Sociology Exam 2
What is the prey vs. predator relationship?
A toxic situation to live in where people feel like they have to prove themselves in order to not be a target of violence
What is broken window theory of deviance?
Broken Window Theory of Deviance (Philip Zimbardo): explains how social context and social cues affect the way individuals act. Holds that visible indicators of disorder, such as vandalism, loitering, and broken windows, invite criminal activity and should be prosecuted. If you see a broken window, its likely going to lead to more violence
What is collective resistance?
Collective Resistance: an organized effort to change a power hierarchy on the part of a less-powerful group in a society
What did Devah Pager say?
Devah Pager Interview: Devah Pager discusses her field experiments, racism, and the stigma men with a criminal record face when they're in the job market (rejection, alienation)
Who is Emile Durkheim and what did she say?
Emile Durkheim theorized that social cohesion is established either through: - Mechanical solidarity: based on the sameness of society's parts or members - Organic solidarity: based on the interdependence of specialized parts or members
What is ethnicity?
Ethnicity: one's ethnic quality or affiliation. It is voluntary, self-defined, non hierarchical, fluid and multiple, and based on cultural differences, not physical ones per se. Unlike race, ethnicity is: - Voluntary, ex: I can choose to identify with my ⅛ percent Irish heritage - Self-defined - Non Hierarchical - Fluid and multiple - Cultural - Planar
What is the psychoanalytic theory of gender?
Freud's theory Focus on individualistic explanations for gender differences as opposed to societal ones Inherent in these theories is the notion that there are natural differences between men and women that dictate how they behave
What is the ghetto mentality?
Ghetto mentality (a.k.a poor mindset): when you see someone moving up in that environment, you become jealous and want to pull them down or step on them, it's a poor mindset in areas of poverty (like a crab in a barrel mentality)
Why is it hard to measure crime rates overtime?
Its difficult to measure crime rates over time for a variety of reasons including: - Changes in definition - Fluctuations in reporting - Improvements in medical technology
What is miscegenation?
Miscegenation: the technical term for interracial marriage, literally meaning "a mixing of kinds": it is politically and historically charged — sociologist generally prefer exogamy (a.k.a out of marriage)
What is neolism?
Neolism: society without hope; if we don't do a better job at understanding institutions then this can lead to neolism.
What is Oscar Lewis's theory? (video interview with Mario Luis Small)
Oscar Lewis's theory: When communities experience poverty for a multiple of years, they establish their own culture. People have a hard time getting out of poverty because of this culture (ex: having kids early even if you're not married, bad punctuality). Even if conditions change, it's very hard for the culture to change. Idea where everyone can't see without glasses, and each of the glasses are different (ex: different tints); these glasses through which you see the world out of will determine how you will see the world. His point is that there are limitations on certain groups of people because of how they grew up, even if they aspire to be better than what they grew up in.
What is prejudice?
Prejudice: thoughts and feelings about an ethnic or racial group, which lead to preconceived notions and judgements (often negative) about the group
What is the pressure of poverty?
Pressure of Poverty: exert pressure on individuals, families, and communities and negatively impacts people's lives
What is race?
Race: a group of people who share a set of characteristics — typically, but not always, physical ones — and are said to share a common bloodline.
What is social cohesion?
Social Cohesion: refers to the way that people form social bonds, relate to each other, and get along on a day-to-day basis - Ex: people's resiliency whenever a crisis strikes It isn't until our group norms are challenged that we come together (ex: 9/11 attack brought us all together as a nation when our safety was questioned)
What is strain theory and who are the types of people in it?
Strain Theory: states that certain strains or stressors increase the likelihood of crime. These strains lead to negative emotions (frustration, anger). These emotions create pressure for corrective action, and crime is one possible response. People that feel the overwhelming stressors of life. - Examples: people who use illegal drugs to make themselves feel better, or a student assaulting his peers to end the harassment they caused. We judge these people why they are on drugs instead of being empathetic. Types of people within strain theory: Conformists: accept the goals of society and the means of achieving those goals. (Ex: going to college to become a doctor) Innovators: accept the goals of the society, but they look for new, or innovative ways of achieving those goals. (Ex: wanting to succeed but not finish college) Ritualists: aren't interested in the goals of the society, but they do accept the means of achieving those goals. Retreatists: don't accept the goals of the society or the means of achieving those goals. Rebels: don't accept the goals of the society or the means of achieving those goals, so they create their own goals using new means.
