Concepts of Sociology
When and where is the midterm?
In-class Midterm - Tuesday, May 6 (in class).
A group of individuals may construct this.
An institution. A devised structure of rules and norms that shape and constrain social behavior.
The "I" is __.
the subject. The “I” acts/responds. Can say:
• Source of spontaneity and creativity. ”I” has agency. OR
• Not immediately aware of itself
A made up scenario about an object with no inherent meaning (broad answer).
C. Wright Mills stated __.
Sociological imagination = Macrosocial and
historical forces powerfully shape our personal experiences (history and biography are intertwined).
What is sociology?
The scientific study of society/social groups
OR
Systematic study of human society and interaction
NO SOCIETY, NO IDENTITY means __.
Without society, one could physical exist, but one would not be a “person”
The "Me" is __.
the object. Can say:
• Retrospective, reflective. A repository of knowledge, experience, internalized expectations, roles, etc. OR
• Provides commentary on the actions of the “I.”
What is Symbolic Interaction?
The approach to sociology that focuses on the interactions among people based on their mutually understood symbols.
Charles Horton Cooley =
Looking-glass Self:
• We imagine how we appear to others
• We imagine how they evaluate us
• We internalize and incorporate that evaluation into
our own sense of self
What is the etymologically of sociology?
Socius (Latin) meaning companions, friends or associates. Logos (Greek) meaning study (roughly).
Socialization =
The process by which people come to
interpret, understand, know, and participate in the
values, norms, and expectations in a given society.
Dramaturgy is the __.
view of social life as a series of dramatic performances akin to those performed on the stage (key word: performance).
SI is largely ____-level
Micro (individuals, self, small groups).
Stated "The self is a social structure" and meant __.
George Mead: SI conceptualization of the self begins with premise that humans are social animals by nature.
What is Sociological Imagination?
Making the connection between personal challenges and larger societal issues.
If life is a stage, name the: actors, audience, and "crew."
(key words: front stage, back stage)
Mead's Theory of Communication includes __.
Significant symbols = A “significant symbol” is anything with a shared meaning to a group of people or collectivity. OR
Conversation of gestures = communication w/o awareness of others’ reactions to said gestures; non-reflexive (e.g. cat fight). OR
Conversation of significant gestures = language; emerges out of conversation of gestures.
Aronson said that __ and __ were different.
Prejudice and Discrimination.
These 2 are the other main tenants of sociology.
Structure Functionalism and Conflict Theory
Connect racial segregation in the 20th century and 1 of Du Bois's concepts (double consciousness, Outsider Within, The Veil).
Broad, but must mention "Jim Crow laws" OR "color line" specifically.
Step 3 of the Emergence of the Self is __.
Generalized Other = One understands attitudes and
expectations of society as a whole and internalizes these. Incorporates these into self/identity.
We create labels to have meaning. What is the purpose of a label?
1) Allow people to identify themselves with similar people, and to identify people who are different.
2) They are useful in one's identity formation with the people around them.
3) One can build their own identity by identifying themselves in a group or by rejecting another group.
Goffman stated that we often manage our __.
Impressions. This is the process by which people attempt to present an idealized version of themselves (impression management).