MCAT Sociology Syllabus

Compare the sociological forms of religious organization: church, sect, and cult (new religious movement).

A church is a large, well-integrated, mainstream organization. A sect is a smaller group that has broken from an established church, often more exclusive. A cult/new religious movement is a small, novel group offering unconventional beliefs, often around a charismatic leader.

According to Durkheim, what function does religion serve, and what did he mean by 'collective conscience' and 'sacred vs. profane'?

Religion promotes social solidarity and cohesion. The collective conscience is the shared beliefs/values uniting a society. The sacred is set apart and revered; the profane is ordinary/everyday.

Distinguish primary socialization from secondary socialization.

Primary socialization occurs in early childhood, primarily within the family, learning basic norms and language. Secondary socialization occurs later through institutions like schools, peers, and workplaces.

Define anticipatory socialization and resocialization.

Anticipatory socialization is preparing for a future role by adopting its norms/behaviors in advance. Resocialization is discarding former behavior patterns and adopting new ones, often in a total institution (e.g., prison, military).

What is a total institution (Goffman), and what typically happens upon entry?

A total institution is an isolated, enclosed setting that regulates all aspects of life under a single authority (prisons, mental hospitals, boot camps). Entry often involves a 'mortification of the self'—stripping prior identity via degradation ceremonies.

Compare Cooley's 'looking-glass self' with Mead's stages of self-development.

Cooley's looking-glass self: identity forms from how we imagine others perceive/judge us. Mead's stages: imitation, play (taking one role), game (taking multiple roles), and the generalized other (internalizing societal expectations).

Distinguish achieved status from ascribed status, and define master status.

An ascribed status is assigned at birth or involuntarily (e.g., race, sex). An achieved status is earned through effort/choice (e.g., occupation). A master status is the status that dominates and shapes a person's overall social identity.

Define role strain and role conflict.

Role strain is tension among the demands of a single role (status). Role conflict is tension between the roles of two or more different statuses held simultaneously.

Define impression management and the difference between front stage and back stage (Goffman's dramaturgy).

Impression management is controlling how others perceive us. Front stage is where we perform for an audience following social scripts; back stage is where we relax and step out of the role.

Distinguish a group from an aggregate and a category.

A group is people who interact and share identity/expectations. An aggregate is people who share physical space but do not interact (e.g., people in an elevator). A category is people who share a characteristic but need not interact (e.g., all left-handed people).

Compare primary groups and secondary groups (Cooley), and in-groups vs. out-groups.

Primary groups are small, intimate, enduring (e.g., family). Secondary groups are larger, impersonal, goal-oriented (e.g., coworkers). An in-group is one a person identifies with/belongs to; an out-group is one they feel opposition toward.

Define reference group and social network.

A reference group is a group used as a standard for self-evaluation and attitude formation. A social network is the web of social ties (relationships) linking a person to others.

Explain the difference between social class dimensions: wealth vs. income, and prestige vs. power (Weber's three components).

Weber's three components of stratification are class (economic—wealth is total assets minus debts, income is money received over time), status (prestige/honor), and party (power—the ability to achieve goals despite opposition).

Distinguish an open (class) stratification system from a closed (caste) system.

An open/class system allows social mobility based on achievement. A closed/caste system assigns rigid, ascribed positions with essentially no mobility (e.g., India's traditional caste system).

Define intragenerational vs. intergenerational mobility, and vertical vs. horizontal mobility.

Intragenerational mobility is a status change within one person's lifetime; intergenerational is a change between parents and children. Vertical mobility changes social rank (up or down); horizontal mobility is a move within the same social level.

Distinguish absolute poverty, relative poverty, and social reproduction.

Absolute poverty is lacking resources for basic survival. Relative poverty is having less than the societal standard. Social reproduction is the passing of social inequality (poverty or privilege) from one generation to the next.

Distinguish prejudice, discrimination, and stereotype.

