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exam 2 sociology

Terms in this set (109)

nature vs. nurture
debate about relative importance of biological (genetic) traits vs. life experience and environment in shaping "who we are"
feral children; twin studies
what is an example of the absence of nurture highlighted by those living in extreme isolation or natural experiments
socialization
what is the process by which people learn the cultural practices of their social group
-values, norms, symbols
-all things of social significance (social statuses, roles, etc.)
-to be a member of society
what are some things you learn in the process of socialization
a mirror looking at the individual self
what is the looking glass referring to?
we want to know how we look to others
why do we spend so much time looking in the mirror?
a sense of self
what develops from interaction with others?
1. we imagine how we appear to others
2. we interpret others' reactions to us
3. we develop a self-concept
*never a finished product
what are the 3 elements of the looking glass self?
preparatory stage
what stage is when children imitate people around them?
-begin using symbols (gestures, objects, and language) to communicate
-not role-playing, but prepares child for that
what are some things that happen during the preparatory stage?
play stage
what stage is when children develop skill in communicating through symbols?
-taking the role of the other occurs
-playing a game where they are having a tea party but playing the different roles of each person
-grow increasingly aware of "me"
-telling you something is "mine" and vocabulary is growing
what are some things that happen during the play stage?
game stage
what stage is when children come to grasp not only their own social position, but also those of others?
-begins with significant others and grows to the generalized other
-gain understanding of the values, norms, and expectations of others "in general" (society)
what are some things that are happening during the game stage?
-the self begins as a privileged, central position in a person's world
-as an individual matures, the self grows to reflect greater concern about the generalized other
what happens to a person throughout the stages of self?
meed
who created the stages of the self?
goffman
who created the presentation of the self?
dramaturgical approach
what is it called when people resemble stage performers?
impression management
what is it called when altering the presentation of the self to create distinctive appearances and satisfy particular audiences?
socially learned
while biology has a lot to do with who we are, much of who we are is also____
socialization
what continues over entire life course (childhood, teens, young adulthood, midlife, later life)?
life-log process
development of the self is a _____
shaped by roles we play throughout the life course and by changing social norms
why is development of the self a life-long process?
rites of passage
what is the means of dramatizing and validating changes in a person's social status?
mark stages of development in the life course
during the rites of passage, what does it mark?
celebrating birthdays, graduation
what are examples of rites of passage?
anticipatory socialization
what is the process of socialization in which a person "rehearses" for future social relationships?
future occupation, parenthood (when having a child, learning how to change a diaper; pre-parent classes to learn how to do all things a parent needs to do)
what are some examples of anticipatory socialization?
resocialization
what is the process of discarding former behavior patterns and accepting new ones as part of a transition in one's life (re-socializing back into life)?
rehab programs, ex-convicts (when you go to rehab programs, they help you change your focus on something else besides alcohol or drug obsession) (socializing again after quarantine)
what are some examples of resocialization?
social statuses
what are socially defined positions within a society or social group?
a reference for roles
what do social statuses serve as?
status set
what are all the statuses (positions) an individual occupies?
ascribed status
what is the status that is assigned/inherited by an individual; involuntary?
being a daughter (you don't choose to be a daughter, but you happen to be born)
what is an example of an ascribed status?
achieved status
what is the status that is acquired by some effort or activity?
being a student, being a parent
what are examples of an achieved status?
master status
what is the status that cuts across or overshadows others in a status set?
being a student at a very high, prestigious university, being hispanic because race and ethnicity play a big role in social status
what are some examples of master status?
social roles
what is the behavioral expectations and obligations of those who occupy a status?
role conflict
what is it when two or more statuses held in common create incompatible expectations?
-when a cop pulls over his brother because would he act as the cop or the brother
-when trying to be an employee and a student because the schedule conflicts
what are some examples of role conflict?
role strain
what is it when the same status imposes conflicting expectations?
-you have this job where you do well and the company wants to give you a promotion, while on the other hand, you hate the job
-single status of being a friend while your friend has a boyfriend you don't approve of, do you something or let it continue
-a single mother because one person can only be at one place at a time
what are some examples of role strain?
role exit
what is it when it is an ending of a role; happens when a status changes?
-getting a promotion; moving from one job to another
-ending of a friendship; being friends to not being friends anymore
-having a kid; not being a parent to being a parent
what are some examples of role exit?
family, school, peer groups, media, work, etc.
what are agents of socialization?
family
what is the primary agent of socialization?
-socialization begins shortly after birth
-your parents are a big influence on you and how you are because you have been with them for years
-they play a critical role in shaping us
-raising them in a certain religion
-political beliefs
-musica and entertainment
what some things that family influences on you?
-schools teach children the values and norms of the larger society
-expand recognition of the "generalized other"
-the pledge of allegiance: the purpose is a socialization mechanism to ensure belonging and national identity
-sharing and being kind to your classmate
what are things that school influences on you?
-as we grow older, peer groups increasingly become our significant others
-exercise a great deal of social control, sometimes called peer pressure
what are some things that goes on with peer groups?
-mass media (when we get on the internet, we don't see the same things; this makes us all deal with different information)
-neighborhood/community
-work
-the state (government, the state apparatus)
what are some other agents that influence us?
people with shared normative expectations and collective identity
-share sense of belonging, not simply an aggregate
-group norms and sanctions shape social interaction
-key element of social structure
what is the main point of understanding groups?
primary group
what is a small group characterized by close interpersonal interaction?
