sociology exam 1

Society

"group of interacting individuals sharing same territory and participating in a common social structure"

epigenetics

(ex. Poverty can affect your dna and be passed on) relationship between heredity and environment

legitimacy

(max weber) belief that an authority has the right to give orders and have those orders obeyed, legitimate authority is much stronger than illegitimate authority.

Nation problems

(usa) race relations/conflict, religion (stereotypes, prejudices), social class divides- inequality (National distributive justice), national security (fear of terrorism, north korea)

5 theories of deviance

1) Social disorganization 2) Anomie/Strain 3) Cultural Transmission 4) Labeling 5) Conflict Theory

Self regulating market theory rests on following important assumptions

"General good" defined as "efficient allocation of resources" Pareto efficiency= allocation of resources in which no one can be made better off without making someone worse off Oligopolistic competition Competitive markets Perfect information (full info on prices/products).. We don't have this Low or nonexistent transaction costs

organizational crime

"Illegal acts of omission or commission of an individual or a group of individuals in a formal organization in accordance with the operative goals of the organization, which have serious physical or economic impact on employees, consumers, or the general public"

Power as Domination

"Power over" rather than "power to" Two types of domination 1. By coercion- (economic or military power) create incentives economically or use outright force 2. By authority- situations where people follow orders as routine nature

Financial sector deregulation

1930s banking reforms: FDIC, glass steagall act (investment banks and depository institutions), SEC Can lose money (big risks) lightly regulated vs heavily regulated (avoid risks) 1980s: Savings and loans deregulated, savings and loan crises of late 80s, 1990s: glass steagall act weakened, then repealed, SEC enforcement weakened, increasing financial sector innovation (derivatives)

lenders (large and small)

Abandoned underwriting standards legally obligated to uphold

prominent academic economists

Accepted sums far greater than their salaries from financial firms while claiming to be objective experts on financial markets - provided intellectual cover for deregulation without thinking seriously about downsides - hired themselves out to write intellectually- bankrupt reports that helped convince investors that "crap" = "safe, investment-grade securities"

Goffman, Presentation of Self

Active participants in drama of our lives Dramaturgical approach: we're all actors on stage of our lives Impression management: shape how different people view us (different contexts) ex. Pretending to give a shit, lying "Face work"- what we do when impression management goes wrong to try and recover, pretend was a joke

national political leaders

Appointed or reappointed to positions of responsibility for providing • Policy advice • Oversight of the financial system - The same people who designed the system that collapsed so spectacularly!

derivative

basically a bet on performance of some underlying asset, key point: you don't have to be involved in underlying asset to create and sell derivative, or to invest in the derivative, unlimited for investment opportunities, credit default swaps: type of derivative involving CDOs

Social behavior

behavior oriented towards others

deviance

behavior that violates social norms in a given society or group What is deviant in one society may be normal behavior in another Few behaviors are universally deviant across all cultures Deviance not always bad

In-groups and out-groups

belonging vs not belonging, out-groups are stigmatized and looked down on

Great Recession

biggest economic crisis since great depression

paradigm

broad unit of consensus, set of guiding assumptions about world, tells scientist what to study, where to look for problems of interest, what to expect

Universalism

claims evaluated on basis pre established impersonal criteria- argued upon rules of evidence

dysfunctions

conflict Role of sociologist (functionalism): explain social structures by examining their functions diagnose the dysfunctions of the "social body" like the physician diagnoses the dysfunctions of human body and try to solve it caring about problem and wanting to change it

role strain

conflicting demand within a single role

Ethnocentrism vs sociological theories

danger to sociology, can get in way of studying a group's culture (predisposition)

language

describe the cultural activities of that society verbal or nonverbal "See" or understand society Distort or inhibit what we "see" and understand Idea of "linguistic relativity" war= security, peace= weakness, surrender

subcultures

different class or status groups within cultures

traditional authority

dominant form many years ago, rituals, divine rights of kings, subjects owe personal loyalty and obedience, rulers had traditional obligations to their subjects Subjects and rulers= relationship, rulers often do "favors" for subjects to demonstrate their generosity Ex. parents over kids, patron-client relationships, pope Can be drag on innovation Too unpredictable

