Sociology 1 Midterm (Skrentny UCSD)

Sociological Vision / Imagination

Definition: The ability to connect personal experiences with larger social patterns and structures.

Example: Comparing Thai and Filipino food culture — Thai cuisine is more celebrated because cultural focus differs.

Problem of Individuals and Outliers

Definition: Sociology avoids explaining events through individual psychology or biology; it studies group patterns instead.

Example: Suicide is analyzed as a social phenomenon linked to societal change, not just personal reasons.

Social Order

Definition: The organization of society that reflects inequality (income, gender, race).

Example: Social hierarchies where wealth and privilege determine status.

Power

Definition: The probability of achieving one's will despite resistance (Weber).

Example: North Korea limiting websites and media access demonstrates centralized power.

Institutions

Definition: Established patterns of behavior and social practices that become norms.

Example: Schools are structured systems with assigned roles and routines.

Culture

Definition: Shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that shape society and its institutions.

Example: Economic classes (middle, high, low) reflect cultural organization.

Agency

Definition: The ability to make independent choices within social constraints.

Example: Choosing to live off-grid rather than following societal norms.

Social Change

Definition: Transformation of social norms, behaviors, and institutions over time.

Example: Women's increasing representation in the workforce.

Networks

Definition: Social connections that shape access to resources and information.

Example: Weak ties (acquaintances) often provide new opportunities and perspectives.

Racism (Clair & Denis)

Definition: System of racial inequality based on ideology, discrimination, and domination.

Example: Institutionalized racism — neutral policies (like housing loans) that produce unequal racial outcomes.

Fashion (Aspers & Godart)

Definition: A cultural and social expression tied to identity, class, and change.

Example: "Cool" fashion conveys status and group belonging (e.g., designer brands).

Extra Terms:

Fads: Short-lived (e.g., fidget spinners).

Trends: Long-lasting shifts (e.g., sustainable fashion).

Traditions: Stable practices (e.g., wearing jeans).

Achievement Gaps

Definition: Systematic differences in academic performance between groups (such as by race or socioeconomic status). Research shows most of these gaps originate outside of school, particularly during summers, not from school quality itself.

Equal Opportunity

Definition: The idea that all students should have the same educational chances; however, unequal home environments—resources, parental involvement, and early skill development—mean students do not enter school with equal opportunities, even when schools offer similar instruction.

School Impact (Contextual Perspective)

Definition: A view that measures how much schools contribute to student learning after accounting for differences in children’s home environments and starting skills. This perspective shows that schools often reduce inequality rather than cause it.

Education as a Stratifying Mechanism

Definition: School achievement determines access to higher-level coursework, credentials, and later employment opportunities; because early inequalities accumulate, educational outcomes form a pathway that reproduces social class advantages.

Power (Rosenfeld)

Definition: Employers’ ability to set wages based on organizational leverage rather than worker skills.

Example: Top athletes fought for higher wages after noticing a pay discrepancy

Inertia

Definition: Firms tend to maintain existing pay structures even when conditions change

Example: Software developers may be asked to learn and integrate AI into process without a raise

Mimicry

Definition: Companies copy other firms’ wage practices instead of determining pay independently.

Example: A software developer at Meta will earn a wage comparable to a software developer at Google.

Equity Norms

Definition: Employers adjust wages to maintain a sense of fairness across roles within the organization.

Example: A Senior Software Developer will make more than a Software Developer

Homelessness (Skrentny)

Definition: No adequate nighttime residence. There are 3 types: transitional, episodic and chronic.

Example: Moving campsites is not considered adequate because renters are frequently displaced

“Street People” (Snow)

Definition: People that engage in at least 3 types of “out-of-place” public activities: economic, social, residential

Example: Prostitutes, dealers, and pan-handlers

Secularization (Cassanova)

Definition: The differentiation between religious and other institutions, the decline of religious belief & practice, and the privatization of religion

Multirelationality (driven by Modernity)

Definition: Individuals are able to balance and compartmentalize ways of thought. It means that religion become a matter of individual decision.

Example: Someone may call a doctor to assess their health and ask a prayer group to pray for spiritual healing.

Pluralization

Definition: A default secular discourse co-exists with a plurality of religious discourses. Not just in society but in consciousness.

Example: The diversity of religious beliefs

Paradigm

Definition: Fundamental way of looking at the world or accepted way of thinking

Example: The shift from Newtonian mechanics to quantum mechanics as an explanation for the physical universe.