Sociology and Social Stratification Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key sociological concepts including social stratification, racial inequality, gender norms, power dynamics, and social movement theories.

Social stratification

The system of structured inequalities between different groups of people, categorized by hierarchies such as class, race, and gender.

Quintile

A statistical value of a data set that represents 20% of a given population, often used to analyze the distribution of income or wealth.

Proletariat

In Marxist theory, the social class of wage earners who do not own the means of production and must sell their labor to survive.

Bourgeoisie

The ruling class in a capitalist society who own the means of production and employ wage labor.

Alienation

A condition in capitalism where the worker feels isolated from the product of their labor, the process of production, themselves, and others.

Class consciousness

The recognition by members of a social class of their shared interests and collective role within the economic and social system.

Meritocracy

A social system in which advancement is based solely on individual ability or achievement rather than social status or wealth.

Legitimation

The process by which a social order or system of inequality is justified and made to seem right or natural.

Institutional racism

Patterns of discrimination based on race that are built into social and political institutions, such as the legal system or housing market.

Colorblind racism

An ideology that explains contemporary racial inequality as the outcome of nonracial dynamics, effectively ignoring the persistence of systemic racism.

Microaggressions

The everyday, subtle, intentional or unintentional interactions or behaviors that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to marginalized groups.

Redlining

A discriminatory practice in which services (like mortgages or insurance) are withheld from potential customers who reside in neighborhoods classified as 'hazardous' to investment, often based on racial demographics.

Veil of darkness test

A statistical method used to detect racial profiling in traffic stops by comparing stop rates during the day to those at night when the driver's race is less visible.

Androcentrism

The practice of placing a masculine point of view at the center of one’s world view, culture, and history, thereby marginalizing women.

Ideal worker norm

The expectation that employees should be completely devoted to their work, without any family or personal obligations that interfere with productivity.

Intensive mothering norm

The cultural pressure on mothers to devote a significant amount of time, energy, and money to raising their children.

Second shift

The unpaid domestic work and childcare typically performed by women after they return home from their paid jobs.

Intersectionality

A framework for understanding how various social identities—such as race, gender, and class—overlap to create unique modes of discrimination and privilege.

Power elite

A term for a small group of people who control the disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, and access to decision-making in a society.

The revolving door

The movement of high-level employees between public sector roles (government) and private sector roles (lobbying or industry), creating potential conflicts of interest.

Command posts

The top positions in major organizational hierarchies (economic, political, military) that provide individuals with significant power.

Interlocks

The practice where individuals sit on the boards of directors of multiple corporations, linking those organizations together.

Social capital

The networks of relationships and social connections that enable a person to succeed or gain access to resources.

Cultural capital

Non-financial social assets, such as education, speech, and dress, that promote social mobility; categorized as objectified, institutional, and embodied.

Insurgent consciousness

The collective sense of injustice and the belief that change is possible, which motivates people to participate in social movements.

Political opportunity structure

The external factors in the political environment that either encourage or discourage people from engaging in collective action or social movements.

Frame alignment

The process by which the interests and values of a social movement organization are linked with those of potential recruits or the public.

Devah Pager’s research

A study on 'the mark of a criminal record' that demonstrated how race and a criminal record interact to affect employment opportunities, finding that black applicants with no record were less likely to get callbacks than white applicants with a record.

Union busting

A range of activities or tactics used by employers to prevent workers from forming, joining, or maintaining a labor union.

Hookup culture

A social environment that encourages casual sexual encounters, including one-night stands and other brief activity, without necessarily expecting emotional intimacy or a committed relationship.

Civic engagement

Individual or collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern and improve the quality of life in a community.