CSOC 202 Module 1 Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards for key concepts from CSOC 202 Module 1 lecture notes.

Sociology of Popular Culture

The examination, scrutinization, interpretation, and understanding of popular culture through a sociological perspective, focusing on ideology, hegemony, social conflict, mode of production, power, and consumerism.

Socialization

The process through which individuals learn the social and cultural characteristics that define them as members of a society, fostering a recognition of self and others, and understanding social identities and roles.

The Self (Sociological Perspective)

Socially shaped and managed through socialization, interaction, and biographical identity work. Individuals actively construct their identity through presentation and performance in the public social world.

Frontstage (Goffman)

The arena where publicly visible social characters are performed.

Backstage (Goffman)

Area where actors keep their props or 'identity equipment' and can relax out of role.

Sociological Imagination

The ability to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two in society, enabling individuals to connect the social world to their personal lives and understand societal issues.

Culture

Reflects the social and cultural practices of specific groups or societies, identifiable through its system of shared beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors, enabling communication on a macro-level.

Canadian Culture

A term circulating in Canada to reflect social institutions and popular culture, but complicated by determining the characteristics that authenticate it.

Low Culture (Popular Culture)

Traditionally designates that which is in opposition to high culture, categorized as inferior, simplistic, repetitive, and unimaginative, appealing to the most people as possible.

High Culture

Refers to forms of cultural production or objects seen as unique, well-wrought, and meaningful, distinguishing, educating, or enlightening individuals and society, often restricted to specific forms of artistic production.

Ideology

A system of ideas or beliefs normalized and naturalized as objectively true and real by dominant institutions, reflecting a particular way of life.

Hegemony

A system in place to protect and maintain ideologies, ensuring they remain the norm, dominant, common sense, and the status quo, examining inequalities stemming from society’s unequal systems of power and influence.

Structural Functionalism

Views society as an active system of existence made up of interdependent institutions that structure society and ensure the relative stability and harmony of society as a whole based on shared values, beliefs, and behaviors.

Social Conflict Theory

Examines capitalism and social class, and the relationship to inequality each maintains. the social world and popular culture as arenas of inequality marked by conflict, discord and unequal access to decision making opportunities.

Commodity Culture

A key characteristic of capitalism in which culture is organized around the production and exchange of goods that communicate common sense, necessity, social status and power.

Symbolic Interaction Theory

Examines the production of meaning or meaning-making in both individual and group settings with a focus on human action and interaction instead of through large- scale social structures or institutions.

Looking Glass Theory

A theoretical perspective examining social interaction regarding identity formation and relationships concerning the self and others.

Culture Industry

A system driven by a centralized capitalist ethos that manipulates the mass population into a state of perpetual economic and ideological consumption.

Sociology of Popular Culture

The examination, scrutinization, interpretation, and understanding of popular culture through a sociological perspective, focusing on ideology, hegemony, social conflict, mode of production, power, and consumerism.

Socialization

The process through which individuals learn the social and cultural characteristics that define them as members of a society, fostering a recognition of self and others, and understanding social identities and roles.

The Self (Sociological Perspective)

Socially shaped and managed through socialization, interaction, and biographical identity work. Individuals actively construct their identity through presentation and performance in the public social world.

Frontstage (Goffman)

The arena where publicly visible social characters are performed.

Backstage (Goffman)

Area where actors keep their props or 'identity equipment' and can relax out of role.

Sociological Imagination

The ability to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two in society, enabling individuals to connect the social world to their personal lives and understand societal issues.

Culture

Reflects the social and cultural practices of specific groups or societies, identifiable through its system of shared beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors, enabling communication on a macro-level.

Canadian Culture

A term circulating in Canada to reflect social institutions and popular culture, but complicated by determining the characteristics that authenticate it.

Low Culture (Popular Culture)

Traditionally designates that which is in opposition to high culture, categorized as inferior, simplistic, repetitive, and unimaginative, appealing to the most people as possible.

High Culture

Refers to forms of cultural production or objects seen as unique, well-wrought, and meaningful, distinguishing, educating, or enlightening individuals and society, often restricted to specific forms of artistic production.

Ideology

A system of ideas or beliefs normalized and naturalized as objectively true and real by dominant institutions, reflecting a particular way of life.

Hegemony

A system in place to protect and maintain ideologies, ensuring they remain the norm, dominant, common sense, and the status quo, examining inequalities stemming from society’s unequal systems of power and influence.

Structural Functionalism

Views society as an active system of existence made up of interdependent institutions that structure society and ensure the relative stability and harmony of society as a whole based on shared values, beliefs, and behaviors.

Social Conflict Theory

Examines capitalism and social class, and the relationship to inequality each maintains. the social world and popular culture as arenas of inequality marked by conflict, discord and unequal access to decision making opportunities.

Commodity Culture

A key characteristic of capitalism in which culture is organized around the production and exchange of goods that communicate common sense, necessity, social status and power.

Symbolic Interaction Theory

Examines the production of meaning or meaning-making in both individual and group settings with a focus on human action and interaction instead of through large- scale social structures or institutions.

Looking Glass Theory

A theoretical perspective examining social interaction regarding identity formation and relationships concerning the self and others.

Culture Industry

A system driven by a centralized capitalist ethos that manipulates the mass population into a state of perpetual economic and ideological consumption.