Functionalism

emilie durkheim (theorist) Societies are a lot like organisms- coherent wholes made up of individual parts In healthy societies, social structures function together harmoniously ex family=> school=> economy In societies, order and harmony require social solidarity Feeling of being part of something larger than onesel

Primary and secondary groups

face-to-face relations/intimate vs formal/impersonal

leverage

firms can invest with money they have or can borrow money- makes it possible to make larger bets. 33:1- playing with nearly all borrowed money (3% decline in value of assets bought... bankrupt)

Rules may be

formal (official/written) informal (unwritten, even unspoken) Either way they are real

laws

formally enforced mores

Meaningful groups

friends and family

World problem

global warming (ecology of planet), infectious disease risk, democracy and peace/conflict, arms race (global)- risk of mass global destruction

crime

important form of deviance "Street crime"- against persons and against property "White collar crime"- committed by high status persons in context of their occupations Street crime has fallen White collar crime is a real problem

role conflict

incompatible expectations from 2 statuses held by same person (ex. Student and teacher)

Stages in labeling of deviance:

initial act (primarydeviance) • definition of the act as deviant and of social concern • deviant identity taken on as a primary role Deviance is conferred on people at least as much as it results from their actions. Deviance is socially- constructed.

"Sociological imagination"

means understanding the intersection of biography and history

master status

most important status defining your position in a social group (student in class)

violation of rules... adherence of rules...

negative sanctions (jail, loss of respect, shunning) positive sanctions (good grades, friends, respect)

latent functions

not official purpose/ or at the surface. Ex. providing a space for young adults to learn to be independent, diversifying the university, etc.

charismatic authority

obedience owed to charismatic leader because of transcendent abilities, the ruled are followers who answer the call, can create powerful personal loyalty, most unstable form of legitimacy (hard in long term), when have to transition to new leader it becomes difficult, charisma must be routinized to survive beyond the original charismatic figure Ex. cults, celebrities (transcendent culture)

securitization chain

old days it was local bank-borrower-local bank Loans bundled together and sold to investors Bundle called a "collateralized debt obligation" CDO

counter-cultures

oppositional to main culture

folkways

ordinary conventions of everyday life, customs ex. Handshake

material culture

physical objects that humans create Ex. tools, schools, buildings, cities, art etc.

socialization

process of social interaction; acquire personality, self-image, learn rights/norms 1. Gives each person their position in society ( identity (self)/personality) 2. Reproduces a particular culture and society

mortgage brokers

put people in loans without any concern for ability to repay

rituals

reenact basic values of society Generate solidarity Help recall collective meanings and values Help group remember what is sacred Highlight key events of life Powerful emotions

powerful institutions

school, government, business

organized skepticism

science produces knowledge but not capital- T "Truth", final judgement is never in, nothing is too sacred to be questioned, be your own most demanding critic, try and bring observations and theories into alignment, values dont determine results. Report findings regardless of the outcome/what others will say

disinterestedness (value neutrality)

science should not be pursued to support a preexisting ideology (modify ideas) findings are controversial

Communalism

scientific finding belong to all of us, science is connected to society, should serve humanity, people want money for their scientific findings, what's profitable might not be the thing we really need for humanity

Individuals problems

sense of community/social media, individuals cut off from modern world, access to financial stability/ freedom (job market changes), agency (control/confidence over our lives)

reference groups

set a standard for evaluating self and own behavior ex. Parents, don't want to disappoint them (can be primary groups)

social roles

set of expectations (norms) for a given status

values

shared ideas about what is right, desirable, good Abstract, general concepts vs specific behavior (norms) ex. Being respectful in class, not specific Values integrate a number of norms into a coherent idea Expressed in symbols, stories, etc.

social norms

shared rules that tell you how to act (given situation for specific people) folkways, mores, and laws

nonmaterial culture consists of...

social norms, values, language, rituals

manifest functions

stated/surface level functions of a group. Ex: OSU function is to educate students, research

ascribed status

status bestowed on you by others- no control over it (age, gender, race)

mores

stronger norms with moral significance

Good scientific theory are...

