Sociology 2e Chapter 9, 10, 11, and 12

Primogeniture

A British middle ages law stating that all property would be inherited by the firstborn son.

Caste System

A caste system is one in which people are born into their social standing and will remain in it their whole lives.

What does a class consist of?

A class consists of a set of people who share similar status with regard to factors like wealth, income, education and occupation. Unlike caste systems, class systems are open.

Class System

A class system is based on both social factors and individual achievement.

Intragenerational Mobility

A difference in social class that between different members of the same generation. For example, the wealth and prestige experienced by one person may be quite different from that of his or her siblings.

Chattel Slavery

A form of slavery in which one person owns another.

Subordinate group

A group of people who have less power than the dominant group

Dominant Group

A group of people who have more power in a society than any of the subordinate groups.

Downward Mobility

A lowering of one's social class. Some people move downward because of business setbacks, unemployment, or illness.

Global Feminization of Poverty

A pattern that occurs when women bear a disproportionate percentage of the burden of poverty.

Sociologists associate sexuality with ___________.

A person's capacity for sexual feelings

Sexuality

A person's capacity for sexual feelings.

Gender Identity

A person's deeply held internal perception of his or her gender.

Sexual Orientation

A person's physical, mental, emotional, and sexual attraction to a particular sex (male or female)

Racism

A set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices that are used to justify the belief that one racial category is somehow superior or inferior to others.

Social Stratification

A society's categorization of its people into rankings of socioeconomic tiers based on factors like wealth, income, race, education, and power

Subjective Poverty

A state of poverty composed of many dimensions, subjectively present when one's actual income does not meet one's expectations.

Second World

A term from the Cold War era that describes nations with moderate economies and standards of living.

First World

A term from the Cold War era that is used to describe industrialized capitalist democracies.

Third World

A term from the Cold War era that refers to poor, unindustrialized countries.

Sex

A term that denotes the presence of physical or physiological differences between males and females.

Fourth World

A term that describes stigmatized minority groups who have no voice or representation on the world stage.

Gender

A term that refers to social or cultural distinctions of behaviors that are considered male or female.

Modernization Theory

A theory that low-income countries can improve their global economic standing by industrialization of infrastructure and a shift in cultural attitudes towards work.

Culture of prejudice

A theory that prejudice is embedded in our culture.

Scapegoat Theory

A theory that suggests that the dominant group will displace its unfocused aggression onto a subordinate group.

Dependency Theory

A theory which states that global inequity is due to the exploitation of peripheral and semi-peripheral nations by core nations.

According to national surveys, most U.S. parents support which type of sex education program in school?

Abstinence plus sexual safety

According to the symbolic interactionist perspective, we "do gender":

All of the time, in everything we do.

Transgender

An adjective that describes individuals who identify with the behaviors and characteristics that are other than their biological sex.

Which of the following scenarios is an example of intragenerational mobility?

An executive belongs to a different class than her parents.

Homophobia

An extreme or irrational aversion to homosexuals.

Meritocracy

An ideal system based on the belief that social stratification is the result of personal effort - or merit - that determines social standing.

Heterosexism

An ideology and a set of institutional practices that privilege heterosexuals and heterosexuality over over sexual orientations.

Upward Mobility

An increase - or upward shift - in social class. (Think, rags to riches)

Queer Theory

An interdisciplinary approach to sexuality studies that identifies Western society's rigid splitting of gender into male and female roles and questions its appropriateness.

Underground Economy

An unregulated economy of labor and goods that operates outside of governance regulatory systems, or human protections.

Minority Group

Any group of people who are singled out from the others for differential and unequal treatment.

Which subordinate group is often referred to as the "model minority"?

Asian Americans

Which statement represents stratification from the perspective of symbolic interactionism? A) Men often earn more than women, even working the same job B) After work, Pat, a janitor, feels more comfortable eating in a truck stop than a French restuarant C) Doctors earn more money because their job is more highly valued D) Teachers continue to struggle to keep benefits such as health insurance

B) After work, Pat, a janitor, feels more comfortable eating at a truck stop than a French restaurant.

