FINAL EXAM Question Bank

Quizzes 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14

How does Pierre Bourdieu define habitus? Describe it in terms of social class and cultural capital.

an embodied system of dispositions, tastes, cultural capital, and ideas

• people in the same social class tend to have similar habitus

• cultural capital is the primary basis for habitus

economic capital (Bourdieu)

money, property, material wealth

symbolic capital (Bourdieu)

the amount of status or prestige a person has acquired

social capital (Bourdieu)

the number and type of people that one knows or is connected to

cultural capital (Bourdieu)

educational certificates; tastes in food, drink, fashion, furniture, film, reading material

Which of the four types of capital provides the foundation for the other three types of capital (Bourdieu)?

economic capital

Which of the four types of capital provides the foundation for what Bourdieu calls “symbolic violence?”

symbolic capital

Following Bourdieu’s theory, define symbolic violence.

a form of violence expressed through language or symbols that devalues lower classes

• unnoticed oppression, accepted and reproduced by dominated classes

Provide an example of symbolic violence.

the idea that a bachelor of arts in sociology from Harvard is better than one from CSUN

What did Bourdieu mean by a field?

interrelated forms of capital grouped together, habitus, interests

• site of conflict

• interests compete in marketplace

Provide an example of a field.

politics, academia, etc.

aspirational capital (Yosso)

the hope and dreams for a better future, even in the face of systemic barriers

linguistic capital (Yosso)

skills attained through communication in more than one language or form of expression

social capital (Yosso)

networks of people that provide support to navigate through society’s institutions

familial capital (Yosso)

the cultural knowledge nurtured among family that carry a sense of community history and memory

navigational capital (Yosso)

skills and abilities to maneuver through social institutions

resistant capital (Yosso)

the knowledge and skills fostered through oppositional behavior that challenges inequality

The Frankfurt School of Critical Theory draws inspiration from both Karl Marx and Max Weber. Briefly describe one theoretical idea that they draw from each.

• Marx: people are lured into false consciousness due to the ruling class’ control over mental production

• Weber: society is an iron cage of rationality; irrationality of rationality

What do Critical Theorists mean by the “fetishism of commodities?”

magical significance assigned to products we buy in which they are assumed to have more value than they actually possess

Herbert Marcuse is a prominent Critical Theorist. He relies on the work of Sigmund Freud in his theories. Freud argues that two primary human drives must be repressed in order for society to have order. Name and define these two drives.

1. thanatos: fear of death (survival drive)

2. eros: pleasure drive (reproductive drive)

For Marcuse, how does capitalism colonize these two drives? How does this colonization of basic drives create “repressive desublimation?” Define “repressive desublimation.”

capitalism sells a “tame” version of death/sex through repressive desumblimation (illusion of freedom, enough for complacency but not enough to fully satisfy ourselves)

According to Herbert Marcuse, what does it mean to say that modern societies have become “one dimensional?”

people no longer think critically or question society; we confuse our wants and needs due to capitalistic consumerism

Following Marcuse, what two factors that have contributed to the one dimensionality of modern societies?

• technological rationality [as social control]

• consumerism [creates false needs]

How might Marcuse express his theory of negation/critique in what is often described as “Hegelian Dialectics?”

• thesis = existing system

• antithesis = critique of thesis

• synthesis = integrate the antithesis and thesis on higher level

thesis and antithesis do not actually create a new idea, only the appearance of it

Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno are both Critical Theorists from the Frankfurt School. They argue that rationality has eclipsed reason. How do they define rationality and reason?

• rationality: maximizing gains, minimizing losses

• reason: thinking toward human freedom

How has rationality eclipsed reason? What does this mean?

total administration is based in rationality; we have lost the ability to reason/consider humans.

freedom is distorted by rational thought.

What do Horkheimer and Adorno mean when they say that culture is now created by a “culture industry?” “What is a culture industry?” Why should we care?

• culture industry = culture is reproduced as a commodity then sold back to us

• marketable distraction

• this results in the loss of freedom, love, criticism, reality, etc.

Following the critical theorists, how do we freely participate in our own domination? Provide an example.

• we buy into our domination out of our own free will

• we want to be dominated

• ex) we can buy “alternative” culture and sentiments at businesses like Hot Topic instead of making it ourselves.

communicative action

a type of interaction where individuals engage in dialogue with the goal of achieving mutual understanding, consensus, and cooperation

public sphere

a realm within social life where individuals can come together freely to discuss and identify societal problems

lifeworld

the everyday social space where individuals engage in dialogue, exchange ideas, disagree, and develop consensus

social system

society as an object external and constraining to individuals

social integration

produced by communicative action in the lifeworld

system integration

where a rationalized functioning of society is the primary goal

What does Habermas mean by the “colonization of the lifeworld?” In this theory, what is colonized, and by what is colonized?

lifeworld (domain of agency) is colonized by the social system (domain of structure).

