PSEB SS Sociology key terms

The lifelong process through which people learn the values, norms, and behaviors of their society and develop a sense of self through interaction with family, peers, and institutions.

The part of an individual's identity that is formed through interaction with others, shaped by how one is perceived and treated by society rather than by biology alone.

Cooley's idea that people form their self-image by imagining how others see them, interpreting others' reactions, and then developing feelings about themselves based on that interpretation.

The process by which individuals adopt society's norms and values as their own, so that they follow them without needing external pressure or supervision.

The people, groups, and institutions that transmit norms and values to individuals, including family, school, peer groups, religious bodies, and mass media.

A group of people of similar age and status whose members influence one another's attitudes and behavior, especially important during adolescence when parental influence may weaken.

A group that an individual uses as a standard for evaluating their own attitudes, achievements, and behavior, whether or not they actually belong to it.

Two or more people who interact regularly, share a sense of identity or belonging, and have some expectation of one another's behavior.

A small group marked by close, personal, face-to-face relationships and strong emotional ties, such as family or close friends, where members care about each other as whole persons.

A larger, more impersonal group formed for a specific practical purpose, such as a workplace or class, where relationships are formal and roles are more important than personalities.

A large secondary group deliberately and rationally designed to achieve specific goals through defined roles, rules, hierarchy, and written procedures.

A rational form of organization characterized by clear hierarchy of authority, written rules, division of labor, impersonality, and appointment based on technical qualification.

A socially defined position that a person occupies in a group or society and that carries certain expectations, rights, and obligations.

The set of expected behaviors, duties, and privileges attached to a particular status that guide how a person in that position should act.

A social position assigned to a person at birth or taken on involuntarily, such as sex, caste, or kinship, which the individual does not choose or earn.

A social position that a person attains through their own effort, choice, or performance, such as a profession, educational degree, or marital status.

The strain that occurs when the demands of two or more roles held by the same person clash, making it hard to meet the expectations of each at once.

Shared expectations or rules about how members of a society should behave in particular situations, ranging from informal customs to formal laws.

Everyday informal norms of custom and courtesy, such as greetings or dress habits, whose violation brings mild disapproval rather than serious punishment.

Strongly held norms that a society treats as essential to its welfare and morality, so that breaking them provokes serious disapproval or punishment.

A reward for conforming to a norm or a punishment for violating it; sanctions may be positive or negative and formal or informal.

The various means by which a society encourages conformity to its norms and discourages deviance, including informal pressure and formal enforcement.

Behavior that departs from the norms of a group or society and typically draws disapproval or some form of sanction.

An act that violates a formal legal code and is punishable by the state through official sanctions such as fines or imprisonment.

The total way of life shared by members of a society, including knowledge, beliefs, values, customs, language, and material objects passed on to new members.

The physical objects, tools, and technologies that members of a society create and use, as distinct from the ideas and values they hold.

The delay that occurs when the non-material parts of culture, such as beliefs and norms, fail to keep pace with rapid changes in technology and material culture.

The tendency to judge other cultures by the standards of one's own and to regard one's own culture as superior or normal.

The principle that a culture should be understood and judged on its own terms rather than by the standards of another culture.

The arrangement of a society into ranked layers or strata whose members have unequal access to valued resources, power, and prestige.

A broad category of people who share a similar economic position, based on income, wealth, occupation, and education, and who tend to share life chances.

A closed system of stratification in which a person's rank is fixed by birth, membership is hereditary, and movement between ranks is strongly restricted.

The movement of individuals or groups from one social position to another, which may be upward or downward and may occur within or across generations.

An established pattern of norms, roles, and procedures organized around a basic social need, such as the family, education, religion, economy, or polity.

An institution based on kinship ties that typically provides for the care of children and the regulation of sexual and economic relationships among adults.

The network of social relationships based on blood ties, marriage, or adoption that defines rights, duties, and obligations among relatives.

Any significant alteration over time in the patterns of behavior, culture, and social structure of a society, brought about by factors such as technology, ideas, and conflict.