Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is Sociology?
The Scientific Study of Society - uses theories and research to better understand society and how we perceive a shared social reality.
Social Norms
The collective beliefs and expectations that are within a society.
Social Facts
Elements of the world that we have been brought up to recognize as real, natural or existing. (socially constructed - ex: Santa Claus)
Socialization
Structures the ways that people act and look at the world around them.
Three Levels of Sociological Analysis
- Macro-Sociological Approaches
- Micro-Sociological Approaches
- Middle-Range Sociological Approaches
Macro-Sociological Approaches
How the wider social structure impacts individuals lives. (large scale social processes)
Micro-Sociological Approaches
The ways in which individuals engage with the world. (small scale interactions)
Middle-Range Sociological Approaches
Focuses on the links between social structures and small groups. (argues there is a relationship where each influence each other).
Theory
a assumption or hypotheses, based on observations that social scientists develop to explain how societies operate.
Symbolic Interactionist Perspectives.
Theories that focus on how interactions between individuals and groups contribute to reality building and identity formation.
The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Endorses: Three Central Assumptions
- Society and all social structures are the creations of human populations.
- Social Norms and values are actively created, constructed, reinforced and changed by people through their interactions.
- Our actions, beliefs and interactions with the world are influenced and regulated by social norms and values.
Symbolic Interactionist Concepts
- Significant Symbols and the Generalized Other
- The Looking-Glass Self
- Social Scripts
- The Symbolic Universe.
Significant Symbols
Sociologist G.H. Mead - we associate significant symbols with meanings and are socialized to associate them with emotions, feelings or reactions. (Canadian Flag)
The Generalized Other
Being socialized with the same significant symbols allows us to take the position of ‘the generalized other’ - we can put ourselves in other people shoes, as long as they draw from the same symbols and experience as we do.
The Looking-Glass Self
Charles Cooley - we base our view of ourselves on how we assume others perceive us.
Social Scripts
Erving Goffman - Social norms and social facts that function as scripts we read off - we conduct ourselves as if giving a theatre performance.
Front Stage: the performance of ourselves that comes out when we’re engaging with others.
Back Stage: we reflect upon our conduct, then re-asses our self-worth or value against dominant social expectations.
The Symbolic Universe
the norms and values members of a society regard as logical.
Can be challenged by:
1. Non-conformist’s
2. The presence of other symbolic universes. (other cultures)
Sympathetic Introspection
Charles Cooley - a form of sociological analysis: the practice of figuring out why people act the way they do by putting themselves in their shoes (The Looking-Glass Self)
Performance Theory (Dramaturgy)
Erving Goffman - the expectations we put on ourselves when we interact with others and our social institutions.
Impression Management
We assume others judge us in accordance with dominant norms and values and therefore conform with them to meet expectations.
Consensus Perspectives
Suggests that societies maintain harmony due to the presence of interconnected social institutions.
Social Institutions
Designed to achieve common goals and reinforce the norms, values and beliefs that align with them.
( the education system, the justice system, the economic system - interconnected and interdependent - the collapse of one endangers the rest)
The Collective Conscience
Related to the argument that the organization of society depends on populations sharing similar beliefs and world views.
Conflict Perspectives
Argues that society is organized around inequality and exploitation between a small population that holds wealth, prestige and social power and a large population of ‘general publics.