What is stratification?
Stratification: the hierarchical arrangement of individuals or groups in a society based on dimensions of inequality. - Dimensions in this case: economic status, social class, race, ethnicity, gender, age, etc.
What are the 3 types of crime?
Street crime: crime committed in public often associated with violence, gangs and poverty. Worst type of crime out of the three since it is in the public eye. The other types of crime are more hidden or private. White-collar crime: crime committed by a professional against a corporation, agency, or other business Corporate crime: a type of white-collar crime committed by the officers or executives of a company.
What is subaltern?
Subaltern: a subordinate, oppressed group of people
Who was Tammy Crabtree's?
Tammy Crabtree's Story: mother that grew up poor (generational poverty). She walks 10.5 miles to work since she doesn't have a car. Her son Matt tries to show his friends that is not of the same class as his mom but he is, but he does want to go to college. Her son has a daughter and although he was laid off from his work (due to a drug problem) he got out of it and is a provider for his family. She wants to be up to another level even if it's just for a moment, which is an idea that can cause people to get into trouble. Tammy dreams of becoming a teacher, given her circumstances she wouldn't be able to unfortunately.
What is the woman question?
The Woman Question: a wide range of theories and approaches have been applied to the study of gender, including: - Structural functionalism - Psychoanalytic theory - Conflict theory - Microinteractionist theory - Postmodern theory - Ideas from black feminists Conflict theories argue that patriarchal capitalists benefit through systems that subordinate women Women are basically told to keep quiet and things will change on their own which is false Postmodern theorists question the whole notion of "woman" as a separate, stable category and question the value and appropriateness of Western scholars applying their cultural logic to the study of non-Western societies.
What is neolism?
The burden of race leads to neolism: if you're always being put down or marginalized, it weighs on you over time and it can lead you to lose hope and that you have to survive by any means necessary, leading to the strain theory.
How is poverty determined?
The official poverty line in the US is calculated using formula developed by Mollie Orshansky The formula estimates food costs for minimum food requirements to determine whether a family can "afford" to survive The formula can be problematic, as the cost of food has decreased but the cost of living (rent, utilities, etc.) have increased
What is absolute poverty?
The point at which a household's income falls so far below the necessary level to purchase food to physically sustain its household members
Compassion Fatigue
After experiencing so much poverty (people begging on the streets), you can desensitized to all the people in need, your tired and you lose the ability to sympathize with them (ex: you start looking at these people with disdain, wanting them to fix themselves) Often described as the "negative cost of caring" Emotional and physical exhaustion leading to a lower ability to empathize, this happens when you become desensitized to the conditions people live in
Which groups get targeted with offensive language that is mainstream humor?
Asian and Muslim groups
What is James Rosenbaum's Study of the Gautreaux Assisted Living Program in Chicago and the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) study?
Designed to see if moving to less impoverished communities might affect quality of life MTO study in particular seemed to show that living in a quieter, less stressful environment did have very positive effects on children.
What is deterrence theory?
Deterrence theory: a philosophy of criminal justice based on the notion that crime results from a rational calculation of its costs and benefits
What is double jeopardy?
Double Jeopardy: black women struggle for women's rights but also struggle with rights for people of color. Add homosexuality which can cause a triple jeopardy concept
What is feminism?
Feminism: an intellectual, consciousness-raising movement based on the idea that women and men should be accorded equal opportunities and respect. - Seeks to get people to understand that gender is an organizing principle of life
What is functionalism?
Functionalism: a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. - Analyze the contributions made to society as a whole - Use the body as an analogy
What is primary deviance?
Primary Deviance: the initial stage in defining deviant behavior. If this isn't addressed immediately then it leads to secondary deviance. - Ex: child stealing candy from a candy store needs to be corrected early
What is racial conflict?
Racial Conflict: the final paradigm of race relations is conflict relations, when antagonistic groups within a society live integrated in the same neighborhoods, hold the same jobs, and go to the same schools
What was the book "Race Matters" about?
