Sociology

Sociology 302 with Anthony at Ohio State University - All Campuses

About this deck

By: Anil OZYALCIN
Created: 2011-02-01
Size: 63 flashcards
Views: 179

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Social Institution

A formalized and generally understood organized system of values, beliefs, norms, and roles regarding a society's basic problems or functions

Mechanical Solidarity:

a type of social cohesion that exists among small, homogeneous, preindustrial societies in which uniformity and the lack of speculation binds people on another. Solidarity is based on similarities.

Organic Solidarity

A type of social cohesion that exists among large, heterogeneous, industrial societies in which specialization and interdependency within the division of labor binds people to one another. Solidarity is based on complimentary differences.

Complexity

Some of the technologies we rely on are so complex that when they fail, our institutions are incapable of functioning without them.

Reaction Time

Social institutions are composed of so many different interrelated parts that the rapid pace with which technologies evolve may make it difficult for some parts of the social system to adopt or implement the new technologies.

Responsibility

Many new technologies allow us to manipulate the world in new ways that are often dangerous to others or are ethically questionable.

Creativity

Some technologies stifle creativity. Instead of aiding in creativity (which some do) there are others that turn users into passive observers (TV).

Aggregate

A simple or random collection of like things.

Unit Character

A population's shared response to a shared environment met.

(Human) Population

A collection of human being that are either organized or in the process of becoming organized.

Biophysical Environment

The existing environment that humans face independent of their symbolic constructs.

Sociocultural Environment

The environment human construct through interaction with each other. It consists of both physical and symbolic constructs

Material Cultural Environment

is made up of our material culture - it is derived from our physical and social interaction.

Symbolic Cultural Environment

is an environment made up of ideas, symbols and meanings.

Environment

All that is external to and potentially influential on a population under observation, including other social systems.

Commensal

A cooperative relationship between units (people) based on their shared similarities.

Symbiotic

A cooperative relationship between units (people) based on their complementary differences.

Organization

The unavoidable circumstances that individuals are independent and that the collectivity of individuals must cope with concrete environmental conditions.

Technology (Ecological Definition)

A set of techniques employed by a population to gain sustenance from its environment and to facilitate the organization of sustenance producing activity (Duncan)

Genotype

all or part of the genetic constitution (the genetic make up) of an individual or group. The genetic information which is a part of the organism. Ex: A spider's ability to spin a web.

Phenotype

The observable properties of an organism that are produced by the same interaction of the genotype and the environment. The characteristics of an organism brought about by the environment. Rx: The color of moths.

Morphology

The form and structure of an organism or any of its parts. Ex: the claw of crayfish.

Ideology

A systematic body of concepts, ideas, and beliefs about life and culture that are shared by a group with a common identity.

Diffusion

a process in which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system.

Communication

a process in which participants create and share information with one another in order to reach a mutual understanding.

· Not all technologies and innovations can be successfully communicated.

· Diffusion of innovations is a special case of communication.

· Both the diffusion of technology and the information that goes with it are forms of social change.

Social Change

is the process by which alteration occurs in the structure and function of the social system.

· The social context in which adoption takes place is as important as the technology.

Innovation

an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption (e.g. a company, firm, organization, university, etc.)

Technology (Diffusion Definition)

a design for instrumental action that reduces the uncertainty in the cause-effect relationships involved in achieving a desired outcome.

Hardware Aspect

the tool that embodies the technology as a material or physical object.

Software Aspect

: the information base or the tool.

· Benefits and/or consequences of technologies may not always be so apparent to the potential users.

Technology Clusters

one or more distinguishable elements of technology that are perceived as being closely interrelated.

Relative Advantage

the degree to which an innovation is perceived as better than the idea it supersedes.

Compatibility

degree to which an innovation is perceived as being consistent with the existing values, past experiences, and needs of the potential adopters.

Complexity

degree to which an innovation is perceived as difficult to understand and use.

Trialability

degree to which an innovation may be experimented with prior to making an investment.

Observability

degree to which the results of an innovation are visible to others.

Homophily

is the degree to which two or more individuals who interact share similar social attributes.

Heterophily

is the degree to which two or more individuals who interact are different in their social attributes.

Ascribed Status

is a socially determined place within the social hierarchy that is assigned to individuals and groups independent of their social actions.

Achieved Status

is a socially determined place within the social hierarchy which individuals or groups gain through the socialization process.

Innovation-decision process

the process through which an individual or group passes from first knowledge of an innovation, to the formation of an attitude toward the innovation, to a decision to adopt or reject, to implementation and use of the new idea, and to confirmation of this decision.

Rate of Adoption

the relative speed with which an innovation is adopted by members of a social system.

Social System

a set of interrelated units that are engaged in joint problem solving to accomplish a common goal.

Social Structure

the patterned arrangements of the units in a system.

Five Adopter Categories

1. Innovators

2. Early Adopters

3. Early Majority

4. Late Majority

5. Laggards

Materialism

the view that all things are composed of material (objective concrete matter) and thus all phenomena (including consciousness) are the result of material interactions.

· Matter precedes thought ( I am therefore I think)

· History can be explained by a series of material developments (technology plays a large role)

Dialectic

the Hegelian process of change in which a concept or its realization passes over into and is preserved and fulfilled by its opposite.

Dialectic Materialism

The idea that the roots of social change lie in the antagonistic elements inherent to all economic modes of production.

· There is a tendency for wealth/resources to become more and more unevenly distributed over time.

· The elite undermine labor to the point of economic system collapse.

· A new economic system put into place.

Natural Needs

are the abilities and needs that humans share with animals (i.e. our needs for food, water, and shelter)

Natural Powers

are our instincts that allow us to respond to the environment.

Species Needs

those needs that are uniquely human which animals do not possess. Such needs arise as humans use the environment to create their reality.

Species Powers

powers that are uniquely human, specifically humans power to use the environment as a way to overcome it.

Species Being

A state of balance between humans and their environment that is achieved when human beings are free to use their species powers to alter their environment in order to satisfy their species needs.

Means of Production

the instruments (technologies) and resources (energy/materials) used by human laborers to create products

Means of Production

the methods and materials that we use to bring into being those things that we need to survive

Relations of Production

the actual social connections that are created through particular methods of production.

Bourgeoisie

those who own the means of production and have the opportunity to realize their species being (few in number)

Proletariat

those who own only their labor and are limited in realizing their species being (masses).

Function

any social act, system, law or an institution that enables a society to achieve and maintain order when faced with pressures originating outside of that society. Functions can be values, norms, beliefs, ideologies, laws as well as formal and informal institutions.

Manifest functions

the intended goal of a function. Manifest functions are obvious and predictable. For example, the manifest function of the education system is to teach students.

Latent Function

an unintended outcome of a function. For example, the latent function of the education system is that it babysits children and keeps a percentage of the population out of the labor pool.

Collective Consciousness

is the total sum of shared values, norms, and behaviors that holds society together.

Equilibrium

Once society has achieved the best possible adaptation for its given situation, it has reached a state of equilibrium. It will remain in that condition until it is forced to change by some new condition (outside influence).

About this deck

By: Anil OZYALCIN
Created: 2011-02-01
Size: 63 flashcards
Views: 179

About StudyBlue

“Simply amazing. The flash cards are smooth, there are many different types of studying tools, and there is a great search engine. I praise you on the awesomeness.”
Dennis