SOCIOLOGY 201 EXAM 2 STUDY GUIDE
social interaction - Answers - a reciprocal exchange in which two or more people read,
react, and respond to each other
self and society - Answers - we become who we are through daily interactions we have
with others
social construction of reality - Answers - sociologist Peter Berger and Thomas
Luckmann use this phrase to describe the interdependent relationship in which we as
individuals create society through our actions, and at the same time, become products
of the society we construct (3 part model of word construction)
constructing culture (1) - Answers - creating tools, language, ideas, beliefs, rules for
behavior and so on to establish order and meaning
constructing self (2) - Answers - we become products of the worlds we create; we learn
how we should think and act through interaction with others, sharing ideas, and
experiences
constructing society (3) - Answers - btw the these first two steps is an intervening stage
in which we share the culture we create with others; after it is shared we lose control
over it as individuals
social structure - Answers - the underlying framework of society consisting of the
positions people occupy and the relationships between them
status - Answers - the social positions we occupy relative to others
ascribed status - Answers - a social position assigned to a person by society without
regard for the person's unique talents or characteristics (ex. a person's age/sex/race)
achieved status - Answers - a social position that is within our power to change (ex. a
college student, lawyer, pianist)
master status - Answers - a status that dominates others and thereby determines a
persons general position in society (ex. cancer prevention advocate)
social role - Answers - a set of expected behaviors for people who occupy a given
status
role conflict - Answers - the situation that occurs when incompatible expectations arise
from two or more social statuses held by the same person (ex. when individuals move
into occupations not common among ppl with their ascribed status)
, role restrain - Answers - the difficulty that arises when the same social status imposes
conflicting demands and expectations (ex. people who belong to minority culture may
experience role restrain while working in the mainstream culture)
role exit - Answers - the process of disengagement from a role that is central to one's
self identity in order to establish a new role and identity (ex. the transition from high
school to college)
group - Answers - any number of people with shared norms, values, and goals who
interact with one another on a regular basis
primary group - Answers - a small group characterized by intimate, face-to-face
association and cooperation (ex. families)
secondary group - Answers - a formal, impersonal group in which there is little social
intimacy or mutual understanding (typically more instrumental and goal directed)
in-group - Answers - a category of people who share a common identity and sense of
belonging
out-group - Answers - a category of people who do not belong or do not fit in
reference group - Answers - any group that individuals use as a standard for evaluating
themselves and their own behavior
coalition - Answers - a temporary or permanent alliance geared toward a common goal
(ex. popular TV programs like survivor)
social network - Answers - a series of social relationships that links individuals directly
to others and, through them, indirectly to still more people
online social networks - Answers - the combination of the personal computer and the
internet revolutionized our ability to establish and sustain such links using email, instant
messaging, and video conferencing
social institutions - Answers - intergraded and persistent social networks dedicated to
ensuring that society's core needs are met (five major institutions)
family (1) - Answers - ensure the society's continued existence by producing the next
generation
education (2) - Answers - tech more formal and public culture necessary to be members
of the larger society
social interaction - Answers - a reciprocal exchange in which two or more people read,
react, and respond to each other
self and society - Answers - we become who we are through daily interactions we have
with others
social construction of reality - Answers - sociologist Peter Berger and Thomas
Luckmann use this phrase to describe the interdependent relationship in which we as
individuals create society through our actions, and at the same time, become products
of the society we construct (3 part model of word construction)
constructing culture (1) - Answers - creating tools, language, ideas, beliefs, rules for
behavior and so on to establish order and meaning
constructing self (2) - Answers - we become products of the worlds we create; we learn
how we should think and act through interaction with others, sharing ideas, and
experiences
constructing society (3) - Answers - btw the these first two steps is an intervening stage
in which we share the culture we create with others; after it is shared we lose control
over it as individuals
social structure - Answers - the underlying framework of society consisting of the
positions people occupy and the relationships between them
status - Answers - the social positions we occupy relative to others
ascribed status - Answers - a social position assigned to a person by society without
regard for the person's unique talents or characteristics (ex. a person's age/sex/race)
achieved status - Answers - a social position that is within our power to change (ex. a
college student, lawyer, pianist)
master status - Answers - a status that dominates others and thereby determines a
persons general position in society (ex. cancer prevention advocate)
social role - Answers - a set of expected behaviors for people who occupy a given
status
role conflict - Answers - the situation that occurs when incompatible expectations arise
from two or more social statuses held by the same person (ex. when individuals move
into occupations not common among ppl with their ascribed status)
, role restrain - Answers - the difficulty that arises when the same social status imposes
conflicting demands and expectations (ex. people who belong to minority culture may
experience role restrain while working in the mainstream culture)
role exit - Answers - the process of disengagement from a role that is central to one's
self identity in order to establish a new role and identity (ex. the transition from high
school to college)
group - Answers - any number of people with shared norms, values, and goals who
interact with one another on a regular basis
primary group - Answers - a small group characterized by intimate, face-to-face
association and cooperation (ex. families)
secondary group - Answers - a formal, impersonal group in which there is little social
intimacy or mutual understanding (typically more instrumental and goal directed)
in-group - Answers - a category of people who share a common identity and sense of
belonging
out-group - Answers - a category of people who do not belong or do not fit in
reference group - Answers - any group that individuals use as a standard for evaluating
themselves and their own behavior
coalition - Answers - a temporary or permanent alliance geared toward a common goal
(ex. popular TV programs like survivor)
social network - Answers - a series of social relationships that links individuals directly
to others and, through them, indirectly to still more people
online social networks - Answers - the combination of the personal computer and the
internet revolutionized our ability to establish and sustain such links using email, instant
messaging, and video conferencing
social institutions - Answers - intergraded and persistent social networks dedicated to
ensuring that society's core needs are met (five major institutions)
family (1) - Answers - ensure the society's continued existence by producing the next
generation
education (2) - Answers - tech more formal and public culture necessary to be members
of the larger society
