Sociology 120

a social position that we voluntarily attain, to a considerable degree, as the result of our own efforts

a social position that is assigned to us from birth or that we assume later in life, regardless of our wishes or abilities

a hierarchical administrative system with formal rules and procedures used to manage organizations

an approach to the study of social interaction that uses the metaphor of social life as a theater

a form of uncritical thinking in which people reinforce a consensus rather than ask serious questions or thoroughly analyze the issue at hand

the idea that social contact occurs at a higher rate between people who are similar than it does between people who are different

a social group with which a person identifies and toward which he or she feels positively; members have a collective sense of "us"

a common understanding between people about knowledge, reality, or an experience

the eventual and inevitable consolidation of power at the top of bureaucratic organizations

a social position that is overwhelmingly significant, powerfully influences a person's social experience, and typically overshadows all the other social positions that person may occupy

factors that exist outside the organization but that potentially affect its operation

secondary groups that have a degree of formal structure and are formed to accomplish particular tasks

a social group toward which a person feels negativity, considering its members to be inferiors  or "them"

people who have regular contract, enduring relationships, and a significant emotional attachment to each other

the groups against which we choose to measure ourselves

the problem that occurs when the expectations associated with different roles clash

the problem that occurs hen the expectations associated with a single role compete with each other

the sets of expected behaviors that are associate with particular statuses

the process of deskilling ordinary workers and increasing workplace efficiency through calculated study

people who interact in a relatively impersonal way, usually to carry out some specific task

collections of people who interact regularly with one another and who are aware of their status as a group

the collection of social ties that connect people to each other

a position in a social system that can be occupied by an individual

a status that people can hold in common

a ranking of social positions according to their perceived prestige or honor

the collection of statuses and individual holds

exaggerated, distorted, or untrue generalizations about categories of people that do not acknowledge individual variation

the idea the if people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences