Soc 101 Exam 1

The study of human society and social interaction

• viewed history as a clash between conflicting ideas and forces
• Class conflict- Marxian framework; the struggle between the capitalist class and the working class

• believed sociological research should exclude personal values and economic interests
• Provided insight on rationalization, bureaucracy, and religion
• Knew a lot about women discrimination

A set of logically interrelated statements that attempts to describe, explain, and predict social events

• based on the assumption that society is stable and orderly system
• Society is composed of interrelated parts each of which serves a function or contributes to the overall stability of society
• Theorized by Herbert Spencer and Emile Durkheim
• Characterized by societal consensus- the majority of members share a common set of values beliefs and behavioral expectations

• sees groups in society as engaged in a continuous power struggle for the control of the scarce resources
• Originate from Karl Max class conflict through upper and middle class
• Georg Simmel, C. Wright Mills- conflict theorists

• a micro level analysis focused on small groups rather than whole societies or a larger scale social structure
• Introduced by George Herbert Mead
• Explored how individual personalities are developed from social experience and concluded that we would not have an identity, a “self”, without communication with other people

• uses reasoning from one or more general statements
• Start with a theory and research to test theory

• reasoning efforts to make a theory
• Collect info and then generates a theory

goal is scientific objectivity, and the focus is on data that can be measured numerically

description (words) rather than statistics (numbers)

• causes dependent variable
• Ex: depression

• can’t stand alone
• Ex: suicide

• i. Select and define research topic
• ii. Review previous research
• iii. Formulate the hypothesis
• iv. Develop research design
• v. Collect and analyze data

every member of pop has same chance of being selected

participants are deliberately chosen because they have specific characteristics- age, sex, race, education

• i. Research begins with a general approach rather than a highly detailed plan
• ii. Researcher has to decide when the literature review and theory application should take place
• iii. Study presents a detailed view of the topic
• iv. Access to people or other resources that can provide the necessary data is crucial
• v. Appropriate research methods are important for acquiring useful qualitative data

• a poll in which the researcher gathers facts or attempts to determine the relationship among facts
• Most widely used research method because they make it possible to study things that are not directly observable- attitudes, beliefs

• Questionnaire
• Interview

a printed research instrument containing a series of items to which subjects respond

an interviewer asks the respondents questions and records the answers

more effective in dealing with complicated issues and provide an opportunity for face to face communication between the interviewer and the respondent

cost and time involved

useful in describing the characteristics of a large population without having to interview each person in a population

• research involving more than two independent variables
• Ex: the influence of religion on suicidal behavior among African Americans

tends to force respondents into categories in which they may not belong

• researchers use existing material and analyze data that were originally collected by others
• Public records, other surveys
• Considered unobtrusive research- bc had not impact on the people being studied

• the knowledge, language, values, customs, and material objects that are passed from person to person and from one generation to the next in a human group or society
• Essential for survival and communication with other people
• Learned through interactions, observations, and imitations
• Fundamental for the survival of societies

physical or tangible creations that members of a society make, use, and share

knowledge, techniques, and tools that make it possible for people to transform resources into usable forms, and the knowledge and skill required to make them

• Abstract or intangible human creations of society that influence people’s behavior
• Language, beliefs, values, rules or behavior, family patterns, political systems

• symbols that express ideas and enable people to communicate
• Verbal/ non verbal
• Important means of cultural transmission
• -----Learn about cultural heritage and develop a sense of personal identity in relationship to their group
• Source of power and social control
• Create visual images
• Maintain group boundaries
• Shape experiences

established rules of behavior or standards of conduct

• state what behavior is appropriate or acceptable
• Ex: go to school

• behavior which is inappropriate and unacceptable
• Ex: Talking in church

written down and involve a specific punishment

unwritten standards of behavior which are understood

rewards for appropriate behavior or penalties for inappropriate behavior

• everyday customs which can be broken without a huge punishment
• Not enforce- lightly punishable
• -----Eat food without utensils

• based on cultural behaviors
• can be punishable by sanctions (jail)

very strong mores

prohibits sexual relationship between certain kin

formal, standard norms that have been enacted by legislature and are enforced by formal sanctions

• disputes among persons or groups
• Compensation money

• deals with public safety and well being
• Fines and sentences

the practice of judging all other cultures by one’s own culture

the belief that the behaviors and customs of any culture must be viewed and analyzed by the culture’s own standards

• activities patronized by the elite
• opera

• activities, products, and services that are assumed to appeal primarily to members of the middle and working class
• Ex: Concerts

temporary , widely copied activity followed enthusiastically by a large number of people

a style of behavior, thinking or appearance that is longer lasting and more widespread than a fad

extensive infusion of one nation’s culture into other nations

founder if sociology

• Translated and condensed Comte’s work
• Studied the social customs of Britain and US
• Advocated for racial and gender equality

• English philosopher
• Major contribution- evolutionary perspective on social order and social change
• Social Darwinism

belief that the human beings best adapted to their environment survive and prosper, where those poorly adapted die out

• Most influential of early thinkers
• Expert on suicide
• Stressed people are the product of their social environment

• Social factors
• Anomie

patterned way of acting, thinking, and feeling that exist outside the individual but that exert social control over each person

a condition which social control becomes ineffective as a result of the loss of shared values and of a sense of purpose in society

important historical factors that brought about significant changes in social life

functionalist, conflict and symbolic interaction

societies and interactions to develop theories of how human behavior is shaped by group life and how group life is affected by individuals

• Better understanding of our self and world
• Learn about others
• Behavior is shaped by groups

• Large social group
• Share the same geographical region
• Is subject to the same political authority and dominant culture expectations, such as the US, Mexico, or Nigeria

• C Wright Mills
• See relationship between individual experiences and larger society
• Distinguishes between personal troubles and public issues
• Think from an alternative point of view

• Involves debunking- unmasking fake ideas or opinions
• There are 2 approaches to analyzing issues involving values

• Normative
• Empirical

uses religion, customs, habits, traditions, and law to answer important questions

attempts to answer questions through systematic collection and analysis of data

• Beliefs should be supported by evidence or info
• These beliefs should be open to public debate and critiques from other scholars (Consider alternative theories)

• i. Disclose research findings in full and include all possible interpretations of the data
• ii. Safeguard the participants right to privacy and dignity while protecting them from harm
• iii. Protect confidential info provided by participants
• iv. Acknowledge research collaboration and disclose all financial support (works cited)

• Talking about death
• Making plans
• Showing signs of depression

a situation where the researcher studies the impact of certain variables on subjects’ attitudes or behaviors

tendency to produce Hawthorn effect- changes subjects behavior

• shared ideas that are socially desirable
• provide criteria by which we evaluate people, objects, and events

• Individualism
• Achievement & success
• Activity & work
• Science & technology
• Progress & material comfort
• Efficiency & Practicality
• Equality
• Morality & Humanitarism
• Freedom & Liberty
• Racism & Group Superiority

people are responsible for own success

personal achievement results from competition

industrious people are heroified and lazy people are ridiculed

people in US have great fate in science and technology

material comfort s of life are basic necessities and things that make life easier

people want things to be bigger, better and faster

have a presumed equal chance

aiding others especially after natural disaster

individual freedom highly valued in US

people like their ethic group better than others and leads to some thinking they are superior

a gap between the technical development of society and its moral and legal institutions (material culture changes quicker than non material culture)

• category of people who share distinguishing attributes, beliefs, values, and/or norms that set them apart in some significant manner from the dominant culture
• Amish

• group that strongly rejects dominant societal values and norms and seeks alternative lifestyles
• Ex: flower children- 1960s