Prelim 1

Question 1

Where are the definitions, key names, and core concepts of the course listed and defined?

Answer 1

Core concepts for sociology file (& syllabus)

Question 2

What is the definition of socialization?

Answer 2

the social process of learning group social norms

Question 3

What is the definition of sociology?

Answer 3

the study of society

Question 4

What kind of “community” are we building in this class?

Answer 4

a learning community; get to know each other, make social connections that might last the rest of our lives.

Question 5

What was the topic of our very first-class discussion, our ice-breaker?

Answer 5

Surgeon General’s Report on Loneliness. Are we a unified and connected society, or are we dangerously isolated from each other? Top 3 pressing social issues?

Question 6

What is the title of “Chapter 1” of C. Wright Mills’ book The Sociological
Imagination?

Answer 6

The Promise

Question 7

What is the definition of the sociological imagination?

Answer 7

the intersection of human biography (parts/trees) and history (society; whole/forests))

Question 8

Why do people feel confused and trapped in their lives, according to Mills?

Answer 8

Because they cannot understand why big things happen in the world, things that
often impact them in meaningful ways; ordinary lives change when big things happen; they cannot see the larger social forces shaping their personal experiences.

Question 9

What happened to the insurance salesman and his wife and his son?

Answer 9

When war breaks out, an ordinary salesman becomes a rocket launcher, a wife lives alone, and a child grows up without father.

Question 10

What makes a classic a classic?

Answer 10

An older thing that continues to be useful, relevant and sounds fresh; work that has enduring significance and continues to be relevant over time.

Question 11

What, according to Mills, did the “classic social analysts” all do?

Answer 11

all asked the same kind of questions; sought to understand the interplay between individual lives and larger social structures.

Question 12

What is the first question in the first set of questions?

Answer 12

1) What is the structure of this specific society as a whole?

(What are its essential components and how are they related to one another? How does it differ from other varieties of social order? Within it, what is the meaning of any particular feature for its continuance and for its change?

Question 13

What is the second question in the second set of questions?

Answer 13

2) What are the mechanics by which society is changing?

(Where does society stand in human history? What is its place within and its meaning for the development of humanity as a whole? How does any particular feature we are examining affect and how is it affected by the historical period in which it moves? And this period–what are its essential features? How does it differ from other periods? What are its characteristic ways of history-making?)

Question 14

What is the first question in the third set of questions? (KNOW ALL 3)

Answer 14

3a) What varieties of men and women now prevail in this society and in this period (who wins and who loses)?

(And what varieties are coming to prevail? In what ways are they selected and formed, liberated and repressed, made sensitive and blunted? What kinds of ‘human nature’ are revealed in the conduct and character we observe in this society in this period?

Question 15

What is the last question in the third set of questions?

Answer 15

3b) And what is the meaning for ‘human nature’ of each and every feature of the society we are examining?

Question 16

How does Mills use the example of unemployment to encourage us to learn how to distinguish
between “personal trouble” or “public issue?”

Answer 16

Mills explains that unemployment can be seen as a personal trouble for an individual (1 in 100,000), but when it affects large numbers of people (15 mil of 50 mil), it becomes a public issue.

personal problem = individual life

many people in individual life have same problem = public/social issue (not in individuals control)

Question 17

What happened in Lakewood in the early 1990s?

Answer 17

• Spurs Posse was a gang that wreaked havoc and generated sexual misconduct cases;

Invented a game: kept points of sexual conquests with girls in the community
● Aggravated sexual violence

Stole credit cards and guns, broke into houses, resulted in felony arrests
● Not the sort of trouble “All-American” children cause

Question 18

How did the community find out they had a problem?

Answer 18

only the kids knew about in the community; parents found out ONLY when a pipe bomb exploded on the front porch

Question 19

Then what happened after the community found out they had a problem?

Answer 19

At first many people were in denial and thought the media blew things out
of proportion
● The Lakewood community wanted to hide the ugliness of what was happening to their community

Question 20

How did members of the community describe their community?