A social sciences book by Cornel West The book analyzes moral authority and racial debates concerning skin color in the US. The book questions matters of economics and politics, as well as ethical issues and spirituality, and also addresses the crisis in black American leadership. Groups of individuals will have, and groups of individuals will not have, and these people can be separated by race ultimately.
What is acheivement ideology?
Achievement Ideology: the belief that one reaches a socially perceived definition of success through hard work and education - Not a fair assessment of someone's intellect. - It's a sacrifice for middle class families, not reachable for low class families, the system is rigged in this way - Ex: SAT scores are seen as the indicator of intellectual potential. Prep programs for it are affected by the family's wealth and income (being unable to pay for private study programs), advanced placement courses. The SAT is designed for a specific group of people (ex: ability to take the exam many times, not applicable for everyone)
Social Deviance
Any transgression of socially established norms Informal deviance: refers to violations of informal social norms, which are norms that have not be codified (arrange laws or rules into a systemic code) into law - Ex: picking one's nose, belching loudly, standing too close to someone else, loud music in public Formal deviance: includes criminal violation of formally-enacted laws - Ex: robbery, theft, rape, murder, assault
What is the structural functionalist theory of studying gender?
Assumes that gender differences exist to fulfill necessary functions in society. Doesn't allow for the possibility that other structures could fulfill the same function or for the fact that structures change throughout history
Racial Battle Fatigue
Author: Dr. William Smith Definition: over a period of time of having to endure societal pressures as a racial minority group, you start to get psychological effects (heavy weight on you), psychosocial stress response from being a racially oppressed individual in a white community, which turning into a psychological disorder They are constantly looking at the inside from the outside wondering if they will be accepted the same way Leads to strain theory (leads to aggression, anger)
What do black feminists believe?
Black feminists: pointed out that gender doesn't function in a vacuum and that gender studies must take into account that there is no single category of women and men. - gender is deeply interconnected with various aspects of society, including culture, politics, economics, and power dynamics - They also pointed out that some women are not only more privileged that other women but also more privileged than some men (which depends on the social context)
What is the boy crisis?
Boy Crisis: issue at the college level; women go to school at rates much higher than males do. This will lead to men being in more working class jobs and women will be in more positions of power. - If we don't respect the female perspective (arrogance towards women) then we can't collaborate/communicate properly with them - Ex: increase of women enrolling in medical school
What is color-blind racism?
Color-Blind Racism: the view that racial inequality is perpetuated by a supposedly color-blind stance that ends up reinforcing historical and contemporary inequities, disparate impact, and institutional bias by "ignoring" them in favor of a technically neutral approach Color-blindness, in sociology, refers to the belief or attitude that race should not and does not matter in social interactions, institutions, or policies. Proponents of color-blindness argue that treating everyone equally and ignoring race is the best way to achieve racial equality. However, critics argue that color-blindness can perpetuate racial inequalities by ignoring the structural and systemic factors that contribute to disparities.Color-blind racism refers to a racial ideology or belief system that suggests that race should not and does not matter in social interactions, institutions, or policies. It operates under the notion that treating everyone equally and ignoring race is the best way to achieve racial equality. However, critics argue that color-blind racism overlooks the continued existence of racial disparities and inequalities by ignoring the structural and systemic factors that contribute to them.
What is Conflict Theory?
Conflict Theory: developed by Karl Marx, is a theory that society is in a state of perpetual conflict because of competition for limited resources. Social inequality is unnecessary/not "natural" Scarcity mindset: we only have a finite amount of resources (so you have to hold onto the resources that you have and not share, it's a you vs. me state) Reflection of unequal power/competing interests between elite and worker Elite controls resources and rules so that lower groups will always remain subordinate positions and will always be inferior - It's a way of controlling individuals so that people can't get the same opportunities as other people - This constant competition leads to exhaustion at the end - Hierarchy: individuals feel like they are above you (leads to not fair competition) - Proverbial dangling carrot leads to conflict theory, meaning these people will get it by any means necessary Patriarchal capitalists benefit through systems that subordinate women Imbalance of power in society and the struggles people go through to get power, and how certain people are oppressed in this system
What is discrimination?
