Some sosiological terminology

Sociological terms, pt 1.

As we are continuously working with our news-stream, we´ve noticed some need to clarify the key terminology in this vast area of information. Like earlier posting about the environmental terms, I´ve then chosen some appropriate and important ones from Dictionary of Sociology [Gordon Marshall, sec. ed. 1998, Oxford and New York]. Some readers may find this perhaps a bit out-dated and surely there´s similar dictionaries available on web, but I´ve given it some space here, merely to showing the usefullness of the book as reference dictionary when reading our newsposts. All terms are explained like in the book; naturally term explanations cut short by me (but not modified!) and sometimes I´ve used three dots [...] to save space by underlining the important matters. All links to other reference dictionaries etc. by me.

Disorganized capitalism A term used by political sociologists such as John Urry, Scott Lash, and Claus Offe to describe the fragmentation of socio-economic groups in the economy, *state, and *civil society of advanced capitalism (see, for example, S. Lash and J. Urry, The End of Organized Capitalism, 1987). [...] Finally, economic and political disorganization has implications for the nature of civil society, notably by encouraging the growth of a *postmodern culture, whick is linked to fragmented spesific interest groups other than social classes.

Economic determinism A philosophical and theoretical position most commonly associated with the Marxist assertion that social phenomena have their roots in the relations of production.

Eugenics From the Greek eu (well) and gens (to produce), eugenics refers to the manipulation of the processes of evolutionary selection, in order to improve a particular genetic stock or population. This may be achieved either through ´negative´ eugenics (for example the provision of screening facilities to pregnant mothers, in order to detect and prevent the inheritance of deleterious recessive genetic conditions), or through ´positive´ eugenics (in which certain groups may be selected for, or prevented from, reproducing). The latter is generally considered ethically unacceptable; the former is an area of ethical controversy. The Eugenic Society achieved notoriety in the early years of this century for advocating various forms of positive eugenics in order to improve the genetic quality of the national populations in Britain and the United States. See also Darwinism; Gene

Marginalization A process by which a group or individual is denied access to important positions and symbols of economic, religious, or political power within any society. A marginal group may actually constitute a numerical majority [...] Marginalization became a major topic of sociological research in the 1960s, largely in response to the realization that while certain developing countries demonstrated rapid economic growth, members of these societies were receiving increasingly unequal shares of the rewards of success.

Progress The idea of progress, conceived as the increasing sophistication of knowledge and the improving quality of life, has been driving force of Western civilization for at least three hundred years. During the twentieth century, the same idea has been adopted, with variations, by virtually every culture on earth. In the *Third World, development and *modernization are taken to be synonymous with progress.

Sustainable development Defined in Our Common Future, the Report of the 1987 World Commission on the Environment and Development (the ´Brundtlandt report´) as´development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs´. Rather than predicting greater environmental decay and hardship in a world of everdiminishing resources, the Report foresees ´the possibility of a new era of economic growth, based on policies that sustain and expand the natural environmental resource base´.

Technological determinism a theory of social *change, characteristically one *evolutionary, *progress or development, in which productive technique obeys a logic or trajectory of its own; and, in the process, acts as the principal determinant of institutions and social relationships. Since literal technological determinism is clearly untrue, most such theories also invoke a *cultural lag between the introduction of a technology, and its full social impact. It should not be confused or equated with *historical materialism. See also Cultural materialism.

Zeitgeist The characteristic spirit (Geist) of a historical era (Zeit). Eighteenthcentury philosophers like Voltaire were intrigued by the idea of ´spirit of the age´, but it was most fully developed by *Hegel. Philosophies and works of art , he argued, cannot transcend the spirit of the age in which they are produced. Their expression is always symbolic and imperfect, and the progress of the human spirit is marked by the greateror lesser degree to which it captures the absolute spirit, or truth itself, beyond the limitations of any particular era. The term Zeitgeist has come tu be used more loosely to describe the general cultural qualities of any period, such as ´the sixties´ or ´the romantic era´, and does not carry the strong *historicist connotations of Hegelian philosophy.

Most interesting. Concerning the complexity and sometimes controversial nature of these terms; you may also see the The Wikipedia entries of, fx. Eugenics and Zeitgeist.

Also notice, that the *before terms in Sociology book indicates for a term that is explained elsewhere in the dictionary.

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