SOCIO Test #1 Review

Where are the definitions, key names, and core concepts of the course listed and defined?

It is found in the Core Concepts for Sociology stored in Files in Canvas. 

Where are the lecture notes stored?

The lecture notes are stored in files in Canvas under the name “Lecture Agenda Memos”. 

Where are the student generated content summarizing and discussing the readings and lectures stored?

This content is stored in Section Weekly Presentation and Discussion Files in Files in Canvas. 

What is the definition of socialization?

The definition of socialization is the social process of learning group social norms. 

What is the definition of sociology

Sociology is the study of society. 

What kind of “community” are we building in this class?

?

What were the topics of our very first-class discussion, our ice-breakers?

The topics of our first-class discussion and our ice-breakers are the following: Phoebe Bridger’s song “Lost Boys”. We discussed what the song was about and the sociological themes of the song. We also talked about living in a community where a ‘big-tech’ company announced their plan to build a new data center. We specifically discussed if we were in favor, opposed, unsure or uninterested in the new data center and the sociological themes of this debate. 

What is the title of “Chapter 1” of C. Wright Mills’ book The Sociological Imagination?” What does the title mean?

The title of Chapter 1 of C. Wright Milli’s book is The Promise. “The Promise” refers to the ability of sociological imagination to help people understand how their private lives connect to larger historical and social forces. It's the promise that sociological imagination/sociology can help people make sense of their lives rather than feeling confused and trapped in their life. 

What is the definition of the sociological imagination?

Sociological imagination is the intersection of human biography and history (society).

Why do people feel confused and trapped in their lives, according to Mills?

According to Millis, people feel confused and trapped in their lives because they don't connect their personal troubles to historical changes or societal institutions. Without sociological imagination, they misdiagnose their own problems as individual failures rather than symptoms of bigger societal shifts. 

What happened to the insurance salesman and his wife and his son?

The insurance salesman becomes a rocket launcher, his wife is left living along and his son grows up without a father.

What makes a classic a classic?

A classic remains relevant despite the passage of time. All kinds of classics, songs, cars, clothing styles, and sociologists. 

What, according to Mills, did the “classic social analysts” all do?

The “classic social analysts” asked the same types of questions.  

What is the first question in the first set of questions?

"What is the structure of this particular society as a whole? What are its essential components, and how are they related to one another?"

What is the second question in the second set of questions?

"What are the mechanics by which it is changing?" The second question is about history/social change. 

What is the first question in the third set of questions?

"What varieties of men and women now prevail in this society and this period?"

What is the last question in the third set of questions?

"And what is the meaning for 'human nature' of each and every feature of the society we are examining?"

In lecture I offered a summary of the sets of questions: What is my “summary” of the questions?

The summary states that all social systems (societies) include a social contract which produced a form of social hierarchy and also produces a cultural script that regulates all behavior in the system. 

From the list of names Mills includes as “classic social analysts”, which big 3 names do we focus on in this course?

The big 3 names to focus on in this course are Marx, Durkheim and Weber but also Millis.

What happened in Lakewood in the early 1990s?

In the early 1990s Lakewood experienced the group Spur Posse were arrested on charges that included rape, unlawful sexual intercourse and lewd conduct with a minor. The charges were ultimately dropped but this happened during a time in which this once flourishing town, now is economically collapsing. 

How did the community find out they had a problem in their community? Then what happened?

The story of the Spurs Posse became a “media circus” and many boys and girls appeared on national television and news programs. To many residents the media frenzy itself was much more bigger and controversial then the actual incident.

How did members of the community describe their community?

Members of the community would describe their community as not being a part of Los Angeles and as “upper-middle class”, “all-American”, and full of “good citizens.

How did members of the community explain what had happened in the community? What, according to residents, were the causes of the trouble in their community?

The residents of Lakewood distanced themselves from this situation, they would deny and push blame onto other factors that blew up this situation. Many members of the community would blame the media, immigrants or “the condoms in schools”. 

Why do ordinary people feel confused according to Mills in the opening paragraph of The Sociological Imagination?

