SOC Final
Casual relationships
the idea that one factor influences another through a chain of events; such a dynamic is different from two factors being merely associated or correlated, in which case they may appear to vary together but that could be due to chance or a third factor causing both
Ethnography
A qualitative method of studying people or a social setting that uses observation, interaction, and sometimes formal interviewing to document behaviors, customs, experiences, social ties, and so on.
Correlation vs Causality
correlation: when two variables tend to track each other positively or negatively
Causality: the notion that change in one factor causes a change in another
operationalization
The process of assigning a precise definition for measuring a concept being examined in a particular study
White-coat effects
the effects that researchers have on the very processes and relationships they are studying by virtue of being there
Cultural relativism
taking into account the differences across contours without passing judgement or assigning value
Reflection theory
States that culture is a projection of social structures and relationships into the public sphere, a screen onto which the film of underlying reality or social structure of our own society is shown.
hegemony
a condition by which a dominant group uses its power to elicit the voluntary "consent" of the masses
Culture jamming
the act of turning media against themselves
The self vs the "i" vs the me
The “self”: distinguishing between I and you. The individual identity as a person perceived by that same person
The “i”: one’s subjective sense of having consciousness, a sense of agency, action, or power
The “me”: the self as a distinct object to be perceived by others and by the “I”
The three roles in a traid
mediator: the person who tries to resolve conflict between the other two in a triad
Tertius Gaudens: this individual profits from the disagreement of the other two essentially playing the role opposite from the mediator's
Divide et imperia: this person intentionally drives a wedge between the two parties
Small group vs large group vs party
Small group: characterized by four factors
- Face-to-face interaction
- Unifocal
- Lack of formal arrangements or roles
- No one member can dissolve the group
Party: characterized by face-to-face interaction but differs in that it is multifocal
Large group: primary characteristic is the presence of a formal structure that mediates interaction and, consequently status differentiation
Social capital
the information, knowledge of people or things, and connections that help individuals enter preexisting networks or gain power in them
isomorphism
constraining process that forces one unit in a population to resemble other units that face the same set of environmental conditions
Social cohesion
The way people form social bonds, relate to each other and get along on a day-to-day basis
Mechanical/segmental solidarity vs organic solidarity
Mechanical or segmental solidarity: Characterized premodern society- was based on the sameness of the individual parts
Organic solidarity: Characterizes modern society
The physical analogy from Social Cohesion to Organic Solidarity is a machine in which each part is different and none would be so meaningful outside the context of the machine
EGOISTIC VS ALTRUISTIC VS ANOMIC VS FATALISTIC
Egoistic suicide: suicide that occurs when one is not well integrated in a social group: Hunter
Altruistic suicide: suicide that occurs when one experiences too much social integration eg. a group dominates the life of that individual to such a degree, that he or she feels meaningless aside from this social recognition: Kristine
Anomic suicide: suicide that occurs as a result of insufficient social regulation eg. when the stock market crashed in 1929, many businessmen jumped out of skyscraper windows: waterloo eng
Fatalistic suicide: suicide that occurs as a result of too much social regulation eg. instead of floundering in a state of anomie with no guiding rules, you find yourself doing the same thing day to day with no variation or surprises: Prison
Conformist vs ritualist vs innovator vs retreatist vs rebel
Conformist: accepts both the goals and strategies to achieve those goals that are considered socially acceptable- delaney
Ritualist: a person who rejects socially defined goals but not the means- us (team)
Innovator: a social deviant who accepts socially acceptable goals, but rejects the socially acceptable means to achieve them- kim k
Retratist: completely stop participating in society - anti vaxxer
Rebel: rejects both traditional goals and traditional means but wants to change or destroy the social institutions in which he or she is alienated - katniss everdeen
Broken Windows theory of deviance
explains how social context and social cues impact the way individuals act, specifically, whether local, informal social norms allow such acts
Strain Theory
deviance occurs when a society does not give all of its members equal ability to achieve socially acceptable goals
stratification
the hierarchical organization of a society into groups with differing levels of power, social prestige, or status and economic resources
Structural functionalism
a theory in which society’s many parts- institutions, norms, traditions, and so on- mesh to produce a stable, working whole that evolves over time. Best embodied by Talcott Parsons
Status hierarchy system
a system of stratification based on social prestige
Socioeconomic status
an individual's position in a stratified social order. When sociologists talk about socioeconomic status, they are referring to any measure that attempts to classify groups, individuals, families, or households in terms of indicators such as occupation, income, wealth, and education
Social prestige
a measure of various characteristics of an individual that is more highly valued in society
Social mobility
the movement between different positions within a system of social stratification in any given society.
Affirmative action
a set of politicies that grant preferential treatment to a number of particular subgroups within the population- typically, women and historically disadvantaged racial minorites
meritocracy
a society where status and mobility are based on individual attributes, ability, and achievement
Types of stratification systems
estate: a politically based system of stratification characterized by limited social mobility. Laws are written in a language in which rights and duties separate individuals and distribute power unequally
Class: an economically based hierarchical system characterized by cohesive oppositional groups and somewhat loose social mobility
Caste: a religion-based system of stratification characterized by no social mobility
Status hierarchy: a system of stratification based on social prestige
Structural vs exchange mobility
structural: inevitable mobility from changes in the economy
exchange mobility: mobility resulting from the swapping of jobs
Hegemonic masculinity
the condition in which men are dominant and privileged, and this dominance and privilege is invisible
Bem sex-role inventory (BSRI)
a tool to explore and analyze gender roles, attitudes, and behvaiors within the context of social structures. Sociologists use this to examine how individuals perceive and conform to societal expectations regarding masculinity and femininity.
