MIDTERM 2 SOCIOLOGY 1 UCI

Social stratification

Structured inequalities between groups in society in access to material or symbolic rewards. These inequalities result from social structures.

Structured inequalities

Inequalities that are built into the social system — they are not random but stem from organized patterns and institutions.

Class

Large-scale grouping of people with shared economic resources (e.g., income, education) that influence their lifestyle. The U.S. is a class system where people can move up or down.

Social mobility

A shift in a person's social status. Often discussed in terms of moving up or down the class ladder.

Quintile

Dividing a population into five equal groups based on income for analyzing inequality.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership of production and the right to profit. Encourages inequality according to Marx.

Proletariat

The working class who sell their labor and do not own the means of production or the profits.

Bourgeoisie

The capitalist class who owns the means of production and profits from workers' labor.

Means of production

Resources (e.g., factories, tools) used to create wealth, owned by the bourgeoisie in capitalism.

Labor

The work provided by the proletariat in exchange for wages.

Alienation

A sense of disconnection felt by workers who do not own the products or profits of their labor.

Crisis of capitalism

Marx’s prediction that capitalism would implode due to growing inequality, exploitation, and class consciousness.

Class consciousness

When workers recognize their shared exploitation and unite to demand change, potentially sparking revolution.

Socialism

A system where the means of production are owned collectively, replacing capitalism in Marx’s vision.

Wealth gaps

Differences in accumulated assets. The U.S. shows large racial and class-based wealth gaps.

Wage gaps

Differences in income. Persistent by race, gender, and class.

Legitimation

Cultural beliefs that justify inequality — e.g., “hard work leads to success,” even when data shows otherwise.

The American Dream

Cultural belief that anyone can succeed with hard work. Used to justify inequality, even if upward mobility is rare.

Race

A socially constructed category based on perceived physical differences like skin color and ancestry.

Ethnicity

Social identity based on ancestry and cultural differences (language, history, religion).

Racism

Society’s production of unjust outcomes for racial/ethnic groups.

Institutional racism

Racism embedded in societal institutions, such as housing, schools, policing.

Overt racism

Blatant individual acts of discrimination, e.g., hate crimes.

Biological racism

False belief that one race (often white) is genetically superior. Refuted by science.

Colorblind racism

Denial of racism’s existence to maintain inequality, e.g., “We’re all the same.”

Abstract liberalism

Misuse of equality language to oppose affirmative action.

Minimization

Suggests racism isn’t a big issue anymore

Naturalization

Frames segregation as natural preference.

Cultural racism

Attributes inequality to cultural traits (e.g., “they don’t work hard”).

Microaggressions

Everyday verbal or behavioral slights that insult marginalized groups (e.g., “You’re so articulate for a X”).

Residential segregation

Sorting of people into separate neighborhoods by race, leading to inequalities in services, schools, policing.

Redlining

(From context) Historical practice of denying services (like mortgages) to people in certain neighborhoods, usually based on race.

White fight vs. white flight

White fight: resisting integration; white flight: moving to avoid integration (contextually implied from slides).

Sex

Biological differences in primary and secondary sexual characteristics.

Gender

Social meanings and symbolism attached to masculinity and femininity.

The gender binary

Ideology that there are only two opposite, fixed genders: male/masculine and female/feminine.

Sexism

Unjust outcomes for those perceived to be biologically female.

Androcentrism

Unjust outcomes for those who perform femininity (regardless of biological sex).

The gender pay gap

Women earn less than men on average. A key indicator of gender inequality.

Ideal worker norm

Cultural belief that workers should prioritize jobs over everything else (disadvantages mothers).

Intensive mothering norm

Belief that good mothers must devote significant time and energy to childrearing.

Second shift

The unpaid household labor women often perform after their paid workday.

Digital domesticity

Online performance of traditional femininity — glamorized care work, appearance maintenance (e.g., SAHGFs).

Intersectionality

Framework recognizing overlapping systems of oppression (e.g., racism, sexism) in shaping experience. Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw.

Anonymity

More anonymity = less constraint in self-presentation

Persistence

Durability of content; high persistence = selective self-presentation

Visibility

How easily content can be found; more visibility = more curated content

Gender models

Social expectations for how genders should act, look, and live — spread through media including TikTok.

Stay at Home Girlfriends

TikTok influencers who glamorize domestic femininity, absence of paid work, and consumption.

Blackface minstrelsy

Historic practice where white performers darkened skin to play stereotyped Black characters.

Digital blackface

Non-Black people using Black cultural expression online for humor or emotion without credit or context (e.g., gifs, dance copying).

The D’Amelio Effect

TikTok algorithm promotes white creators like Charli D’Amelio over Black creators, reinforcing racial power imbalances.

Calling

19th-century dating practice where men visited women at home under supervision.

Rating and dating

Mid-20th century, popularity-focused dating involving multiple partners.

Going steady

Post-WWII norm of exclusive romantic partnerships among youth.

Just talking

A vague label for pre-relationship intimacy — more personal than hookups, lacks formal commitment.

Social capital

Connections with others that provide support, trust, and access to resources. Declining in the U.S.

Gender identity

A person’s internal sense of gender (e.g., man, woman, nonbinary).

Gender expression

How a person presents gender through appearance, behavior, and roles.

Anatomical/biological sex

Physical characteristics associated with being male or female.

Transgender

Someone whose gender identity differs from their assigned sex at birth.

Cisgender

Someone whose gender identity aligns with their assigned sex at birth.

Nonbinary

A gender identity outside the male/female binary.