testable, falsifiable, should make predictions

3 types of legitimate authority

traditional, charismatic, legal-rational

Theories

unifies explanations using scientific concepts to make sense of a variety of observed facts

Mode of production

way that people are organized to produce their means of subsistence each mode of production includes most important economic activities and property relations (rules that define who has access/control to specific property, vary)

resocialization

when in new setting you must resocialize to fit in/adjust

status

where you fit in social structure, one's position in society (multiple groups-multiple statuses)

government regulators

Deferred to the industry they were supposed to regulate (continues to this day)* - Failed to investigate or take seriously reports of widespread fraud (even from the FBI) during the run-up to the crash - Failed to mount any serious investigation for criminal fraud after the fact

Cultural transmission theory

Deviant behavior is LEARNED through DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION (i.e., who your friends are) • Probably your parents' theory of deviance. Factors: • intensity of contacts • age when contacts occur • frequency, duration, number People may be socialized into a deviant subculture e.g., (gang subculture). But doesn't explain origin of the deviant behavior.

wage worker

Driven into market by material need Deprived of any other means of subsistence Only power is the power to withhold work Importance of "associational power" ... works w power to withhold work to strike

Anomie/Structural Strain Theory

Durkheim defined ANOMIE (normlessness) as a breakdown of norms. • typical of societies experiencing rapid change Merton alters definition to fit STABLE SITUATIONS: "Anomie arises where there is a discrepancy between socially defined goals and available means of achieving them."

role theory and "presentation of self"

Emphasis on agency- how people act freely, way we make things up as we go along We look to others to see how we are being perceived Our self-concepts are largely comprised of our understandings of how others see us Actively manage our self-presentation to fit roles we play

Conflict Theory: Differential Justice

Even when there is broad agreement about conduct violating social norms or laws, the powerful are treated differently: • Less likely to be criticized, investigated, or prosecuted. •If prosecuted, sentences are often more lenient than for less powerful people.

Groups and networks

Every social group has a network structure People within a group can be represented as "nodes" (people) and connections between them as "ties" As number of nodes increases, number of possible ties/connections increases (complexity) Weak ties link networks together (important) access to more resources Spanning tree: people connected to 1-2 people but turns into big long connection Socialization is process through which we learn norms and values

Mead, Stages of the Self

Helps us understand how we learn to see ourselves as others see us 3 stages: Preparatory stage- imitation Play stage- role taking, limits, think there's one role (ex. Young kids playing soccer) Game stage- can cope with existence of multiple roles in same setting Parallel play: young kids don't interact, both may play with doll but not together (imitation) Full socialization: "The Generalized Other" in game stage, what other people think of you, expectation other people have of you (group specific)

Labeling Theory: the Social Construction of Deviance

Important sorting goes on between initial act and punishment. Labeling theory: An act becomes deviant when the LABEL OF DEVIANCE is successfully applied.

Theories of white-collar crime

Intersect with theories of formal organizations (e.g., bureaucracy) • Aim to understand - Perverse organizational and system incentives and reward structures - Organizational power (how are potential whistle- blowers thwarted, marginalized, induced to conform, or punished) - Regulatory capture (how do powerful business organizations dominate regulatory agencies (i.e., "the cops")

conflict perspective

K. marx and M. weber Rejects idea that societies are basically harmonious Emphasizes role of power struggles between social groups (ex. Men and women, contending social classes) may not always be dysfunctional, disadvantaged groups struggles may lead to more functional society (normal part of social life) Role of sociologists: explain social structures by examining underlying social conflicts (lack of universal health care system in U.S.) Discover logic of each type of society by studying attempts to change society

Power as ability to act emphasizes things needed in order for people to enact collective goals

Knowledge, resources, organization (needed to successfully apply resources to problems and overcome collective action problems)

rating agencies

Lowered standards in pursuit of fees from investment banks - Gave inflated ratings to risky securities, derivatives, and financial firms themselves - These ratings were the lynchpin of the entire schemeused to represent investments as safe - After the fact, claimed ratings reflected only their opinions and should not have been relied upon

