Soc Final
Why do humans have different shades of skin? To what extent does the skin color gene determine behavioral and mental traits and abilities? (i.e., are these traits and abilities "hard- wired" in us?).
Melanin. White people stopped producing the ability to create melanin. Sunlight - vitamin D. Variation in hair shape, eye shape, are only a few genes. No gene that contributes to a race. All racial attributes are from evolution and adaptation to the environment, according to how close or far they live from the equator (most sun). Not hard-wired, not related
How was the development of the welfare/regulatory state a response to corporate expansion, and how did the corporation react to "big government?"
"Welfare State" → a way of disguising the fact that the real issue is economic insecurity and poverty, attributable to the narrowing of economic opportunity and the loss of economic independence that American workers have experienced as a result of corporate dominance of the labor market This state was needed because of corporate-caused deprivation. Individuals below the top cannot command enough for their only asset — their labor — to pay for their lifetime needs, including education, security, and the support of families. The role of government in undertaking to support public services and public goods (like national defense, national parks, airports, highways, schools) all ended up benefiting corporations (ie educating people to become a part of the workforce, highways were the path to economic activity) Government expanded to enable it to regulate, to offer positive assistance to extend its influence into the economic life of the nation All these new powers were redirected to favor corporate power and disfavor labor, small farmers, etc Regulatory agencies were friendly to big business Social programs intended to help the needy were steadily cut back and hedged with restrictions while aid to corporations became more openhanded
What are the two mechanisms that prevent downward mobility in the U.S.?
1. Most mobility that people have experienced in American in the past century was due to industrial expansion and the rise of the general standard of living in society as a whole. This is called "structural mobility," which has more to do with changes in the organization of society than with the merit of individuals. If America operated as a merit system, people would advance solely on the basis of merit and fail when they lack merit. 2. Upward mobility is more prevalent than downward mobility because parents and extended family networks insulate children from downward mobility. Parents rescue adult children in the events of life crises and setbacks that could otherwise send them into a downward spiral. Parents also rescue children from their own failures. (ex: boomerang children who leave home only to return later to live with parents.)
According to the film, why is a sociological explanation better than a biological explanation in explaining why African-Americans are over-represented, and more likely to excel, in some sports, compared to whites?
According to the film it says that regions and proximity to things like mountains or oceans provide better explanations for people to excel because what their ancestors were used to, allowed them to accrue these advantages like running faster over time. Also it was found that black people don't have more muscles or specific bones that give them an advantage so biology wouldn't make sense to be a contributing factor.
Under what social conditions do social movements emerge?
Activists protest when they think it might help them achieve their goals Threats of war help organizers mobilize people; Threats generally help political opposition grow beyond conventional politics Other sorts of movements grow when the promise of success arises As social movements grow, they incorporate more groups with a broader range of goals and more diverse tactics Or maybe when they don't get their way initially through writing letters, elections, campaign contributions, etc.
Symbolic/Optional ethnicity fosters a certain cultural "blindness" on the part of whites that can lead to misunderstandings and tension with members of minority groups. Explain? Why is it unlikely that bringing together whites and non-whites in an unregulated social setting (like a college campus) would resolve the tension?
An example of this is how whites will ask black students about their hair, assuming that they wouldn't be offended. Because whites tend to know little about blacks, but blacks know a lot about whites, there is a general asymmetry in the level of curiosity they have about one another. Even a black student who cheerfully disregards or is unaware that there are these asymmetries will soon slam into another asymmetry if she willingly answers every innocent question asked of her. Society asks us to live together with people from very different backgrounds, to respect one another, and to enjoy and learn from one another. There are successes in these situations, but the problems and tensions are real. If you put together people with various interests and abilities and resources, the "invisible hand" of capitalism is supposed to make all the parts work together in an economy for the common good. Whenever you bring together individuals from groups that are differentially valued in the wider society and provide no guidance, there will be problems. The "invisible hand" of pluralist relations does not work, and tensions and disagreements can arise without any particular individual or group of individuals being to blame. Problems arise from honest misunderstandings, lack of a common background, and very different experiences of what race and ethnicity mean to the individual.
What are the benefits of symbolic ethnicity and why are non-whites excluded?
Combines individuality with community Symbolic ethnicities are confined to white Americans of European origin. Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, etc. do not have the option of a symbolic ethnicity in the US. Who your ancestors are does affect your choice of spouse, where you live, what job you have, who your friends are, and what your chances of success are for these groups of people. For racial minorities, whose lives are strongly influenced by their race or national origin, regardless of how much they may choose not to identify themselves in terms of their ancestry, the situation is different.
