soci 2 keyterms & examples

Capitalist Realism

The sense that capitalism is the one viable political/economic system, and its impossible to find an alternative

Ex) Fishers example of Children of Men movie is similar to capital realism because the idea of the world slowly fading out is a lot like realizing there is no solution to capitalism

Reification

The loss/forgetting of history, social relations, and context

Ex) Treating social relations as things, like capital and labor, as if they were tangible thing and not social construct.

Ideology

An individual ideas, beliefs, and values. Alienated/unfree social relations result in the creation and reproduction of distorted & reified ideas, beliefs, and values.

Ex) Religion as an ideology because it is a self-conscienceless and self-awareness of men.

Neoliberalism

Privatization of public goods, services, and resources, and extending the free market

Ex) Reducing state influence in the economy through privatization

Protestant Work Ethic

Living to work, glorifying/praising overwork

Ex) “Wasting time,“ sensual indulgences, and spending as sin

Asceticism

A mode of life characterized by self-discipline

Ex) the Protestant work ethic

Realm of Necessity vs. Realm of Freedom

RoN is structual conditions, RoF is refusing present, demanding and enjoying

Ex) Working to live versus living to work

Universal Basic Income

An established basic income for everyone regardless of employment status

Ex) Wages for Housework movement

Shorter Hours (demands/movements)

Reducing work hours to allow for more freedom

Ex) “Eight hours for what we will,“ and the UFW shorter hours movement

Social Conservatism

An emphasis on tradition and duty

Ex) Family being between a heterosexual couple, with man working and woman caring

(Fordist) Family Wage

Men cover household expenses and women cover reproductive labor

Ex) Men as “breadwinner“ and women as “homemaker.“ Man works job, woman is stay-at-home-mom/wife

Social Wage

State provision of public/collective benefits

Ex) Healthcare, childcare, education

Fatalism

Idea that something is inevitable because it’s all fate

Ex) Divine rule, theocracy

Nihilism

Life has no set objective value, no anchor/foundation

Ex)

Ressentiment

Reactionary mix of envy, hatred, desire, and fear

Ex) revenge against people in power, UFW movements

Psychological Wage

The benefit/reward that people of a certain group get

Ex) White laborers recived low wages but had a higher psychological wage

Biopower/Biopolitics

Power over life, the social control of people and populations

Ex) “Make Live, Let Die”

“Make Live, Let Die“

Letting people live by giving them access to resources and letting others die

Ex) Access to healthcare

Biological Determinism/Essentialism

Concept of individuals or societies appealing to one or more supposedly innante/fundemental/essential biological characteristics

Ex) White supremacy

Eugenics

Social ideologyy using (pseduo) science to “improve human stock.” Postive = good stock up, Negative = bad stock down

Ex) Forced sterilization

Populism

“The People“ vs “The Elites,” opposition to the status quo

Ex) UFW, shorter hours movements, uni

Nativism

Promoting “native“ born citizens

Ex) Nativist Natalism

(Pro) Natalism

Favoring increasing birth rates

Ex)

Nativist Natalism

Increasing the birth rate of native born citizens

Ex) forced steralization of marginalized peoples

Heteroactivism

Heteronormativity as foundational to a healthy and sustainable society

Ex) Heternormative family as natural, the crisis of the family as described by Rasmussen

Theocracy

Rule by divine/God, rule by religion

Ex) White Christian Nationalism

Equal Rights Amendment

Amendment in the constitution that declares equality of rights under the law regardless of sex

Ex) Equal Pat Act of 1963

Comstock Law

Contraception devices/information and access to abortion increasingly illegal

Ex) Dobbs v Jackson overturning Roe v Wade

Professional Expertise

Professional expertise such as a doctor being an expert in the medical field or a lawyer being an expert in the law

Ex)

Lay Expertise

Non-professional expertise, such as with a google search or self evaluation

Ex)

Embodied Expertise

Being an expert about one’s own self/lived experiences

Ex)

Naturalistic Fallacy

That natural equals good

Ex)

Commodification

Turning things into profit

Ex) The commodification of healthcare

(Vaccines as) Invisible Safety Net

Effects of vaccines are unnoticed/unappreicated until until absent

Ex) Public school vaccine requirements

Agnotology

Stufy of intentional cultivation of doubt, ignorance, and uncertainty

Ex) Climate change debate before it was scientifically backed

Greenwashing

A company/industry making sustainability claims to divert attention away from questionable environmental actions/record

Ex) Hotel telling guests to hang towels so they don’t waste water washing towels so often