Functionalism- 2 kinds of solidarity

Mechanical: old type rooted in our perceived similarities with other members of societies (Totemistic religions) Organic: new kind of solidarity based on specialized roles we play in a complex division of labor (doesnt always work) exception ex: football,organizes structure specialization Understand social structure by looking at those functions Cooperation successful: powerful solidarity

Dream of self-regulating market economy

Metaphor of "invisible hand" Claim: if everyone pursues his/her own interests within competitive markets, the general good will result Market regulation is not just unnecessary but harmful (adam smith) Market supply and demand will oscillate around equilibrium

securitization chain now

Mortgage broker Initial lender Investment bank (ex. Goldman Sachs)... CDO Ratings Agency (ex. Standard and Poors) Investor (individuals or institutions like pension funds)

feudalism

Most people were peasants/serfs (unfree agricultural workers tied to particular plot of land) Peasants had traditional rights to subsistence food production on master's estates Landowners- medieval nobility Most important productive property was feudal estate (peasants/serfs) Class division: peasants/serfs and high nobility No incentive to invent things since estate came with serfs

ancient agricultural empires

Most people were slaves (driving economic force) Slave owning mode of production Class societies: slaves vs those who owned slaves Lived off labor of slaves, expanding

capitalist

Needs to enter labor market (as buyer) in order to earn profit Can live off wealth for long time, need is not so immediate as it is for wage worker (adam smith- father of economics)

Consequences of capitalist market competition

Relentless drive for technological innovation Incredible growth of productivity and wealth Rapid and unending social upheaval Communities affected by these changes Industrial conflict Recurring crises of "overproduction" Concentration of capital into larger units

What is sociology?

Systematic study of how people are affected by and affect the social structures and social processes associated with the groups, organizations etc. nature of social structures Sociology can debunk BS claims... finding out how things really work

Major sociological perspectives on (criminal) deviance

Tendency to study "down"focus on the deviance of the less powerful • Tendency to equate crime with "street crime" • Assume crime is more a matter of individual than organizational behavior - E.g., culture = "who do I associate with and what do I learn from them, NOT "what are the organizational incentives and power structures?"

capitalism (our mode of production)

We are first society to do that How do people obtain things we need to live? We buy them on open market What do we call things produced for sale in market? Commodities Where do we get money to buy these commodities? Work What is a job? Voluntary agreement to sell our ability to work, our "labor power" in exchange for money/wages Society organized around jobs is a society organized around free wage labor, in which labor market is the central social institution Not born into particular status unlike past times (more uncertainty, anxiety about future)

Cooley, The Looking-Glass Self

We look to others to gain info., find out about ourselves Look to parents/family- reinforce or undercut children's beliefs Imagine how others evaluate us Misperceptions are important Develop beliefs about ourselves

Hunting and gathering societies

Work was communal, cooperative Simple, not hierarchical Communal hunting ground/territory (strong norms)- social equality, not much change, over time if hunting ground isn't as rich... move Most people don't buy things on market

achieved status

achieved or earned (graduate)

ethnocentrism

assumption that one's own culture is natural, best, or even inevitable (when taken to extreme, can be dysfunctional)

legal-rational authority

authority carefully spelled out by formal rules, no one above law, ruled are citizens with specific legal rights, obedience owed not to person but to office and to the rules, loyalty is impersonal, authority is delegated to officials with technical qualifications Fairness enhances legitimacy Dominant type in large scale industrial society Agreed upon rules=democracy Imposed rules=legitimate if rules are seen as tactically functioning, very powerful, social technology for getting things done, beaurocracy, achieves power by limiting power of individuals in that organization (paradox) more equitable society= incredible loyalty to organization/structure/rules

social disorganization

Chicago Sociology (1910's): study of unsettled urban life of immigrants • from Europe • from rural South • rural to urban Decline in social organization relative to rural and old country • lack of attachment, bonds, commitment, values • what have you got to lose? • Chicago School soon observes this is not an adequate explanation • because people make NEW BONDS quickly

Assumptions are not usually fully met

Competitive markets: no price setting abilities, lots of buyers/sellers, if they had ability to set price- distorts economy (monopoly) often not held Perfect information- not always case... what's in the meat is an example. Lack of knowledge of what happens to initial goods Transaction costs- needs to be cheap, but something like switching jobs has high transaction costs (switching to different buyer-if seller- or switching to different seller-if buyer)

sociological theories of personality

1. Emphasize social aspects of personality acquisition 2. Include developments throughout life course

Randal collins 3 strategies of domination (least to most powerful)