Only women are affected by gender stratification A) True B) False

B) False

What is discrimination?

Biased actions against an individual or group.

Prejudice

Biased thought based on flawed assumptions about a group of people.

Global Stratification

Compares the wealth, economic stability, status, and power of countries across the world. Global stratification highlights worldwide patterns of social inequality.

Global Inequality

Concentrating resources in certain nations and significantly affects the opportunities of individuals in poorer and less powerless countries.

France might be classified as which kind of nation?

Core

Stereotypes can be based on: A) Race B) Ethnicity C) Gender D) All of the above

D) All of the above

Ethnicity describes shared: A) Beliefs B) Language C) Religion D) Any of the above

D) Any of the above

The racial term "African-American" can refer to: A) A Black person living in the United States B) People whose ancestors came to the United States through the slave trade C) A white person who originated in Africa and now lives in the United States D) Any of the above

D) Any of the above

Which of the following is an example of a numerical majority being treated as a subordinate Group? A) Jewish people in Germany B) Creoles in New Orleans C) white people in Brazil D) Blacks under apartheid in South Africa

D) Blacks under apartheid in South Africa

Which of following is correct regarding the explanation of transgenderism? A) It is strictly biological and associated with chemical imbalances in the brain B) It is a behavior that is learned through socializing with other transgender individuals C) It is genetic and usually skips one generation D) Currently, there is no definitive explanation for transgenderism

D) Currently, there is no definitive explanation for transgenderism

The terms "masculine" and "feminine" refer to a person's ______________ A) sex B) gender C) both sex and gender D) none of the above

D) none of the above

Conflict Theory on Social Stratification

Deeply critical of social stratification, asserting that it benefits only some people, not all of society. For instance, to a conflict theorist, it seems wrong that a basketball player is paid millions a year while a teacher earns $35,000/yr. Stratification perpetuates inequality. (See Karl Marx)

D.O.M.A.

Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 U.S. law explicitly limiting the definition of "marriage" to a union between one man and one woman and allowing each individual state to recognize or deny same-sex marriages performed in other states.

Functionalism Theory on Social Stratification

Different aspects of society exist because they serve a needed purpose (Davis - Moore thesis). The theory posits that social stratification represents the inherently unequal value of different work. Certain tasks in society are more valuable than others. Qualified people who fill those positions must be rewarded more than others.

Core Nations

Dominant capitalists countries.

Scapegoat theory shows that:

Dominant groups blame subordinate groups for their problems

Intergenerational Mobility

Families of varying social classes. For example, an upper-class executive may have parents who belonged to the middle class. In turn, those parents may have been raised in the lower class.

Which person best illustrates opportunities for upward social mobility in the United States?

First-generation college student.

Why did most white ethnic Americans come to the United States?

For a better life and to escape oppression

What theoretical perspective does the following statement most likely apply: Women continue to assume the responsibility in the household along with a paid occupation because it keeps the household running smoothly, i.e., at a state of balance?

Functionalism

What theoretical perspective stresses the importance of regulating sexual behavior to ensure marital cohesion and family stability?

Functionalism

The term ___________ refers to society's concept of how men and women are expected to act and how they should behave.

Gender role

Which intergroup relation displays the least tolerance?

Genocide

Many Arab Americans face ____________, especially after 9/11.

Islamophobia

Which of the following is the best explanation of racism as a social fact?

It does not need the actions of individuals to continue.

What is the one defining feature of a minority group?

Lack of power

Endogamous Marriage

Marriage to a partner from the same social background.

Amalgamation is represented by the ______________ metaphor.

Melting Pot

Peripheral Nations

Nations on the fringes of the global economy, dominated by core nations, with very little industrialization.

Stereotypes

Oversimplified ideas about groups of people.

Which of the following is the best example of the role peers play as an agent of socialization for school-aged children?

Peers tend to reinforce gender roles by criticizing and marginalizing those who behave outside of their assigned roles.

What factor makes caste systems closed?

People cannot change their social standings.

What intergroup relationship is represented by the "salad bowl" metaphor?