A stereotype is an oversimplified generalized belief about a group. Prejudice is a negative attitude/prejudgment toward a group. Discrimination is unequal treatment (behavior) directed at a group.

Compare individual/institutional discrimination and define racialization.

Individual discrimination is one person acting against another based on group membership; institutional discrimination is unequal treatment embedded in the policies/practices of organizations. Racialization is the process of assigning racial identities/meanings to groups or practices.

Distinguish assimilation, amalgamation, multiculturalism, and pluralism (patterns of intergroup contact).

Assimilation: minority adopts dominant culture. Amalgamation: groups blend into a new group (melting pot). Multiculturalism/pluralism: distinct cultures coexist with mutual respect and equal standing.

Distinguish sex from gender, and define the gender wage gap conceptually.

Sex refers to biological/anatomical characteristics (male, female, intersex). Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, and identities associated with sex. The gender wage gap is the difference in average earnings between men and women for comparable work.

Define gender identity, sexual orientation, and social constructionist view of gender.

Gender identity is one's internal sense of being male, female, both, or neither. Sexual orientation is the pattern of romantic/sexual attraction. Social constructionism holds that gender roles and norms are created and reinforced by society, not fixed by biology.

Distinguish types of social change by scale: reform vs. revolution, and evolutionary vs. revolutionary change.

Reform is gradual, incremental change within existing institutions. Revolution is rapid, fundamental transformation of the social/political order. Evolutionary change unfolds slowly over time; revolutionary change is abrupt and sweeping.

Compare the major theories of social change: functionalist (equilibrium), conflict (Marx), and cyclical theories.

Functionalist/equilibrium theory: society changes gradually and self-corrects toward stability. Conflict theory: change is driven by class struggle and tension. Cyclical theory: societies rise, peak, and decline in recurring patterns rather than linear progress.

Define modernization theory and world-systems theory (Wallerstein) of social change.

Modernization theory: societies develop along a common path from traditional to modern via industrialization and technology. World-systems theory divides the globe into core, semi-periphery, and periphery nations, where core exploits periphery, driving global change/inequality.

How does technology drive social change, and what did Ogburn mean by 'cultural lag'?

Technology alters production, communication, and social organization (e.g., industrialization, the internet). Cultural lag is the delay between material culture (technology) changing and non-material culture (values, norms, laws) adapting to it.

What are the social determinants of health?

The conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that shape health outcomes—e.g., socioeconomic status, education, physical environment, employment, access to healthcare, and social support networks.

Define the social gradient in health, health disparities, and second sickness.

The social gradient in health is the stepwise pattern where lower socioeconomic status corresponds to worse health. Health disparities are preventable differences in health across social groups. Second sickness is the worsening of health caused by social injustice/inequality.

Compare the sick role (Parsons) with the medicalization concept.

Parsons' sick role (functionalist): the sick are exempt from normal duties and not blamed, but must want to get well and seek competent help. Medicalization is defining/treating non-medical problems as medical conditions (e.g., alcoholism, ADHD).

Contrast the theories of illness: the medical (biomedical) model with the social construction of illness.

The biomedical model views illness as a purely physical, biological deviation to be diagnosed and treated. The social construction of illness holds that the meaning, experience, and definition of illness are shaped by social and cultural context.

Define collective behavior and distinguish a crowd, a mass, and a public.

Collective behavior is spontaneous, relatively unstructured group activity outside established norms. A crowd is a temporary gathering in shared space; a mass is a dispersed group focused on the same issue/object; a public is people engaged in debate over a specific issue.

Compare the major theories of social movements: relative deprivation, resource mobilization, and new social movement theory.

Relative deprivation: movements arise when people feel deprived relative to a standard/others. Resource mobilization: success depends on access to resources (money, people, organization). New social movement theory: post-industrial movements focus on identity, quality of life, and culture (e.g., environmental, LGBTQ+ rights) rather than economics.