Define the Following Sociology Terms Flashcards

A term, idea, or category.

The manner in which something is understood or interpreted.

The study of human society and of the structured interactions among people within society. Distinct from the natural sciences, such as physics and biology.

The institutions and offices through which societies are governed. Also used to describe the group of people who govern (eg, the Japanese government), a specific administration (eg, the Putin government), the form of the system of rule (eg, centralized government), and the nature and direction of the administration of a community (eg, good government).

The interactions and organizations (including but not restricted to government) through which a society reaches and successfully enforces collective decisions. Interchangeably used with the term regime, but the latter tends to have negative connotations.

The process by which decisions, laws and policies are made, with or without the input of formal institutions.

The process by which people negotiate and compete in the process of making and executing shared or collective decisions.

The capacity to bring about intended effects. The term is often used as a synonym for influence, but is also used more narrowly to refer to more forceful modes of influence: notably, getting one’s way by threats.

The right to rule. Authority creates its own power, so long as people accept that the person in authority has the right to make decisions.

The state or quality of being legitimate. A legitimate system of government is one based on authority, and those subject to its rule recognize its right to make decisions.

A system of connected beliefs, a shared view of the world, or a blueprint for how politics, economics and society should be structured.

The systematic study of government and politics in different countries, designed to better understand them by drawing out their contrasts and similarities.

A system of classification by which states, institutions, processes, political cultures, and so on are divided into groups or types with common sets of attributes.

A political typology that divided the world along ideological lines, with states labelled according to the side they took in the Cold War.

The relationship between political activity and economic performance.