Introduction to Sociology Final Exam Vocabulary

A complete set of 100 vocabulary flashcards covering the key sociological concepts for the Introduction to Sociology Final Exam, based on the provided study list.

Individualistic Fallacy

One of the 5 Fallacies of Racism; the belief that racism is simply a collection of individual prejudices and ideas.

Legalistic Fallacy

One of the 5 Fallacies of Racism; the assumption that abolishing racist laws automatically leads to the end of racism in practice.

Tokenistic Fallacy

One of the 5 Fallacies of Racism; the belief that the presence of people of color in positions of power proves that racism no longer exists.

Ahistorical Fallacy

One of the 5 Fallacies of Racism; the claim that historical events like slavery and colonization have no relevance to the racial conditions of today.

Fixed Fallacy

One of the 5 Fallacies of Racism; the assumption that racism is a constant, unchanging phenomenon that does not evolve over time.

Adultification

A form of racial prejudice where children, particularly Black children, are perceived as being more mature or 'adult-like' than their actual age.

Alienation

Marxist concept describing the sense of dissatisfaction and lack of control workers feel within a capitalist social structure.

Androcentric Pay Scale

A wage system that places higher value and pay on jobs traditionally performed by men while undervaluing 'women’s work.'

Anomie

A state of normlessness or social instability caused by a breakdown of standards and values.

Class Consciousness

The awareness of one's own social and economic rank within the capitalist system.

Collective Effervescence

A term by Durkheim describing the intense unity and excitement experienced by individuals during communal rituals or social gatherings.

Colorism

Discrimination or prejudice within a racial group based on skin tone or shade.

Conflict Perspective

A sociological framework that views society as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and social change.

Cross-Institutional Advantage

The phenomenon where privilege in one social institution (e.g., education) leads to benefits in another (e.g., employment).

Cross-Institutional Disadvantage

The phenomenon where barriers or hardships in one social institution create further obstacles in other institutions.

Embodied Cultural Capital

Form of cultural capital consisting of knowledge, skills, and dispositions that an individual incorporates through socialization.

Objectified Cultural Capital

Form of cultural capital consisting of physical objects and cultural goods, such as books, art, or tools, that signal status.

Institutionalized Cultural Capital

Form of cultural capital recognized by major institutions, typically in the form of academic credentials or professional titles.

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of cultural beliefs, social activities, and artifacts from one group or society to another.

Cultural Opportunity Structure

The aspects of a culture that determine the likelihood of a social movement being understood and accepted.

Cumulative Advantage

The systemic process where those who start with more resources gain proportionally more over time.

Cumulative Disadvantage

The systemic process where initial barriers or lack of resources lead to widening inequality over the life course.

Doing Gender

The idea that gender is not a fixed identity but a routine performance managed through social interaction.

Egoistic Suicide

One of Durkheim's types of suicide; it occurs when individuals have low levels of social integration and feel isolated.

Altruistic Suicide

One of Durkheim's types of suicide; it occurs when individuals have excessive social integration and sacrifice themselves for the group.

Anomic Suicide

One of Durkheim's types of suicide; it occurs during times of social or economic upheaval when norms are disrupted.

Fatalistic Suicide

One of Durkheim's types of suicide; it occurs in situations of excessive social regulation or oppression.

Economic Capital

Control over economic resources, such as money and property, which can be used to generate wealth.

Environmental Racism

The disproportionate exposure of minority communities to pollution and environmental hazards via policy and practice.

False Consciousness

A condition where individuals from the oppressed class accept the ideology of the ruling class, preventing them from seeing their own exploitation.

Feminization of Poverty

The trend in which women represent an increasing proportion of the poor population.

Gender and Accountability

The social pressure individuals feel to act in ways conforming to their gender identity to avoid social sanction.

Hegemonic Ideologies

The dominant sets of beliefs that maintain the power of the ruling class by being accepted as common sense.

Hegemony

The social, cultural, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group over others without the use of direct force.

Interest Convergence

The theory that the majority group will only support the interests of a minority group when those interests align with their own.

Interlocks

Corporate governance patterns where members of one board of directors serve on the boards of multiple other corporations.

Intravidual

A concept used by Dalton Conley to describe the fragmented version of the individual in the modern data-driven age.

Labeling Theory

The sociological perspective that individuals' self-identity and behavior are shaped by the terms used to classify them by society.

McDonaldization

The process by which the principles of the fast-food industry dominate more sectors of American society and the rest of the world.

McDonaldization: Efficiency

The characteristic of McDonaldization focused on finding the optimum method for getting from one point to another.

McDonaldization: Calculability

The characteristic of McDonaldization focused on quantifiable aspects of products (quantity over quality).

McDonaldization: Predictability

The characteristic of McDonaldization ensuring that products and services are consistent across different times and locations.

McDonaldization: Control

The characteristic of McDonaldization that uses technology to replace human labor and regulate employee behavior.

McDonaldization: Irrationality

The paradox where highly rational systems lead to dehumanization and other irrational outcomes.

Mechanical Solidarity

Durkheim's term for social cohesion based on common beliefs and shared traditions in less complex societies.

Organic Solidarity

Durkheim's term for social cohesion based on interdependence and the division of labor in modern societies.