Ordinary people feel confused because their awareness of their troubles is tied to their personal environment such as their job, family, or neighborhood. But they don't realize that their troubles are actually connected to historical change and the greater society. 

How did Joan Didion learn about the Trouble in Lakewood?

Joan Didion learned about the Trouble in Lakewood at the height of the Spurs Posse controversy especially because of the media coverage. 

Did Didion use something like the sets of questions suggested by Mills in her explanation of what had happened in Lakewood?

Yes she did. She set up Lakewood’s social structures (housing, schools, gender roles) and also set up the historical changes such as federal cuts, corporate relocation, anything integral to Lakewood. As well as the social hierarchy which is mostly white, blue collar to lower white collar, middle class. 

What is the structure of Lakewood?

The structure of Lakewood was built entirely on the Douglas/McDonnell Douglas Plant and the mall. As the plants were a center of economic activity and stability and the mall was what tied the community together.

What is the history of Lakewood?

The history of Lakewood is that it was built from farmland after WWII (1950), by developers Taper, Weingart, and Boyar on 3,400 acres bought for $8.8M. Marketed as "Tomorrow's City Today," modeled on Levittown. Its success depended on the convergence of WWII, the Korean War, the G.I. Bill, and Cold War defense contracts. Opening day in 1950 drew 30,000 people; 611 homes sold in the first week alone.

What was the social hierarchy in Lakewood?

The social hierarchy in Lakewood consists of mostly white, working to lower white collar aerospace families. Residents saw themselves as upper middle class and all American.

What was ordinary life like in Lakewood? Was it inter-generational? Passed from one generation to the next? What was the social contract in Lakewood?

Ordinary life in Lakewood consisted of youth sports and male achievement. Lakewood was inter-generational in regards to their culture and values being based down, but the economic foundation shifted as the economy in Lakewood crumbled. The social contract in Lakewood consisted of buying a home through the G.I. Bill, getting married/staying married and working at one of the plants. In exchange, social mobility in life was ensured, and achieving “The American Dream.

How was Lakewood changing? Why was this happening?

Lakewood was changing because it was job cuts and layoffs were taking place affecting the town’s identity. This was happening because of the Douglas Plant relocating, and changes in federal budget cuts affecting the job and economy stability of Lakewood.

Why does Didion tell her family life story in her analysis?

Didion tells her family’s life story in her analysis because she has a connection to the economic shifts happening in Lakewood. Her father worked managing defense contracts which ultimately impacted the faith of Lakewood. 

What is gender like in Lakewood?

Men were defined by their assertiveness and by their athletic dominance, as seen with the Spur Posse. While women were defined through motherhood and their support roles within the community. 

What is race like in Lakewood?

Lakewood was predominantly white, especially because the G.I Bill often denied African American military veterans from buying homes. 

What is class like in Lakewood?

The class was white collar, lower-middle class but many of the residents of Lakewood saw themselves as upper middle class. 

What was the school system like in Lakewood?

Didion notes that, “"This is not a community that pushes its children hard, or launches them into the far world." There was also a district magnet program in aerospace technology (234 students in 1990–91) that channeled kids straight into Long Beach Community College and then into jobs at McDonnell Douglas — essentially reproducing the same defense-industry pipeline generation after generation.

Where is the Lakewood High School Sports Hall of Fame?

The Lakewood Youth Sports Hall of Fame is not at the high school and not at City Hall but in the McDonald’s at the corner of Woodruff and Del Amo.

How were kid’s birthday parties becoming a challenging cultural event?

Kids birthday parties were becoming a challenging cultural event because its in these parties that the residents felt the reality set in that Lakewood is facing a bad economic situation. 

Was somebody in Lakewood getting divorced? Why?

Yes it was Dottie Belman and her husband Donald. It's not clear why but it could have been breaking under the strain of everything that took place in Lakewood. Such as economic collapse, Spur Posse scandal, media coverage and possibly because Dottie had cancer. 

Were the kids of Lakewood somehow betrayed? If so, betrayed by what or by whom?

