SOC 1005 review

Anomie

a state when social bonds collaspes due to changes, or beliefs disconnection

Symbolic Interactionism

A theory that focuses on how people create meaning through social interactions. Individuals interpret objects, people, and events based on learned meanings and past experiences, which are shaped by social and cultural contexts and constantly redefined through communication.

Performativity

The idea that human behavior is like a performance on a social stage. People shape their identity by presenting a certain image of themselves, managing their appearance, setting, and manner to influence how they are perceived. Gender hirachy can affect it and make people to look in a certain way to fit their gender expectations

Social Construction of the Self

The belief that our sense of self is shaped by social interactions and societal expectations rather than being purely innate.

Contradictory Social Roles

When a person experiences conflicting expectations between two or more social roles they hold. Example: A working mother balancing job duties and parenting responsibilities.

Gender Performance

The way individuals express gender through behavior, clothing, speech, and actions, based on societal expectations rather than biology.

The Eternal Feminine

is a myth that portrays women as having a fixed, idealized essence—such as the pure virgin, nurturing mother, or life-giving role. De Beauvoir argues that these idea trap women in unrealistic roles and deny their individuality. He challenges the idea that femininity is a gender essence, asserting instead that identity is shaped by experience, not predetermined ideals. He believes that all being (especially women) can define their existences rather than going under a vague idea of femininity (or masculinity)

Totem

is the sacred ritual object or symbol that represent a group (of people)- like clan, cult, or tribe. Usually will hold a special meaning for group members

Taboo

a forbidden actions, that was prohibited in the religion- usually got accepted by religious norms

Ritual

is religious actions that was repeated and done in a habitual manners by followers; have symbolic meanings; and to clarify relations in a community

Sacred and Profane

equal to: meaningful, holy, special, spiritual AND normal, oridnary, nothing special- it’s a hirachy within the community, categorize the membership status

Ideology

a system of belief or values, that shape how we shape how we see society, politics, and our personal lives. It helps us make sense of the world and justify social structures. Ideology influences our thinking by embedding ideas into language, shaping how we understand concepts based on different perspectives. It spreads through institutions like media, education, and religion, making some ideas seem normal while pushing others to the side.

State Legitimacy

the recognized right of the state to exercise authority and power. It is based on the consent of the governed and the belief that the state's actions are justified and appropriate. It is is crucial for maintaining social order and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations.

Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs)

Institutions (like schools, media, and religion, church) that subtly enforce dominant ideologies and maintain social order by shaping people’s beliefs and behaviors. (Louis Althusser’s concept)

Commodities & Fetishism of Commodities

Commodities are goods or services produced for exchange in the market, possessing both use value and exchange value. Fetishism of commodities refers to the phenomenon where the social relationships involved in production are concealed by the market value of commodities, making them appear to have intrinsic value independent of the labor that produced them or their actual usefulness.

Malthusian Population Model

A theory by Thomas Malthus that suggests population growth exponentially will outpace food production (that grow linearly), leading to famine, disease, and conflict unless checked by natural or social limits. The progress will growth slowly from lacking of nutritions to weakended immune systems and bigger diseases and problems.

Serfdom

Serfdom was a medieval European labor system where peasants were bound to the land and exploited by lords for wealth accumulation. Serfs were not slaves, but they were not free either; they were required to work the lord's land and provide various services in exchange for protection and the right to cultivate certain plots for their own subsistence. Serfs faced brutal punishment, even death, if they tried to escape. The Church, a separate political force, upheld the system by promoting beliefs that justified serfdom, serving as both an enforcer of social order and a coping mechanism for serfs’ suffering. With no protection from authorities or the Church, serfs remained trapped in a cycle of exploitation.

Yeomenry

a class of small landowners who farm their own land. They are typically freeholders, meaning they own their land outright, and are distinguished from tenant farmers who rent land. They operated independently of feudal obligations, benefiting from the shift toward commercial farming, which capitalist landlords encouraged.

Wage Labor

a system of employment where workers sell their labor power in exchange for wages. Unlike indentured servitude or slavery, wage laborers are paid for their work on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis and have the freedom to change employers. This system is a fundamental aspect of capitalist economies, where labor is treated as a commodity.

Market Dependence

refers to the reliance on market mechanisms for economic survival and prosperity. Individuals and businesses depend on buying and selling goods and services in the market to meet their needs and generate income. This dependence is a key characteristic of capitalist economies, where market forces determine prices, production, and distribution.

Private Property

a legal designation for the ownership of property by non-governmental legal entities. It includes land, buildings, goods, and intellectual property that individuals or corporations can own, use, and transfer. Private property rights are a cornerstone of capitalist economies, providing incentives for investment and economic development.

Market Competition

" the rivalry between businesses to attract customers and achieve higher sales and profits. It drives innovation, efficiency, and consumer choice by encouraging firms to improve their products, reduce prices, and differentiate themselves from competitors. Market competition is a fundamental principle of capitalist economies, promoting economic growth and development.

Capitalism

An economic, society system based on private ownership of the means of production, market competition, and the pursuit of profit. In that, ownership can change frequently. Ownership is fluid and digital.