Discrimination: harmful or negative acts (not mere thoughts) against people deemed inferior on the basis of their racial category, without regard to their individual merit
What is equality vs. Equity?
Equality: the state of being equal, especially in rights, opportunities, and status. It implies that everyone receives the same treatment regardless of individual differences or circumstances. In education, equality would mean that every student receives the same amount of funding and access to facilities, regardless of their background or abilities. Equity: everyone has the same opportunities. It involves recognizing that people have different needs and circumstances and therefore require different resources or opportunities to achieve similar outcomes. Equity focuses on addressing systemic and structural inequalities to ensure that everyone has a fair chance to succeed. Unlike equality, equity acknowledges and seeks to correct disparities by allocating resources and opportunities according to individual needs
What is ethnocentrism?
Ethnocentrism: the belief that one's own culture or group is superior to others and the tendency to view all other cultures from the perspective of one's own.
What is eugenics?
Eugenics: literally meaning "well born", a pseudoscience that postulates that controlling the fertility of populations could influence inheritable traits passed on from generation to generation - Eugenics, led by Sir Francis Galton claimed that each race had a separate package of social and psychological traits transmitted through bloodlines. - Henrietta Lacks story: neither Henrietta Lacks nor her family have been informed about the use of HeLa cells
What is the Stanford Prison Experiment?
Experiment lasted 2 weeks where they put normal people in a negative, oppressive environment (prison with small room, electric shocks, human degradation) Unethical experiment: lied about the experiment, they said the experiment was given to people to improve their memory when it really it was to see how normal people would react under oppression After 1 day of being imprisoned they started showing signs of distress. Prisoners thought that they started acting crazy then they would have to leave the experiment and the prison Prisoner at some point thought that he was being a bad prisoner after the experiment was over (conscious mind was altered) As the experiment progressed the guards were more aggressive Prisoners started to lose their identities and feel like just a number Prisoners went on a hunger strike Called prisoners by only a number (dehumanizing) It was an unethical experiment Shows that power corrupts good people and that people take up the roles that they are given by society
What is false consciousness?
False consciousness: when oppressed people don't recognize their own oppression due to the influence of the dominant ideology)
What is formal social controls?
Formal social controls: those that are based on laws. They are enforced by all sorts of government agencies such as the police, judicial courts and regulation agencies - Ex: policing, judicial sanctions, regulatory policies, penalties and fines
What are symbolic interactionists?
Founder: George Herbert Mead Symbolic interactionism: take a micro view of society, examining the beliefs and assumptions people bring to their everyday interactions to find the causes or explanations for deviance
What is the Youth Control Complex
Founder: Victor Rios The Youth Control Complex is a set of institutions that put a permanent mark on black and hispanic people (felonies) that stigmatizes, criminalizes, punishes and limits them from pursuing future opportunities. Zero tolerance policies put in place (expulsions, referrals, detentions, increasing the dropout rate exponentially which puts these people in lifetime harm). Once this happens then they are alienated by their own peers and society Institutionalization was designed in a way to punish them (ex: encounters with police) in school where they get arrested. Police do tend to harass people, so the type of policing (over-policing) is having a detrimental impact on young people in the inner city. We need police officers because we need social control, but we need more empathetic (good) police. The type of training and level of sensitivity you have as an officer does impact this. Young people are "marked" by the state early on, meaning they have a negative credential (ex: felony) before getting a positive credential (putting a mark on young people that affects their ability to go to college and get a job) and can't get that positive credential leading to less opportunity. Having a felony completely removes your ability to thrive in society, so they are constantly in survival mode. Negative credential can cause generational problems since that is the environment the whole family is growing up in (little opportunity), being a product of your environment, that's why it's important for sociologists to understand this. This becomes a vicious cycle of being stigmatized, leading to less opportunity for those people and causing them to have less productive lives Law enforcement comes into these neighborhoods with already very not sensitive mindsets so they are more likely to give out felonies
What are gender roles?
Gender Roles: sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany one's status as a male or female. - Gender roles are fluid rather than fixed - Second shift: women assume this role of a second shift, which is their unpaid labor like preparing meals, taking care of their children - Ex: 18th century "man"
What is gender?