What is the crisis that afflicts and eventually destroys bourgeois society?
Commercial crises, by periodical return, each time more threateningly, threaten the existence of bourgeois society In these crises a great part of not only the existing products, but also of the previously created productive forces, are periodically destroyed In these crises there breaks out an epidemic that, in all earlier epochs, would have seen an absurdity The epidemic of overproduction Society suddenly finds itself put back into a state of momentary barbarism it appears as if a famine, a universal war of devastation had cut off the supply of every means of subsidence; industry and commerce seem to be destroyed: Because there is too much civilization, too much means of subsistence, too much commerce The productive forces at the disposal of society no longer tend to further the development of the conditions of bourgeois property; on the contrary, they have become too powerful for these conditions, by which they are fettered And so soon as they overcome these fetters, they bring disposal into the whole of bourgeois society, endanger the existence of bourgeois property The conditions of bourgeois society are too narrow to comprise (be made of) the wealth created by them How does the bourgeois get over these crises: Enforced destruction of a mass of productive forces, Conquest of new markets, Exploitation of (make full use of/ derive benefit from) old markets That is to say, by paying the way for more extensive/ destructive crises and by diminishing the means whereby crises are prevented The weapons with which the bourgeoisie felled feudalism to the ground are now turned against the bourgeois itself
How does cultural capital differ from social capital? How do both forms of capital maintain privilege?
Cultural capital refers to what one needs to know to function as a member of the various groups to which one belongs. All groups have norms, values, beliefs, ways of life, and codes of conduct that identify the group and define its boundaries. Abiding by these cultural codes of conduct is required to maintain one's status as a member in good standing within the group. Children of the elite are socialized into elite ways of life. Cultural capital includes manners, etiquette, vocabulary, and demeanor. Those from humble backgrounds who aspire to be elites have to work to acquire the culture accepted in elite circles while those born into it have the advantage of acquiring it naturally. Social capital refers to the "value" of who you know. Rich people know other rich people and poor people know other poor people. Wealthy children inherit a network of connections to people of power and influence, thus helping to maintain privilege. The difference between rich and poor is not in knowing people but rather knowing people in positions of power and influence who can do things for you.
What is Eugenics, and why are its claims based on bogus science?
Eugenetics is the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics. Its claims are bogus because they tried to define difficult traits like intelligence and behavioral traits rather than things like eye color. They treated traits like (intelligence) as if it were an innate quality of the brain that could be represented by a single factor but its more complex.They used poor survey and statistical methods. They used false quantification (the assumption that if you can produce a numerical value (such as a score on an intelligence test) then it must be a valid measure). And they neglected social and environmental influences. Talent and intelligence are not governed by genes such as skin color, eye color, hair color Ex. Nazis/the Holocaust
In what ways has society attempted to limit corporate power? Why have these limits failed to curb corporate power?
Every form of legal control over the corporation has failed Control by the stockholders (the supposed owners of corporations) was lost to management Anti-trust laws failed; an attempt to prevent monopolies are in the books but have not been enforced Heads are turned and courts interpret these laws different than the authors of the law sought it to be; regulatory legislation Much of this legislation has been repealed or rejected; the labor union (so weakened that it no longer serves as the counterforce it was expected to be during the New Deal)
The compassion gap is epitomized by specific change in government welfare policy? What were these "reforms" and how did they change public assistance?
Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) used to be our biggest program to help poor people but federal legislation passed in 1996 ended AFDC and replaced it with temporary aid to needy families (TANF). TANF's focus to moving recipients from "welfare to work" has led to a major decline in the number of households receiving benefits and a huge drop in cash assistance to the poor. These programs both reach too few people among those who are eligible, further reducing the chances that those in poverty can achieve the American Dream.
What are the "shared assumptions" that have convinced American workers to accept their declining economic fortunes?
