Unit 1 Flashcards
(26 cards)
What’s the purpose of Sociology?
The impact of society on human behavior
What are the goals of the sociological perspective?
Finding group patterns and behavior in a systematic way and proving them through scientific observation
Functional Perspective
Working together to advance society’s goals and system
Conflict perspective
Those in power working to maintain their power, while the masses try to get it
Symbolic perspective
Putting symbolic meanings on society which gives meaning to peoples lives ie. religion, marriage
Function
What something is supposed to do
Latent function
It is unintended effects of actions Ex. Going to school leads to socializing
Manifest function
It is intended results of an action Ex. Going to school leads to education
Key component of culture?
Language
Definition of Culture
A way of life for an entire group of people
Definition of Society
A group of interdependent people who have organized, common culture, feelings of unity, and group identity
What are some components of culture?
Food, religion, language, clothing, customs, holidays, government
How do our values define our norms and laws?
They tells us what’s good and bad; Our values are legislated
More
Mores are norms that have moral consequences; breaking the law, stealing
Folkways
Folkways are norms that do not have moral consequences; walking on the wrong side of the hallway
Norms
Shared rules of expected conduct that tell people how to act in certain situations; stop when your being pulled over
Values
Shared beliefs about what is good or bad; going vs not going to church very Sunday
Subculture
They adhere to the norms of society, just modified to fit a culture
Counterculture
Define themselves by what they’re against, oppose the mainstream
Ethnocentrism
Judging another culture through norms of your own - “My culture is better than another”
Cultural relativism
The idea that a persons beliefs and practices should be understood based on that persons culture - It makes people more accepting
Cultural diffusion
The spread of elements from one culture to another- leads to cultural leavening; cultures become more similar
6 causes of cultural change
Values develop, technology advances, population changes, cultural diffusion, war and conquest, physical and environmental changes
Cultural resistors
Ethnocentrism, bested interests, cultural lag
