weekly reading assignment

achieved status the status a person chooses, such as a level of education or income

agricultural societies societies that rely on farming as a way of life

alienation an individual’s isolation from his society, his work, and his sense of self

anomie a situation in which society no longer has the support of a firm collective consciousness

ascribed status the status outside of an individual’s control, such as sex or race

bourgeoisie the owners of the means of production in a society

capitalism a way of organizing an economy so that the things that are used to make and transport products (such as land, oil, factories, ships, etc.) are owned by individual people and companies rather than by the government

class consciousness the awareness of one’s rank in society

collective conscience the communal beliefs, morals, and attitudes of a society

false consciousness a person’s beliefs and ideology that are in conflict with her best interests

feudal societies societies that operate on a strict hierarchical system of power based around land ownership and protection

habitualization the idea that society is constructed by us and those before us, and it is followed like a habit

horticultural societies societies based around the cultivation of plants

hunter-gatherer societies societies that depend on hunting wild animals and gathering uncultivated plants for survival

industrial societies societies characterized by a reliance on mechanized labor to create material goods

information societies societies based on the production of nonmaterial goods and services

institutionalization the act of implanting a convention or norm into society

iron cage a situation in which an individual is trapped by social institutions

looking-glass self our reflection of how we think we appear to others

mechanical solidarity a type of social order maintained by the collective consciousness of a culture

organic solidarity a type of social order based around an acceptance of economic and social differences

pastoral societies societies based around the domestication of animals

proletariat the laborers in a society

rationalization a belief that modern society should be built around logic and efficiency rather than morality or tradition

role conflict a situation when one or more of an individual’s roles clash

role performance the expression of a role

role strain stress that occurs when too much is required of a single role

role-set an array of roles attached to a particular status

roles patterns of behavior that are representative of a person’s social status

self-fulfilling prophecy an idea that becomes true when acted upon

social integration how strongly a person is connected to his or her social group

society a group of people who live in a definable community and share the same culture

status the responsibilities and benefits that a person experiences according to his or her rank and role in society

Thomas theorem how a subjective reality can drive events to develop in accordance with that reality, despite being originally unsupported by objective reality