First: Impersonal economic forces produce better decisions and choices than can be made by even the most thoughtful individuals and groups attempting to weight the competing interests of society; Often called "market forces" they are venerated and deferred to even when the market is impaired dominated or non-existent. Second: economic growth is a measure of the well being of the society as a whole. Such growth benefits all the elements and individuals in society; Growth can be counted on to create new jobs and wider individual opportunity. Third: all of the important social values affected by the economic system are measurable and quantifiable. Intangible or "soft" interests such as trust, loyalty, community, natural beauty or sacredness are separate from the economic process and may be "willed" by individuals of strong enough character and a high enough sense of personal responsibility; For example care of children is a matter of "will" Fourth: the treatment of people in their role as employees does not affect the rest of their lives; Getting laid off doesn't affect one's commitment to loved ones. Sixth: People are rational actors whose behaviors can be motivated, controlled, channeled, and deterred by threats and promises of economic gain and loss, by repression and punishment, by constant competition against others and by orders issued by those in superior positions, economic self interest is expected to dominate human behavior, but people can be expected to forgo self-interest in their personal lives in favor of heightened responsibility to others and to the community. Seventh: the ultimate product of society is the best possible system not the best possible human beings. Given these shared assumptions, the corporate elite and the government elite together make the most important decisions affecting society, often overriding what voters choose at the polls
What are some examples that illustrate how movement activism has resulted in permanent "institutional" changes?
Governments create new institutions, such as departments and agencies, in response to activist's demands. Some examples of these are: The department of Labor, the Environmental Protection Agency, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Even though these agencies do not always support activist goals, their very existence represents a permanent institutional concern and a venue for making demands; survive after movements end
For humans, it would be difficult to tell males and females apart without the gendering of the sexes. Explain.
Humans are physiologically more similar in appearance than many other species of animal, and they are more alike than different in traits and behavior Without dressing as one gender or another (without gendered clothing, hairstyles, jewelry, cosmetics), society would be confused at who is what gender Since gender categorizing is a procedure our society does to keep itself from chaos and confusion, it is necessary Especially in babies, it's hard to tell which baby is biologically male or female without gendering their sex or looking under their diapers
What is the difference between income and wealth? Why is wealth a more reliable measure of economic well-being?
Income is typically defined as the total flow of financial resources from all sources (wages and salaries, interest on savings and dividends, pensions, and government transfer payments such as social security, welfare payments, or other government payments) in a given time period, usually annually. Wealth refers not to what people "earn" but what they "own." Wealth is usually measured as net worth that includes the total value of all assets owned (such as real estate, trusts, stocks, bonds, business equity, homes, automobiles, banking deposits, insurance policies) minus the total value of all liabilities (loans, mortgage, credit card). Because the really big money in America comes not from wages and salaries but from owning property. Also, wealth is critical with respect to inheritance.
What are the "cumulative advantages" of wealth inheritance?
Inheritance refers to the total impact of initial social class placement at birth on future life outcomes. The cumulative advantages of wealth inheritance include: Childhood quality of life: children of the privileged enjoy a high standard of living and quality of life regardless of their individual merit or lack of it. Children do not earn a privileged lifestyle but inherit it and benefit from it. Knowing with which fork to eat: cultural capital Having friends in high places: social capital Early withdrawals on the family estate: children of the privileged do not have to wait until their parents die to inherit assets. Inter vivos transfers of funds and "gifts" from parents to children can be substantial. Parents will do it for tax avoidance, to advance their children's economic interests, and at milestone stages in the life cycle (college, getting married, buying a house, having children). One of the most common current forms of inter vivos gifts is paying for education. What goes up doesn't usually come down: mobility studies consistently show much higher rates of upward than downward mobility (refer to 'f') Live long and prosper: (refer to 'g')
Why are the effects of social movements on society difficult to measure in any precise manner?
It is often difficult to tell whether activism makes a difference because the forces that propel people to mobilize are often the same forces responsible for social change Ex) hard to tell if feminist movement opened new opportunities to women or whether economic changes fostered both the jobs and feminism Also, authorities challenged by movements deny that activism influenced their decisions; What politicians want to admit that their judgments can be affected by "mobs"? Why risk encouraging protestors in the future Finally, movements virtually never achieve all that their partisans demand, and so activists are quick to question their own influence (its hard to turn their demands into policy, they don't translate well) Also, sometimes there are no tangible immediate results. Often, things change over time; can make a movement appear to be a failure when it really wasn't
How does machine production under capitalism intensify the exploitation and poverty of workers, and further class polarization? How does the development of capitalist industry promote the proletariat's class solidarity and political struggle against the bourgeoisie?
