sociology

The study of human society aims to understand social phenomena, from small-scale interpersonal interactions to large-scale social systems

Social imagination

To see the link between personal experiences and larger social forces.

Socialization

The ongoing process through which individuals learn the norms, values, behaviors, and social skills needed to participate in society

hegemonic ruling class

The group that has the most power in society and keeps that power by making its ideas and values seem normal or natural.

subordinate group

The class with lower power, privilege, and/or status in society

Norms

The unspoken rules people follow and society enforces

Values

Shared beliefs about what is desirable, important, and morally right or wrong in a society.

Culture

The beliefs, behaviors, symbols, language, and artifacts that define a society.

Subculture

A group within a larger culture that maintains distinct values, norms, and lifestyle choices, setting it apart from mainstream society.

Counterculture

A type of subculture that actively opposes and seeks to change the dominant societal values, norms, and institutions.

Social Structure

The organized patterns of relationships and institutions that make up society.

Xenophobia

Fear or hatred of people from other countries or cultures.

Hate crimes

A criminal act motivated by bias or hatred toward a person's race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or other identity.

Social Institutions

Organized and enduring systems that fulfill essential functions in society, such as family, education, religion, and the economy.

Status

A recognized position within a social hierarchy that reflects a person's level of prestige, authority, or influence.

Stereotypes

oversimplified ideas about groups of people

Culture industry system

When media and entertainment produce culture-like products to make a profit and shape public ideas.

Anomie

When social rules are unclear or break down, leading to confusion and deviance. (Concept from Émile Durkheim)

Ascribed status

A social position assigned to a person at birth or involuntarily. Not earned status

Achieved status

Social status of the position you work for.

Role

A set of expected behaviors, rights, and obligations associated with a particular status.

role conflict

When an individual experiences incompatible demands from different social roles they occupy.

Social Stratification

The division of society into hierarchical levels based on factors like wealth, power, and prestige.

Class

A system based on economic factors. influences an individual's life chances, including access to education, healthcare, and other resources, and often plays a significant role in social inequality.

Cast

Rigid system of social stratification in which status is ascribed and largely immutable.

Social mobility

The ability of individuals or groups to move up or down within a social hierarchy.

Meritocracy

A social system in which individuals achieve status and rewards based on their abilities, effort, and accomplishments, rather than ascribed characteristics like race or family background.

Power

The capacity to influence or control the actions of others, either through persuasion, authority, or coercion.

Enculturation

The process of learning your own culture's values, norms, and behaviors.

Authority

The legitimate exercise of power, recognized as rightful by those who are subject to it.

Traditional Authority

Traditional authority is a form of power that is legitimized by long-established customs, practices, or beliefs.

Charismatic Authority

An individual's extraordinary personal qualities that inspire loyalty and obedience from others.

Bureaucratic System

An organized structure with clear rules, hierarchy, and specific roles designed to ensure efficiency, order, and fairness in large organizations.

Bureaucracy

A formal organization based on written rules, impersonal relationships, and hierarchy. Manages tasks efficiently and fairly.

Capitalism

An economic system characterized by private ownership of the means of production, free markets, and the pursuit of profit.

Alienation

A disconnection and a feeling of powerlessness when people are separated from their work, society and sense of self.

Socialism

An economic system where the means of production are collectively owned, typically by the state or the public.

Ethnocentrism

The tendency to judge other cultures by the standards of one's own, often leading to a sense of superiority.

Cultural relativism

The perspective that cultures should be understood and evaluated based on their own values and beliefs, rather than judged against those of another culture.

Race

A social constructed way of categorizing people based on physical characteristics

Sex

The biological and anatomical differences distinguishing females from males

Gender

A social construct that defines rules and societal standards set for males and females.

privilege

Unearned advantages or benefits given to a person based on their status, position in society, and identity.