Gender: a social construct that consists of a set of social arrangements that are built around sex - Gender structures social relations on unequal ground, and thus power is fundamentally at play when we talk about gender differences - Social constructionists argue that gender is a process that people participate in with every social interaction they have. It is so essential to our identity that we often resist the idea that it is socially constructed.
What is genocide?
Genocide: the mass killing of a group of people based on racial, ethnic, or religious traits
What was the video talking about Matthew?
He talked about how rent has increased throughout the years and how incomes have not matched the rent increase, how there has also been less housing assistance. Closer to downtown Milwaukee, there are more evictions that occur (1/14) Eviction goes on your record just like a criminal charge so they are unable to join Section 8 housing and have trouble getting housing again Families and children have been discriminated for awhile with the housing industry
What did Heather Hlavka?
Heather Hlavka, professor of sociology showed that girls ranging from 11-16 or older seem to think it normal for boys to do the following while walking in school hallways: grab their behinds, fondle their breasts, and make lewd comments about their bodies. Women have normalized this so that they can navigate it
What is upper class?
Highest levels of wealth, status and prestige Membership offers some financial advancement but also most inherit their wealth William Dombhoff and C. Wright Mills: They argues that power in the United States is concentrated in the hands of a small, interconnected network of wealthy individuals and families, which he refers to as the "ruling class" or "power elite." Domhoff's research emphasizes the ways in which this ruling class influences politics, the economy, and society as a whole, often through institutions like corporations, think tanks, and policy-making organizations. He maintains that the upper class perpetuates its power and privilege through mechanisms such as intergenerational wealth transfer, elite education, and social networks. They criticizes what he calls the "power elite" for prioritizing their own interests and maintaining control over important social institutions, often at the expense of the broader population. Determines "highest" cultural capital
What is hookup culture?
Hookup Culture: "booty call" where people have sexual relations with each other Women's perception of this is different than boys: boys sleep around, add bodies, etc. but if a girl does it she's considered worse. Women think through hookups more emotional but men think it's fun or casual
What are the 3 key beliefs in racist thinking?
Humans are divided into distinct bloodlines and/or physical types These bloodlines or physical traits are linked to distinct cultures, behaviors, personalities, and intellectual abilities Certain groups are superior to others.
What is the naturalization law?
In 1790, Congress passed the first naturalization law, limiting the rights of citizenship to "free white persons". This law strikes us today as both restrictive and inclusive. It was restrictive because it granted naturalization only to free whites (creating the idea that whites are superior), yet it also set up an initially broad understanding of "whiteness", an umbrella term that in common parlance could include not just Anglo but also Slavic, Celtic, and teutonic (German) Europeans. - Now people are labeled as either black or white in terms of race. At the turn of the 20th century, Americans categorized themselves into anywhere from 36-75 different races that they organized into hierarchies, with Anglo-Saxon at the top followed by Slav, Mediterranean, Hebrew, and so on.
What is informal social sanctions?
Informal Social Sanctions: actions in response to someone's behavior that may serve to discourage nonconformity or encourage conformity to a norm, rule or law. As such, a sanction can be positive or negative, to encourage or discourage actions in line with standards of what is normal, expected, or appropriate. - Ex of sanctions for nonconformity: shame, ridicule, sarcasm, criticism, disapproval, social discrimination, exclusion
What is institutional racism?
Institutional Racism: institutions and social dynamics that may seem race neutral but actually disadvantage minority groups
What is labeling theory?
Labeling Theory: an approach in the sociology of deviance that focuses on the ways in which the agents of social control attach stigmatizing stereotypes (negative associations) to particular groups, and the ways in which the stigmatized change their behavior once labeled. For some people once a deviant label has been applied this can actually lead to more deviance. They internally accept their labels overtime and eventually accept it to be their truth. - Ex: a person who volunteers to stay late at work is usually seen as worthy of praise, but if a person has been labeled as a thief people might be suspicious that they will steal something.
What does Mario Luis Small say?
Mario Luis Small argues that people adopt certain practices, which differ from those of middle-class "mainstream" society, in order to adapt and survive in difficult economic circumstances. - While it may be true that reliance on welfare generates a sense of helplessness and dependency in some people, there are also structural reasons why it can be difficult to transition from welfare to work. Like physical and mental health conditions, child health, or behavioral problems, chemical dependency, family violence, housing instability, and low basic skills or learning disabilities. - Welfare is a bad thing, it exacerbates the problem and makes it bigger since people become dependant on it - Over-assumption that most people on welfare are black
Describe the objectification of women.