Answer 20

• Upper middle class
• good, honest, All-American
• 70/30 white to minority

they thought they couldn’t possibly have a gang in their community because they were an ‘all american’ (AKA mostly white) community.

They thought it wasn’t possible because stereotypically, people think gangs are only for POC communities in urban areas

Question 21

How did members of the community explain what had happened in the community? What,
according to residents, were the causes of the trouble in their community?

Answer 21

Denial; dropped charges because lack of evidence

“Ordinary types of problems” nature of relationship disagreement

Blame community and school (Condoms, abortion, sex education)

Felony arrests, objectifying women, literally just a gang

They described it as ‘the same kind of ordinary problems that happen in
any all American community; this is something that happens everywhere;
boys are status symbols and are so popular and all the girls want to be
with them and they disagree about the actual state of their relationships
with the boys’

They said the media was blowing this all out of proportion

Question 22

How did Joan Didion learn about the Trouble in Lakewood?

Answer 22

Watching talk shows on TV and is not satisfied with what they were saying

Question 23

Did Didion use something like the sets of questions suggested by Mills in her explanation of
what had happened in Lakewood?

Answer 23

yes, very similar, though never mentions Mills but talks about his theories

Question 24

What is the structure of Lakewood?

Answer 24

Lakewood was designed a planned community; an ‘all-American’ suburban town in California whose funding came from the GI Bill in the post World War II era.

Single family homes designed for the young families/veterans who were to inhabit the Lakewood community; Started off as a predominantly white neighborhood

mostly factory workers with most people having same jobs and houses

No college, just play ball then go work, and come home to raise families

Question 25

What is the history of Lakewood?

Answer 25

Founded post WWII; mostly aerospace/defense companies; Was an instant community; when first being built, with GI bill benefits, a young couple (for ex) could buy a house without any money down

Question 26

What was the social hierarchy in Lakewood?

Answer 26

• Support mothers and sports players
• Show them honor and favor
• Athletes and boys
  then everyone below

Question 27

What was ordinary life like in Lakewood? Was it inter-generational? Passed from one
generation to the next? What was the social contract in Lakewood?

Answer 27

No college, work at factory, have same house through GI bill; yes intergeneratinal and passed down.

• Lakewood’s promise was if you are a boy and good at sports and recreation, we will take care of you financially and in every aspect of life
• Can get a cookie cutter house, a job, finances, status, etc

Question 28

How was Lakewood changing? Why was this happening?

Answer 28

Factories started closing when Cold War started to end
- No need for so many weapons when not at war
- The very reason for these communities’ existance are closing; but people are
still living there.

Question 29

Why does Didion tell her family life story in her analysis?

Answer 29

to provide personal context (how she fits in this narrative, relates to/allowed to speak on topic) and able to display the changes on more personal level

Question 30

What is gender like in Lakewood?

Answer 30

Dads more respected than moms; boys above girls, especially athletes. Girls were objectified and “used.” Men provided and women stayed at home.

Question 31

What is race like in Lakewood?

Answer 31

majority white, but diversified as economic conditions shifted

Question 32

What is class like in Lakewood?

Answer 32

Class in Lakewood is portrayed through the economic decline and the struggles of the middle class. The town, once prosperous due to defense contracts, faces economic challenges that affect the residents’ quality of life and social stability.

Question 33

What was the school system like in Lakewood?

Answer 33

School is recreation; 4 years of “freedom” before work

Dont need college to be successful in this community; play along with rules of community

They had future careers in aviation program

Question 34

Where is the Lakewood High School Sports Hall of Fame?

Answer 34

not at the high school and not at City Hall but in the McDonald’s at the corner of Woodruff and Del Amo

Question 35

How were kid’s birthday parties becoming a challenging cultural event?

Answer 35

now ppl did not have money and couldn’t have bday parties anymore to show off their status

Question 36

Was somebody in Lakewood getting divorced? Why?

Answer 36

Donald and Dottie Belman; their son had gone to jail for forcible lewd conduct with a 13 yr old girl and the wrecked their home according to dottie.

Question 37

Were the kids of Lakewood somehow betrayed? If so, betrayed by what or by whom?