What are two consequences of the “colonization of the lifeworld?”

• communication is rationalized, restricted, distorted

• socio-emotional ties are sacrificed

• interpersonal relationships are fragmented

Today, where can we find an example of what Habermas calls the public sphere? Briefly justify your answer.

we do not have actual public spheres; everything is controlled

• ex) Matador square is the only area where we can “protest” on campus, which is heavily surveilled

• ex) Internet is not a public sphere now because people cannot do many things. it is controlled by corporations who limit what we can do and see.

According to Anthony Giddens, modern societies have become systems he metaphorically calls juggernauts. What does Giddens mean by this?

modern society is a juggernaut because it is an unstoppable entity that can be somewhat steered but has the possibility of veering out of control.

rapid and profound changes can both empower and overwhelm individuals

Following Giddens, what are two of the key features of modern societies (the juggernaut)?

1. risk and uncertainty

2. detraditionalization

3. dynamic and unpredictable

4. reflexivity

5. institutional dimensions: capitalism, industrialism, surveillance, military power

first-wave feminism

political participation and voting

second-wave feminism

economic and social equality; workplace inequality, reproductive rights, broader social justice issues; elevating the private sphere

third-wave

intersectionality, challenging race- and class-privileged perspectives

fourth-wave feminism

challenging gender as a concept, disrupting binaries, actively including men, high profile protest actions

sociology of women

“add women and stir,” women as objects that are added to existing ideas

feminist sociology

sociology from the subjective standpoints of women

standpoint epistemology

a unique perspective on the world based upon one’s position(s) in society

hegemonic knowledge

the dominant and established forms of social expectation and knowledge

bifurcation of consciousness

produced when one’s view is “split” into two parts based on a separation of personal experience and hegemonic knowledge

relations of ruling

exposed when personal experience conflicts with hegemonic knowledge

personal experience

everyday, routine encounters and activities

intersectionality

recognizes that one’s life and experiences are shaped by multiple, intersecting systems of inequality and oppression

hegemonic masculinity

the ideal type of masculinity (strong, dominating) that men attempt to identify with

• subordinate men and all women have less power in patriarchal society

• women are expected to embody “emphasized femininity”

psychoanalytic feminism

emphasizes the critical role of infancy and early relationships, primarily with the caregiver

cultural feminism

celebrates the social value of women’s distinctive ways of being (e.g. caring, ethics, etc.)

hegemonic masculinity (matching)

the idealized form of masculinity constructed by social groups

intersectionality theory (matching)

women experience oppression in varying configurations and intensities due to intersecting social inequalities

vectors of oppression/privilege

systems of power that create social inequality - racism, sexism, classism, etc.

postmodern feminism

interrogates what it means to be a “woman” and how gender is defined

radical feminism

women are oppressed - often violently - by a pervasive system of patriarchy present in every institution

matrix of domination

interconnected systems of power that create a social space of oppression and privilege

existential feminism

women are marginalized as the “Other” in a male-created culture

socialist/Marxist feminism

capitalism and patriarchy combine to create a comprehensive system of oppression; women are seen as a form of property

liberal feminism

gender inequality arises from a sexist division of labor and devaluing of the private sphere

What is WEB Du Bois’ theory of “double consciousness?”

How does his theory relate to his idea of “the veil?”

1. Black Americans always see themselves through the eyes of others (white people) as well as their own Black epistemologies

2. a color line that separates the “white” world from the “Black” world; each side can see the other to varying levels of opacity

settler colonialism

colonizers establish permanent settlements in the areas that have been colonized

racial formation

the process by which social, economic, and political forces determine the content and importance of racial categories

race

a category of people who share certain, socially defined, inherited physical characteristics, such as skin color, facial features, and stature

racism

a social institution

ethnicity

shared social, cultural, linguistic, and historical experiences, stemming from common national or regional backgrounds

colonialism

the process by which nations occupy and politically dominate other nations

Orientalism

a system of thought used by the West to dominate, stereotype, and control the East

What is meant by the term “postcolonial theory?”

What makes a theory postcolonial?

postcolonial theory explores how colonialism isn’t something of the past but keeps shaping our world today.

postcolonial theory is “postcolonial” because it deals with the consequences of colonialism and descries forms of resistance to the overarching structure.

Name Julian Go’s five elements of postcolonial theory.

1. colonial past influences contemporary life

2. analyzes relationship between colonial culture and knowledge affecting the people living in the colonial world

3. Western ideas about itself are constructed through colonialism, through encounters with colonized people

4. tools help reveal assumptions and biased cultural values of Western society

5. introduces new kinds of knowledge that overcome perspectives imposed by Western knowledge; creates a decolonized consciousness

What does Franz Fanon mean by the “White Mask?”

refers to assimilation in which colonized people adopt the language, culture, and behaviors of the colonizer to be accepted. comes at the cost of erasing or repressing their own identities and continuing to face racism.

