve specific goals
friendship -is a voluntary relationship between equals
front - according to Goffman, the setting, appearance, and manners used in a performance
functionalist paradigm - or social systems paradigm - the sociological perspective that focuses on the structure of social life, especially seeing society as an integrated system in which each individual and structural component has a part to play
function - consequence of a component of society which maintains the system
functional age - defined according to the individual's capacity to contribute to the work and continuation of society
functional requisites - the basic needs that must be met by a society if it is to survive
gemeinschaft - German, usually translated to mean community
generalized other - according to Mead, the individual's notion of what behavior is expected of him or her by society in general
gesellschaft - German, usually translated to mean society
gestures - any culturally expressive physical act
give an expression -according to Goffman, involves verbal symbols or their substitutes which are used intentionally
give off an expression - according to Goffman, involves a wide range of actions that others can treat as symptomatic of the actor, the expectation being that the action was performed for reasons other than the information conveyed in this way
group - a bounded collectivity of people who share common interests, interact with one another, have a sense of identity with one another, and have some degree of structure
hierarchy -the vertical social distance between people in relationships
homogeneity -degree of similarity of participants in terms of social positions external to the relationship such as gender, race, occupational status, ethnicity, or age.
hypothesis - statement of a possible relationship between variables, stated in a form suitable for testing by empirical research
ideal type - hypothetical and artificial conception of social phenomena in their pure form; theoretical concept used as a bench mark for assessing reality itself
idealistic periods - combine elements of sensate and ideational periods into an integrated, rational view of the world
ideational periods - according to Sorokin, periods characterized by ideas and spiritual concerns independent variable - condition that the researcher thinks causes another condition
inductive research - start with the data and develop an explanation of them
inequality - unequal distribution of rewards and punishments
informal organization - a group formed by informal relations among members of an organization, based on personal interactions, not on any plan by the organization
in-group - group an individual feels he or she belongs to but excludes other people from
institution - a set of beliefs, values, and norms that pattern behavior toward fulfilling some basic, enduring, human need
institutional discrimination - discrimination according to an ascribed characteristic which results from routine and often unintended and unacknowledged organizational practices and procedures rather than the purposeful behavior of particular individuals
interactionist paradigm - the sociological perspective that focuses on social life as the process of give and take, in which individuals come to grips with each other, forming common definitions of the situations they find themselves in.
internal processes- reflect the interactive aspects of relationships and occur between the members of dyads and larger friendship groups.
interpretation - ascertaining the meaning of the remarks of the other person
internal structure -the form of the ties linking people in relationships
issues - according to Mills, they have to do with the organization of the larger structures of social and historical life
labeling - a process by which an individual's identity is assigned, altered, and manipulated by social definition
latent function - the unintended consequences of a component of society
laws - norms that are formally codified and enforced by police and the courts
life expectancy rate - average number of years the babies born in a given year can expect to live assuming that the current death rates continue to prevail during their lifetime.
looking-glass self - according to Cooley, the self as a product of how we think others judge us and how we feel as a result of that judgement
macrosociology - seeks to understand society on a large scale
manifest function - the intended consequences of an aspect of society
measurement - the link between a theoretical concept and the variables representing it
mental act - (1) mental activity or attitude such as believing, doubting, desiring, or fearing, or (2) the thing that is believed, doubted, or feared.
meritocracy - a system of stratification where social mobility is possible and based on achievement
microsociology - studies the roles of individuals and interaction in small groups
migration - the movement of people into or out of a region
mores - the major and essential norms of a society which are associated with core values
mortality - rate at which a population dies
network density -the proportion of all possible ties between the members of a network that exist norms - the rules of behavior, both formal and informal, that govern the members of a society
Organization Man - according to Whyte, is a member of the middle class, who has left home, spiritually as well as physically, to take the vows of organization life
out-groups - those people who are excluded from a particular in-group or from the rest of society
paradigm - over arching model of social life or a sociological perspective
party - according to Weber, a person's standing in the political order.
performance - according to Goffman, whenever two people come together
personal network - those people known by a central person
period effect - the consequence of people being different at one time than another because times have changed
polity - according to Parsons, not only the government, but any political structure designed to permit decision making and to mobilize efforts to achieve the goals that are decided upon
population pyramids - shows the age/sex distribution of a population at a given time
poverty - income below basic subsistence level and chronic lack of employment
power (1) - the ability to manipulate others with or without their consent
power (2) - the probability that one actor in a relationship will be able to carry out his or her will despite resistence
power elite - those who run corporations, operate the military establishment, manipulate the machinery of the state. These are the interlocking institutions.