Answer 37

betrayed by the adults and institutions that failed to protect them. The Spur Posse scandal highlights how the community’s neglect and the failure of the school system and law enforcement allowed harmful behaviors to flourish.

Question 38

Were the residents of Lakewood betrayed? If so, betrayed by what or by whom?

Answer 38

yes by the gang/community/parents who either endangered community or overlooked/praised the actions and by nation who when cold war ended left them with no structure to liv e on;

betrayed by the economic system and the decline of industrial jobs, which led to social and economic instability. This betrayal is compounded by the failure of local institutions to address the resulting issues effectively

Question 39

What was the role of global-political affairs in what happened in Lakewood?

Answer 39

The economic downturn and loss of aerospace jobs due to end of cold war led to increased unemployment and social issues, contributing to the rise of the Spur Posse and other local problems.

Question 40

What was the role of national politics in what happened in Lakewood?

Answer 40

reublicans who valued all-american patriotism and no abortions or diversity, etc. whereas democrats had more open view and more open to abortions, etc.; country who saw no need for such jobs post war

Question 41

What is the title of the assigned reading by Marx?

Answer 41

“The Communist Manifesto”

Question 42

Who was the co-author? Briefly describe his co-author.

Answer 42

Friedrich Engels, a rich German philosopher, social scientist, who along with Marx had been initially influenced by German philosopher Georg Hegel.

Question 43

What is the classic first sentence of the reading?

Answer 43

“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles”

Question 44

What are a few of the other famous passages?

Answer 44

“All that is solid melts into the air”; –> capitalism destroys previous traditions and systems
“Callous cash nexus”; –> capitalism forces focus on money and individualism
“an appendage to the machine.” –> capitalism forces workers to do boring tedious work

Question 45

What is historical materialism?

Answer 45

The study of how humans have
satisfied their needs across history; method of social analysis; Materialism is needs of humans to survive.
Historical is that across history humans have relied on different social systems to
meet their needs

Question 46

What is the means of subsistence?

Answer 46

Humans must obtain the means of survival including food, clothing, and
shelter.

Question 47

What the two classes in Marx’s model?

Answer 47

The bourgeoisie (owners) and the proletariat (workers)

Question 48

What area of modern law helps owners?

Answer 48

private property; property law

Question 49

What are the rights of owners?

Answer 49

• own the means of production
• control how work is done
• keep profits

Question 50

What are the sociological characteristics of workers?

Answer 50

• own nothing, only ability to work
• need work to survive
• hope to be treated fairly, safely, respectfully

Question 51

What is exploitation?

Answer 51

The unfair use of workers’ labor for profit by the owners; paid low wages.

Question 52

What is alienation?

Answer 52

The feeling of boringness and being an “appendage to machine”; workers’ feeling of disconnection and powerlessness

Question 53

From Inequality report:
What is the difference between wealth and income?

Answer 53

Wealth - assets, some of which generate income such as stocks, bonds, precious metals, or real estate

Income - an earned flow of money
(often from working, sometimes from investments in stocks, bonds, or real estate)

Question 54

From Inequality report: What percentage of U.S. society owns what percentage of all wealth?

Answer 54

The top 10% owns nearly 70% of all US wealth.

Question 55

From Inequality report: What historical changes are occurring in the U.S. related to the distribution of wealth?

Answer 55

Increasing wealth inequality, with the rich getting richer faster and by a lot; middle class shrinking; and lower class growing as middle joins them; both struggling more.

Question 56

Who was Frederick Winslow Taylor? Family background, leisure activities, work history.

Answer 56

Frederick Winslow Taylor was
- born to a wealthy family (distant relative of Edward Winslow who came on Mayflower and served as a leader of
the Massachusetts Bay Colony)
- became a common factory worker at Steel mill
- enjoyed tennis (he was also the first U.S. Open doubles tennis champion in 1881 at Newport)

Question 57

What are the well-known synonyms for his managerial techniques?