I think the kids of Lakewood were betrayed by the system/the older generation that raised them to believe in social mobility and to believe in an idealized Lakewood where everything was perfect. Instead Lakewood slowly transformed and was stripped away from the American Dream because of the economic collapse, Spurs Posse scandale, etc. 

Were the residents of Lakewood betrayed? If so, betrayed by what or by whom?

The residents of Lakewood were betrayed, and they were betrayed by the government and the economy that the town had built its identity around. 

What was the role of global-political affairs in what happened in Lakewood?

Global-political affairs had created Lakewood in the first place. Didion notes that the includes of WWII and the Korean War, the G.I bill and the Cold War setting made it the perfect time and place. But as the Cold War ended so did economic stability in Lakewood. 

What was the role of national politics in what happened in Lakewood?

National politics shaped the survival of Lakewood. As contracts were changed so did the economic landscape of Lakewood. Many were left without jobs due to relocations, and less jobs were available. 

Who is Dr. Arlie Hochschild? What other research study and sociological concept is she famous for?

Dr. Arlie Hochschild is a famous contemporary sociologist. She specializes in doing participant-observation research and through that research, she found that although the women's liberation movement had succeeded in getting women into professional jobs, women hadn't actually been liberated from their traditional roleplay at home — they were still expected to be full-time wives and mothers. 

What and where did she study in the selection we read and discussed for class? Why did she choose this place to study?

She studied in a community in Louisiana, nicknamed “Cancer Alley”. She chose to study this community because she wanted to understand polarization during Obama’s presidency. She chose a community that fit the sociological profile she was interested in learning about. 

What is “the great paradox?”

“The great paradox” is her basic research question, why were people supporting President Trump? It didn't make sociological sense to her as the basis of the Republican platform is to reduce government spending on social programs; programs that many poor people relied on. 

Briefly, what is the meaning of the title of her book?

The title of her book, “Stranger in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right”, captures the emotional experience of the people she studied. They feel like outsiders in their one country and culture they consider themselves at the heart of. 

What is a “deep story?”

A “deep story” is a feel as if story, it removes judgment and fact and just tells you how to feel. In this study, it allows both sides of the political spectrum to explore the subjective prism through which the party of the other side sees the world. 

How does Hochschild describe “The American Dream?”

Hochschild describes “The American Dream” as a hill and people stand in line to get over the hill. She describes it as waiting in line, but as you wait you are stuck in the middle, as the line barely moves or even moves backwards. But as you watch you see line cutting and feel hopeless and feel as if your work means nothing.

What are the large historical structural changes that have impacted the people she studies?

The large historical structural changes that have impacted the people she has studied include: 

Age discrimination, “government giveaways", catcalls, companies rely on offshore labor, cheap imported labor, automation, decline of unions, dangerous pollution. Loss of inter-generational upward mobility amidst declining well-being across the life course, declining incomes, rise of unemployment and underemployment (part time work), declining mortality, rise of deaths of despair (from alcoholism, substance abuse, and suicide)

Loss of societal respect: insulting white working class stereotypes in the media, decline in participation in religious life, the heterosexual family, high divorce rates, decline in national patriotism.

Who and what are “line cutters?” Examples: Why are people angry at the Obamas?

Line cutters are people who seemed to get ahead on the line to achieve the American dream. These people include refugees, immigrants, women, people of color, anyone who has accepted help from the government. People were angry at the Obamas because they in a way cut the line and were able to get ahead and achieve the American dream, and then they started to help other people to achieve the dream while people who have been in line longer and still stuck. 

Why are people angry at the government?

People are angry at the government for allowing and facilitating line cutting. People also feel like Obama is the president for the line cutters, not for all.

There was an interesting gender difference in attitudes towards government cuts for social programs. What was the difference? P. 148

Women and men have different estimates for the number of people who game the welfare system. Women estimate 30% of people are gaming the welfare system while men estimated 80%.

What are any two of the themes that Hochschild’s research subjects often get factually incorrect?