-satisfy basic human need for intimacy
-powerful force in socialization process
-ex: family
what are some things to know about primary groups?
secondary group
what group is a larger, more complex and anonymous, formal group?
-typically based on some common interest or activity (ex. work, school, religion)
-members often occupy formal positions
-primary groups often exist with secondary groups
-example: on a football team, you might have a ton of interaction with everyone on the team, but there will be a few significant people that you train with or around the same position as you that you are closer with
what are some things to know about secondary groups?
in-groups
what groups are toward which one feels belonging or loyalty?
"we" or "us"
what are some terms used in in-groups?
out-groups
what groups are toward which one does not feel belonging or may even feel antagonism?
"they" or "them"
what are some terms used in out-groups?
-division of social world into in-groups and out-groups has far reaching consequences
-produces loyalties and rivalries
-underlies many of the world's deepest divisions
-example: racial/ethnic inequality, terrorism
what are some things to know about in and out groups?
reference groups
what group is used as a standard for evaluating social behavior?
-ex: family, neighbors, teachers, co-workers, members of religious group
-provides a yardstick for behavior and thus social control
-identify within some capacity
what are some things to know about reference groups?
dyad
what is a two member group?
triad
what is a three member group?
coalition-builiding
what becomes possible in triads?
if 2 people are not on the same relationship its 1 vs 1 but when you have a triad, 2 people can agree and encourage the 3rd person to get on board with them
what is something to note with dyads and triads?
coalition
what is possible when you move from a dyad to triad?
-it becomes more stable
-it becomes less intimate, and more formal
-our attitudes and behavior change
-ex. helping others and the diffusion of responsibility
-a dyad is the most unstable social group because there are 2 people and when one person leaves the group there is no longer a group
what are some things that happen when a small group grows larger?
our attitudes and behavior
what are two things that groups have tremendous power over?
peer pressure, the power of authority, and groupthink
what goes with conformity and obedience?
groupthink
what is the process by which alternative or dissenting views are marginalized/dismissed by majority?
groups
what is a key element of social structure?
people's social realities
what do groups exert tremendous influence on?
networks
what are a set of informal and/or formal social ties that link people to one another?
-operate at various scales
-web of relationships
what are some things to know about networks?
social capital
what is it called when the resources are available to people through their social networks (the resources we have available through our networks)?
access and obstacles
what can networks provide to resources?
bonding social capital
what is within group social capital; in-group network density (when have greater network and ability to access more resources within a group)?
bridging social capital
what is between group social capital; linkages across social cleavages (when groups have linkages to other groups)?
the strength of weak ties
what is are the great resources available through weak (vs. strong) network contacts (when we are trying to access certain resources our integration into weak ties can be so beneficial like accessing jobs)?
formal organizations
what is a secondary group designed for a special-purpose or objective with formalized positions and procedures?
-army
-department of motor vehicles
-US postal service
-LSU
what are some examples of formal organizations?
custom and tradition
historically, social relations are dominated by what?
rationalization of society
what is the process by which modern society has increasingly become more concerned with, which are efficiency and predictability?
efficiency
what is it called when achieving the maximum results with a minimum amount of effort?
predictability
what is it called when reliably occurring in the way expected?
bureaucracy
what is the dominant form of formal organization in modern society, demanded by rationalization?
-hierarchy of authority
-division of labor and duties
-written rules and regulations govern conduct
-employment based on technical qualifications/credentials
-employees do not own the resources with which they operate
what is bureaucracy characterized by?
US military
what is an example of when all the principles of bureaucracy are used by a certain group?
iron cage of bureaucracy
what is the term used when overly-bureaucratic, rule-governed, hyper-rational contexts can be dehumanizing?
iron law of oligarchy
what is the term used when greater organizational complexity can lead to less democratic and more centralized control (rule by the few)?
labor union (you are organizing collectively with other people in your workplace, and the benefit of this gives you the power in numbers)
what is an example of iron law of oligarchy?
mcdonaldization of society
what is the term used when societal organizations are dominated by efficiency, calculability, and predictability, it has a homogenizing effect?
-metaphor for thinking of rationalization
-homogenizing: making everything more or less the same
-example: if I get a Big Mac in Baton Rouge and a Big Mac in Beijing, it's the same thing
-It erases diversity
what are some things to know about mcdonaldization of society?
networks and organizations
what are the key elects of social structure?
social control
what is the means by which members of society encourage conformity to norms?
positive and negative sanctions (some ways they might be sanctioned is if someone is walking the wrong way on the sidewalk and you bump into someone)
what is when conformity brings rewards, nonconformity carries penalties?
informal social control
what is the use of informal sanctioning to facilitate normative conformity?
formal social control
what is the use of formally defined sanctioning mechanisms to facilitate normative conformity?
laws
what are codified norms, enforced by the state and are part of formal social control?
police officers, the court system, the prison system
what are examples of laws?
conformity
what is the term used when going along with the group, without necessarily being formally obligated to do so?
obedience
what is the term used with compliance with the directions of authority figures?
the milgrim study
what specific study is an example of obedience?
deviance
what is the behavior that violates the norms of a group or society (violation of informal and formal norms?
set in stone
what is "deviant" is not _____
-differs across and within cultures, changes over time
-ex: some cultural settings, child sacrifices were okay back then but not now; cannibalism
-anomie: social condition where norms lose their hold on social behavior
what are some things to know when "deviant" is not set in stone?
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