Answer 57

• Taylorism
• Scientific Management

Question 58

From class lecture presentation; what are the 3 steps of his system and what are the 3 effects of
his system?

Answer 58

Steps:
1) Get the knowledge of how the work is done (often using time/motion studies)
2) Have the knowledge of how the work is done. (knowledge is power and now the knowledge of how the work is done has been transferred from the workers to the managers).
3) Use the knowledge to redesign the workflow looking for the most efficient way to do the work, often by breaking it up into the most simplest tasks turning it into work that can be done
with little training or skill.

Effects:
1) DESKILLING: there is little skill necessary to do redesigned work (known as “the deskilling thesis”
2) DEVALUING the work: with no skill necessary the price paid to the worker can be reduced, new
workers can be trained very quickly.
3) DEGRADING the worker: workers feel like “an appendage to the machine” because the work is
tedious and boring.

Question 59

From Mills’ White Collar and lecture presentation: What are the 3 characteristics of white collar
workers?

Answer 59

1) CLASS: Own nothing, often higher salary according to prestige of occupation and educational
attainment.
2. STATUS: Enjoy higher social status across the social system, wear nice clean clothes to
work (white-collar). Their prestige is determined by education and occupation. Examples: waiting in line in a store, who gets served first? Getting pulled over for a driving violation, who is more
or less likely to get a ticket instead of a verbal warning?
3. POWER: Often get to supervise someone else

Question 60

Where did we put the white collar workers on the Venn diagram model and why? Did we put them in more than one place on the model? Why? (BE ABLE TO DRAW IT)

Answer 60

in more than one place on model between workers and owners; some said near oweners, some middle, some towards end. I would put near end because while they are higher in status/salary than normal (blue collar) workers, they dont OWN anything and could easily move down to becoming a normal worker.

Question 61

What was the central research question that led Willis to do his study of a British high school in
the early 1970s? What is the title and subtitle of his study?

Answer 61

• How is the capitalist
  social system reproduced from one generation to the next? (or “cultural reproduction”)

–> Why do children of industrial working class not try to improve their occupational chances, and rise in the social class system, by trying
harder in school?

The title of his study is “Learning to Labour: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs.”

Question 62

What did we call the following group of words and why are they important: socialization, norms,
class, class consciousness, solidarity, institution, roles, masculinity, patriarchy, gender, race,
education, community, culture, family, marriage, police, clothing, sex, smoking, drinking,
fighting, laughing, authority, soldiering, leisure, popular music, social network, attendance, time,
British colonial history, capitalism, sociological imagination, social structure, hierarchy, and
more.

Answer 62

Keywords; helps us describe culture studies

Question 63

Who are the ‘lads?’ What are the sociological roles and norms they are performing? Use the
words in list.

Answer 63

They are working-class boys who resist school authority and norms, embodying class consciousness and solidarity through behaviors like fighting and leisure activities.

The lads’ actions reinforce patriarchal norms, emphasizing male dominance and
toughness, while rejecting anything perceived as feminine. The lads perform roles that align with their identity, such as the “rebel” who challenges authority and the “worker” who values physical labor over academic success

Question 64

Who are the other people in their social system? What are the sociological roles and norms they
are performing? Use the keywords in list.

Answer 64

Teachers and administrators who enforce norms and authority, peers (“earholes”) who conform to these roles, girls who are either sexualized/taken advantage of or girlfriends who are valued a little more than earholes and other girls. Parents where dads are more respected than moms.

Question 65

How should we construct a Venn diagram of these groups (lads heirarchy)? (KNOW HOW TO DRAW)

Answer 65

in pic file

Question 66

Has the school actually worked even though the Lads do not do any schoolwork?

Answer 66

Despite the lads’ resistance, the school socializes them into working-class roles; better prepared the lads than the earholes for the school to work
transition

Question 67

What happens, according to lecture, when the lads and the earholes make the school to work
transition?

Answer 67

Lads transition from school to workplace easily. They fit in at their new jobs. The
‘earholes’ however are disappointed, lonely and confused. Their jobs are boring and tedious, but they do not have the practices of working-class culture to help them get through the scientifically managed workday. They anticipated work would be much more rewarding than it actually is.

