Category: Sociology Dictionary

  • Labeling Theory of Deviance: Definition & Examples

    Labeling theory is a theory to understand deviance in the society, this theory is focused more on trying to understand how people react to behavior that happens around them and label it as ‘deviant’ or ‘nondeviant’. This theory was given by Howard Becker who tried to understand, not in the causes behind the deviant behavior…

  • Definition of Ritualism and Theory of Ritualism by Robert Merton

    Ritualism is derived from Robert Merton’s strain theory. According to him tension in the society arises from the fact that the resources in the society are to equally divided among people to achieve cultural values and goals. when one does not have the resources to reach goals, they adopt other ways to attain goals, based…

  • Short Note on Relative Deprivation and Deprivation Theory

    The concept of relative deprivation was first given by Samuel Stouffer, in his study of the military officials in World War 2. Various scholars like Robert Merton and Walter Runciman have further extended it. Relative deprivation is seen often as the theory of social movements, it is the perceived lack of resources of the essential…

  • Xenocentrism: Concept in Sociology and Examples

    Xenocentrism: A preference for the products, styles, or ideas of a different culture. Cultures vary across various regions, both in material and non-material terms. The process of globalization has made it possible for us to know about the other cultures that exist around the world and further get in touch with the global markets, this…

  • What is convergence theory in sociology?

    This theory is one of social change that has been given by economic professor Clark Kerr in a book by him and his colleagues called ’Industrialism and Industrial Man’ in the 1960s. The convergence theory is the one which postulates that all the societies as they move from the early industrial development to complete industrialization…

  • What is Panoptic Surveillance? Michel Foucault and Jeremy Bentham

    The idea of panoptic surveillance was developed by the French philosopher Michel Foucault in 1975 by viewing the panoptic as a symbol of the disciplinary society of surveillance. Panoptic surveillance can be understood as a state of constant monitoring. Here, the one is observing is decentralized and those who are being observed are never directly…

  • Oligarchy, Form of government: Meaning and Overview

    The term oligarchy has been derived from two Greek words; ‘oligos’, which means few, and ‘arkho’ which means to rule or to command. Oligarchy is a structure of power in which a small number of people, for instance, a few businessmen, a rich family, a politically dominant group, etc hold all the power that gives…