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Sociology
A scientific study of human social behavior and residues or social behavior, especially as they affect future behavior.
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Microsociology
- Concerned with individuals and with face-to-face interaction.
- Key insight: The self and self-concept emerge through interaction with other people.
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Mesosociology
- Concerned with collections of potentially face-to-face groups (mostly organizations).
- Key insight: Organizations try to control uncertainty.
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Macrosociology
- Concerned with large-scale phenomena like social movements, war, population growth, etc.
- Asks "how do societies change?"
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Parochialism
Limited understanding of how the world operates or could operate due to a limited experience in the world.
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Ethnocentrism
The belief that your culture's way of doing things is the best and that different ones are inferior.
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The Thomas Theorem
People decide what to do next on the basis of what they THINK is going on now.
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The Uncertainty Principle
- Uncertainty is a powerful factor in social behavior and social structure.
- Much of what we do is an attempt to reduce uncertainty.
- Much of what we do generates uncertainty.
- Institutions and structures do both.
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Why do people follow rules?
Most of the time, most people do what they're supposed to do.
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The Creaming Principle
- People with greater appropriate resources are better able to take advantage of opportunities.
- Helps explain why the rich get richer.
- Resources could be money, attractiveness, family name, etc.
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