sociol 2 (short)

Social Stratification

Society's hierarchy based on wealth, power, and prestige.

Structured Inequalities

Built-in societal disparities that automatically favor one group over another.

Class

Socio-economic grouping based on wealth and job that shapes life chances.

Race

Socially constructed category based on perceived physical traits; no biological basis.

Gender

Socially learned behaviors and expectations linked to sex categories.

Income

Regular flow of money coming in (wages, salaries, dividends).

Wealth

Total assets owned minus total debts (Net Worth).

Quintile

A statistical slice representing exactly $20\%$ of a population.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership of capital

Economy based on private property, wage labor, and profit.

Proletariat

The working class; must sell their labor for a wage to survive.

Bourgeoisie

The capitalist class; owns the means of production and employs labor.

Means of Production

Physical infrastructure needed to produce goods (factories, land, machines).

Labor

Mental and physical human energy used to make goods.

Alienation

Marx's concept of workers feeling isolated from their work, products, and selves.

Crisis of Capitalism

Inherent systemic contradictions (like overproduction) that cause economic crashes.

Class Consciousness

Collective awareness of a shared economic position and common political interests.

Socialism

Collective awareness of a shared economic position and common political interests.

Social Mobility

Upward or downward movement between different socio-economic layers.

Meritocracy

System where success is based purely on individual talent and effort.

Legitimation

The process of making inequalities seem just, natural, and acceptable.

The American Dream

Ideology that anyone can achieve success through pure hard work.

Ethnicity

Social identity based on shared culture, national origin, or ancestry.

Racism

Institutional power + racial prejudice used to oppress a specific race.

Institutional Racism

Systemic policies and routines in institutions that produce racial harms.

Overt Racism

Explicit, intentional, and public expressions of racial bigotry.

Colorblind Racism

Disregarding race to explain inequalities as natural market or cultural outcomes.

Microaggressions

Subtle, everyday slights or insults targeted at marginalized groups.

Residential Segregation

Physical, geographic separation of racial groups into different neighborhoods.

Redlining

Historic practice of banks denying loans/investments to neighborhoods of color.

Veil of Darkness Test

Testing police profiling by comparing traffic stop rates before vs. after sunset.

Sex

Biological, anatomical, and genetic differences assigned at birth.

The Gender Binary

The rigid cultural division of gender into exactly two forms: male/female.

Sexism

Institutionalized discrimination or prejudice based on a person's sex.

Androcentrism

Placing a masculine worldview at the center, making it the societal norm.

Ideal Worker Norm

Workplace expectation of total devotion to a job with zero family disruptions.

Intensive Mothering Norm

Cultural mandate that mothers must center immense time/money on child-rearing.

Second Shift

Unpaid domestic labor completed at home after a paid workday (mostly women).

Intersectionality

Interlocking systems of oppression (race, class, gender) interacting together.

Power

The structural ability to carry out your will even against resistance.

Power Elite

Mills' term for a tight circle of corporate, political, and military leaders.

Pluralist

power is split among groups

Elite

power is held by a wealthy few.

The Revolving Door

Personnel moving between private industries and the government agencies regulating them.

Command Posts

Top leadership positions inside core institutions that set societal rules.

Interlocks

Individuals sitting on the boards of directors of multiple corporations at once.

Oligarchy

Organizational structure where power is trapped within a tiny elite group.

Social Reproduction

Process where class advantages and inequalities are passed down generations.

Social Closure

Dominant groups safeguarding advantages by restricting outsiders' access to resources.

Economic Capital

Financial assets like cash, property, and investments.

Social Capital

Resources, influence, and opportunities gained through social networks/connections.

Cultural Capital

Non-financial social assets that grant institutional mobility.

Embodied

Internalized habits, accents, and tastes.

Objectified

Prestigious physical items (art, books).

Institutional

Formal qualifications (degrees, licenses).

Everyday Resistance

Quiet, unorganized acts of defiance against dominant powers (e.g., foot-dragging).

Interdependent Power

Power from mutual reliance; bottom groups withhold cooperation to force change.

Collective Action

Coordinated group action to address a grievance or push for change.

Social Construction of Social Problems

Process where an objective condition is successfully labeled as a public problem.

Insurgent Consciousness

Collective sense of outrage that views status quo conditions as illegitimate.

Organizational Strength

A movement's structural capacity (funds, communication, leader network, members).

Standing

Institutional recognition that allows a group to speak authoritatively in media.

Frames

Narrative lenses used by movements to simplify facts and mobilize people.

Opportunity Structures (Political / Cultural / Economic)

External societal conditions that open up to allow movements to succeed.

Critical Events

Shocking public events that act as sudden catalysts for political action.

Frame Alignment

Linking a movement's goals/messages with the values of the public.

Echo Chamber

Digital spaces where individuals only see info that reinforces their own views.

Misinformation

False or inaccurate info spread without necessarily intending to deceive.

Radicalization

Process of adopting extreme ideologies that reject democratic norms.

#MeToo Movement

Global digital movement utilizing viral sharing to expose systemic sexual harassment.

DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act)

1996 federal law defining marriage as one man/one woman; let states reject same-sex marriage.

Respect for Marriage Act

2022 federal law protecting and recognizing same-sex and interracial marriages.

Proposition 8

2008 California ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage (later ruled unconstitutional).

Lawrence (2003)

Decriminalized same-sex consensual sex.

Windsor (2013)

Struck down DOMA's federal benefits ban.

Perry (2013)

Cleared the way for same-sex marriage to resume in CA.

Obergefell (2015)

Legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

Anonymity

Operating online without exposing one's true identity.

Persistence

The durability of digital content, ensuring records remain accessible long-term.

Visibility

The systemic capacity of platforms to make content easily discoverable to massive, distributed audiences.

Gender Models

Culturally available templates dictating how to perform your gender script.

Stay at Home Girlfriends

TikTok trend showing traditional domestic/wellness roles funded by unmarried partners.

Blackface Minstrelsy

19th-century theater using racist makeup caricatures to solidify white superiority.

Digital Blackface

Non-Black users using Black expressions, memes, or slang online for exaggerated emotion.

The D'Amelio Effect

Algorithmic bias favoring white, conventional creators over original Black creators.

Goldin & Rouse (Blind Auditions)

Orchestra screen study proving blind hiring increased female hires and exposed gender bias.

Busing

Policy of transporting students outside neighborhood zones to integrate public schools.

Devah Pager (Mark of a Criminal Record)

Audit study proving clean Black applicants got fewer job callbacks than white applicants with records.

Exploitation

Appropriating surplus value of labor while paying workers less than they generate.

Labor Unions

Organized worker associations bargaining collectively for better wages and safety.

Union Busting

Corporate tactics or legal strategies used to disrupt or dissolve unions.

Calling

19th-century courtship held in the home under strict maternal control.

Rating and Dating

Mid-20th-century competitive campus dating aimed at building peer status.

Going Steady

Post-WWII exclusive relationship trend serving as a precursor to early marriage.

Hookup Culture

Contemporary campus norm encouraging casual sex without emotional intimacy.

"Just Talking"

Ambiguous pre-relationship digital communication stage without formal labels.