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Definition
| The freedom individuals have to choose and to act |
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| The loss of direction felt in a society when social control of individual behavior has become ineffective |
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| The use of the discipline of sociology with the specific intent of yielding practical applications for human behavior and organizations. |
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| The use of the discipline of sociology with the specific intent of altering organizations or restructuring social institutions |
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| A sociological approach that assumes that social behavior is best understood in terms of tension between groups over power or the allocation of resources, including housing, money, access to services, and political representation |
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| Functionalist perspective |
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Definition
| A sociological approach that emphasizes the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability. |
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Definition
| The worldwide integration of government policies, cultures, social movements, and financial markets through trade and the exchange of ideas. |
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| Interactionist perspective |
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Definition
| A sociological approach that generalizes about everyday forms of social interaction in order to explain society as a whole. |
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Definition
| Sociological investigation that concentrates on large-scale phenomena or entire civilizations |
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| Sociological investigation that stresses the study of small groups and the analysis of our everyday experiences and interactions. |
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| The study of the physical features of nature and the ways in which they interact and change. |
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| Obstacles that individuals face as individuals rather than as a consequence of their social position. |
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| Obstacles that individuals in similar positions face; also referred to by sociologists as “social problems.” |
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| The body of knowledge obtained by methods based on systematic observation |
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| A condition in which members of society have differing amounts of wealth, prestige, or power. |
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| The study of the social features of humans and the ways in which they interact and change. |
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Definition
| The study of the social features of humans and the ways in which they interact and change. |
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Definition
| An awareness of the relationship between who we are as individuals and the social forces that shape our lives. |
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Definition
| The systematic study of the relationship between the individual and society and of the consequences of difference |
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| In sociology a set of statements that seeks to explain problems, actions, or behavior. |
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| The process of discarding former behavior patterns and accepting new ones as part of a transition in one’s life. |
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Definition
| A ritual marking the symbolic transition from one social position to another. |
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Definition
| The process of mentally assuming the perspective of another and responding from that imagined viewpoint |
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| The generation of adults who simultaneously try to meet the competing needs of their parents and their children |
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| A distinct identity that sets us apart from others. |
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Definition
| An individual who is most important in the development of the self, such as a parent, friend, or teacher |
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Definition
| The lifelong process through which people learn the attitudes, values, and behaviors appropriate for members of a particular culture |
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| A gesture, object, or word that forms the basis of human communication. |
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| An institution that regulates all aspects of a person’s life under a single authority, such as a prison, the military, a mental hospital, or a convent |
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| The relationship between a condition or variable and a particular consequence with one event leading to the other. |
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| The standards of acceptable behavior developed by and for members of a profession |
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Definition
| The systematic coding and objective recording of data, guided by some rationale. |
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Definition
| The subjects in an experiment who are not introduced to the independent variable by the researcher |
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Definition
| A factor that is held constant to test the relative impact of an independent variable. |
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Definition
| A relationship between two variables in which a change in one coincides with a change in the other |
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Definition
| The variable in a causal relationship that is subject to the influence of another variable. |
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Definition
| The study of an entire social setting through extended systematic observation. |
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| An artificially created situation that allows a researcher to manipulate variables. |
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Definition
| The subjects in an experiment who are exposed to an independent variable introduced by a researcher. |
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| The unintended influence that observers of experiments can have on their subjects |
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Definition
| A testable statement about the relationship between two or more variables. |
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| The variable in a causal relationship that causes or influences a change in a second variable |
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Definition
| A face-to-face or telephone questioning of a respondent to obtain desired information. |
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Definition
| A number calculated by adding a series of values and then dividing by the number of values |
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Definition
| The midpoint, or number that divides a series of values into two groups of equal numbers of values. |
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Definition
| The single most common value in a series of scores. |
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Definition
| A research technique in which an investigator collects information through direct participation and/or by closely watching a group or community |
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Definition
| A stressful period of self-evaluation that begins at about age 40. |
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Definition
| The socialized self that plans actions and judges performances based on the standards we have learned from others |
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Definition
| A theory that we become who we are based on how we think others see us. |
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Definition
| A research orientation in which sociologists and other social scientists look closely at the social factors that influence people throughout their lives, from birth to death. |
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Term
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Definition
| he altering of the presentation of the self in order to create distinctive appearances and satisfy particular audiences. |
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Term
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Definition
| The acting self that exists in relation to the Me |
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Definition
| Treatment of the terminally ill in their own homes, or in special hospital units or other facilities, with the goal of helping them to die comfortably, without pain. |