(transition better than earholes because unlike the earholes, they dont have high expectations for work and know how to work together and help each other, using laughter to get through the day)

Question 68

Does the social system of capitalism get what it needs to successfully survive? How? Why? Use
our basic Marxian Venn diagram model in your answer.

Answer 68

Capitalism got exactly what is needed. School, as an institution, worked perfectly even though
the Lads rejected the academic learning culture. Evan though they were the deviant
troublemakers in school. They learned what they needed to know to be successful in the capitalist workplace

Question 69

What does McDonalds represent? Who went out to dinner in Lakewood?

Answer 69

the American way; the Belman family went out to dinner at McDonald’s to celebrate Kristopher Belman’s release from police custody. This was offered as an example of the fact that residents of Lakewood felt they lived in an “all-American middle class community.”

Question 70

What did Taylor see working in Mill?

Answer 70

saw a lot of wasted time and work.
- The workers controlled how the work was done
so they did it slowly and not efficiently. This was called “soldiering”, working slowly. This
bothered Taylor so he started studying how the work could be done more efficiently.

Question 71

Whats on cover of Mills “White Collar” book?

Answer 71

a lone white man in a trenchcoat and hat walking along the outside wall of a city skyscraper.

Question 72

Who were the conformists? Who was better at conforming to their society’s norms and social system?

Answer 72

The Lads [better] (as well as earholes);

Question 73

What are the three most pressing social issues (based on lecture)? Why does the society have a
responsibility to fix the issue?

Answer 73

1) Poverty
2) Depression, mental health problems - social media
3) Obesity - accessibility of healthy food
4) Health care disparities
5) Political polarization - social media amplifies division of opinions
6) Capitalism - corporations, economic disparities, the top 1% - strikes,
fair pay for workers

Question 74

What are the professors 3 most pressing social issues?

Answer 74

1) US social contract (who gets to participate in
US society at what level, employment, income, services,
neighborhood, access to health care and the internet).

2) political
polarization
3) wars & heat waves (climate change)

Question 75

What is the best way, according to Mills, to understand society?

Answer 75

by learning how to use the sociological imagination.

Question 76

who are the classic sociologists?

Answer 76

Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber

Question 77

how do rich people commute from their luxury city townhouses to their estates out in
suburbs?

Answer 77

by helicopter

Question 78

what happened on last day of school?

Answer 78

They went to the pub during lunch, and the principal called the police on them when lads came back drunk.

They tried to escape through the woods, but when they told the parents, they weren’t
disrupted by this. Instead, they were proud of the lads.

The principal sends a letter home suggesting a parent-teacher meeting. The parents are
proud, and the mom puts the letter in a scrapbook.

• This seems like a generational problem, and they see this as something they did
  when they were young.
• Parents saw that they were performing the same milestones they did to be a
  successful part of the British working class.

Question 79

what happens on trip to museum?

Answer 79

• The kids get taken to the museum, and they act out and break the exhibits. They smoke
  on the bus. The kids are forced to go to the bus company and clean the graffiti off the seats.

Question 80

how did lads view Jamaicans and Indians/pakistanis?

Answer 80

They respect people from the Caribbean slightly more as they
have values similar to those of the lads.
- However, they don’t like students of color in their mix.
- They distinguish between the students from Jamaica and the ones
from India and Pakistan and view the two groups separately.
- Connected to the history of the British colonies
- People from India grew up and the British school system,
which is more similar to ear holes, unlike people from the
Caribbean.
- The lads viewed those from Pakistan and India as similar to the earholes because they believed in the ideology of the school.
- The ones from Carribean and Jamaica are similar to the
blue-collar workers and willing to fly and display it like the lads.
- This distinction between races exists between the lads and the teachers.

Question 81

The Lad’s Rules:

Answer 81

• Never have sexual contact with another man’s girlfriend
• Share things with eachother (ex: extra cigarette)
• Never supposed to tell any kind of information of another lad; snitch
• Ex: tell on a lad to the principle (who did what)