Indentured Servitude

a system where individuals work for a specific number of years in exchange for passage to a new country, room and board, or land. Indentured servants are bound by a contract and are not free until the terms of the contract are fulfilled.

Slavery

a system where individuals are owned by others and are forced to work without any personal freedom or compensation. Slaves are considered property and can be bought, sold, and subjected to the will of their owners.

Mercantilism

an economic theory and practice where the government regulates the economy to increase national wealth through a favorable balance of trade. It emphasizes the accumulation of gold and silver, the establishment of colonies, and the control of trade to benefit the mother country.

Free soil

the political stance opposing the expansion of slavery into new territories and states. It advocates for the land to be free from slavery, promoting the idea that new territories should be reserved for free labor rather than slave labor.

Automation

is the technological advancements (methods or tools) in society- usually involve in farming, production. It shapes modern agriculture and change land ownership and manegement. That also later influenced social structure and economic system

Provincial lordships

refer to the decentralized power structures during the feudal era, where local lords controlled specific regions with significant autonomy, maintaining private armies and collecting taxes independently.

Absolutism

a form of government where the ruler holds centralized, unrestricted power, often justified by the divine right of kings, allowing the monarch to make laws, levy taxes, and control the state's administrative and military functions.

Feudalism

a society management system. In the system, wealth is inherited, maintained through cusomary or divine rights. In feudal society, ownership stagnate and lords consume most of the resources and minimal the technological advancement

Bureaucracy

refers to a system of government or management where decisions are made by state officials or administrators rather than elected representatives. It involves a hierarchical structure with a clear chain of command and standardized procedures to ensure efficiency and consistency in the administration of policies and regulations.

Standing Army

is a permanent, professional army maintained during both war and peacetime. Unlike temporary or militia forces, a standing army is always ready for combat, providing a nation with a constant military presence and the ability to respond quickly to threats or conflicts.

Constitutional Monarchy

is a form of government where a monarch acts as the head of state within the parameters of a constitution. This constitution can be written or unwritten and limits the powers of the monarch, often sharing authority with an elected parliament or other governing bodies. The monarch's role is largely ceremonial, with real political power being exercised by elected officials.

Republic

a form of government in which the country is considered a "public matter" and the head of state is an elected or nominated president, not a hereditary monarch. In a republic, the supreme power rests with the citizens who are entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.

Passive Revolution

a process of significant social and political change that occurs without a direct, active revolution. It involves gradual reforms and transformations within the existing structures, often led by the ruling class to prevent a more radical, bottom-up revolution. This concept highlights how elites can adapt and incorporate changes to maintain their dominance and avoid upheaval.

Monopoly on the legitimate use of violence

a concept by sociologist Max Weber, referring to the state's exclusive right to use physical force within its territory. This authority is considered legitimate when society accepts the state's control over maintaining order, enforcing laws, and protecting citizens. It is a defining characteristic of modern states, distinguishing them from other forms of governance.

Magna Carta

"signed in 1215, limited the power of the king and established that everyone, including the king, must follow the law. It introduced rights like fair trials and protection from arbitrary imprisonment. Benefited feudal landlords (nobility and large aristocratic estates) by securing their rights over land but largely ignored peasants. Strengthened Parliament’s role in taxation, setting a precedent for later capitalist governance.

Black Death

This was a deadly plague that killed about one-third of Europe's population between 1347 and 1351, causing severe labor shortages that weakened feudal landlords' ability to enforce serfdom.. It caused massive social and economic changes due to the high death toll. Increased bargaining power of peasants, forcing many landlords to transition to lease-based farming, benefiting emerging capitalist landlords who favored profit-driven agriculture.

Crisis of Feudalism

the period when the feudal system began to break down due to various factors such as economic changes, social unrest, and the centralization of power by monarchs. This led to the transition towards more centralized states and the emergence of capitalism.

Enclosure of the Commons

the process where common lands, previously accessible to all members of a community, were fenced off and converted into private property. This led to the displacement of peasant farmers and the consolidation of land under wealthy landowners.

Commodification of land and labor

the transformation of land and labor into commodities that can be bought, sold, and traded in the market. This process is central to the development of capitalist economies, where land and labor are treated as economic assets.

The Glorious Revolution

The Glorious Revolution in 1688 replaced King James II with William and Mary. It was relatively bloodless and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, that further restricted royal interference in economic affairs. Strengthened the legal and financial framework protecting capitalist landowners, merchants, and financiers.

Abolition of Serfdom, Slavery and Nobles

the historical processes through which serfdom, slavery, and the privileges of the nobility were eliminated. This was part of the broader transition towards more egalitarian and capitalist societies.

Agrarian capitalism

the system where agricultural production is organized according to capitalist principles, with landowners investing in land and labor to maximize profits. This involves the use of wage labor, private property, and market competition in farming.

Industrialization

the process of developing industries on a wide scale, characterized by the use of machinery, mass production, and the growth of factories. This transformation leads to significant economic, social, and technological changes.

State centralization

the process where political power and administrative control are concentrated in a central authority, reducing the autonomy of local or regional entities. This centralization is crucial for the formation of modern states and the enforcement of uniform laws and policies.