2 themes that Hochschild’s research subjects often get factually incorrect are: Subjects often estimated that around 40% of Americans work for federal/state government — the actual 2014 figure was less than 17%. The common belief was that public employees are "way overpaid," but Hochschild found private-sector workers actually earned 12% more than public-sector workers on average (using 2006–2007 CPS data).

Using Berger and Luckmann’s “social construction of reality theory”, why doesn’t there need to be a match between facts and beliefs amongst social groups?

There doesn't need to be a match between facts and beliefs amongst social groups because reality isn't discovered through facts — it's built through social interaction. Groups form shared beliefs by talking, living together, and reinforcing each other's views (church, community, media). That shared belief becomes their "reality," regardless of whether it matches statistics. So facts and beliefs can diverge because beliefs come from social consensus, not objective verification.

What is the title of the assigned reading by Marx?

The title of the assigned reading by Marx is, “I. Bourgeois and Proletarians”, from The Manifesto of the Communist Party. 

Who was the co-author? Briefly describe his co-author.

The co-author is Friedrich Engels. Both of them wrote the manifesto for the working class. 

What is the classic first sentence of the reading that begins with “The history of….”?

The first sentence is “"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles."

What is the mechanism of social change, according to Marx and Engels?

According to Marx and Engles, the mechanism of social change is class struggle itself. The constant conflict between opposing classes, lords vs. serfs, bourgeoisie vs. proletariat. This is what drives historical change in each stage of society, eventually producing another social conflict to make a new social order.

What are a few of the other famous passages?

Other famous passages include:

• "All that is solid melts into air" — capitalism destroys previous traditions, religion, cultural customs, and extended family relationships; nothing stable or sacred survives its constant revolutionizing of production.

• "Callous cash nexus" — capitalism reduces all human relationships to money and self-interest; even things once considered sacred (religious devotion, family sentiment, chivalric ideals) get "drowned" in cold, egotistical calculation.

• "An appendage to the machine" — describes how capitalism organizes labor so that workers become mere extensions of the machinery they operate, stripped of individual skill or character, doing tedious, repetitive work.

What is historical materialism?

Historical materialism is a method of social analysis that studies how humans have satisfied their needs across history. 

What is the means of subsistence?

The means of subsistence is something that humans must obtain to survive: food, water, clothing, and shelter. 

What are the two classes in Marx’s model?

The two classes are the Owners and Workers. The owners own the means of production, factory, land, equipment, supplies, and can therefore control how the work is done and keep the profit. The workers own nothing, only their ability to work, need to work to survive. They want to be treated fairly, safely and respectfully.

What area of modern law helps owners?

? 

Possibly:  "an administrative arm serving bourgeois class interests," meaning the political and legal system generally functions to protect and advance owners' interests rather than being a neutral institution.

What are the rights of owners?

Owners (the bourgeoisie) own the means of production — the factory, land, equipment, and supplies. Because of this ownership, they have the right/power to control how the work is done, and they keep the profit generated by that work.

What are the sociological characteristics of workers?

Workers (the proletariat) own nothing except their own ability to work — their labor power. But they want to be treated fairly, safely, and be respected. 

What is exploitation?

Workers are pushed to work really hard but are paid low wages. 

What is alienation?

Alienation is that the work process is often designed in a way that leaves workers feeling bored, they feel like “appendages to the machine”.

What is the difference between wealth and income?

The difference between wealth and income is that wealth refers to ownership of assets. While Income refers to an earned flow of money, often from working, sometimes from investments in stocks, bonds, or real estate.

How much wealth does the top 10% richest group own?

They held nearly 70% of U.S. wealth in 2021. 

Briefly, “why does inequality matter?” What are the societal consequences of inequality?

Inequality matters because  concentrated wealth means most people struggle to get by, weakens consumer spending/demand, gives the rich outsized political influence, and shrinks upward social mobility. The consequences are struggling middle/lower classes, reduced spending power, rich buying political influence, and declining social mobility.

Who was Frederick Winslow Taylor? Family background, leisure activities, college, work history.