Force (coercion, punishment) Advantages: fear can be an effective motivator, often get compliance if you terrify people enough, quite popular throughout human history, can be legitimate Disadvantages: inefficient, compliance vs commitment, constantly be watching, hard to get high quality work this way, makes people resentful, hard to apply fairly, paradox of coercion Reward (money, incentive) Advantages: incentives can be an effective motivator, people will often do things for money/reward Disadvantages: incentives and rewards are hard to calibrate, risk of perverse incentives creeping in (inadvertently incentivizing something harmful) Solidarity Draws on peoples attachment to groups, more likely to act on its behalf without making rewards/punishments- they want to do it because they believe in the group, collective rituals that help people identify with their roles and the other people in the group/organization important Advantages: it can be a deeper, stronger form of power and control, punishment and reward have a shallower hold on people's identities Disadvantages: rituals take time and effort, authorities have to give real responsibility and control to subordinates

Mortgage servicers (companies that collect the mortgage payments and pursue foreclosures)

Fraudulently concocted the documents necessary to claim ownership of delinquent mortgages so that houses could be foreclosed upon

investment banks

Fraudulently misrepresented securities to investors - Secretly made large bets against the same securities they touted to customers - Treated fines and penalties as a cost of doing business - Paid huge bonuses to CEOs who drove their firms into bankruptcy

what is power?

Fundamental concept in sociology An ability to bring about an intended outcome (empowerment) even when opposed by others (domination) - these two meanings aren't mutually exclusive, but they are distinct according to Max weber

symbolic interactionism

George herbert Mead, Herbert Blumer Social rules define social roles that people play Interactive role-playing makes up everyday life Social institutions (like the state) do not exist "outside" the U.S.- created/recreated in daily, micro-level enactment of social roles (only exist if people continue to act out/ play the roles) States, corporations, armies- structures have to be enacted Role of symbolic interactionist sociologists: discover rules that govern social interaction by studying micro-level interactive role playing, interpret meaning of social behavior, symbols, and roles

Bill chambliss (1973) "The Saints and the Roughnecks"

Observational study of two groups of white teens Upper-middle class group: Saints Working class group: roughnecks Delinquency: poor self image survey (initial interest) Observed school setting, kid left school one day, followed him to a pool hall (saints)- truancy, cheating, drunk driving, theft Interviewed both groups, realized both groups were equally delinquent Roughnecks regarded very less/worse compared to saints since they were working class even though Saints were just as bad Saints always got out of their criminal activity Roughnecks- theft for money, fight Different trajectories post high school: Saints-professionals, roughnecks- teachers and criminals Visibility: saints kept out of sight because car and poolhouse (roughnecks didn't have this option) Demeanor: saints knew how to talk their way out of authoritative situations, roughnecks were defiant Social views: Saints- boys will be boys. Roughnecks- delinquents Parents: saints had powerful parents (lawyers, professionals) authorities wouldn't punish saints because of class level, roughnecks did not have this, punishing roughnecks was applauded Self-fulfilling prophecy: treated like criminal- going to be unsuccessful and not believe in self creates one's outcome Right kind of person can break the rules and get away with it More about who you are and not your behavior Meritocracy Upper middle class kids are good kids (false belief) consequently forms outcome Understand how official date is produced ex. Truancy attendance upper/middle class is misconstrued Debunking of power, expose myths that everyone knows

What's missing or unexplained by these theories?

Organizational aspects of deviance/fraud - Financial sector deviance systemic and highly organized, not simply individual in nature - Organizations pursued business models that were deviant with respect to wider cultural mores and laws - Evidence of organizational pressure on individuals to participate/conform with deviant organizational practices

Sociological critiques of "invisible hand"

Pareto efficiency= efficient outcome Wasted resources=inefficient outcome Allocation where one person has all power and others do not is example of pareto efficiency Outcome can still be unfair to society even if invisible hand assumptions are met