How does the “White Mask” relate to, and make more complex, a “dialectics of recognition?”

people of color are forced to adopt the characteristics of the colonizer to be recognized by them. in their natural state, the dialectics of recognition are unequal and poisoned by the oppressor’s negative view of the oppressed.

According to Fanon, Karl Marx was wrong in expecting the proletariat class to become a revolutionary class in colonized societies. Why does Fanon think Marx was wrong? Who are the revolutionary groups in colonized societies?

1. the bourgeoisie and proletariat of the colonizer both move into a colonized settling, becoming the enemy of the precolonial society.

2. resistance comes from the lumpenproletariat and the peasants because they can best undermine capitalism due to working mostly outside of the system.

According to Fanon, what is the “white mask?” Why do colonized peoples wear it?

the white mask is a metaphor for assimilation; colonized people wear it to be accepted by the dominant culture (language, behavior, etc.)

What are some of the sociological (or psychological) consequences that can occur when a person of color wears the “white mask?”

internalized hatred, alienation, double consciousness

Following Fanon, how can language be used as a tool of cultural domination?

the colonized are forced to adopt another language; their native language is devalued/seen as inferior, and they are judged by how well they speak the colonized language

Why does Fanon believe that, when confronting colonization, violence is a path to liberation?

colonization is inherently violent; decolonization requires violence as a tool to restore humanity and freedom to the colonized

For Edward Said, what is the “orient?” How is it a social construct?

the orient (Middle East/Asia) is a social construction/system of thought used to depict the East by the West; it is not a real place

What is “Orientalism,” and how has it been used by the Western world to institute colonization?

Orientalism is the West’s depiction of the East using stereotypes, institutions, media, and politics. This allows the West to dominate/control the East.

Based on Omi and Winant’s theory of Racial Formations, how is race a social construct? How does the state reinforce and a certain social construction of race?

race is not biological or objective, it is based on sociohistorical contexts, time, and culture; it is constructed in social institutions and social structures.

the state has the power to legitimate certain constructions that usually perpetuate social inequality through laws and policies.

How do Omi and Winant critique the claim that the U.S. is a post-racial society?

race is still a central organizing feature to the U.S.

evident in the emboldening of white nationalism/supremacy

racial projects

any effort (cultural, political, or institutional) that gives meaning to race and distributes resources or rights based on that meaning

split-labor market theory

the theory that racial and ethnic tensions develop when owning classes (the bourgeoisie) pit workers (proletariat) from different racial categories against each other

racialization

the process by which phenotypic differences are made to matter in socially significant ways

racial formation

the sociohistorical process by which racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and destroyed

What do postmodernists mean when they say we have lost our belief in “grand narratives?” What are grand narratives, and why would we stop believing in them? Give an example.

there is no dominant Truth, there are pluralistic versions of truth.

grand narratives are the hegemonic ideas that are based on dominant groups, but do not give room to marginalized perspectives

ex. history told from the lens of oppressors

Jean Baudrillard describes the “hyperreal” as that which is “more real than reality itself.” What does he mean by this idea? Give an example.

reality has evaporated and we treat the copy of it as more real than reality; this constructs the way we think

ex. Disneyland, television, simulacra, etc.

What does Michel Foucault mean by the panopticon? How does this panopticon relate to the increasing surveillance in modern society?

circle with cells on outside, watch tower in the middle to give illusion that someone is always watching

normalization of surveillance: we no longer need to have the structure; decentralized impressions of surveillance cause society to self-regulate

How can contemporary society be described as a panopticon without the need for a panopticon? Relate this idea to modern surveillance as a form of decentered power.

decentralization of power through impressions of surveillance that becomes self-regulation and power fragmented into day to day lives

ex) everywhere has cameras and we are always being watched

Describe the three stages of discipline and punishment outlined in the theories of Michel Foucault.

Stage 1: eye for an eye - physical, public punishment

Stage 2: panopticon - constant surveillance

Stage 3: decentralized, microphysical - we become the guard and the prisoner through self-surveillance

What does Foucault mean when he argues that “power is knowledge?” How is this different than the common expression that “knowledge is power?”

power is knowledge - power is embedded in knowledge, systems of classification; power is exercised when we use the information we know

knowledge is power - the more you know, the more powerful you can be in the system that creates knowledge

semiotics

the science of signs

simulation

copies of objects for which there is no original

hyper-signification

when signs no longer have stable semiotic connections and become “floating signifiers” and can adopt a variety of meanings

biopower

focuses on managing our life - not by punishing bodies, but by regulating populations to promote health, productivity, and social order

biopolitics

the strategies of governance used to regulate life, health, and bodies

microphysics of power

power exists at the micro level and involves efforts to exercise it as well as efforts to contest its exercise; we become guards and inmates watching ourselves