SOC 1 - Final Study Guide (Flashcards): Fall Quarter 2025

Society

A structured community of people bound together by similar traditions, institutions, or beliefs.

Culture

The shared practices, values, norms, and artifacts that characterize a group.

Positivism

A philosophical theory asserting that only scientific knowledge derived from empirical evidence is of real value.

Social Meta-Theories

The overarching theories that seek to explain social phenomena.

Levels of Analysis

Frameworks for understanding social phenomena at different scales: Macro (large), Meso (medium), and Micro (small/individual).

Historical/Dialectical Materialism

A theory asserting that material conditions and economic factors shape societal organization and change.

Mode of Production

The way in which goods are produced, including forces and relations of production.

Labor vs. Labor Power

Labor refers to the actual work done, while labor power is the capacity to perform work.

Commodities

Goods and services produced for trade.

Means of Production

The physical and non-physical inputs used in production.

Bourgeoisie

The capitalist class that owns the means of production.

Proletariat

The working class who sell their labor for wages.

Use Value

The usefulness of a commodity to satisfy needs.

Exchange Value

The value of a commodity expressed in terms of other commodities.

Surplus Value

The excess of value produced by labor over the actual wage paid.

Exploitation

The act of taking unfair advantage of a group or individual.

Alienation

A situation in which individuals feel disconnected from their work, the product, and society.

Crisis of Overproduction

A situation where production exceeds the demand for goods.

The Iron Cage of Modernity

A term describing the increased rationalization inherent in social life.

Rationalization

The process of replacing traditional beliefs and values with a focus on efficiency.

Disenchantment

The loss of meaning or value in a more rational world.

Power

The ability to influence or control the behavior of people or the course of events.

Domination

The exercise of power and control over others.

Legitimacy

The right and acceptance of an authority, often a governing law or regime.

Authority

The legitimate power that is recognized and accepted by those who are subject to it.

Bureaucracy

A system of administration characterized by specialization, hierarchy, and rules.

Anomie

A social condition characterized by a breakdown of social norms.

Mechanical Solidarity

Social cohesion based on shared beliefs and values.

Organic Solidarity

Social cohesion based on interdependence and specialization.

Integration

The process of combining distinct systems or groups to promote unity.

Regulation

The imposition of rules or laws to control behavior.

Collective Consciousness

The body of beliefs and ideas shared by a group.

Cultural/Social Socialization

The lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs, and ideologies.

Race

A socially constructed category based on perceived physical differences.

Ethnicity

A social group with a common national or cultural tradition.

Social Constructs

Concepts that appear natural and obvious to those who accept them but are actually artificial.

Racialization

The process of constructing racial identities and meanings.

De Jure Segregation

Legal separation of groups based on law.

De Facto Segregation

Separation that occurs in practice, even if not mandated by law.

Systemic Racism

Structural inequalities that result in discriminatory treatment of certain groups.

Colorblind Racism

The belief that ignoring race will end racial discrimination.

Double Consciousness

The internal conflict experienced by subordinated groups in an oppressive society.

The Veil

A metaphor for the separation between Black Americans and White Americans.

Racial Capitalism

The process of deriving social and economic value from racial identity.

Sex

The biological distinction between male and female.

Sex Category

The classification of individuals based on perceived sex.

Gender

The social and cultural roles associated with being male or female.

Gender Roles

Socially constructed roles or behaviors typically associated with a particular gender.

Doing Gender

The performance or enactment of gender roles in daily life.

The Glass Ceiling

An unseen barrier preventing women and minorities from advancing in their careers.

The Gender Paradox in Health

Observations that women live longer than men, yet report worse health.

Hegemony

Dominance of one group over others, achieving consent through cultural means.

Hegemonic Masculinity

The dominant form of masculinity that promotes male privilege.

Emphasized Femininity

A form of femininity that emphasizes compliance and support for male interests.

Feminism

A movement for advocating women's rights and equality.

Intersectionality

A framework for understanding how various forms of social stratification, such as race, gender, and class, overlap.

Appropriation of Sexuality

The act of taking ownership or control over sexual identity that is not one's own.

Modernism

A cultural movement characterized by a conscious break with traditional styles.

Postmodernism

A reaction against modernism; characterized by a broad skepticism toward grand narratives.

Relativism

The idea that points of view have no absolute truth or validity.

Madness vs. Insanity

Distinctions often made in medical, legal, and societal contexts regarding mental health.

The Medical Gaze

The tendency of medical professionals to view patients through a clinical lens, often objectifying them.

Medicalization

The process of defining a problem in medical terms.

Punishment of the Body vs. Discipline of the Soul

Differentiating between physical punishment and psychological control.

Hierarchical Observation

A form of surveillance where an observer can see and record actions in a hierarchical fashion.

Documentary Existence

Existence that can be proved or validated through documentation or records.

The Panopticon

A theoretical design for a prison which allows inmates to be observed at all times.

Power/Knowledge

The idea that power is constituted through accepted forms of knowledge.

Social Capital

The networks of relationships among people in a society.

Embodied Cultural Capital

The intangible benefits acquired from personal experiences and education.

Objectified Cultural Capital

The physical objects or material goods that symbolize cultural status.

Institutionalized Cultural Capital

The recognition and education that qualifies individuals in society.

Symbolic Capital

The resources available to an individual based on honor, prestige, and recognition.

Fields

Social arenas where individuals and groups compete for resources.

Field of Power & Meta-Capital

A concept representing the structure of power relationally associated with various types of capital.

Habitus

The deeply ingrained habits, skills, and dispositions of individuals that influence behavior.

Social Roles

Expected patterns of behavior based on one's status.

I vs. Me

In Mead's theory, the 'I' represents the spontaneous and creative self, while the 'Me' represents the socialized self.

The Looking-Glass Self

A concept positing that a person's self grows out of society's interpersonal interactions.

Dramaturgy

A sociological perspective that interprets social interaction as a theatrical performance.

Performativity

The idea that an act defines and constitutes the identity of the actor.

Front Stage vs. Back Stage

The distinction between the persona presented in social situations and the more private self.

Statuses

Social positions an individual occupies in society.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

A belief that leads to its own fulfillment.

Stigma

A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.

Impression Management

The process by which individuals attempt to control the perceptions others have of them.

Globalization

The process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, ideas, and culture.

Absolute Poverty

A condition where an individual cannot meet basic needs for survival.

Relative Poverty

A condition where an individual is poorer compared to the average in their society.

Economic Liberalism

An economic principle advocating for minimal government interference in the economy.

Keynesianism

An economic theory that advocates for government intervention to stabilize economic cycles.

Neoliberalism

A political approach that favors free-market capitalism and deregulation.

Welfare State

A system where the government provides a range of services to promote social welfare.

World Systems Theory

A theory that categorizes countries into core, periphery, and semi-periphery based on their economic development.

Core vs. Periphery vs. Semi-periphery

A framework used to study the relationships and differences in development and global power.