Pluralism

Discrimination

Prejudiced action against a group of people.

Institutional Racism

Racism embedded in social institutions.

What doctrine justified legal segregation in the South?

Separate but equal

Ethnicity

Shared culture, which may include heritage, language, religion, and more.

Social Construction of Sexuality

Socially created definitions about the cultural appropriateness of sex-linked behavior which shape how people see and experience sexuality.

Gender Role

Society's concept of how men and women should behave.

Speedy Gonzalez is an example of:

Stereotyping

What Western country is thought to be the most liberal in its attitudes towards sex?

Sweden

Relative Poverty

The state of poverty where one is unable to live the lifestyle of the average person in the country.

Absolute Poverty

The state where one is barely able, or unable, to afford basic necessities.

Model Minority

The stereotype applied to a minority group that is seen as reaching higher educational, professional, and socioeconomical levels without protest against the majority establishment.

Class Traits (also called Class Markers)

The typical behaviors, customs, and norms that define each class. Class traits indicate the level of exposure a person has to a wide range of cultures. They also indicate the amount of resources a person has to spend on items like hobbies, vacations and leisure activities.

Racial Profiling

The use by law enforcement of race alone to determine whether to stop and detain someone.

Wealth

The value of money and assets a person has from, for example, inheritance.

Intersection Theory

Theory that suggests we cannot separate the effects of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and other attributes.

What factor makes class systems open?

They allow for movement between the classes.

What makes Native Americans unique as a subordinate group in the United States?

They are the only group that did not come here as immigrants

Transsexuals

Transgender individuals who attempt to alter their bodies through medical interventions such as surgery and hormonal therapy.

Exogamous Marriage

Unions of spouses from different social categories.

A sociologist working from a symbolic interaction perspective would

Want to interview women working in factories to understand how they manage the expectations of their supervisors, make ends meet, and support their households on a day-to-day basis.

Structural Mobility

When societal changes enable a whole group of people to move up or down the social class ladder. Structural mobility is attributable to changes in society as a whole, not individual changes.

What is a good example of a gender stereotype?

Women tend to be overly emotional, while men tend to be levelheaded.

Structural mobility occurs when

a large group moves up or down the class ladder due to societal changes.

G.I.N.I. coeffiecient

a measure of income inequality between countries using a 100-point scale, in which 1 represents complete equality and 100 represents the highest possible inequality.

Maya is a twelve year old girl living in Thailand. She is homeless, and often does not know where she will sleep or when she will eat. We might sat that Maya lives in ____________ poverty.

absolute

In the past, the United States manufactured clothes. Many clothing corporations have shut down their U.S. factories and relocated to China. This is an example of:

capital flight

Slavery in the pre-Civil War U.S. South most closely resembled

chattel slavery

The behaviors, customs, and norms associated with a class are known as:

class traits

A sociologist who focuses on the way that multinational corporations headquartered in core nations exploit the local workers in their peripheral nation factories is using a ___________ perspective to understand the global economy.

conflict theory

Compared to most Western societies, U.S. sexual attitudes are considered______________.

conservative

Dependency theorists explain global inequality and global stratification by focusing on the way that:

core nations exploit peripheral nations.

A ______________ perspective theorist might find it particularly noteworthy that wealthy corporations improve the quality of life in peripheral nations by providing workers with jobs, pumping money into the local economy, and improving transportation infrastructure.

functional

Research indicates that individuals are aware of their sexual orientation ________________.

in early adolescence

Semi-peripheral nations

in-between nations, not powerful enough to dictate policy but acting as a major source of raw materials and an expanding middle class marketplace.

One flaw in modernization theory is the unwilling to recognize___________

its inherent ethnocentric bias

If a sociologist says that nations evolve toward more advanced technology and more complex industry as their citizens learn cultural values that celebrate hard work and success, she is using _____________ theory to study the global economy.

modernization theory

Social Stratification is a system that

ranks society's members into categories.

Mike, a college student, rents a studio apartment. He cannot afford a television and lives on cheap groceries like dried beans and ramen noodles. Since he does not have a regular job, he does not own a car. Mike is living in ___________

relative poverty

The basic premise of the Davis-Moore thesis is that the unequal distribution of rewards in social stratification:

serves a purpose in society.

