Sociological Theory Weeks 1-5 Lecture and Reading Review

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key concepts, theories, and foundational thinkers from the first five weeks of a Sociology course, including Marxism, racial formation, the nature of theory, and social inequality paradigms.

Theory (Definition 1 - Abend)

A logically connected system of general propositions which establishes a relationship between two or more variables.

Falsifiable

A quality of a theory or scientific statement indicating it can be checked against empirical evidence and potentially proven wrong.

Macro-level Theory

A level of theory concerned with factors influencing human behavior that exist completely beyond the influence of the individual, such as geography and language.

Structural Functionalism

A macro-level theory defined as a theory of social stability, viewing society as harmonious, cooperative, and balanced.

Conflict Theory

A macro-level theory of social inequality that views society as divided and competitive, asking who benefits at the expense of others.

Parsimonious

A trait of a helpful theory meaning it uses the least amount of information possible to explain a phenomenon.

Correspondence Theory of Truth

The idea that true beliefs and statements correspond to an actual state of affairs or events in the world.

Linguistic Relativity

The concept that language and words shape how people think and see the world, rather than thoughts giving rise to words.

Mechanical Solidarity

A concept by Emile Durkheim describing how people in a society are connected through similar work and shared beliefs.

Double Consciousness

A concept by W.E.B. Du Bois describing the sensation of seeing oneself through the eyes of a hostile society, creating an internal 'two-ness' of identity.

Veil of Ignorance

A thought experiment by John Rawls used to test ideas for fairness by imagining a society's design without knowing one's own future position in it.

Surplus Value

In Marxism, the value produced by the laboring class that exceeds the value of their wages (calculated as $S=s/v$).

Alienation (Marxist)

The systemic separation of individuals from the products of their labor, the labor process, fellow human beings, and their own human nature.

False Consciousness

A lack of understanding of one's position in society or a failure to perceive injustice, which prevents social change.

Racial Formation Theory

A theory by Omi and Winant defining race as a sociohistorical process where racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and destroyed.

Stereotype Threat

Performance decrements caused by the knowledge of cultural stereotypes regarding one's own social group.

Outgroup Homogeneity

The tendency to view members of an outgroup as more similar to each other than members of one's own group.

Intersectionality

The framework for understanding how various social identities—such as race, class, and gender—overlap to create unique forms of privilege and oppression.

Minority Stress Syndrome

Symptoms exacerbated by stress processes unique to marginalized groups, including experiences of prejudice and expectations of rejection.

Doing Gender

A concept by West and Zimmerman viewing gender as a routine, methodical, and recurring accomplishment embedded in everyday social interaction.

Heteronormativity

The social assumption that heterosexuality is the normal or default orientation.

Semantic Predicament

A term by Gabriel Abend describing the problem in sociology where the word 'theory' has multiple meanings leading to stagnant disciplinary debates.

Socratic Error

The mistaken belief that concepts like 'theory' have one true objective essence that can be tracked down by language.

Intersubjectivity

The method by which science achieves objectivity by translating internal thoughts into explicit external representations for peer verification and replication.

McDonaldization

A term by George Ritzer referring to the expansion of fast-food business principles—predictability, calculability, efficiency, and control—into everyday social institutions.

Correspondence Principle

A Marxist theory by Bowles and Gintis stating that schools mirror the workplace to reproduce inequality and obedient workers for capitalist economies.

Hidden Curriculum

The unofficial norms, values, and routines students learn through the daily experience of school that condition them for future labor.