Men are taught growing up that objectifying women is masculine and women get used to it over time Wage gap, women who want equal pay, equal opportunities and equal treatment are thought of as bitchy Dearth of women in high powered professional positions and the saturation of women in subordinate low paying jobs Women's portrayal in the media. The exploitation of women in comedy and how they are portrayed in the media is because its so normalized - Sexual harassment/rape - Objectification and exploitation of their bodies for male pleasure is normal. 6 media coglaments are controlled by white men which is their message they want to get across.
What is the middle class?
Often overlooked in discussing class. Although important: political directions Universal Class: in Marxism it denotes that class of people within a stratified society for which at a given point in history, self-interested action coincides with the needs of humanity as a whole. Importance belies difficulties and worries (ex: job security, taxes)
What is the one drop rule?
One Drop Rule: the belief that "one drop" of African American blood makes a person black, a concept that evolved from US laws forbidding miscegenation, losing your rights
What are the 4 types of equality?
Ontological equality: the idea that all people are created equal in the eyes of God. This concept is best seen in the Pledge of Allegiance of the US which states that "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". This pledge is referring to ontological equality because it states that the nation is under God's realm. Equality of opportunity: the concept that as long as all people are given the same opportunities for advancement, that inequality of conditions are acceptable. This was an argument which supported concepts such as segregation and the doctrine of "separate but equal" Equality of condition: the concept that all people should have an equal starting point from which they begin their pursuit of goals in life. This belief can be seen in the idea that many groups begin at a disadvantage such as poor people and subordinate groups. As a result, policies such as affirmative action are implemented to level the playing field for these groups Equality of outcome: the notion that all people in society should have the same benefits as everyone else. This concept is difficult to define in American society due to its capitalist nature. However, a concept such as health care reform which attempts to create the same access and benefit for all Americans is an example of the equality of outcome.
What is physiognomy?
Physiognomy: the Swiss theologian Johann Caspar Lavater, popularized physiognomy - Judgment of a person based on their facial features or expression, especially when regarded as indicative of character or ethnic origin - Not surprisingly, light skin and small features signified high intellect and worthy character.
What is poverty?
Poverty: condition of deprivation due to economic circumstances that is severe enough that the individual in this condition cannot live with dignity in his or her society. We can't stop a problem until we figure out what causes it At the core of the debate about poverty in America is the question of whether poverty is the cause of social ills such as crime, poor educational outcomes, divorce, and so on, or whether it is their result. - Ex: understand why a person sells drugs when they know it leads to incarceration (society begins to normalize drug dealing)
What is punitive justice?
Punitive justice: focuses on making the violator suffer and thus defines the boundaries of acceptable behavior. In a way it's revenge, causing suffering. There is no resolution with punitive justice. America has the highest rate of incarceration, so some might argue that punitive justice is not working. America has a punitive justice system. Since the 1970s there has been a change in the US from a more rehabilitative sense of justice to a more punitive one. This is evidence by historically high rates of incarceration
How was race in terms of the early modern world?
Race in the Early Modern World: modern racial thinking developed in the mid-17th century in parallel with global changes such as the Protestant Reformation in Europe, the Age of Exploration, and the rise of Capitalism. - For example, European colonizers, confronted with people living in newly discovered lands, interpreted human physical difference first with biblical and later with scientific explanations, and race proved to be a rather handy organizing principle to legitimate the imperial adventure f conquests, exploitation, and colonialism
What is race vs. ethnicity?
Race is externally imposed: someone else defines you as black, white or other Race is involuntary: it's not up to you to decide which category you belong: someone else puts you there Race is usually based on physical differences: those unreliable bumps on your head Race is hierarchical: not white? Take a number down the ranks Race is exclusive: you don't get to check more than one box Race is unequal: it's about power conflicts and struggles The differences between race and ethnicity underscore the privileged position of whites in America, who have the freedom to pick and choose their identities, to wave a flag in a parade, or to whip up Grandma traditional recipe and freely show their ethnic backgrounds
What is racialization?