Frederick Winslow Taylor is known for his methods to improve industrial efficiency, he was the most famous ‘consultant’ of all time, he sort of invented the role of the modern workflow consultant. Taylor — Family:
Born 1856, Philadelphia, Quaker family. Father: Princeton-educated lawyer (wealth from mortgages). Mother: abolitionist, worked with Lucretia Mott. 

Taylor — Education:
Passed Harvard entrance exams but didn't attend (eyesight issues). Became a machinist apprentice instead. Earned BS in mechanical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology (1883), studied via correspondence.

Taylor — Leisure:
Skilled tennis and golf player. Won first U.S. National doubles tennis championship (1881). Placed 4th in golf, 1900 Olympics.

Taylor — Work history:

Machinist at Midvale Steel (1878) → promoted to foreman/chief engineer. Noticed workers "soldiering" (working slow) → sparked his efficiency studies. Opened own consulting practice (1893). Joined Bethlehem Steel (1898), forced out (1901). Spent later career writing/lecturing on Scientific Management; became a professor at Dartmouth's Tuck School.

What are the well-known synonyms for his managerial techniques?

Its often referred to as Taylorism and also Scientific Management. 

From class lecture presentation; what are the 3 steps of his system and what are the 3 effects of his system?

The 3 steps are:

1. Get the knowledge of how the work is done.

2. Have the knowledge of how the work is done.

3. Use the knowledge to redesign the workflow, looking for the most efficient way to do the work, often by breaking it up into the most simplest tasks turning it into work that can be done with little training or skill by almost anyone.

The 3 effects of his system are

1. deskilling: there is little skill necessary to do redesigned work (known as “the deskilling thesis”

2. devaluing the work: with no skill necessary the price paid to the worker can be reduced, new workers can be trained very quickly, workers can easily be replaced.

3. degrading the worker: workers feel like “an appendage to the machine” because the work is tedious and boring.

Briefly, what is the U.S. history of the middle class?

 The middle class used to be primary farmers and small business shopkeepers who tended to own their own land, tools, building and equipment. But over the past 150 years it has shifted to large organizations which have grown into large bureaucracies. 

What are the 3 characteristics of white collar workers?

3 characteristics are Class: Own nothing, often receive a higher salary according to prestige of occupation and educational attainment levels. Status: Enjoy higher social status across the social system, wear nice clean clothes to work(white-collar). Their prestige is determined by education and occupation. Power: Often get to supervise someone else (provides a sense of superiority and self-esteem).

How are these 3 characteristics related to the 2-class model venn diagram?

These 3 characteristics relate to the 2-class model venn diagram because by class (ownership), white-collar workers sit with the "Workers" circle — they own nothing. But their status and power pull them closer to "Owners." So they occupy an ambiguous overlap zone, not cleanly fitting either circle — which is why Mills added Weber's status/power to Marx's model.

What was the central research question that led Willis to do his study of a British high school in the early 1970s? What is the title and subtitle of his book? What is the title of the assigned chapter we read?

The central question is “How is the capitalist social system reproduced from one generation to the next?” The title of the assigned chapter is “Elements of a Culture" (Chapter 2).

What is the definition of “culture?”

Culture is a whole way of life. 

What did Raymond Williams call the following group of words and why are they important: socialization, norms, class, class consciousness, solidarity, institution, roles, masculinity, patriarchy, gender, race, education, community, culture, family, marriage, police, clothing, sex, smoking, drinking, fighting, laughing, authority, soldiering, leisure, popular music, social network, attendance, time, British colonial history, capitalism, sociological imagination, social structure, hierarchy, agency, and more.

Raymond Williams called this group of words “keywords”, elements of a culture. And they are important because it helps us understand a culture as a whole way of life. 

Who are the ‘lads?’ What are the sociological roles and norms they are performing? What are the “elements” of their culture? Use the words listed above in your answers.

"The lads" are working-class boys who build a counter-school culture rooted in solidarity and opposition to authority, rejecting school norms and socialization in favor of their own. Their masculinity and patriarchy are performed through fighting, sexual bravado, smoking, drinking, and "soldiering" (deliberately withholding effort), while clothing and slang-heavy humor ("having a laff") mark their class identity and reject the school institution's value Ultimately, their agency and cultural choices ironically reproduce the same social structure and class hierarchy they were born into.