scapegoating
the act of blaming a person or group for something bad that has happened or that someone else has done
racialization
the formation of a new racial identity by drawing ideological boundaries of difference around a formerly unnoticed group of people. Example: any brown-skinned man with a beard or a woman in a headscarf is subject to threats, violence, and harassment
Brain drain
a substantial emigration or migration of individuals
Interest convergence
a principle that suggests that social change for minority groups occurs when their interests align with those of the majority
Matthew effect
implies that increasing social inequality results from the accumulation of advantages provided by wealth and by the amassing of disadvantages associated with poverty
Ethnicity vs Race
Ethnicity: one's ethnic quality or affiliation. It is voluntary, self-defined, non-hierarchical, fluid and multiple, and based on cultural differences, not physical ones
- voluntary
- self-defined
- fluid and multiple
Race: a group of people who share a set of characteristics- typically but not always, physical ones- and are said to share a common bloodline, it is;
- externally imposed
- involuntary
- unequal
- hierarchial
overt discrimination
deliberate and explicit acts of discrimination, where individuals or institutions openly display biased behavior based on factors like race, gender, religion
subtle discrimination
discrimination that is less conspicuous and often involves indirect or nuanced expressions of bias
systemic discrimination
aka institutional discrimination, refers to the policies and practices within an organization or society that have the effect of disadvantaging certain groups
adaptive discrimination
discrimination that adapts to changing social norms and expectations, taking on new forms or disguising itself in response to societal shifts
cultural racism/discrimination
rooted in cultural stereotypes and beliefs, perpetuating biases against certain racial or ethnic groups
whitewashing
a form of cultural appropriation or erasure where the contributions and perspectives of non-white cultures are downplayed or ignored
conscious vs unconscious discrimination
conscious: deliberate and intentional acts where individuals are fully aware of their biased behaviour
Unconscious: occurs without the perpetrator being consciously aware of their biased behaviour
implicit bias/ discrimination
unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that influence our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner
microagressions
subtle, often unintentional, verbal or non-verbal slights or insults that communicate derogatory messages to marginalized groups
Paradox of authority
there's a contradiction in the idea of someone being in charge. On one hand, authority means having the right to lead or make decisions, and people. But, on the other hand, sometimes authority relies on rules or threats to make people obey, and that can make the agreement or trust seem a bit tricky. So, it's like a puzzle where authority needs people to agree and follow willingly, but it also sometimes uses rules or force, creating a bit of a paradox or contradiction.
international state system
a system in which each state is recognized as territorially sovereign by fellow states
welfare state
a system in which the state is responsible for the well-being of its citizens
Game theory
the study of strategic decisions made under conditions of uncertainty and interdependence
charismatic vs traditional vs legal-rational authority
Charismatic authority (that guy that made everyone kms): authority that rests on the appeal of an individual leader
traditional authority(the queen): rests on or appeals to the past or traditions
legal-rational authority: the brand of authority that is supposedly most pervasive in modern society. Based on legal, impersonal rules (Obama)
Political party vs interest groups
Political party: an organization that seeks to gain power in a government, generally by backing candidates for office who subscribe to the organization’s ideals.
interest group: an organization that seeks to gain power in the government without campaigning for direct election or being appointed by office. Instead, such groups use a variety of other paths to influence policy, such as persuading elected officials to advocate for the group’s agenda or working through the existing regulatory bureaucracy or the legal system
power vs domination vs coercion
power: the ability to carry out one's own will despite resistance.
domination: the probability that a command with specific content will be obeyed by a given group of people.
coercion: the use of force to get others to do what you want
Civil rights vs political rights vs social rights
civil: the rights guaranteeing a citizen's personal freedom from interference, including freedom of speech and the right to travel freely.
political: the rights guaranteeing a citizen's ability to participate in politics, including the right to vote and the right to hold an elected office.
social: the rights guaranteeing a citizen's protection by the state
Theories of collective action: convergence
stating that collective action happens when people with similar ideas and tendencies gather in the same place
theory of collective action: contagion
claiming that collective action arises because of people’s tendency to conform to the behaviour of others with whokm they are in close contact
theory of collective action: emergent norm
emphasizes the influence of keynoters in promoting new behavioural norms.
theories of collective action: value-added
claiming that certain conditions ar required for a social movement to coalesce and achieve a successful outcome
premodern societies
social relations characterized by concentric circles of social affiliation, a low degree of division of labor, relatively undeveloped technology, and traditional social norms
modern societies
social relations characterized by rationality bureaucratization, and objectively as well as individually created by nonconcentric, but overlapping, group affiliations.
postmodern societies
social relations characterized by a questioning of the notion of progress and history, the replacement of narrative with pastichem and multiple, perhaps even conflicting, identities resulting from disjointed affiliations
four types of social movements
alternative: seeks the most limited societal change and often targets a narrow group of people.
Reformative: advocates for limited social change across an entire society.
redemptive: targets specific groups but advocates for more radical change in behavior.
Revolutionary: advocates radical reorganization of society
three models of social movements
classical: based on a concept of structural weakness in society that results in psychological disruption of individuals.
resource-mobilization: emphasizes political context and goals but also states that social movements are unlikely to emerge without the necessary resources.
political process: focuses on the structure of political opportunities. When these are favorable to a particular challenger the chances are better for the success of a social movement led by this challenger
three stages of social movements
emergence: the first stage of a social movement, occurring when the social problem being addressed is first identified.
Coalescence: second stage, where resources are mobilized around the problems outlined in the first stage.
routinization (institutionalization): final stage, it is institutionalized and a formal structure develops to promote the cause
social movement organizations
professional: a group developed to recruit new members and coordinate participation in a particular social movement; these groups also often raise money, clarify goals, and structure participation in the movement.
participatory (mass protest & grassroots): relies on high levels of community-based membership participation to promote social change. It lacks a hierarchical structure and works through existing political structures