Machine production under capitalism intensifies the exploitation and poverty of workers by causing the worker to lose individual character, making him simply cog in the machine. This dehumanizes workers and as a result, they are paid, like machines. Machines reduce the need for labor and drive wages down, furthering poverty and class polarization (the bourgeoise and the proletariats) The development of capitalist industry promotes the proletariat's class solidarity and political struggle against the bourgeoisie by pushing all members of society who cannot keep up with modern industry into a single class. This class comes to include the workers, their supervisors, and most of the middle class.
How does a market society demean work, i.e., reduce all work to unsatisfying "jobs?" If it is human nature to want satisfying and socially valued work, then why would anyone willingly submit to a life of work that is menial and deadening?
Market activity is about buying and selling things For the market to function effectively, it must be possible for the exchange of things to occur freely and easily; what makes all this possible is a medium of exchange that all participants can use: money If you work simply for the wage, you're a mercenary, and thus you can be easily induced to change jobs for a better wage If in general people do work simply in exchange for money (jobs), then labor will be mobile and the market will run smoothly
Which points of Marx's critique of the capitalist social order are the most valid in light of present history? Which are the least valid?
Most Valid: Ideas On The Growth Of Industry -Marx predicted capitalism would rapidly grow, and that the worker would become demeaned -He also predicted that this growth could not continue unchecked, and that deeper and deeper recessions would take place. Least Valid: How Revolution Would Be Carried Out -He believed the workers would become angry and unite (which has not happened) -He believed the revolution would start in the high capitalist countries (but it has occurred in the least developed-Russia and China)
How can movements that decline or even fail continue to influence future activism and activists?
Movements that decline/fail continue to influence future activism and activists because they build the infrastructure not only of subsequent movements, but also of democratic society in general. In fighting one political battle, activists shape the conditions for the next one. Educate and mobilize activists, promote ongoing awareness and action that extends beyond the boundaries of one movement of campaign
How are the civil liberties of employees restricted by the corporation?
No matter how much governmental power corporations exercise over their employees, corporations are exempt from the Bills of Rights; Thus employees lose many of their rights as citizens when inside the workplace (Workplace rules may often extend to non-workplace times and places, so that the employee's space for full citizenship can shrink even further) Makes the Bill of Rights a hollow guarantee for many employees since they may risk jobs or promotions by exercising their full rights as citizens.
According to Schwartz, our human nature instills one attitude towards work, while the "official ideology" of our culture promotes an opposing attitude. Explain.
People want work that is interesting, challenging, and socially valued; people want more from their work than their paychecks Despite this evidence, people would not work if they didn't have to; work is regarded as inherently unpleasant, as a cost, a burden; an elaborate set of incentives, coupled with vigilant supervision operates most work settings to get people to do what they're being paid for = OFFICIAL IDEOLOGY Most of us know this official ideology is false, we aspire to more than just a healthy paycheck; we actually want to work, and we want work that is meaningful and challenging and fulfilling. As obvious as this may be, the official ideology denies it, and in denying it, it encourages the creation of working environments in which meaning, challenge and fulfillment are increasingly difficult to find
In what ways was Ghandi's strategy of non-violent resistance copied by Reverend Lawson and the students in their struggle to de-segregate Nashville's downtown lunch counters in A Force More Powerful?
Protestors apply non-violence to "modify the conduct of others to promote their own interests or ideals." These protestors apply strikes, boycotts or other aspects of non-cooperation and civil disobedience. They compel the power structure to concede to their demands as the survival of their power structure depends on their cooperation.
How does Schwartz propose to transform work into a "calling" through "producer cooperatives?" What are the obstacles to this transformation?
Putting control of companies back in the hands of people who know about production is a step toward reintroducing concerns about quality to the workplace; when they can legitimately take responsibility for a product well made, a job well done, they will begin to care that the product is well made Producer Cooperatives = they give the workers a stake in the company Many ways of doing this: Least effective is the approach that gives workers the opportunity to share in the profits, either through cash bonuses or through the award of company stock (managers are still making all decisions though); more powerful is an arrangement in which workers take on a significant share of decision making, quality control, and supervision What producer cooperatives can do is introduce interests to the workforce in addition to financial ones; having responsibility for the product and the opportunity to make it well, encourages workers to care not just about how much they make but about how they make it So restructuring the way in which commercial activity occurs-both the making and the selling of goods-can go a long way toward bringing challenge, meaning, and significance back to work
Why are notions of racial purity pure nonsense?
