Chapter 5 Flashcards
(23 cards)
Achieved Status
A social position that a person attains largely through his or her own efforts
Alienation
A condition of estrangement or dissociation from the surrounding society
Ascribed Status
A social position assigned to a person by society without regard for the person’s unique talents or characteristics
Bureaucracy
A component of formal organization that uses rules and hierarchical ranking to achieve efficiency
Bureaucratization
The process by which a group, organization, or social movement becomes increasingly bureaucratic
Gemeinschaft
A term used by Ferdinand Tonnies to describe a close-knit community, often found in rural areas, in which strong personal bonds unite members
Gesellschaft
A term used by Ferdinand Tonnies to describe a community, often urban, that is large and impersonal, with little commitment to the group of consensus on values
Group
Any number of people with similar norms, values, and expectations who interact with one another on a regular basis
Ideal Type
A construct or model for evaluating specific cases
In-group
Any group or category to which people feel they belong
Master Status
A status that dominates others and thereby determines a person’s general position in society
Mechanical Solidarity
A collective consciousness that emphasizes group solidarity, characteristic of societies with a complex division of labor
Organic Solidarity
A collective consciousness that rests on mutual interdependence, characteristic of societies with a complex division of labor
Out-Group
A group or category to which people feel they do not belong
Primary Group
A small group characterized by intimate, face-to-face association and cooperation
Reference Group
Any group that individuals use as a standard for evaluating themselves and their own behavior
Role Conflict
The situation that occurs when incompatible expectations arise from two or more social positions held by the same person
Role Strain
The difficulty that arises when the same social position imposes conflicting demands and expectations
Secondary Group
A formal, impersonal group in which there is little social intimacy or mutual understanding
Social Institution
An organized pattern of beliefs and behavior centered on basic social needs
Social Role
A set of expectations for people who occupy a given social position or status
Social Structure
The way in which a society is organaized into predictable relationships
Status
A term used by sociologists to refer to any of the full range of socially defined positions within a large group or society