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Definition
| The study of the sociological and psychological aspects of aging and the problems of the aged. |
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Definition
| The attitudes, viewpoints, and expectations of society as a whole that a child takes into account in his or her behavior |
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Definition
| Transformation of an abstract concept into indicators that are observable and measurable. |
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| Research that relies on what is seen in field or naturalistic settings more than on statistical data. |
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Definition
| Research that collects and reports data primarily in numerical form. |
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Definition
| A printed or written form used to obtain information from a respondent |
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Term
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Definition
| A sample for which every member of an entire population has the same chance of being selected |
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Definition
| The extent to which a measure produces consistent results |
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| A detailed plan or method for obtaining data scientifically |
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| A selection from a larger population that is statistically representative of that population. |
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Definition
| A systematic, organized series of steps that ensures maximum objectivity and consistency in researching a problem. |
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Definition
| A variety of research techniques that make use of previously collected and publicly accessible information and data |
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Definition
| A study, generally in the form of an interview or questionnaire, that provides researchers with information about how people think and act |
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Definition
| The degree to which a measure or scale truly reflects the phenomenon under study. |
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Definition
| Max Weber’s term for objectivity of sociologists in the interpretation of data. |
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Definition
| A measurable trait or characteristic that is subject to change under different conditions. |
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Definition
| Specialized language used by members of a group or subculture. |
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Definition
| A subculture that deliberately opposes certain aspects of the larger culture. |
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Definition
| The viewing of people’s behavior from the perspective of their own culture. |
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Definition
| A common practice or belief shared by all societies. |
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Definition
| The totality of our shared language, knowledge, material objects, and behavior |
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Definition
| A period of adjustment when the non material culture is still struggling to adapt to new material conditions. |
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Term
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Definition
| The feelings of disorientation, uncertainty, and even fear that people experience when they encounter unfamiliar cultural practices |
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Definition
| The process by which a cultural item spreads from group to group or society to society. |
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Definition
| The process of making known or sharing the existence of an aspect of reality |
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Definition
| A set of cultural beliefs and practices that legitimates existing powerful social, economic, and political interests |
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Definition
| The tendency to assume that one’s own culture and way of life represent what is normal or are superior to all others. |
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Definition
| governing everyday social behavior, whose violation raises comparatively little concern. |
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Definition
| A norm that generally has been written down and that specifies strict punishments for violators. |
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Definition
| A norm that is generally understood but not precisely recorded. |
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Definition
| The process of introducing a new idea or object to a culture through discovery or invention |
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Definition
| The combination of existing cultural items into a form that did not exist before |
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Definition
| A system of shared symbols; it includes speech, written characters, numerals, symbols, and nonverbal gestures and expressions |
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Definition
| Formal norms enforced by the state. |
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Definition
| The physical or technological aspects of our daily lives. |
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Term
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Definition
| deemed highly necessary to the welfare of a society. |
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Definition
| Ways of using material objects, as well as customs, ideas, expressions, beliefs, knowledge, philosophies, governments, and patterns of communication. |
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Definition
| The use of gestures, facial expressions, and other visual images to communicate. |
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Definition
| An established standard of behavior maintained by a society |
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Definition
| A penalty or reward for conduct concerning a social norm. |
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Definition
| The idea that the language a person uses shapes his or her perception of reality and therefore his or her thoughts and actions |
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Definition
| The structure of relationships within which culture is created and shared through regularized patterns of social interaction |
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Definition
| The systematic study of how biology affects human social behavior. |
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Definition
| A segment of society that shares a distinctive pattern of mores, folkways, and values that differs from the pattern of the larger society. |
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Term
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Definition
| information about how to use the material resources of the environment to satisfy human needs and desires.” |
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Definition
| A collective conception of what is considered good, desirable, and proper—or bad, undesirable, and improper—in a culture |
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Definition
| A theory of aging that suggests that those elderly people who remain active and socially involved will be best adjusted |
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Definition
| discrimination based on a person’s age. |
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Term
| Anticipatory socialization |
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Definition
| Processes of socialization in which a person “rehearses” for future positions, occupations, and social relationships. |
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Term
| Cognitive theory of development |
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Definition
| The theory that children’s thought progresses through four stages of development. |
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Definition
| An aspect of the socialization process within some total institutions, in which people are subjected to humiliating rituals |
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Definition
| A theory of aging that suggests that society and the aging individual mutually sever many of their relationships |
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Definition
| A view of social interaction in which people are seen as theatrical performers |
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Definition
| The efforts people make to maintain a proper image and avoid public embarrassment |
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Definition
| Expectations regarding the proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females. |
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