Racial purity is nonsense because as seen by the DNA lab in the movie no person is racially pure there is always going to be mixes in people due to intermarriage and relations of different people who eventually had offspring. No specific cells lead to a race - can't clean someone of a race
Skin color has little biological significance, but it has enormous social significance. Explain this. How has biology been used (or misused) to justify hierarchy and inequality in society?
Skin color doesn't biologically change a person but socially we put so much emphasis on skin color and make a big deal out of it that society has created a hierarchy that claims the lighter you are the "better" you are. Thus for many years scientist have hid behind the authority of their title and claimed that darker skin color is some how inferior but never actually laid any valid evidence behind their claims.
What evidence does Lorber provide to show that gender - the thought and behavior patterns that distinguish men and women - is a social construction, and not a biological fact? (Think gender bending).
Social constructions are based on society —society imposes "norms" for sexes forming their genders without people even realizing it Society may have changed some bit since the traditional definitions of males and females —more accepting of transvestites, transgender, etc. There are manuals/magazine articles on how to be a certain sex: how to do your hair like so, your nails, the style, etc. The opposite gender knows how its like to act like the other gender, therefore enabling them to impostor in the other's shoes almost perfectly If it was biological, it would be much more difficult for a person to be the other gender because then they would not only make a physical look switch, but also a physiological switch As they grow up, people are taught and learn to become men or women
In what ways can social movements shape public policy?
Social movements can shape public policy by calling attention to their issues, promoting alternative thinking, providing political support for leaders who are sympathetic to their concerns, spurs and supports more conventional political action, strengthen advocates for minority positions already within government, and raise the profile of an issue. Social movements, by the popularity of their arguments, or more frequently, the strength of their support, can convince authorities to reexamine and possibly change their policy preferences Thus Bush, seeking the Republican nomination in 1980, revised his prior support for abortion rights Movements raised the profile of the issue, forcing politicians not only to address their concerns but to ACCEDE to their demands
Herbert Gans holds that ethnicity is "symbolic" when it has no real social cost to the individual. Explain.
Symbolic ethnicity refers to ethnicity that is individualistic in nature and without real social cost for the individual. These symbolic identifications are essentially leisure time activities, rooted in nuclear family traditions and reinforced by the voluntary enjoyable aspects of being ethnic. An example would be those who identify as Irish on St. Patrick's day. Symbolic meaning can be constructed by individuals from mass media images, family traditions, or other intermittent social activities. It means that ethnicity is not something that influences their lives unless they want it to. Having a symbolic ethnicity lacks exclusion and rejection but combines individuality with feelings of community. It is the best of all worlds; these white ethnics can claim to be unique and special while also finding the community and conformity they crave without discrimination. They also get to keep their individuality because they aren't really attached to ethnic assumptions.
What is the compassion gap, and what are the two key dynamics that cause it?
The compassion gap is a deep divide between our moral commitments and how we actually treat those in poverty. The compassion gap results from two key dynamics. First, powerful groups in American society insist that public help for the poor actually hurts them by making them weak and dependent. Second, the consequence of reduced help is that the assertions of welfare critics turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. They insist that immorality is the root of poverty. But when assistance becomes inadequate, the poor can no longer survive by obeying the rules; and they are forced to break them.
How does the U.S. compare to other developed nations in terms of economic inequality? How do the Gini Ratio and CEO pay reflect economic inequality?
The degree of economic inequality in the US is substantial by any measure. We now have greater economic inequality than all industrial countries in Western Europe, and the extent of this inequality is only increasing. The Gini Ratio is one standard measurement of the extent of inequality; it measures the extent of discrepancy between the actual distribution of income and a hypothetical situation in which each quintile of the population receives the same percentage of income. Values range between 0 and 1, where 0 indicates complete equality and 1 indicates complete inequality. Another indication of income inequality is revealed by a comparison of pay for the CEO's of major corporations with that of rank-and-file employees. CEO pay as a ratio of average worker pay increased from 26:1 in 1965 to 310:1 in 2000, with much of the compensation package for CEO's coming in the form of stock options.
According to the author, non-white minorities develop "oppositional identities" by being "pulled" and "pushed" together. Explain
The example in the reading is black vs. white students on a college campus. Black students coming together on campus as both an "ethnic pull" of wanting to be together to share common experiences and community, and a "racial push" of banding together defensively because of perceived rejection and tension from Whites. For blacks reacting to exclusion, there is a tendency for the coming together to involve both being "different from" but also "opposed" to whites. An important component of having such an oppositional identity is to describe others of your group who do not join in the group solidarity as devaluing and denying their very core identity.
