Sociology

the study of humans as interacting groups

Society

societal interactions (geographic location boundary, common culture, interact frequently)

Micro level analysis

small scale groups (interactions)

Macro level analysis

big scale groups (societal interactions)

Sociological Imagination (C. Wright Mills)

individual behavior and experiences-> culture that shapes perceptions and choices

Culture

A way of life

Cultural Patterns

social force and influence to make one choice over another

Social Facts

rules- govern social life, expectation with consequences

Figuration (Noburt)

analyzing the behavior of individuals and the society that shapes that behavior (chicken & egg)

Social Institutions

how society organizes to meet the needs of the people

Hypothesis

hunch, educated guess, proposition that can be tested to offer an explanation

Grand Theory

large scale world views and perspectives about relationships and change

Paradigm

philosophical or theoretical theories that help generalize information

Functionalism/Functional Theory (Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim)

individual parts contribute to stability of the whole

Structures - social institutions

What is it? (ex: education)

Functions

What does it do?

Manifest Function

intended goal (ex: skills, functional literacy)

Latent Function

unintended outcomes (ex: social interactions)

Dysfunctions

negative outcomes/consequences (ex: incompetent teachers, bullying)

Dynamic equilibrium

The state in which all parts of society work together to maintain stability

Conflict Theory (Karl Marx, Max Weber, Georg Simmel)

society is in competition for scarse resources (economic, social, political, cultural) (macro level)

Social classes competing for resources

gender, race/ethnicity, age, education, wealth, occupation, religion/politics, relationship status

Critical Theory

structural (institutional) issues causing inequality

Symbolic Interaction Theory (George Herbert Mead, Herbert Blumer)

relationships between individuals in society/groups (micro level)

Communication

A process through which you send messages to and receive messages from others.

Meaning

a person's interpretation of a symbol

Dramaturgical Analysis (Erving Goffman)

life is a play, interactions are performances, cultural scripts

Constructivism

reality is what humans cognitively construct/create