Racialization: the formation of a new racial identity by drawing ideological boundaries of difference around a formerly unnoticed group of people. - For example: African American women may often be stereotyped as uneducated, loud, or improper. Through racialization, if a woman of African descent immigrated to the U.S people will attribute those same stereotypes to her because through a racial lens, she fits the African American woman category. - For example: if there was a black school shooter, then all the black people get labeled as suspects for that (the dominant group puts them all together)
What is the racist ideology?
Racist Ideology: an alternative paradigm for examining actors' racial views regarding race. A racist ideology can be seen in this early line of thinking about whiteness. Racism is the belief that members of separate races possess different and unequal traits coupled with the power to restrict freedoms based on those differences.
What is recidivism?
Recidivism: occurs when a person who has been involved in the criminal justice system reverts to criminal behavior (a.k.a the revolving door that never ends) Similar to a revolving door that occurs in society, it's a cycle where criminals keep going in and out of jail, then there's a point that they become institutionalized.
What is rehabilitative justice?
Rehabilitative justice (a.k.a restorative justice): examines the specific circumstances of an individual transgressor and attempts to find ways to rehabilitate him or her instead of going right away to punishment Dr. Washington is a restorative justice practitioner Understanding that hurt people hurt people, so if you didn't understand their anger/frustration, letting that go under addressed or undirected will cause them to do it again
How can we target poverty?
Reinvestment into the education systems (help people in poverty have access to an abundance of knowledge so that they can navigate institutions)
What is relative poverty?
Relative Poverty: a measurement of poverty based on a percentage of the median income in a given location
Does prison work better as punishment or rehab?
Research has shown that prison has very little effect on whether adults commit future crimes. For juveniles, time spent behind bars actually increases the likelihood of their reoffending. These findings raise the question of why we spend so much money on incarceration
What is scientific racism?
Scientific Racism: 19th century theories of race that characterize a period of feverish investigation into the origins, explanations, and classification of race. - In 1684, Francois Bernier devised a scheme of 4 or 5 races based on the following geographic regions: Europe, South Asia, North Africa, and America: people who shared climates and complexions - Africa proper: people who had thick lips, flat noses, black skin, and a scanty beard - Asia proper: people who had white skin, broad shoulders, flat faces, little eyes, and no beard - Lapps (small traditional communities living around the northern regions of Finland and Russia): people who are ugly, squat, small and animal-like.
What is secondary deviance?
Secondary Deviance: deviant behavior that results from a stigmatized sense of self that aligns with society's concept of a deviant. If we don't address primary deviance, then secondary deviance will occur and the acts will become more intense.
What is segregation?
Segregation: the legal or social practice of separating people on the basis of their race or ethnicity
What is sex?
Sex: the natural or biological differences that distinguish males and females - Many belief that there are only two sexes, males and females and that all people fall into one group or the other - There is recent scientific research about chromosomes/genes that define this concept
What is sexuality?
Sexuality: refers to desire, sexual preference, sexual identity, and behavior - Sexual practices vary across time and place, supporting the notion that sexuality is as much a social construct as gender. - Sexuality is constructed by association of sexual acts with sexual identity - Homosexuality: refers to the social identity of a person who has sexual attraction to and/or relations with people of the same sex, is a concept or identity that emerged in the mid-19th century - Perceived to be unnatural and deviant - Homosexuality and masculinity are not two opposing ends of a spectrum. Often when people fall neatly into their "gender role" and act out their "gender script", they can be lesbian or gay and still be considered feminine and masculine. Ex: you can be both gay and manly.
What is the video C.J Pascoe: video about the F word (describing gays)?
So many young boys would call each other a "fag", in a derogatory insult (meaning idiot) If you danced, cared about your clothes, too emotional, this is all considered not masculine The boys were policing the boundary of masculinity and they were reminding each other of what it means to be masculine. One of the boys was targeted by other boys for showing signs of being gay and he had to leave the school because it got really bad 90% of school shooters actually were subject to homosexual harassment Suggests that making teachers more aware of this behavior and states pass legislation about this kind of bullying in school will help everyone There's a machismo that men have to adhere to where men have to constantly prove that they are tough You can be gay but you have to still appear manly to be accepted
What is social control?