According to the film A Force More Powerful, what are the strengths and advantages of non-violence compared to violence?
The limits of non-violence are that the outrage that the participants may have on the issue may not be seen in full as opposed to how they're feeling may be seen in violent protests. Non-violence would be most effective in less loud areas where people are able to see what is being done and where the opposing aren't super violent. Non-violent strategies are not easily transferred from one society to another. An environment where violent rhetoric and violence itself is part of everyday life will make non- violence fall on deaf ears. Sufficient forms of protection for non-violent protestors have to be present, or laws must guarantee protesters the right to hold demonstrations.
What is the conventional theory of power in America and why is Mill's critical of it? What are the "middle levels" of power and why are they increasingly irrelevant? How do they masquerade the power elite?
The middle levels of power provide the noisy content of most political news and gossip; often seems much more of a stalemate than a moving balance
For the corporation, the "free market" is a useful myth. Explain
We are led to believe that decisions are being made not by managers but by the "free market"; Decisions are not made by the "big government" or by the voters but by unelected managers who are well isolated against the effects of their own decisions. It is perpetuated by the very same corporations which have done everything possible to eliminate the free market; Corporations dominate through their "large scale efficiency" and under efficiency lies control as seen through assembly lies, etc. The effect of the large corporations was to undermine those two cherished 18th century institutions which lay at the foundation of America -- the free market and democracy; Corporations wanted a market (but not a free one)
For Marx, how did the bourgeoisie politically and culturally revolutionize society?
The modern bourgeois society has established new classes, new conditions of oppression, new forms of struggle in place of old ones The epoch of the bourgeois has not done away with class antagonisms, but they have simplified them: Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat Modern bourgeoisie is the product of a long course of development, a series of revolutions in the models of productions and exchange Each step in the development of the bourgeoisie was accompanied by a corresponding political advance of that class The bourgeoisie made everything about them earning money: Motivated by self-interest, money, egotistical calculation; Concerted every occupation (physician, lawyer, priest, poet, man of science, etc.) into wage-laborers; They reduced the family into a mere money relation They made the lower class subordinate to them and gained power over the upper class Constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainty and agitation distinguish each bourgeois from the next Need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeois over the whole surface of the globe nestle/ settle/ establish connections everywhere The bourgeois has through its exploitation of the world-market given a cosmopolitan character to production and consumption in every country: All old-established national industries have been destroyed or are being destroyed daily; They are dislodged by new industries;National one-sidedness and narrow-mindedness become more and more impossible, and from the numerous national and local literatures, there arises a world literature Bourgeois draws even the most barbarian nations into civilization, creates a world after its own image Bourgeois has subjected the country to the rule of the towns: Created enormous cities; Greatly increased the urban population as compared to the rural; Made barbarian countries dependent on the civilized ones, nations and peasants on nations of bourgeois, the East on the West Agglomerated population, centralized means of production, concentrated property in a few hands, political centralization The bourgeois, during its rule of scarce one hundred years, has created more massive and more colossal productive working forces than have all preceding generations together
People are both more dependent and more dominated by private corporate government than by public government. Explain.
The most important changes in America have been the disappearance of the free market and the ineffectuality of public government; the primary trend has been the growth of private, corporate government Private government is a far more important factor in the lives of individuals than public government; it controls people by controlling their ability to make a living In order to get a job people will succumb to things that government could never enforce; the public government is limited in what it can do to individuals because of the constitution, private government is subject to no such limitations
The compassion gap - and the changes in the welfare system - have been justified by the claim that poverty is caused by "bad behavior." Explain. Why is war on bad behavior misguided?
The proponents of this claim assume that anyone with enough grit and determination can escape poverty. They claim that giving people cash assistance worsens poverty by taking away their drive to improve their circumstances through work. Arguing that poor people bear children irresponsibly and that they lack the work ethic necessary for economic success, they have launched a war on bad behavior that targets those groups most at risk of poverty. Since African-American and Hispanic woman and men, as well as single mothers of all ethnicities and races are disproportionately represented among the poor, this theory defines these people as morally deficient. One of the key events in this war was the passage in 1996 of the personal responsibility and work opportunities reconciliation act (PRWORA), which replaced AFDC with TANF. TANF requires single mothers who receive welfare to find paid work, encourages them to marry, and limits their time on aid to five years. Ultimately, this new program treats the inability to work as a personal, moral failing. While other countries assume that it is caused by economic and structural factors, the US assumes bad behavior. Most of our policies assume that people can avoid or overcome poverty through hard work alone. Yet this assumption ignores the realities of our failing urban schools, increased unemployment insecurities, and the lack of affordable housing, health care, and childcare. It ignores the fact that the American Dream is rapidly becoming unattainable. This assumption disregards the structural problems underlying poverty.
