General Sociological Terms

NORMS Three essential features of a social norm: 1.A rule governing what a particular behavior should or should not be 2.The rule is collective 3.It includes positive sanctions to support the behavior or negative sanctions to discourage other behavior

Sociology Within the social sciences family, it is the study of human society and social behavior. Other social sciences include: –History –Anthropology –Political Science –Psychology –… and more!

Types of Sociology: Micro vs. Macro Microsociology: study of small groups; the branch of sociology that studies small groups and units within a larger society –Ex: Teen athletes, single parents, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies –Symbolic Interaction Macrosociology: study of whole societies; the branch of sociology concerned with the study and analysis of societies in their entirety –Ex: Tibetans, African Americans, Crime –Functionalism, Conflict

How is sociology practiced? The focus is on observation Social interaction: how people relate to one another and influence each other’s behavior Social phenomena: observable facts or events that involve human society

Tools of the Sociologist Sociological perspective: looking at social life in a scientific systematic way, rather than depending on common-sense explanations. “Wearing everyone else’s shoes” Sociological imagination: the ability to see the connection between the larger world and your personal life. “We are not alone” Issue of gas prices (perspective vs. imagination)