Merton’s Strain Theory

The theory that deviance occurs when there is a gap between culturally defined goals and the legitimate means to achieve them.

Premodern Mode of Thought

A way of thinking characterized by a focus on tradition, religion, and local community over rationality.

Modern Mode of Thought

A way of thinking characterized by science, objective truth, and the pursuit of linear progress.

Postmodern Mode of Thought

A way of thinking characterized by skepticism, the rejection of grand narratives, and the belief in fragmented realities.

Neutralization Theory

The theory explaining how people justify or 'neutralize' their deviant behavior to maintain a positive self-image.

Past-in-Present Discrimination

The ongoing effects of historical discrimination that continue to limit opportunities for marginalized groups today.

Political Opportunity Structure

The extent to which a political system is open or closed to the demands and actions of social movements.

Positive Distinction

The process through which a group attempts to establish a superior identity compared to other groups to boost self-esteem.

Absolute Poverty

A lack of basic necessities such as food, clean water, and shelter that is life-threatening.

Relative Poverty

The lack of resources of some people in relation to those who have more in their specific society.

Primary Deviance

The initial act of rule-breaking that does not necessarily result in a person being labeled as a deviant.

Protestant Work Ethic

The value attached to hard work and thrift, theorized by Weber as contributing to the rise of capitalism.

Psychological Wage

The non-monetary status benefit given to poor white workers to ensure they align with the ruling class rather than Black workers.

Repertoire of Contention

The specific set of protest tools and tactics available to a social movement at a given time.

Secondary Deviance

Deviant behavior that results from a person internalizing a deviant label given to them by society.

Social Capital

The resources and benefits derived from social networks and relationships.

Social Movements

Organized, purposeful efforts by a group of people to promote or resist social change.

Social Structure

The stable arrangement of institutions and social patterns that organize society.

Media Socialization

The process through which individuals learn social norms and values via mass media channels.

Interpersonal Socialization

The process of learning norms and values through direct face-to-face interaction with others.

Self Socialization

The process by which individuals actively choose and internalize specific identities and cultural values.

Sociological Imagination

C. Wright Mills' concept of the ability to see the link between personal experiences and larger social forces.

Stalled Revolution

The concept that women's entry into the labor force has not been matched by changes in domestic work or workplace structures.

Stigmatization

The process of devaluing or discrediting an individual based on a specific characteristic or trait.

Structural Functionalism

A macro-level theory that views society as a complex system whose parts work together to maintain stability.

Structural Violence

Social arrangements that cause harm by preventing people from meeting their basic needs.

Symbolic Interactionism

A micro-level theory focusing on the meanings and symbols that people use to interact with one another.

The Belmont Report

A foundational document for research ethics that protects human subjects involved in scientific studies.

Principle of Respect for Persons

A Belmont Report principle stating that individuals should be treated as autonomous and those with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection.

Principle of Beneficence

A Belmont Report principle requiring researchers to minimize potential harms and maximize potential benefits.

Principle of Justice

A Belmont Report principle requiring that the benefits and burdens of research be distributed fairly across social groups.

The Glass Ceiling

An invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing to the top levels of an organization.

The Glass Escalator

The phenomenon where men in female-dominated fields are promoted more quickly than their female counterparts.

The Glass Floor

The social safety net that prevents children of the upper class from falling into lower social strata.

The I

The spontaneous, impulsive, and creative part of the self as described by George Herbert Mead.

The Me

The socialized part of the self that evaluates actions based on the norms of society as described by George Herbert Mead.

The Ideology of Separate Spheres

The belief that men and women should occupy different social spaces: public/work for men and private/home for women.

The Iron Cage

Max Weber's concept describing how individuals are trapped by the rules and rationality of modern bureaucracy.

The Power Elite

C. Wright Mills' term for the small group of military, corporate, and political leaders who control society.

The Revolving Door

The movement of individuals between roles as government legislators and jobs in the industries they once regulated.

The Second Shift

The unpaid domestic chores and childcare performed by women after they return home from their paid jobs.

The Stranger

Georg Simmel's concept of an individual who is both 'near' and 'far' from a group, providing a unique sociological perspective.

Traditional Authority

Power that is legitimized by long-standing cultural beliefs and customs.

Rational-Legal Authority

Power legitimized by legally enacted rules and regulations, typically found in modern bureaucracies.

Intergenerational Social Mobility

Changes in social position across different generations within a single family.

Intragenerational Social Mobility

A change in social position occurring within an individual's own lifetime.

Folkways

Social norms that govern everyday behavior and are not strictly enforced.

Mores

Highly significant social norms that have moral or ethical components and carry stronger sanctions.

Taboos

Societal norms that are so strongly held that their violation is considered offensive or unthinkable.

Laws

Formal norms that are written and enforced by political and legal institutions.

World Economy

The international system of economic transactions and labor relationships that transcends national borders.

Core

In World Systems Theory, the dominant capitalist countries that benefit from exploiting the periphery for labor and raw materials.

Periphery

In World Systems Theory, the underdeveloped countries that provide cheap labor and raw materials to the core.

Semi-Periphery

In World Systems Theory, the industrializing countries that have qualities of both core and periphery nations.