Download Key Vocabulary

Sociology
Name _____________________________________
Mr. McCreary
Chapter 1 Review Sheet
Key Vocabulary:
Sociology - systematic study of society, social behavior, and human groups
sociological imagination - awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider
society
the social sciences - Sociology, psychology, economics, anthropology, philosophy, economics,
and history
verstehen – Max Weber’s word which means the need for sociologists to take into account
people's emotions, thoughts, beliefs, understandings, and attitudes.
ideal type – description of the essential characteristics of an aspect of society
Functionalist – the “macro” perspective founded by Durkheim that believes everything in society
serves a purpose and/or has a function.
Conflict perspective – the “macro” perspective inspired by Karl Marx who believed everything in
society can be explained by understanding the clash between the classes.
Interactionist – the “micro” perspective that believes society can largely be explained by analyzing
the interaction of it’s groups.
The New Right perspective – modern perspective that believes the “state’s” (government’s)
increasing involvement in peoples’ lives is the source of many problems in America
Feminist perspective – a more specific version of Conflict Perspective that believes societies are
structured to benefit men at the expense of women.
Manifest function – the intended purpose of something in society
Latent function – a secondary or unintended purpose of something in society
Dysfunction – something that is not operating as it is intended to do.
Main ideas:
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The ultimate goal of sociology is to develop a better understanding of the world around us
and our connection to it and our impact on it.
Sociology began as a field of study during the Industrial age (1800’s) as people began to
study the impact this new industrial society was having on peoples’ behavior.
Sociologists can study society from both the macro (big picture) and the micro (small
picture) point of view.
Understanding how the various perspectives view the world forces us to consider other
points of view in order to identify social problems and address them appropriately.
A criticism of sociology is it’s tendency to be populated by those on the Left of the political
scale (Democrats / Liberals).
Sociologists believe personality and behavior are “socially constructed” meaning that each
person is a product of their upbringing and social experiences.
All people are part of a broader society.
The structure of a society impacts peoples’ behavior (both good and bad) and the behavior
of individuals impact the broader society (both good and bad).
The structure of the United States and the common characteristics of its citizens have led
America to be the most prosperous nation on Earth.
Names to know:
Emile Durkheim – founder of the Functionalist perspective
Karl Marx – inspiration for the Conflict Perspective and the “Father of communism.”
Max Weber – one of the first interactionists.
Herbert Spencer – created the term “Social Darwinism” which applied Darwin’s theory of evolution
to the evolution of societies.
Auguste Comte – the “Father of sociology” who created the term “sociology.”