Sociology Flashcards

Social Structure and Interaction

• Social structure represents stable patterns of social behavior.
• Social construction theory suggests society is created through human interactions, termed habitualization.
• The Thomas theorem emphasizes how subjective realities can shape events, regardless of objective truth.
• A self-fulfilling prophecy asserts that an idea can become reality when acted upon.

Status and Roles

• Roles denote behavior patterns associated with a person's social status.
• Ascribed status relates to characteristics beyond individual control, like race or sex.
• Achieved status is a result of personal choices, such as education or income levels.
• Role strain occurs when a single role demands too much from an individual.
• Role conflict happens when the expectations of multiple roles collide.
• Role performance is the expression of one’s assigned role.

Theories of Self and Interaction

• Erving Goffman's dramaturgy likens social interaction to stage performance, where individuals manage impressions based on their audience.
• Charles Cooley’s "looking glass self" reflects how we perceive ourselves through the imagined reactions of others, influencing our self-concept.

Groups and Social Composition

• An aggregate is a collection of individuals who share the same space without interaction or identity.
• A group involves at least two people who frequently interact and share a collective identity.
• Primary groups are close, informal, and emotionally significant relationships; secondary groups are larger and task-focused.
• In-groups are those individuals belong to and identify with, while out-groups represent those they do not belong to or may compete against.
• Reference groups provide standards for self-evaluation.

Leadership and Social Dynamics

• Instrumental leaders focus on task accomplishment, while expressive leaders prioritize group harmony.
• Democratic, laissez-faire, and authoritarian are three leadership styles.

Socialization and Learning

• Socialization is a lifelong process in which individuals learn norms and develop potential.
• George Herbert Mead's stages of self-development include imitation, play, game, and the understanding of the generalized other.
• Gender roles are social norms associated with being male or female, influenced by various socialization agents.

Deviance and Social Control

• Deviance is behavior that contradicts societal norms; social control efforts regulate such behavior.
• Sanctions can be positive (rewards for norm adherence) or negative (punishments for violations), and can be formal (institutional) or informal (interpersonal).
• Émile Durkheim argued that deviance could be functional for society by promoting social change.
• Robert Merton’s strain theory links access to socially acceptable goals with conformity or deviation.

Class and Stratification

• Social stratification is a hierarchical ranking system, influencing individuals’ wealth and status.
• Wealth reflects total assets minus debts; income refers to money received regularly for work or investments.
• The caste system categorizes individuals rigidly based on characteristics such as occupation and social potential.
• The feminization of poverty highlights increasing poverty rates among women, particularly single mothers.

Race, Ethnicity, and Identity

• Race identifies groups with shared ancestry; ethnicity relates to cultural traits derived from common heritage.
• Pluralism acknowledges the coexistence of diverse cultures within a society, akin to a "salad bowl."
• Assimilation involves adapting to the dominant culture; segregation refers to the separation based on differences.

Gender and Power

• Gender stratification denotes unequal distribution of wealth and privilege between genders.
• Sex is a biological classification; gender is associated with societal roles and expectations.
• Transgender individuals’ identities may differ from birth-assigned sex; transexuals actively transition to another gender.

Crime and Society

• Types of crimes include violent crimes, nonviolent crimes, corporate crimes, and victimless crimes.
• Edwin Sutherland’s differential association theory suggests individuals learn deviant behavior from those around them.

Reflections on Society

• Scapegoating refers to displacing aggression onto subordinate groups, highlighting social tensions.
• The hidden curriculum in education refers to unofficial lessons that shape values and behaviors in students.

Health and Behavior

• Poverty affects various life aspects, including health, education, and crime, contributing to overall social disparities.