Quest 2 Quiz

What is social construction?

The idea that society and culture shape how we understand the world; reality is created through shared meanings (e.g., gender roles, beauty standards).

What is socialization?

The lifelong process by which people learn the beliefs, values, and behaviors of their culture.

What is culture?

A group’s shared way of life—including beliefs, behaviors, values, and symbols.

What are cultural practices?

Routine behaviors or traditions that express a culture’s values.

What are cultural objects?

Physical items that hold cultural meaning.

What are cultural cognitions?

Shared ways of thinking or interpreting the world that are shaped by culture.

What are cultural values?

Deeply held beliefs about what is good, right, or desirable.

What is cultural competence?

The ability to understand and navigate different cultural contexts effectively.

What is resocialization?

Learning new norms and values after leaving an old role or environment.

What is culture shock?

The confusion or discomfort experienced when encountering a very different culture.

What is a subculture?

A group that shares overall cultural patterns but also has distinct norms or values.

Who are the agents of socialization?

The people and institutions that teach cultural norms—family, school, peers, media, and work.

What are the elements of culture?

Norms, values, symbols, and language that guide how people behave and think.

What is homophily?

The tendency to associate with people similar to ourselves (same background, beliefs, etc.).

What is ethnocentrism?

Judging another culture based on your own cultural standards.

What is cultural relativism?

Understanding a culture on its own terms rather than judging it.

What does it mean that identities are socially constructed?

Identities like race, gender, and class are not natural—they’re created and given meaning by society.

What is race?

A social category based on perceived physical differences (like skin color) that society gives meaning to.

What is ethnicity?

A shared cultural heritage—language, religion, traditions, or ancestry.

What is a stereotype?

An oversimplified or fixed idea about a group of people.

What is stigma?

A negative label that devalues someone or marks them as different.

What is sex?

The biological traits (chromosomes, hormones, anatomy) that classify people as male or female.

What is gender?

The social meanings and expectations attached to being male, female, or another identity.

What is intersex?

Someone born with biological traits that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female.

What does transgender mean?

A person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

What does cisgender mean?

A person whose gender identity matches their assigned sex at birth.

What does non-binary mean?

A person whose gender identity doesn’t fit within the male/female binary.

What does binary mean?

A system that classifies things into two opposite categories—like male/female or gay/straight.

What is intersectionality?

The idea that social identities (race, gender, class, sexuality, etc.) overlap to create unique experiences of privilege or oppression.

How does Lisa Wade explain identity change over time?

Social expectations and power structures shift, so what identities mean can evolve.

What is deviance?

Behavior that violates social norms or expectations.

What is crime?

A type of deviance that violates the law and is punishable by the state.

What is anomie?

A state of normlessness when society’s rules are unclear or break down.

What are Merton’s typologies of deviance?

Robert Merton explained deviance as a response to the gap between cultural goals and the means to achieve them.

1. Conformity – accepts goals and means (e.g., working hard for success)

2. Innovation – accepts goals, rejects means (e.g., selling drugs to get rich)

3. Ritualism – rejects goals, accepts means (e.g., going through motions without ambition)

4. Retreatism – rejects both goals and means (e.g., drug addicts, dropouts)

5. Rebellion – rejects both and replaces them with new goals/means (e.g., revolutionaries)

What is Strain Theory?

Merton’s idea that deviance results when people can’t achieve cultural goals through approved means.

What is Social Disorganization Theory?

Suggests that weak social institutions (like family or community) lead to higher crime rates.

What is Conflict Theory of deviance?

Argues that laws and norms benefit the powerful and punish the less powerful.

What is Neutralization Theory?

Says people justify deviant acts through excuses to protect their self-image.

What is Labeling Theory?

The idea that being labeled “deviant” can lead people to accept that identity and act accordingly.

What is Primary deviance?

he first act of rule-breaking that might get someone labeled as deviant.

What is Secondary deviance?

When a person accepts the deviant label and continues to behave accordingly.

How does Lisa Wade connect deviance to society?

She shows that deviance isn’t just about “bad people”—it’s about how society defines and reacts to behaviors. Power and inequality influence who gets labeled “deviant.”

What is Differential Association Theory?

deviance is learned socially, not inherited — who you surround yourself with shapes your norms and behavior.

What is a social organization?

A group formed to meet a specific goal or need, often with defined roles and rules. Organizations show how structure shapes individual behavior.

What is the division of labour?

The way tasks are divided among people to achieve efficiency. Some jobs gain more prestige or pay than others.

What is a bureaucracy?

A formal organization with rules, hierarchy, and standardized procedures designed for efficiency.

What are characteristics of bureaucracies?

• Hierarchy of authority

• Clear division of labor

• Written rules and records

• Impersonality

• Merit-based employment

Bureaucracies can be efficient but also dehumanizing.

What are social institutions?

Systems and structures that organize major areas of social life. Institutions reproduce cultural values and inequalities.

What is social structure?

The stable pattern of relationships and roles that organize society. Structure influences personal choices—our freedom operates within limits.

What is a social position?

A person’s location within the social structure, such as their class, gender, or job role.

What are ideologies?

Sets of beliefs that justify social arrangements or power structures. Ideologies make inequality seem natural or fair.

What is institutional discrimination?

Unfair treatment that’s built into the policies and practices of social institutions.

What is social stratification?

he ranking of people into social layers (based on class, race, gender, etc.). Stratification affects access to power, education, and opportunity.

What is gig work?

Temporary, flexible jobs without traditional benefits or security. Gig work shows the shift toward postmodern economies—less stability, more independence.

What are premodern, modern, and postmodern ways of thought?

• Premodern: Tradition and religion guide life; little change.

• Modern: Logic, science, and progress dominate (industrial era).

• Postmodern: Skeptical of progress and truth; emphasizes diversity and change.

How does Lisa Wade describe institutions and inequality?

Institutions don’t just organize society—they maintain power differences. They’re part of the “terrible” and “magnificent” balance of social life.