prejudice - hostile and demeaning view of a group or class of persons based upon faulty and inflexible generalizations and stereotypes
prescriptions - norms having to do with what one must do in a social system
primary group - according to Cooley, a type of group primary in linking the individual to society
proscriptions - norms having to do with what one must not do in a social system
questionnaire - is a printed list of questions given to respondents who fill in the answers themselves
rational-legal authority - the legitimation of power by virtue of its position within a network of formal rules, principles and statuses; the authority lies in the position not in the person.
reference group - those people an individual compares oneself with or models oneself after
relative deprivation - a feeling of subjective deprivation or disadvantage compared to others
resocialization - a process by which one set of values and behaviors is replaced by another set that is inconsistent with the first set
respondents - people who answer survey questions
rite of passage - a public ceremony to acknowledge the movement from one social position to another role - the sum of behaviors expected of an individual in a given social position
role conflict - the problem which arises for the individual when expectations associated with two different roles conflict
role overload - when obligations involved in all of a person's roles become overwhelming
role strain - a felt difficulty in fulfilling the obligations of one role
routinization of charisma - the process by which charisma becomes translated into rational-legal or traditional authority
sanction - rewards and punishments used to induce conformity to norms
secondary group - characterized by casual impersonal relationships, usually aimed at accomplishing a specific purpose
secondary network - consists of those people indirectly connected to a central person
sensate periods - according to Sorokin, periods characterized by materialistic, pleasure seeking values
sex ratio - number of men per 100 women
significant others - those whose attitudes and judgments about us are important in the process of socialization
sign vehicles - according to Goffman, they convey information about the person, intentionally or unintentionally
size of network -the number of people a central person knows
social category - people who share a particular characteristic in common
social control(1) - attempts to assure conformity to group norms, accomplished by a variety of mechanisms and agencies
social fact - according to Durkheim, individual duties that are defined externally to the individual by law and custom
social form - a principle that is brought to the contents, and by means of which contents are selected and gathered into a whole. Social forms underly and pattern our behavior.
social gerontology - the study of the development and group behavior of adults and of the causes and consequences of having older people in the population
social interaction - the process in which one person directs a communication and evokes a response from the other that conditions the initial communication
social movement - a collective effort to bring about change
social network -a set of people connected by a set of socially meaningful relationships; it is unbounded
social position - a position or location a person can occupy within society or a smaller social group
social problem - according to Berger, one exists when there is a difference between the way things are and the way the authorities think things should be
social research - studies any relationships involving two or more people
social stratification - a patterned set of distinctions in social rank which results from any society's unequal distribution of power, prestige and wealth
social structural dimension of context - the number, density, and homogeneity of participants; the social positions available to be filled; and the relationships of the social positions to one another
social structure(1) - is the established network of relationships connecting different social positions in a group, including the norms for interactions among different social positions
social structure(2) -the pattern of interconnections among social positions whose occupants have access to differing levels of power, prestige, and wealth and thus different opportunities and constraints on their behavior.
social system - a group of people engaged in some type of collective activity and related to one another in various ways
socialization - the process by which people learn to behave appropriately in the groups to which they belong
society - a self-sufficient, self-perpetuating social system, including persons of both sexes and all ages
sociological problem - according to Berger, not why things 'go wrong,' but how the whole system works, what its presuppositions are, and by what means it is held together.
sociology - the systematic study of human relationships and their consequences
solidarity -the horizontal social distance between people in relationships; in other words, it is the degree of closeness felt between those involved
sociogram - a graph of the way people in a group feel about each other
spatial dimension of context - the characteristics of the natural and built environment and the degree to which the contexts are territorially defined
status - (1) a prestige rank within an organization or society that is acknowledged by the participants in the social context.
status - (2) according to Weber, an expected style of life
status - (3) the distance between actors in terms of stature, prestige, or moral worth
stereotype - a belief about a group of people that may or may not be true
subculture - a social group whose members participate in the larger society but are set apart by a distinctive core of values, norms, and beliefs
symbols - things that stand for other things, usually ideas or values
synthesis - according to Marx, the new social order resulting from the conflict between the thesis and antithesis
temporal dimension of context -when things happen, with what regularity, and how predictably.
theory - (1) an explanation offered to account for a group of facts or phenomena.
theory - (2) a set of interrelated propositions, some of which can be empirically tested
thesis - according to Marx, interconnected parts of society that make up the status quo
traditional authority - based on the traditional beliefs of a society (i.e. kings); a legitimation of power by appeal to past precedent and the stability of historical continuity.
triad - three person group
troubles - according to Mills, they occur within the character of the individual and within the range of his or her immediate relationship with others
values - are the standards used to judge what is better than what and to choose among various possible goals.
variable - a logical grouping of attributes; a variable can have more than one value or is capable of change
zero population growth - a population in equilibrium with a growth rate of zero