What are the policy initiatives proposed by the authors that they believe will be more effective at fighting poverty?
The reason the American dream is now beyond reach for so many families is that the price of four critical services has risen much more sharply than rages and the rate of inflation: health care, higher education, high-quality child care, and housing. We need new initiatives to expand the supply of these key services while assuring their quality. This requires accelerated movement toward universal health insurance and universal availability of quality childcare and preschool programs. We need to move toward universal access to higher education for all students who meet the admissions criteria. And we need to create new public-private partnerships to expand the supply of affordable housing for poor and working class families. We also need new policies that target the poor directly, this requires restoring the value of the minimum wage so that minimum wage rises with inflation. Most importantly, we need to provide a stable income floor for all poor families so that no children grow up in horrible poverty. The key to making these policy initiatives feasible is to remind our fellow citizens what true compassion requires.
How do the struggles portrayed in the film show that passion, determination, and feelings of empowerment are not sufficient for non-violent resistance to succeed? Why are planning, organization, training, and discipline more important than the belief in a cause?
The struggles show that you need to be educated on what to do in the protest situations where the cops come at you. Even though you may be passionate and determined to make a change that doesn't matter once you are arrested and no longer can protest, thus you need a plan like the people in the film where more people take your place in order to keep the awareness to the public out and to make the movement effective. MLK & Gandhi were extremely good tacticians and were able to organise (Gandhi wouldn't do anything until cameras were rolling
What is the "power elite?" How are these institutional orders interconnected and coordinated?
The top people in the political, economical, and military sectors that make the significant decisions that affect your welfare so vitally A few men may be so placed under the structures to which their decisions affect many men These men are much more "free" to make decisions that will affect the world The shift of corporation men into the political directorate has accelerated the decline of the politicians in congress to the middle levels of power We now have a political economy numerously linked with military order and decisions
The official ideology fosters a "job" mentality toward work, but work can also be viewed as a "career," or as a "calling." What's the difference? And what are the shortcomings of a career mentality?
There are three different attitudes people might have toward their work: some may view it as a job, some as a career, and some as a calling Jobs: People who have jobs don't expect them to have much meaning; work is simply a means to consumption, and without close supervision, people with jobs can be expected to do as little as they can get away with. Not challenging and of little social value (serving hamburgers at McDonalds) Careers: While people with jobs are just working for a wage, people with careers are going somewhere. There is a clear trajectory of advancement. People with careers can be energized not just by the prospect of high wages but by the prospect of moving up the ladder. They will work hard and take initiatives even without constant supervision in the hope that such efforts will bring advancement (flipping burgers to hopefully be store manager); problem is that not everyone can keep advancing; this pressure to work competes with time required to be good spouse, lover, friend, or parent; because people are forced to work longer and harder than they want, they get less satisfaction out of their work than they otherwise might; despite these great efforts, most people embarked on career paths will fail to reach the heights to which they aspire Callings: For people with a calling, the situation is still different; for them, it is the concrete products of their work, and not just personal advancement, that provide meaning and satisfaction People with a calling are doing something of value; it will not lose its value even if they are stuck doing it with no prospect of moving up Don't require constant supervision or an elaborate system of incentives Motivation to do work comes from the inside; their work is just too important to be done carelessly or lazily
What evidence does the film provide to show that race is, after all, skin deep; in other words, that race is more of a social construction than a biological fact?
They use the DNA spit test samples to show the differences in DNA strands among the different raced kids. However, after examining the results the kids found that there were barely any differences in strands among people that they though would be much different (like Justice and that white guy).
How did each of the movements use "free spaces" (churches? Ashrams?) to mobilize and train activists?
They used free spaces as a safe shelter where they could practice various scenarios that the students may encounter during the protest in order to prepare them. Also the free spaces essentially served as schools specifically for learning non-violent tactics to protest.
How were the two movements highlighted in the film similar and different with regards to the tactics that they used in pursuit of a non-violent strategy?
