What you will learn: • Key sociological terms and concepts
Sociology involves the scientific study of the organisation and functioning of society. It is the study of people and how they behave and interact. The following sociological terms and concepts are associated with this area of study.
• Society: a group of people who share a common way of life, e.g. Irish society.
• Social groups: subgroups of people within society who share a common purpose. For example: o primary social group: a small group of people with permanent relationships and close personal ties, e.g. family or close friends
o secondary social group: a large group of people with less permanent relationships and impersonal ties, e.g. school community or work colleagues.
• Kinship: a blood relationship that exists between family members.
• Norms: the normal patterns of behaviour individuals are expected to follow within society, e.g. saying please and thank you.
• Values: the attitudes and beliefs held by a society regarding what is right and wrong. These are reinforced by the laws of a country.
• Mores: the norms, values and customs that are considered important by society, e.g. showing respect to elders.
