Ch.1
Definition of Sociology
Sociology is the systematic study of society
What is the difference between a Folkway & More
Folkways are everyday social rules or customs that guide polite and routine behavior.
They are not strictly enforced, and breaking them usually results in mild reactions
Mores are strongly held moral norms that are essential for the welfare and values of society.
They are strictly enforced, and breaking them leads to serious consequences such as strong disapproval, punishment, or legal action.
Define Deviance
Deviance is any action, belief, or condition that violates social norms
Define Risky Shift & Cults
Risky Shift: A phenomenon in which a group of people making a decision together tends to choose a riskier course of action than the individuals would have chosen alone.
Cults: A small social group with extreme or unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, often centered around a charismatic leader, and typically isolated from mainstream society.
Identify/Describe each of the 4 Agents of Socialization
Family: The first and most important agent of socialization, teaches children basic values, norms, language, and behaviors.
School: Socializes children by teaching formal knowledge, social skills, and societal rules outside the home.
Peer Groups: Groups of people of similar age or status who influence behavior, social norms, and identity.
Mass Media: Includes TV, internet, movies, and social media; exposes individuals to information, cultural norms, and societal expectations.
Define Sociological Imagination
Sociological imagination is the ability to see the connection between personal experiences and larger social structures or public issues
What is the difference between Material & Nonmaterial Culture?
Material culture includes the physical objects a society creates and uses such as clothes, buildings, tools, technology, and art.
Non material culture means the non physical ideas of a society. Such as beliefs, values, norms, language, religion, and customs.
Define Social Control
Social control is the methods and strategies society uses to regulate individual behavior and ensure conformity to its norms, rules, and laws.
What is the difference between Role Conflict & Role Strain?
Role Conflict: Occurs when a person faces incompatible demands from two or more different roles they hold.
Role Strain: Occurs when a person experiences difficulty meeting the demands of a single role.
Identify/Describe each of Piaget’s 4 Stages of Cognitive Development
Sensorimotor Stage; Birth – 2 years: Infants learn about the world through senses and actions (looking, touching, sucking).
Preoperational Stage 2 – 7 years: Children begin to use symbols, language, and imagination, but thinking is still egocentric
Concrete Operational Stage 7 – 11 years: Children can think logically about concrete events and understand concepts like conservation
Formal Operational Stage 12 years – adulthood: Adolescents develop abstract, hypothetical, and deductive reasoning.
Identify/Define each of the 6 sociological research methods
Survey Research
A method in which researchers collect information from many people using questionnaires or interviews.
Surveys measure attitudes, behaviors, opinions, or characteristics of a population.
Experiment
A controlled study where the researcher manipulates one variable to observe its effect on another variable
used to determine cause-and-effect relationships.
Observation / Field Research
A method where researchers observe people in their natural environments.
Can be,Participant observation. Non-participant observation
Case Study
An in depth, detailed investigation of a single person, group, event, or community.
Provides rich information but may not represent larger populations.
Secondary Analysis
Using existing data collected by others it is efficient and cost-effective.
Content Analysis
A method of analyzing written, spoken, or visual communication such as books, news articles, social media posts, ads, TV shows, or movies to identify patterns, themes, or messages.
Identify the components to a Cultural Diagram
symbols, language, values, norms, beliefs, material objects
What does it mean to ‘internalize a norm’?
To internalize a norm means that a person accepts a society’s rule or expectation as their own and follows it automatically, even without external enforcement.
Define Status, Ascribed Status, Achieved Status, & Master Status
Status: A social position a person occupies in society, which comes with certain rights, duties, and expectations.
Ascribed Status: A social position assigned at birth or involuntarily later in life, not based on personal effort.
Achieved Status: A social position earned or chosen through personal effort, skill, or accomplishment.
Master Status: The most important status that dominates a person’s identity and affects all other aspects of their life.
Define Nature vs. Nurture and the role they play in Socializing the Individual
Nature: Refers to the biological and genetic traits a person is born with, such as physical appearance, temperament, or innate abilities.
Nurture: Refers to the environmental influences that shape a person, including family, culture, education, and life experiences.
Nature provides the inborn potential—for example, a child may be naturally curious or have a predisposition for certain skills.
Nurture shapes how that potential is expressed, teaching values, norms, language, and social behaviors.