Social Control: the set of mechanisms that create normative compliance in individuals Normative Compliance: the act of abiding by society's norms or simply following the rules of group life.
What did Bryan Stevenson say in the video we watched?
Speaker: Bryan Stevenson Said how many black people can't vote, 13 year olds are being incarcerated (imprisoned) Talks about the power of identity and how wealth shapes outcomes (rich and guilty is somehow more innocent than someone who is young and innocent) Is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment. He raises the question: "do we deserve to kill?" in regards to the death penalty. Talks about how people are not just the crimes they commit. (Ex: they aren't "just a thief". They are more than their crimes). The death penalty is not about whether people deserve to die for the crimes they commit. The real question of capital punishment in this country is, Do we deserve to kill?
What is symbolic ethnicity?
Symbolic Ethnicity: a nationality, not in the sense of carrying the rights and duties of citizenship but of identifying with a past or future nationality. For later generations of white ethnics, something not constraining but easily expressed, with no risks of stigma and all the pleasures of feeling like an individual. Voluntary and Flexible: Symbolic ethnicity is often chosen and adopted by individuals based on personal preferences or situational contexts. People may selectively emphasize aspects of their ethnic background when it is convenient or beneficial, such as during cultural celebrations or social interactions. Minimal Commitment: Unlike bound ethnic identities that require active participation in cultural practices and communities, symbolic ethnicity typically requires minimal commitment from individuals. They may identify with their ethnic heritage on a symbolic level without engaging deeply in cultural traditions or activities. Situational Adoption: Symbolic ethnicity may become particularly salient in specific contexts or situations, such as ethnic holidays, festivals, or gatherings. Individuals may embrace their ethnic identity symbolically during these occasions, even if they do not regularly practice or identify with it in other aspects of their lives.
What is the Bell Curve?
The Bell Curve: Charles Murray and Richard Hernstein argued that it's not poverty or education or parenting that ultimately has the most impact on children's outcomes, but simply your genes (genetics)
What is the Glass Ceiling?
The Glass Ceiling: idea that certain positions are reserved for very specific individuals, and breaking through this "glass ceiling" is hard. Women feel like no matter what they do they can't get through the glass ceiling.
What is the importance of being white?
The Importance of Being White: whiteness, argues Peggy McIntosh is an "invisible knapsack of privileges" that puts white people at an advantage, just as racism places nonwhites as a disadvantage. - Whiteness, then, is about not feeling the weight of representing an entire population with one's successes or failures. It's about not having to think about race much at all. - Ex: I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for this own daily physical protection - Ex: I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them
What is the myth of race?
The Myth of Race: to speak the myth of race is to say that it is largely a social construction, a set of stories we tell ourselves to organize reality and make sense of the world, rather than a fixed biological or natural reality.
Why is equality in the US so different from other countries?
The US has a broader range of inequality (our rich are much richer than our poor) than any other developed nation in the world, as well as higher poverty rates (a larger percentage of the population is below the poverty line)
"Screw her!" Video
Two men in the bathroom one is emotional over a girl. Other guy is comforting the other but then the guy that's upset was like "can you just be like a guy" and he started acting very aggressive like "screw her", "she's a bitch", etc. Emphasizes that guys are supposed to be players and traditional masculinity is less about emotions and more about strength. When one of the guys was talking about emotions he was thought of as less masculine.
What are some signs of social disorganization?
Very limited health facilities No businesses No banks No movie theaters, skating rinks, bowling alleys The threat of violence is constant The building you live in is poorly taken care of (ex: roaches, running water, urine smell)
What did the video about race?
Video about Race: differences in the identification of people based on race (boundaries of race, which groups of people are considered a minority) - Minority is termed for disadvantaged people, sometimes doesn't include the people that are disadvantaged as well
What is white flight?
White Flight: when white people move from urban areas to the suburbs since white people don't want to live around people of color. - They bring all their wealth with them, leaving the black communities in the cities destitute
What did William Julius Wilson say?
William Julius Wilson: turned the focus from welfare to factors such as deindustrialization, globalization, suburbanization (a.k.a white flight), and discrimination as causes of urban poverty.
