Simmel
Simmel believed that even simple interactions—like greetings, conversations, or gift-giving—follow recognizable patterns he called these.
What are social forms.
Adorno and Horkheimer argued that mass media and entertainment function as a system they called this, designed to keep people passive and predictable.
What is the culture industry.
Parsons argued that people occupy patterned expectations for behavior in society—these are known as what?
What are social roles
Goffman said everyday life is like a performance, where people act out roles to shape how others see them—an approach known as this.
What is the dramaturgical framework.
Foucault said older forms of power focused on rulers punishing or harming the body directly—he called this traditional form of authority what?
What is sovereign power.
For Simmel, this process, where two people mutually respond to each other, is the basic building block of social life.
What is reciprocity.
This concept refers to how movies, music, and TV shows are produced using the same formulas, making cultural products feel repetitive and interchangeable.
What is standardization.
This framework, created by Parsons, outlines four functions every social system must perform: Adaptation, Goal Attainment, Integration, and Latency.
What is the AGIL Framework.
In Goffman’s theory, this term refers to efforts people make to control how others perceive them during social interactions.
What is impression management.
This modern form of power operates by training, organizing, and regulating bodies through institutions like schools, prisons, and hospitals.
What is disciplinary power.
Simmel argued that all exchanges—whether material or emotional—require giving up something to gain something else, a process he described as this.
What is sacrifice.
Adorno said the culture industry offers small surface differences—like “different” genres or styles—that make people think they’re choosing freely, even though the products are basically the same.
What is Pseudo-individualism.
In Parsons’ theory, this role explains how a person who is ill is temporarily allowed to avoid normal responsibilities but must work to get well and follow medical advice.
What is the sick role.
Goffman distinguished between these two regions of social performance: one where people present polished selves to an audience, and another where they can relax their performance.
What is front stage and back stage.
Foucault argued that power doesn’t just control people—it actually shapes who they are by producing identities, behaviors, and ways of thinking.
What is subject formation.
Simmel used this term to describe the growing world of external cultural products—like technology, art, money, and institutions—that can take on a life of their own beyond individual control.
Objective culture.
For Adorno and Horkheimer, modern society increasingly uses this kind of thinking, focused on efficiency and control, turning reason into a tool for domination instead of liberation.
What is instrumental reason.
According to Parsons, this role complements the sick role by providing legitimacy to the illness and guiding the patient toward recovery through professional knowledge and authority.
What is the practicioner role.
Goffman identified two types of stigma: one where the stigma is visible and known about, and another where it is hidden and must be managed—he called these what?
What is discredited and discredible stigma.
This concept refers to how states guide and manage populations through policies, statistics, and administrative techniques rather than through force alone.
What is governmentally.
Simmel argued that this refers to a person’s capacity to develop individuality, creativity, and personal meaning, which can be limited when external cultural forces grow too dominant.
What is subjective culture
The culture industry extends the feelings of exhaustion and passivity produced during the workday into people's leisure time, a process they called this, which helps maintain social domination.
What is prolongation of work.
In the AGIL framework, the “L” stands for this function, which refers to maintaining cultural patterns and motivating individuals to fulfill their roles in society.
What is latency.
When people try to hide a discreditable stigma in order to be treated as “normal,” Goffman said they engage in this strategy, which operates within the social rules he called the interaction order.
What is passing.
Foucault described this form of power as one focused on regulating life—birth rates, health, reproduction, and populations—rather than disciplining individual bodies.
What is biopower.