Faith has a full time job and two children. She has enough money for the basics and can pay her rent each month, but she feels that, with her education and experience, her income should be enough for her family to live much better than they do. Faith is experiencing:

subjective poverty

The GNI PPP figure represents

the average income of a country's citizens.

A person who is biologically female but identifies with the male gender and has undergone surgery to alter her body is considered _______________.

transgender

As a Caucasian in the United States, being reasonably sure that you will be dealing with authority figures of the same race as you is a result of:

white privilege

Social Construction of Race

The school of thought that race is not biologically identifiable.

Conspicuous Consumption

The purchase and use of certain products to make a social statement about status. Symbolically communicating social standing.

Which federal act or program was designed to allow more Hispanic American immigration, not block it?

The Bracero Program

Social Mobility

The ability to change positions within a social stratification system. When people improve or diminish their economic status in a way that affects social class, they experience social mobility.

Expulsion

The act of a dominant group forcing a subordinate group to leave a certain area or even the country.

Debt Bondage

The act of people pledging themselves as servants in exchange for money for passage, and are subsequently paid too little to regain their freedom

Racial Steering

The act of real estate agents directing prospective homeowners toward or away from certain neighborhoods based on their race.

Biological Determination

The belief that men and women behave differently due to inherent sex difference related to their biology.

Colorism

The belief that one type of skin tone is superior or inferior to another within a racial group.

White Privilege

The benefits people receive simply by being part of the dominant group.

Debt Accumulation

The buildup of external debt, wherein countries borrow money from other nations to fund their expansion or growth goals.

Which system allows for the most social mobility?

The class system.

Double Standard

The concept that prohibits premarital sexual intercourse for women but allows it for men.

Status Consistency

The consistency, or lack thereof, of an individual's rank across various factors such as income, education, and occupation.

Genocide

The deliberate annihilation of a targeted (usually subordinate) group.

Pluralism

The ideal of the United States as a "salad bowl:" A mixture of different cultures where each culture retains its own identity and yet adds to the "flavor" of the whole.

Gross National Income (GNI)

The income of a nation calculated based on goods and services produced, plus income earned by citizens and corporations headquartered in that country.

Sedimentation of Racial Inequality

The intergenerational impact of de facto and de jure racism that limits the abilities of Black people to accumulate wealth.

Standard of Living

The level of wealth available to a certain socioeconomic class in order to acquire the material necessities and comforts to maintain its lifestyle.

Deindustrialization

The loss of industrial production, usually to peripheral and semi-peripheral nations where the costs are lower.

Income

The money a person earns from work or investments.

Capital Flight

The movement (flight) of capital from one nation to another, via jobs and resources

Doing Gender

The performance of tasks based upon the gender assigned to us by society and, in turn, ourselves.

Segregation

The physical separation of two groups, particularly in residence, but also in workplace and social functions.

Redlining

The practice routinely refusing mortgages for households and business located in predominantly minority communities.

Amalgamation

The process by which a minority group and a majority group combine to form a new group.

Assimilation

The process by which a minority individual or group takes on the characteristics of the dominant culture.

In a U.S. town, a mining company owns all the stores and most of the houses. It sells goods to the workers at inflated prices, offers house rentals for twice what a mortgage would be, and makes sure to always pay the workers less than needed to cover food and rent. Once the workers are in debt, they have no choice but to continue working for the company, since their skills will not transfer to a new position. This situation most closely resembles:

debt slavery

Unlike Davis and Moore, Melvin Tumin believed that, because of social stratification, some qualified people were __________ higher-level job positions.

denied the opportunity to obtain.

If a sociologist points out that core nations dominate the global economy, in part by creating global interest rates and international tariffs that will inevitably favor high-income nations over low-income nations, he is a:

dependency theorist

When Karl Marx said workers experience alienation, he meant that workers:

do not feel connected to their work.

Based on meritocracy, a physician's assistant would:

earn a pay raise for doing excellent work.