Who are the other people in their social system? What are the sociological roles and norms they are performing? Use the keywords above in your answers.

Teachers represent the school institution and enforce official norms, authority, and socialization, though the lads see their status as unearned and resent being "subject to their every whim." The "ear'oles" are conformist students who accept school authority, follow classroom norms, and lack the solidarity and independence the lads value — occupying an opposing role within the same social system. The Careers Master represents the institution's messaging about future class mobility and respectable adult roles.

What is the hierarchy of their social system?

The hierarchy of their social system is a division between the formal and informal. The school is the zone of the formal — with a clear structure: the school building, school rules, pedagogic practice, and a staff hierarchy whose power is ultimately backed by the state. The "ear'oles" invest in this formal hierarchy — accepting a loss of autonomy in exchange for the promise that following the rules leads somewhere (qualifications, respectability). "The lads," by contrast, build an informal counter-hierarchy based on solidarity, toughness, and status within their own group their pecking order is earned through fighting, humor, and rule-breaking rather than academic achievement or obedience.

What is the sociological meaning of “time” in the lives of the lads?

For the school, time is treated like money — something valuable, to be carefully planned and "spent" toward future goals (qualifications). But for the lads, time isn't something to husband toward a future payoff — it's something they want to claim for themselves right now, as an expression of their own identity and self-direction. 

What happens on the last day of school?

On the last day of school the lads spend their last lunchtime of their final term getting deliberately drunk at a pub, as an act of affiliation with adulthood and open defiance of the school. As Spanksy puts it, "it only happens once in your life" — without it, the day would have been forgettable, "just another day." But they return to school late and visibly drunk; the headmaster has called the police, and the lads try (and fail) to dodge a waiting policeman. They're rounded up, taken to the headmaster's office, and the head writes threatening letters to their parents

What happens on the field trip to the museum?

Described as "a nightmare for staff." On the coach, the lads smoke in the back seats and deface them with graffiti. Inside the museum, they ignore "Please do not touch" signs — handling exhibits, stealing cough sweets, rocking display chairs, obscuring a model village, and "kidnapping" a miniature figure to mock-dissect. They sneak out to smoke, embarrass a shop window dresser, and slip into a pub. Back at school, summoned to the headmaster's office, they can't even guess which offense got them in trouble — it turns out to be the ink on the coach seats.

How do the parents respond when the school sends a letter home to the parents?

Many of the parents don't take the situation seriously at all, one mother even keeps the disciplinary letters as a keepsake to show her son's future kids "what a terror you was."

What is the structure of gender in their culture?

Patriarchal. Women split into "sexual object" vs. "domestic comforter." Sexually active girls stigmatized; girlfriends held to a monogamy code. Girls dominated but also collude in their own domination (giggling, deference). 

What is the structure of race in their culture?

Three informal groups: white, West Indian, Asian — self-segregated even in "integrated" spaces. Racial slurs common; racial identity often replaces individual identity in stories. Asians treated worst (seen as alien/unclean); West Indians treated somewhat better (shared masculine/oppositional style) but resented over sexual rivalry. 

Has the school actually worked even though the Lads do not do any schoolwork?

Yes — not academically, but culturally. It produced workers equipped to tolerate boring, subordinate labor (via soldiering, humor, toughness), which is exactly what capitalism needs. 

What happens, according to lecture, when the lads and the earholes make the school to work transition?

Lads transition easily — school culture prepped them for tedious work. Ear'oles struggle — disappointed, lonely, confused; lacked working-class coping culture. 

Does the social system of capitalism get what it needs to successfully survive? How? Why? Use our basic Marxian Venn diagram model in your answer.

Yes. Lads → Workers circle (manual jobs). Ear'oles → near the Worker/Owner line (white-collar/supervisory). Class structure reproduces itself through the students' own choices/culture, not force — "cultural reproduction."