1. Chapter 1 The Sociological Perspective
Key Terms

2. sociology Systematic study of human society and social interaction.
society Large social grouping that shares the same geographical territory and is subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations.

3. sociological imagination The ability to see the relationship between individual experiences and the larger society.
high-income countries Nations with highly industrialized economies; technologically advanced industrial, administrative and service occupations; and relatively high levels of national and personal income.

4. middle-income countries Nations with industrializing economies, particularly in urban areas, and moderate levels of national and personal income.
low-income countries Primarily agrarian nations with little industrialization and low levels of national and personal income.

5. industrialization Process by which societies are transformed from dependence on agriculture and handmade products to an emphasis on manufacturing and related industries.
urbanization Process by which an increasing proportion of a population lives in cities rather than in rural areas.

6. positivism A belief that the world can best be understood through scientific inquiry.
Social Darwinism Belief that species of animals, including humans, best adapted to their environment survive and prosper, whereas those poorly adapted die out.

7. social facts Patterned ways of thinking, acting, and feeling that exist outside any one individual.
anomie A condition in which social control becomes ineffective as a result of the loss of shared values and a sense of purpose in society.

8. theory A set of logically interrelated statements that attempts to describe, explain, and (occasionally) predict social events.
functionalist perspectives Based on the assumption that society is a stable, orderly system.

9. manifest functions Functions that are intended or overtly recognized by the participants in a social unit.
latent functions Unintended functions that are hidden and remain unacknowledged by participants.

10. conflict perspectives Assumes that groups in society are engaged in a continuous power struggle for control of scarce resources.
macrolevel analysis Examines whole societies, large-scale social structures, and social systems.

11. microlevel analysis Focuses on small groups rather than large-scale social structures.
Symbolic Interactionist perspective Assumes society is the sum of the interactions of individuals and groups.

12. postmodern perspective Attempts to explain social life in modern societies that are characterized by postindustrialization, consumerism, and global communications.