Week Two Vocabulary

normative expectations of evaluation

the social standards and cultural assumptions about what is fair, typical, appropriate in grading

credentialism

overemphasis on formal qualifications like degrees in the labor market

Credential inflation

the value of educational qualifications declining as they become more attainable

academic shock

psychological and educational disorientation when faced with more demanding expectations, workload, and grading standards in university or college

academic burnout

physical, emotional, mental exhaustion from academic stress, experiencing feelings of fatigue, cynicism towards studies, and reduced sense of academic or personal ability

human capital theory

people's knowledge, skills, education, health, and experience are valuable economic assets

neoliberal model of education

education is organized according to economic/market-oriented logic

instrumental rationality

action oriented toward efficiency and outcomes rather than intrinsic values

commodification of education

process where learning is reduced to market exchange, valued for outcomes rather than transformative potential

medicalization

process by which non-medical problems are defined and treated as medical issues, often requiring clinical intervention

strain theory

individuals experience stress when societal pressure to achieve are not matched by opportunity to exceed

institutional isomorphism

organizations in similar fields come to resemble each other because of shared pressures and expectations

structural functionalism

macro-level sociological theory that views society as a complex, interconnected system where each part works together to promote solidarity, stability, and equilibrium

conflict theory

sociological theory stating that society is in a perpetual state of conflict because groups compete for limited resources like wealth, power, and status.

symbolic interactionism

micro-level sociological perspective that views society as the product of everyday, face-to-face interactions among individuals

economic capital

economic resources like money, wealth, property, etc

social capital

one’s networks and shared norms, values, and understanding tied to who they know

cultural capital

skills, tastes/preferences, habits, clothing, mannerisms, elements that reflect one’s class

habitus

ingrained dispositions, habits, ways of perceiving and acting that individuals acquire through life experiences—especially through socialization in social classes and contexts