Sociological Terms and Concepts

Question 1

the ability to look past just individual actions to understand the relationship between both human agency and social structure

Answer 1

sociological imagination

Question 2

the things that exist outside of our control, but exert a force on our lives, enabling and constraining our actions in the world

Answer 2

social structure

Question 3

the actions of individuals and groups in society, and the choices we make

Answer 3

human agency

Question 4

the two-way process by which we shape our social world through our individual actions (agency) and by which we are shaped by social structure

Answer 4

structuration

Question 5

french revolution + industrial revolution

Answer 5

birth of sociology

Question 6

the study of human behavior in the context of face-to-face interaction

Answer 6

microsociology

Question 7

the study of large-scale social systems

Answer 7

macrosociology

Question 8

approaches to sociological research that draw on objective and statistical data and often documenting trends, comparing subgroups, or exploring correlations

Answer 8

quantitative methods

Question 9

approaches to sociological research that often rely on what is seen in naturalistic settings and focus on personal and/or collective interviews, accounts, or observations of a person or situation

Answer 9

qualitative methods

Question 10

researchers, especially in social science, must acknowledge that the investigator is a crucial part of the world they study. therefore, they need to reflect on how this situation or situation

Answer 10

reflexivity

Question 11

hunches ideas or educated guesses about a given state of affairs, put forward as bases for empirical testing

Answer 11

hypothesis

Question 12

a research method by which variables can be analyzed in a controlled way, either in an artificially situation or in a naturally occurring setting. best method for ascertaining causality

Answer 12

experiment

Question 13

the firsthand study of people in the field. the investigator socializes, works, or lives with members of a group or community. provide rich information, but not easy to generalize findings

Answer 13

ethnography

Question 14

the researcher takes part in the activities of the group or community being studies

Answer 14

participant observation

Question 15

global north/south

Answer 15

most of the industrialized world is in the northern hemisphere, while most of the developing world is in the southern hemisphere

Question 16

values or modes of behavior shared by virtually all human cultures

Answer 16

cultural universals

Question 17

material culture

Answer 17

physical objects

Question 18

nonmaterial culture

Answer 18

values, norms, symbols, language, speech, writing

Question 19

the ability to engage in and appreciate various lifestyles and the components of those lifestyles (e.g., lifestyle, tastes, language, attitudes, etiquette)

Answer 19

cultural capital

Question 20

when members of one cultural group borrow elements of another’s culture

Answer 20

cultural appropriation

Question 21

the practice of judging a society by its own standards

Answer 21

cultural relativism

Question 22

the judging of other cultures in terms of the standards of one’s own, and thereby misrepresent them (e.g., my culture is better than your culture)

Answer 22

ethnocentrism

Question 23

the lifelong process of learning the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to your social position, such as age, gender, or social class

Answer 23

socialization

Question 24

principles or rules of social life that everyone is expected to observe. this reflects the values, and either prescribes a certain behavior or forbids it

Answer 24

norms

Question 25

socially defined expectations of people occupying particular social positions

Answer 25

roles

Question 26

an item used to stand for or represent another such as an american flag

Answer 26

symbol

Question 27

the ability of individuals or groups to make their own interests count, even when others resist. it sometimes depends on the direct use of force but it usually justified by ideologies

Answer 27

power

Question 28

a single identity or status that overpowers all the other identities one holds

Answer 28

master status

Question 29

a unique sense of ourselves (distinct individuals)

Answer 29

self-identity (personal identity)

Question 30

preparing for the presentation of one’s social roles (e.g., wears/behaves differently in the job interview)

Answer 30

impression management

Question 31

each individual indicates recognition of the other person’s presence but avoid any gesture that might be taken as too intrusive

Answer 31

civil inattention

Question 32

nonverbal communication

Answer 32

facial expressions, gestures and bodily movements; difficult to capture dimensions of emotion on the internet, email, phone

Question 33

social networks and relations of trust

Answer 33

social capital

Question 34

(e.g., with distance relatives or acquaintances) are often quite valuable because they might become the path to new information and resources

Answer 34

weak ties

Question 35

the tendency to have social ties to other people who have similar statuses to our own

Answer 35

homophily

Question 36

small groups characterized by face-to-face interactions, intimacy, and a strong sense of commitment (e.g., families, friends)

Answer 36

primary groups

Question 37

groups characterized by large size and impersonal, fleeting relationships (e.g., colleagues, classmates)

Answer 37

secondary groups

Question 38

groups toward which one feels loyalty and respect - “we” belong to

Answer 38

in-groups

Question 39

groups toward which one feels antagonism and contempt - ‘those people’

Answer 39

out-groups

Question 39

a group that provides a standard for judging one’s attitudes or behaviors; do not have to belong to the group

Answer 39

reference groups

Question 40

the sources of most elementary social bonds, but they can be fragile because they consist of two people

Answer 40

dyads

Question 41

a group of three people: more stable than dyads

Answer 41

triads

Question 42

a group with an identifiable membership that engages in concerted collective actions to achieve a common purpose

Answer 42

organization

Question 43

the modes of action that do not conform to the norms or values held by most members of a group or society

Answer 43

deviance