Concepts and Terminology Used within Sociology

Society: Refers to a group of people who share a common geographic territory and culture. It’s a complex system of relationships and interactions between individuals.
Culture: This term describes the behaviours, beliefs, values, and symbolic elements accepted by a society where people live. It can vary greatly from one society to another.
Social structure: The organised pattern of social relationships and social institutions that together compose society. It involves both, social relationships between individuals and groups, and social institutions like education, family and religion.
Social institutions: They are well-established societal subsystems that work to meet the needs of society, such as family, education system, economic systems, religious organisations, medical care, etc.
Socialization: This process involves inheriting and disseminating norms, customs and ideologies of a specific society or social group. It provides individuals with resources necessary for acting and participating within their society.
Status: Refers to the relative social, professional or other standing of someone within a society or group. Status can be ascribed (given at birth), or achieved (earned through individual effort).
Role: This refers to the behaviour, obligations, and privileges attached to a status. Every status is associated with a number of roles that an individual must fulfil.
Norms: These are the socially acceptable behaviours within a specific culture or society. They guide and influence conduct and behaviour among individuals.
Values: They are the standards and beliefs that are important to individuals and shape their behaviour - examples are honesty, respect, fairness, etc.
Social Control: The methods used by a society to enforce societal norms and behaviour. It can be either informal (social pressure, gossip, shaming) or formal (laws, police, courts).
Social Change: Refers to the transformations occurring over time in a society’s culture, structure, functioning or relationships. These changes could be due to technological advancements, population shifts, political developments, etc.
Class: A group in society structured by economic position, often relating to occupation, wealth and access to resources.
Ethnicity: This term refers to the shared cultural traits, such as language, religion, and traditions, that a specific group of people has in common. It often forms part of an individual’s identity.
Gender: This refers not to biological differences but to socially constructed roles, behaviours, and attributes that a given society deems appropriate for men and women.