SOC 224

Body Projects

Categories of ways individuals manipulate their physical appearance: camouflaging, extending, adapting, and redesigning

Cultural Appropriation

Adoption of elements of one culture’s aesthetics or practices into another, often without understanding or respect

Master Status

The primary label that dominates how a person is perceived by society

Body Modification

Alterations to the body, such as tattoos or piercings, that challenge or conform to societal norms

Social Norms and Appearance

Standards and expectations governing how people should look.

The “Beautiful Body” Ideal

Socially constructed standards of attractiveness

Fashion as Deviance

When clothing choices challenge societal or cultural norms

Postmodernism and Body Image

Examines how fragmented identities in a postmodern society influence individual choices about physical appearance

The Commodification of Beauty

The process by which beauty standards are marketed and sold as products or services

Foucault’s Concept of the Body

The body as a site of power and control within social systems

Subcultural Style

How appearance and fashion are used to signify membership and subcultures

Resistance Through Appearance

The use of non-conforming physical presentation as a form of rebellion against societal norms.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

A mental health condition characterized by obsessive concerns about perceived physical flaws

The Male Gaze

How societal standards of beauty are influenced by patriarchal perspectives

Body Neutrality Movement

A perspective advocating for acceptance of the body without emphasis on appearance or beauty

Stigmatization of Mental Illness

The negative labeling and stereotyping of individuals with mental illness

Medicalization

The process by which non-medical issues are treated as medical problems, often influencing mental health

Camouflaging Projects

the everyday ways we control the appearance of our bodies in order to adhere to cultural norms, such as through makeup, clothing, and hairstyle

Extending Projects

a body project that attempts to overcome physical limitations, such as using contact lenses or a cane

Adapting Projects

Altering the appearance of a body with more effortful projects, such as bodybuilding

Redesigning Projects

A project that causes a permanent change in the body through invasive methods like cosmetic surgery and tattoos

Social Construction of Mental Illness

How societal values and power relations influence perceptions of mental health

Mental Health Advocacy

Efforts to reduce stigma and improve resources for mental health care

Biopsychosocial Model of Mental Illness

A framework integrating biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding mental health

Erving Goffman’s Concept of Total Institutions

Institutions (e.g., mental hospitals) where individuals are isolated and controlled, reinforcing stigmatization

Deinstitutionalization

The process of reducing reliance on large-scale mental health institutions in favor of community-based care

Social Determinants of Mental Health

Factors such as income, education, and social support that influence mental health outcomes

Medical-Industrial Complex

The interplay between pharmaceutical companies, healthcare systems, and the medicalization of mental health.

Critical Psychiatry Perspective

A critique of mainstream psychiatric practices, emphasizing power dynamics and social constructs

Public Health Approaches to Mental Health

Strategies to address mental health issues at the population level, focusing on prevention and awareness

Structural Stigma

Systemic policies and practices that reinforce mental health discrimination

Self-Stigma in Mental Illness

When individuals internalize negative stereotypes about mental health, impacting their self-esteem and recovery.

Trauma-Informed Care

An approach to mental health treatment that recognizes the impact of trauma on individuals

Mental Disorder

A psychological, biological, or behavioral dysfunction that interferes with daily life

Social Causation Hypothesis

More life stresses and fewer resources characterize the lives of the lower class, contributing to the emergence of mental illness

Social Selection Hypothesis

People with mental disorders can fall into lower economic strata because of difficulties in daily functioning

Disease Paradigm

Approach to mental illness that emphasizes ameliorating symptoms that distress and impair individual functioning

Discrimination Paradigm

Approach to mental illness that emphasizes the role that stigmatization plays in the daily experiences of people with mental illnesses

David Rosenhan

Psychiatrist and researcher who showed that mental illness was impossible to diagnose accurately by having healthy patients admitted to mental hospitals

Religious Deviance

Beliefs or practices within religion that conflict with societal norms

Science as Deviance

When scientific discoveries or practices challenge societal or ethical norms

Objective-Subjective Continuum

Framework for understanding deviance as inherent or socially constructed

Social Typing in Religion

Categorization of certain religious behaviors as deviant

Secularization

The process by which religion loses influence in public and private life

Religious Fundamentalism

Strict adherence to specific theological doctrines, often in opposition to modern societal norms

Cultural Relativism in Belief Systems

Understanding beliefs within the context of the culture in which they exist

Weber’s Theory of Rationalization

The shift from religious to secular, scientific explanations in modern society

Cult

smaller, often deviant religious movements

Sect

Reform movements within established religions

Conflict Theory and Religion

How religion perpetuates social inequalities and power imbalances

Post-Secular Society

A society in which religious and secular perspectives coexist and interact

Pseudoscience

Practices or beliefs that claim specific scientific legitimacy but lack empirical evidence

Moral Entrepreneurship in Religion

Individuals or groups promoting certain religious norms as moral imperatives

Science Wars

Disputes over the legitimacy and boundaries of scientific knowledge, often involving societal values

Globalization of Belief Systems

How global interactions influence the spread and adaptation of religious and scientific ideologies

Ecclesia

A specific religious belief system that is adopted at a governmental level and becomes a nations “official” religion

Churches

Not official religions of an entire society, but large powerful religious groups. (i.e. Islam, Christianity, Hinduism)

Denomination

Subdivision of a church (i.e. Lutheranism, Sunni Islam, Orthodox Judaism)

Deviancy Amplification

When a deviantized group becomes more extreme as a response to hostilities or social control efforts from outsiders.

Ideological Groups

Term scholars use to encompass the organizations previously divided into Ecclesia, Churches, Sects, and Cults.

Child-Savers Movement

During the Victorian era, middle-class church groups who thought it was the state’s responsibility to provide a moral environment for children whose parents were willing or unable to do so.

Social Gospel

A theology that informed the work of the child-savers movement during the Victorian era, whereby Christian principles were applied in real world settings to solve social problems

Scientific Misconduct

An umbrella term used to refer to scientific practices deemed unacceptable because they manipulate research outcomes

Post-Academic Science

The predominance of scientific research in commercial centers rather than university environments.

Communism

One of the four norms of science, the idea that scientists should give up rights to the knowledge they create so that knowledge can be shared by all

Skepticism

One of the four norms of science, the assumption that all ideas must be subjected to rigorous scrutiny

Disinteresedness

One of the four norms of science, the assumption that scientific work is done in the name of truth rather than for any personal gain or vested interests

Universalism

One of the four norms of science, the assumption that scientific knowledge is free from any biases based on characteristics such as race, gender, or religion

Deviance Dance

The dynamic interactions between those labeled deviant, societal norms, and agents of social control

Social Typing Process

The categorization of individuals as deviant based on societal norms

Agents of Social Control

Entities (e.g., police, schools, media) responsible for maintaining conformity

Normalization of Deviance

When deviant behaviors or traits become accepted within society

Resistance to Stigmatization

Efforts by individuals or groups to challenge negative labels

Institutional Responses to Deviance

Policies and practices that aim to address or suppress deviance

Moral Panics

Societal reactions to perceived threats that often exaggerate the problem of deviance

Moral Regulation

The imposition of societal norms to shape individual behavior in line with dominant values

Cultural Hegemony and Deviance

How dominant cultural values influence definitions of deviance

Cyber-Deviance

Deviant behaviors occurring in online spaces, such as hacking or cyberbullying

Neutralization Techniques

Strategies individuals use to justify or rationalize deviant behavior

Moral Entrepreneurs

Individuals or groups who work to change societal perceptions of deviance

Interactionist Perspective on Deviance

Focus on how deviance is negotiated and constructed in social interactions