Sociology Lecture Series: Seeing and Thinking

A relationship where one event directly causes another. Requires correlation, time order, and ruling out alternative explanations.

Converts social information into numbers. Uses surveys, experiments, and statistical analyses to find trends, compare groups, and test correlation/causation.

Focuses on understanding meanings people assign to experiences, environments, and objects. Uses in-depth interviews, observations, and archival reviews.

Starts with a theory, develops a hypothesis, collects data, and analyzes it to confirm or reject the initial theory.

Starts with data or patterns, analyzes them to build a theory, and draws conclusions based on the findings.

Physical objects created by society, including technology, buildings, and everyday items.

Values, beliefs, norms, language, and symbols shared by a society.

Values are abstract, moral beliefs about what is good or bad. Norms are specific rules of conduct expected of everyone in a society.

Organizations become more alike over time due to similar pressures and influences.

Organizations change due to external pressures, like laws or regulations.

Organizations copy successful models or practices from others.

Organizations adopt professional standards and norms to gain legitimacy.

The hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups within society based on unequal distribution of resources, prestige, and power.

Unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and wealth amongst social groups.

Rousseau believed private property creates inequality and fuels social conflict. He rejected the idea that progress through science and technology would solve social problems.

Enlightenment thinkers argued that while private property is a consequence of surplus, it also serves as an incentive for hard work and economic growth.

Sex refers to biological differences between males and females, while gender refers to socially constructed roles and behaviors attributed to each sex.

People born with sex characteristics that don't fit typical male or female definitions (e.g., chromosomes, hormones, genitals).

Unequal distribution of power, resources, and opportunities based on gender.

Theories advocating for equal rights, opportunities, and respect for women.

Traditional view of gender roles in society: Men are breadwinners, women are homemakers. This theory is criticized for being outdated and justifying gender inequalities.

Argues that gender inequality stems from capitalism and patriarchy, where women face economic disadvantages.

Gender is an ongoing performance in daily interactions, shaping how we act and are perceived.

Recognizes how gender intersects with other factors (race, class, etc.) contributing to diverse experiences of inequality.

A theory that emphasizes how institutions, policies, and politics shape economic outcomes. It suggests that strong property rights encourage investment and participation in the economy, while constraints on powerful groups prevent exploitation and ensure equal opportunity for broader segments of society.

The extent to which individuals can move up or down the social hierarchy in a society. It measures the ability of individuals to change their social status throughout their lives or between generations.

Changes in an individual's social status within their lifetime. It can be horizontal, involving a change in occupation without altering social standing, or vertical, involving upward or downward movement in the social hierarchy.

Changes in social status between generations. It measures how much children's socioeconomic positions differ from their parents'.

Data tables used to analyze social mobility by examining the relationships between parental and children's social positions. They help identify structural mobility (changes driven by the economy) and personal mobility (changes based on individual actions).

A model that focuses on how education and socioeconomic background influence an individual's social status. It analyzes the factors that contribute to one's position in society, particularly the role of education in achieving upward mobility.

A strong correlation exists between high income inequality and low intergenerational social mobility. This implies that greater inequality makes it tougher for children to achieve higher socioeconomic positions than their parents.

Popular beliefs about the family that are often inaccurate or overly simplistic. These include the assumptions that a single family type dominates, family has always existed in its current form, family provides a safe haven from the world, and family is independent from broader social influences.

The idea that race is not based solely on biology but is instead created through social and cultural factors, with classifications evolving over time.

Beliefs that different races possess unequal traits and that one race is inherently superior to others.

The idea that racial categories are not fixed but are fluid and can change based on social factors, self-identification, or external classification.

A self-defined sense of belonging based on shared culture, language, religion, and customs. It's voluntary and fluid.

A preconceived negative attitude or bias towards a particular racial or ethnic group.

A generalized assumption about a group based on their membership, which can be either positive or negative.

Harmful actions taken against a specific racial group, based on prejudice and stereotypes.

A new form of racism that claims to ignore race and treat everyone equally, but perpetuates discrimination by ignoring historical context and systemic inequalities.

A family structure consisting of two parents and their children, typically considered the traditional family model in the Western world.

The unpaid domestic labor and childcare responsibilities that women often take on in addition to their paid work outside the home.

A social structure that shapes individual behaviors and relationships, provides a sense of belonging, and serves important functions like socialization and care.

A set of beliefs and values emphasizing women's roles in the home, focusing on domesticity, motherhood, and nurturing.

A decline in the number of children born per woman in a population over time.

An increasing trend of couples choosing not to have children.

A theory explaining shifts in family patterns, primarily driven by changing attitudes towards marriage, fertility, and individual life choices.

A theory examining the tension between women's opportunities in the workforce and their traditional family obligations.