Broad Terms
The study of society and social behaviour.
Sociology
The process of change in a culture over time.
Cultural Evolution
societies move from ideal to decline, then reverse the trend towards progress and the cycle repeats. Trends fade away but always come back.
Cyclical Theory of Change
Groups with opposing interests are in conflict (rich vs. poor).
Conflict Theory
The gradual acquisition of characteristics and norms of a culture or group.
Enculturation
The study of the human species and its origins and the development of its language and culture.
Anthropology
The spread of a cultural trait from one society to another through social contact.
Diffusion
societies evolve from simple beginnings and become more complex over time. Progress is measured by a society’s ability to move toward better living conditions and its ability to be innovative.
Evolutionary Theory of Change
History unfolds according to recurring generational personas.
Generational Theory
Objects, processes, ideas, concepts, and systems are subjective to one culture and differ in context in each one.
Symbolic Interaction
The study of the human mind, behaviours, emotions, cognitive processes, and personality.
Psychology
contact exposure, and exchange of ideas between different cultures resulting in changes to both groups.
Acculturation
Positive reinforcement introduced to increase a behaviour or negative reinforcement to decrease a behaviour.
Operant Conditioning
Understanding and challenging the social inequalities and injustices that arise from gender bias and patriarchy.
Feminist Theory
Social position of an individual in a given society and culture. Based on attributes such as race, gender, sexuality, language.
Social Location
Arts, beliefs, and institutions of a population.
Culture
The selection and modification of cultural elements
Incorporation
Observing and modeling another individual’s behaviour, attitudes, or emotional expressions.
Observational Learning
Refers to the tension and discomfort felt by individuals that motivate and influence behaviour.
Socialized Anxiety
The unconscious mind and shared mental concepts as a unifying force within society.
Collective Unconscious
The process of changing behaviour of a child into acceptable adult behaviour.
Socialization
Occurs when one group establishes dominance over another through military conquest. Selection and modification of cultural elements.
Directed Change
Societies are affected by institutions. Simple societies will have fewer institutions, complex societies have more complex institutions.
Functionalist Theory of Change
Holding contradictory beliefs, people may be inspired to change one of these attitudes to eliminate the conflict.
Cognitive Dissonance