Blog Post #7

1. Explain the following basic sociological concepts: bureaucracy, role, alienation, anomie, class, functionalism, marginalization, mass communication, mass media, post modernism, sex (gender), socialization, status, stereotypes.

Bureaucracy: A bureaucracy is a group of people who follow a guideline of rules and structure in running organizations.

Role: In sociological analysis, role is relating to the concept of social role. One's social role can be determined by the place they hold in society. The older we get, the more we learn our role in by growing in experience with the various roles.

Alienation: Alienation is the feeling of isolation, or not belonging. In other words, referring to the root of the word, it is when a person in fact feels like an "alien". These feelings can often be linked to the bureaucracies within an environment or society.

Anomie: Anomie is when an individual or groups desires no longer are determined by the rules in place, but these groups or individuals lack moral guidance from society. Groups that are anomic are typically formed by those who are trying to avoid alienation.

Class: In the sociological context, “class” refers to a person’s place in the classes of the society. Such as, upper-upper class, lower-lower class.

Functionalism: Something is seen as functional when it increases the stability of a unit.

Marginalization: Marginalization is when individuals and their beliefs are different from what is referred to as “normal” within a society, these individuals are seen as beneath those who are normal.

Mass Communication: Mass communications is the study of how people and companies use the mass media to relay information to the population at large at the same time.

Post Modernism: Postmodernism is essentially our study of the media, typically including explanations of culture, literature, art, philosophy, history, economics, architecture, fiction, and literary criticism.

Sex (gender): Sex/gender within sociological concepts commonly refers to the roles they play. Gender roles are commonly stereotyped within the media.

Socialization: Socialization is the process one undergoes to learn the rules, roles, and values of society.

Status: Status refers to the place one holds within an organization or group of some form, and the standing of that specific position.

Stereotypes: Stereotypes are a collection of beliefs and impressions held about a group and its members. Stereotypes can be negative or positive, and can take many forms from racial to gender roles, etc.