They were similar in that both Ghandi and Lawson set out to make things non violent and even planned everything out, but were different in that Ghandi changed things at a larger scale and devoted many years to this where as the students and Lawson were but a part of a large scale change.
How has the nature of power in the modern world (and in the US in particular) changed from the nature of power in previous epochs?
To understand modern society, one must understand the central fact of the enlargement and centralization of the means of power. Our political, military, and economic institutions have not only grown tremendously in size but also become centralized and powerfully interconnected. -Outstripping other social institutions "Triangle of power"; political, economic, military In comparison with the medieval epoch: much more authoritative in the medieval times Frequent absences and the prevalence in mass indifference are surely two of the major political facts about the western societies today.
According to Lorber, people who become transsexuals and transvestites "do not become third genders; they change genders." Explain.
Transvestite = a person who dresses in opposite-gender clothes Transsexual = a person who has had sex-change surgery Modern Western societies' transsexuals and transvestites are the nearest equivalent of crossover genders (such as berdaches or hijras or xaniths found in other societies), but they are not institutionalized as third genders Transsexuals are biological males/females who have sex-change operations to alter their genitalia in order to bring their physical anatomy in congruence with the way they want to live and with their own sense of gender identity Transvestites are males who live as men or females who live as women but do not intend to have sex-change surgery; they modify their dress, appearance, and mannerisms so that they are able to "pass" as members of the opposite gender They also change genders, sometimes temporarily, some for most of their lives Genders, therefore, are not attached to a biological substratum; gender boundaries are breach-able TAKEAWAY: People that are transsexuals or transvestites become one gender or the other, whether it is a male or female Transsexuals become biologically and physically one gender or another Transvestites looks-wise become one gender or another Whether they change biologically or not, they switch from one gender to another, therefore not creating a third gender Author makes the point that neither of these are new genders - individuals are still following traditional gender roles. There are still only two options - men and women/ female and male/ masculine and feminine.
Why is ethnicity optional for whites? How did the "Ethnic Miracle" promote optional ethnicity?
Two options for white Americans: 1) the option of whether to claim any specific ancestry or to just be "'white" or American, and 2) the choice of which of their European ancestries to choose to include in their description of their own identities. The option of choosing how to present yourself in everyday social interactions exists for whites because social changes and societal conditions that have created a great deal of social mobility, immigrant assimilation, and political and economic power for whites in the US. (Because whites are the majority group in terms of holding political and social power, as well as being a numbered majority.) The option of choosing among different ethnicities in their family backgrounds exists because the degree of discrimination and social distance attached to specific European backgrounds has diminished over time. European immigration was sharply curtailed in the 1920's. The composition of the ethnic groups began to age generationally. After several generations in the US, the situation has changed; the success and social mobility of grandchildren and great-grandchildren of that massive wave of immigrants from Europe has been called the "Ethnic miracle." These whites have moved away from the inner-city ghettos to white middle-class suburban homes. Unexpectedly, however, these middle-class Americans have not completely given up their ethnic identity. While social mobility and declining discrimination have created the option of not identifying with any European ancestry, most white Americans continue to report some ethnic background.
In what ways does wealth enhance health?
Wealth enhances health because it keeps people from working the most dangerous and stressful jobs, lengthens childhood, and because it provides greater access to quality health care. The more affluent one is, the less the risk for injury, illness and death. Those who file estate tax returns (indicating wealth) on average live three years longer than the general population. The wealthier are also healthier. American who report that they are in excellent health have 74% more wealth than those who report being in poor health. Beginning with fetal development and extending through childhood, increasing evidence points to effects of "the long reach of early childhood" on adult health. Prenatal deprivations are common in the poor and result in serious health problems later in life. Poverty in childhood is also associated with increased risk of adult diseases, which may in part be due to stress. Cumulative wear and tear on the body over time occurs under conditions of repeated high stress. The poor also face occupational hazards. The rich also have greater access to quality health care. Poor health also leads to reduced earnings. Individual behaviors - smoking, drinking, drug abuse - are common among the poor.
Which is more critical to inheritance, income or wealth? Explain
Wealth is critical with respect to inheritance. When people inherit, they inherit accumulated assets - not incomes from wages and salaries (inheritance is a form of getting something for nothing). A substantial amount of accumulated wealth is passed on through inheritance. As with income shares, shares of wealth ownership are very stable over long periods of time.
