Sociology Lecture Flashcards: Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Cultural Theory

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes covering classical sociological theorists (Marx, Weber, Durkheim), theories of culture, rationalization, and social facts.

Historical Materialism

A sociological perspective associated with Karl Marx that assumes society is shaped by its physical environment and physical conditions.

Idealism

A perspective assuming that people form ideas first and then build society according to those ideas.

Means of Production

All the physical tools and materials used to produce goods in society.

Forces of Production

The combination of the means of production and labor power.

Relations of Production

The social relationships formed in production where distinct social classes—dominant and subordinate—are established.

Bourgeoisie

The dominant capitalist class that owns the means of production, business, factories, and capital.

Proletariat

The working class that does not own the means of production and only owns its labor power, which it sells for wages.

Mode of Production

The entire economic base of a society.

Superstructure

The layer in Marx's model of society sitting above the economic base, consisting of ideas (law, religion, science) and social institutions (state, family).

Rationalization

Max Weber's concept of a system put in place where a step-by-step procedure is worked out to reach a specific goal.

McDonaldization

George Ritzer's concept describing a hyperform and modern extension of Weber's rationalization.

Efficiency (McDonaldization)

A characteristic of McDonaldization focused on accomplishing tasks in the shortest possible time.

Calculability (McDonaldization)

A characteristic of McDonaldization where output is strictly measured, placing more importance on quantity than quality.

Predictability (McDonaldization)

A characteristic of McDonaldization ensuring that products and services are uniform and identical across different locations.

Control (McDonaldization)

A characteristic of McDonaldization exercised primarily through technology to direct and limit human behavior.

Irrationality of Rationality

The principle that highly rationalized systems can ultimately produce unreasonable and negative consequences.

Social Facts

Emile Durkheim's term for ways of acting, thinking, and feeling that exist external to the individual and exert coercive power over them.

Egoistic Suicide

A type of suicide identified by Durkheim resulting from a low level of social integration, leaving individuals without purpose or meaning.

Fatalistic Suicide

A type of suicide that occurs when an individual experiences excessively high social regulation, such as in prison.

Anomie

A state of normlessness and deregulation that occurs when rapid social change shatters old moral systems.

Anomic Suicide

A type of suicide resulting from a lack of social regulation and a state of anomie.

Frankfurt School

A group of German Marxists known for their critique of mass culture.

Cultural Object

According to Griswold, something that tells a story, which may be sung, told, set in stone, enacted, or painted on the body.

Griswold's Cultural Diamond

A framework consisting of four interrelated points: Social World, Creator, Cultural Object, and Receiver.

Class in itself

A group of individuals who share the same economic position but do not recognize their shared interests.

Class for itself

A group of individuals possessing class consciousness who recognize their common interests and organize to improve their position.

Spirit of Capitalism

An ethos that seeks profit rationally and systematically, holding that hard work, discipline, saving money, and economic success are morally valuable.

Traditionalism

An economic mindset where individuals seek only enough money to maintain their customary lifestyle rather than maximizing profit.

The Calling

Martin Luther's concept that an individual's secular job or occupation is a religious duty assigned by God.

Predestination

John Calvin's theological doctrine stating that God has already decided who will be saved and who will not, regardless of good deeds.

Asceticism

A lifestyle marked by self-discipline, simplicity, and the intentional avoidance of luxury and worldly pleasures.

Marx believed

Social world influenced cultural object

Weber believed

cultural object influenced social world

Durkheim believed

Social world and Cultural object influenced each other

Social Solidarity

Durkheim describes it as the bond that connects people in a society and encourages them to cooperate support one another and work toward common goals

Leo Lowenthal and fascism

he feared mass media and pop culture could be used to manipulate people instead of helping them think critically.

idols of production

entertainment

escapism

people use entertainment hobbies etc. to avoid thinking about real life problems stress or responsibilities

Karl Marx and Frederick Engels

assumed people are communist by nature

-private property has corrupted human nature